Pacific Gravity News and Reminders: First Friday, Other Stuff

This Friday (April 6) is First Friday!

Where: El Segundo Brewing Company, 140 Main Street, El Segundo, CA, 90245
Time: 7:30pm

Southern California Homebrew Festival

WE NEED BEER!  If you have a keg you can share with a thousand or so of your fellow brewers from around Central and Southern California, please email me at brewfest @ pacifgravity.com.  Advise with style and keg size. You name will be prominently displayed on our tap list at the fest.

Craft Day:  Make Your Own Jockey Box …

… on a yet-to-be-determined Saturday in June.  We’ll be taking orders for supplies (stainless tubing, vinyl tubing, keg fittings, taps) at the next club meeting (April 19).  You supply the cooler.  More details to follow in the pre-meeting post in a couple of weeks.

DUES are DUE.

March is dues month: $36 per individual, $54 for couples.

 

HAPPY BREWING!

Pacific Gravity Reminders: Meeting This Thursday, Mar 15

Where: Culver City Homebrew Supply, 4234 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City.
Time: 7:30pm

COMMERCIAL STYLE of the MONTH:   Irish and Dark British Beers

As always, we will have some interesting commercial examples.

HOMEBREW STYLE of the MONTH:   Irish and Dark British Beers

Kegs, bottles and growlers welcome.

OTHER NEWS:

We will be updating our plans for upcoming activities including:

FEBRUARY KEGS:

Thanks to the following members for bringing kegs to the February meeting:

  • Parker W.:  Oaked Brown
  • Tim B. / Ian F. Collaboration: Smoked Lager
  • Michael & Tania M:  Pils

SHINY KEG AWARD:

  • Ruben S.:  Imperial Red Ale

SHARE YOUR HOMEBREW:

Please bring some of your home-brew to the meeting.

DUES are DUE.

March is dues month: $36 per individual, $54 for couples.  If you haven’t paid yet, please do it at the meeting.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOMEBREW SUPPLY SHOP!

Culver City Homebrew Supply offers a discount to Pacific Gravity members, and an additional discount on meeting night? Getting ready for a brew day?  Need some equipment?  Save a couple of dollars and purchase your supplies and ingredients at Thursday’s meeting.

See you Thursday!

Pacific Gravity Reminders: First Friday, Monster Brew

This Friday (March 2) is First Friday!

First Friday will be held at our traditional March F.F. site:

Where: Irish Times, 3267 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034
Time: 7:30pm

This Saturday (March 3) is Monster Brew Saturday!

Don’t miss out on a chance to see a 15-barrel batch of beer brewed up close, taste some of Jon Porter’s excellent creations, and take home your own 5-gallon batch to modify as you see fit. See 2018 Monster Brew for more details.

Southern California Homebrew Festival

We still have some camping slots available.  See Southern California Homebrew Festival for details.

DUES are DUE.

March is dues month: $36 per individual, $54 for couples.

 

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOMEBREW SUPPLY SHOP!

 

Reminder: Pacific Gravity Meeting This Thursday, Feb 15

Where: Culver City Homebrew Supply, 4234 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City.
Time: 7:30pm
Homebrew Style of the Month: Browns, Ambers, Reds, and California Common.

We will be updating our plans for upcoming activities including:

AND … introducing, in our raffle, a Junior Beer Judge Testing Kit!

We will have some interesting commercial examples of our style of the month.  Please bring some home-brew to share, too.

DUES are DUE.

March is dues month: $36 per individual, $54 for couples.  Feel free to pay your fees early at the February meeting.

EXTRA HOMEBREW SUPPLY DISCOUNT!

Did you know that Culver City Homebrew Supply offers an additional discount on meeting night? Getting ready for a brew day?  Need some equipment?  Save a couple of dollars and purchase your supplies and ingredients at Thursday’s meeting.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOMEBREW SUPPLY SHOP!

See you at the meeting!

MONSTER BREW, MARCH 3: RESERVE YOUR WORT NOW!

There are just a couple of days left for Pacific Gravity members to reserve Monster Brew wort.  We will be reaching out to the other homebrewers clubs in the area on Saturday, February 10, 2018.

To reserve a 5-gallon batch or two, send an email to Tim Bardet: treasurer@pacificgravity.com.

For more details, click here.

First Friday at Smog City

February’s PG First Friday is almost here.  Please join us on Friday February 2 at Smog City Brewing.  We’ll get started at the usual 7pm, so come on down and see what Jon Porter & Co have on tap.  Smog City has long been a strong supporter of Pacific Gravity.  A visit to their taproom with the PG gang is a great way to return the favor.  Hope to see you there.

 

 

Smog City Brewing

1901 Del Amo Blvd., Suite B
Torrance
http://smogcitybrewing.com/

 

 

Other Upcoming PG Events:

February Club Meeting @ CCHBS – Thu Feb 15
Monster Brew @ Smog City – Sat March 3

Reminder: First Saturday at Rob Rubens Distilling & Brewing, El Segundo

January’s First Friday is actually a First Saturday homebrew share at Rob Ruben’s, 909 E. El Segundo Blvd, El Segundo starting at 3pm (changed from original 1pm). We’ll be cooking up some burgers and brats while sampling Rob’s beers / spirits and sharing our brews with Rob and his staff.

Please bring some homebrew to share. Bottles, growlers and kegs are welcome.

If you plan to attend, please email me at vicepresident@pacificgravity.com. Rob would like a headcount for planning purposes, and it will help us with food planning, too.

See you there.

Hoppy Holidays – 2017 Edition!

It is time for the Pacific Gravity and Culver City Homebrew Supply Shop annual holiday event.  Mark your calendars!  This year the party is happening on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at Neil Saund’s duplex – at: 12966 Rubens Ave, Los Angeles, CA. (at Alla Road)

The party will kick off about 5:00 P.M.  If you have not attended one of the past holiday events, let us tell you this is one party not to be missed!

We really, really need your help with the following:

FOOD:

Although the club will be providing some of the main dishes, this is still a potluck party and YOUR favorite party dish will be greatly appreciated!  The menu should mostly reflect past holiday parties featuring Carbonnades ala Flamandes, deep fried turkeys, spiced ham and much more! Suggestions of what to bring would include any kind of main dish but especially all side dishes, veggie dishes, salads, desserts and appetizers. So, if you have a favorite family holiday recipe and want to share it with the rest of us, this is your chance.  Please let us know what you will bring. If you have any questions about what to bring, please contact Club Chef Ian at: masterchef@pacificgravity.com or Mimi at mbardet@verizon.net  (Attached is a list of what members have signed up to bring to date.)

The dinner portion of the event will be ongoing beginning at approximately 7pm. Please note that there will be very little space available for reheating food, so please bring your food ready to serve, not ready to cook.

Crockpots and chafing dishes with sterno fuel would be a great idea of how to bring something and keep it hot.

Also, don’t forget to label your containers or anything you want back.

BEER:
Got beer?  We need all types of beer, meads, cider and sodas for this event.  Pull out your favorite holiday beverage, dust off the bottle or keg and bring it down!  We’ll have the Wave of Beer set up to help dispense your holiday homebrews.  If you plan to bring beer, soda or other seasonally festive beverage, please contact Carl at: Competitions@pacificgravity.com & let him know what you will bring.  Everyone who signs up in advance will have a colorful tap tag.

VOLUNTEERS needed for setup & cleanup:

On Friday, December 8th, starting around 6pm, we need help with setup at Neil’s. (probably ending around 8-9pm) We will be setting up tables, E-Z ups, lighting, the beer wave and anything that can be done and left out overnight.

On Saturday, Dec 9th from approximately 10am to 12noon, we need help with final setup at Neil’s.

On Sunday, Dec 10th, starting at 10am, we need lots of people to help with clean up. The more we get the faster it goes. (probably ending around 12noon-1pm).

If you’d like to volunteer for set up or clean up contact us: PG Board at Board@pacificgravity.com

EQUIPMENT:

We need a few more heat lamps and fire pits so please donate them if you can.

We NEED lot & lots FIREWOOD!  If you can bring wood please do so.  December evenings can be cold so please help bring some wood so we can all stay warm.

We need more TABLES, e-z ups (canopies), and power strips.

We also need jockey boxes and CO2 cylinders and Sanke taps to help make sure all the beverages flow cold with perfect carbonation. We have more kegs than taps on the Wave, and the jockey boxes help out big time.

If at all possible, please bring your kegs and heavy stuff to setup on Friday evening or between 10am – 12noon on Saturday. This makes the last minute activities at party time go much more smoothly. The early kegs get the best slots on the Wave. Make sure all your kegs, coolers, tanks  taps, and other equipment are well labeled so they all return to their rightful owners Sunday morning.

Note, if you can’t deliver beer kegs to the Neil’s house at setup on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, then please email Carl Townsend at Competitions@pacificgravity.com to make arrangements to drop off your kegs at his house.

3rd Annual Holiday CLOTHING CHARITY DRIVE:
It’s time to clean out your closets…Pacific Gravity is having our 3rd annual Holiday CLOTHING DRIVE!

We will have boxes for any donations you can bring to the party.
For clothes & other items, please see the list below which will be donated to The People Concern (formerly, OPCC). They are mostly in need of men’s clothing in large sizes. Clothing can be “gently used” and should be clean. (Please see this link for all donations ideas: https://www.opcc.net/?nd=in_kind

Monetary donations will also be accepted – checks or cash. Special donation envelopes will be available at the party. Tax receipts for monetary donations will be sent to you by mail.

Below is a list of items that we can always use:
Clothing
Sweat socks – for men, women and children
Sweat shirts and pants for adults – all sizes especially larger sizes
New underwear – men’s, women and children
Flannel and long sleeve shirts for adults
Personal & Household items
Hygiene Items: toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo, disposable razors, bar soap, hand & body lotion,etc.
Blankets (preferably wool)
Sleeping bags for adults
Please see OPCC.org website for more donation suggestions.

Final Party Details:

Dress warm for our winter party, bring food and bring beer!

Highlighting the evening will be the crowning of the Pacific Gravity Club Member of the Year, and awarding of the trophy for Brewer of the Year.

Santa is sure to make an appearance to give away lots of great door prizes (prize donations welcome).

All club members and their guests are welcome, so plan on joining us…Celebrate the season, good beer, good food and friends the Pacific Gravity way!

PG Holiday FOOD signups-2017

P.S.  Also, don’t forget this month’s First Friday will be happening at Smog City Brewing in Torrance:  Friday December 1st @ 7pm

REMINDER: Nov-11 Pacific Gravity Chili Cook-Off, Elections, Mead Tasting

The Pacific Gravity November meeting will be held on Saturday, November 11, at the Casa Molloy event center, 6738 W. 87th Place in Westchester.  That’s 87th PLACE.  There is an “87th” Street, but we won’t be there.

1) We will be voting for President, Vice President, and Treasurer at the Nov-11 meeting.

If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for 1 of the 3 elected positions, please email us at board@pacificgravity.com by 11pm Thursday .  All nominees must agree to serve for the full 1-year term.

Current nominees are:

President: Michael Musgrave

Vice President: Terry Molloy

Treasurer: Tim Bardet

2) Club Member of the Year:

This is our way of honoring the club member who you feel has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make our club great. If you would like to nominate someone, please email the nomination to board@pacificgravity.com by 11pm Thursday.

Current Nominees:

Terry Molloy

Ian Fraser

Mimi Bardet

Carl Townsend

Parker Waechter

If you cannot vote at the meeting, email you selection for Club Member of the Year to Dean Sussman, styles@pacificgravity.com.

3) Unseat the Chili King:

This is your chance to show Chef Ian that you know your way around the kitchen. We will vote for Best Chili and Most Unique Chili. To enter, bring a pot of chili. we will assign your entry a random number.  There will be electrical available for electric crockpots. There will be tasty prizes for the winners.

4) We need beer!

Our style of the month is meads and ciders.  Feel free to bring a keg or bottles of beer to sample during the chili cook-off.

5) Mead Demonstration:

Michael Patterson will once again be demonstrating his excellent no-boil mead making technique.  The demo starts at 12pm.  If you would like to make a mead, you are welcome to bring your equipment and make a batch. Please note: chilling water will not be available.

6) Mead Commercial Tasting:

Following the announcements, we will be sampling commercial meads.  Please bring along your homemade meads or ciders to share.

7) Meeting Schedule:

Mead making demo:  Noon

Chili tasting:  1:00 PM

Announcements:  2:00 PM

Elections:  3:00 PM

Commercial Mead Tasting: 3:15 PM

 

See you there.

PG Summer Party — Are You Ready?

Pacific Gravity’s Summer Party Checklist

Saturday, July 29th – 2pm to 10pm

Location:  Dean Sussman’s – 1310 Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades, 90272

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IMPORTANT: PLEASE EMAIL US WITH WHAT YOU WILL BRING AND HOW YOU CAN HELP!

Checklist for ALL party attendees:

  • Bring BEER, BEER & more BEER! Also, bring sodas or a non-beer beverage featuring TROPICAL FRUIT for the “Best Non-Alcoholic Beverage” competition!  Please email what you are bringing to Carl at Competitions@PacificGravity.com
  • FOOD – sign up to bring Hawaiian Luau-themed dishes to our POTLUCK party. (the club will supply some food but we need YOUR dishes too!) We need ALL kinds of food: appetizers, sides dishes, main dishes (pre-cooked), desserts, etc. All your specialty dishes are welcome! We need LOTS of food to go with all the beer so please email us at summerparty@pacificgravity.com what dishes you will add to our feast!
  • VOLUNTEERS – we need YOU to help make this a successful party! Please email us at summerparty@pacificgravity.com .  We have lots of volunteer opportunities!
    • Setup on Friday night – starting at 6pm
    • Food prep on Friday– please contact Chef Ian to help
    • Cleanup on Sunday morning– starting around 10am
    • More setup and food prep on Saturday morning – between 10am and 2pm
    • Bartender shifts – 1hr. (please see Carl on Saturday to volunteer)
  • Beer Equipment (email Carl at: Competitions@PacificGravity.com)
    • Jockey boxes
    • CO2 cylinders
    • Bags of ice for jockey boxes
  • Charity Donation Goods – clothes, toiletries, new socks/underwear, kitchen kits, cleaning supplies, etc. See more info on PG website or on OPCC.net/Giving/WishList website (https://www.opcc.net/?nd=in_kind)
  • Other Equipment needed for the party. Please let us know if you have any of the following and would be willing to loan to us for the party. Please email us at: summerparty@pacificgravity.com . We will email confirmation back if we need you to bring items on Friday night during setup.
    • Tables
    • EZ Ups/Canopies
    • BBQs
    • Power/extension cords
    • Extra coolers/ice chests

Don’t forget to bring and things to know:

  • Bring BEER & other beverages
  • Bring FOOD – Hawaiian Luau-themed or any food that goes with beer!
  • Fee for all adult guests is $10 per guest. Kids are free. (Current members are free.)
  • Payment for past due membership – cash or credit
  • Donations for Charity – clothes, toiletries, new socks/underwear, kitchen kits, cleaning supplies, etc.
  • Chairs and Blankets
  • Bathing suits and towels, if you want to use the swimming pool.
  • Sunscreen
  • Jackets & sweaters for the evening
  • Cash for Raffle tickets
  • PG merchandise will be available for sale at the Front Desk.
  • Note for food contributions, we will NOT have use of a kitchen for heating or cooling so please plan accordingly. Please label your food containers so that we can get them back to you.

Charity Donation – IDEAS & SUGGESTIONS

Clothing  (all donations should be clean and, if used, in good condition.)

  • Sweat socks – for men, women and children
  • New underwear – men’s, women and children
  • Sweat shirts and tee-shirts for adults – all sizes especially larger sizes
  • Flannel and long sleeve shirts for adults
  • Pants and jeans for adults – all sizes especially larger sizes
  • Sneakers – men’s & women’s most needed
  • Shower shoes/thongs
  • Rain ponchos for adults & children

Personal & Household items

  • Hygiene Items (Travel or regular size)
  • toothpaste
    • toothbrush
    • deodorant
    • shampoo
    • disposable razors
    • bar soap
    • hand & body lotion
    • sanitary napkins & tampons
  • Blankets (preferably wool)
  • Backpacks or duffel bags
  • Sleeping bags for adults
  • Diapers – all sizes
  • Bedding: Twin size sheets, comforters and pillows. Please note pillow must be new.

Welcome Home Packages

  • Kitchen Kits (dish towels, dish soap, utensils, plates and cups, pots and pans etc.)
  • Bathroom Necessities (shampoo and conditioner, body wash/soap, hand and body towels, shaving cream, razors, etc.)
  • Bedroom Essentials (comforter, sheets, pillows, pajamas, slippers, etc.)
  • Cleaning Supplies (dust pan, broom, Windex, counter spray, toilet bowl cleaner and brush, etc.).