Thank you for participating in the 2020 Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge! This year we judged 68 beers and had some really good entries.
Our host brewery Los Angeles Ale Works is open daily from 12noon-8:00 pm for pickup of cans and crowlers. No shipping or delivery offered on beer at the moment. Read more →
Dear Club Members,
Considering the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we want to assure you that Pacific Gravity is taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of our membership and guests. In an abundance of caution and to avoid exposure the Board has decided to suspend club meetings and events for the short term as this situation develops.
As of this moment, judging for LABBC will still happen this Sunday (3/15), but this could change, so please check for any last-minute notices. Given that this is a discretionary event, we recognize that some of you may wish to not participate. If this is the case, please contact Carl Townsend (Head judge) as soon as possible.
We will be taking a number of precautions at the judging site to avoid any unnecessary exposure. Specifically,
1) You will be asked point blank as you enter if you are sick, or even think you might be sick, or if you have been exposed to anyone with Covid-19. (We would hope that you would refrain from even coming out.)
2) Please avoid unnecessary body contact. Do a fist-bump if necessary, but avoid shaking hands or hugs. We will be spreading you out to avoid crowding.
3) Please wash your hands thoroughly using the CDC guidelines a couple of times throughout the morning. We will provide plastic gloves for use if desired. If you have hand sanitizer, please bring some along.
4) Do not pass around cups of beer. Do not swig out of the bottles, even if they are nearly empty. We will have plenty of cups available.
5) Lunch will be served up by our chef. Please do not serve yourself. If the weather cooperates, please spread out to eat using the outdoor tables. (This also avoids food smells in the judging area.)
Other Upcoming Events:
The March meeting scheduled for March 19th is cancelled.
The Monster brew scheduled for March 28, 2020 at Smog City Brewing is postponed, tentatively until May.
AHA has notified us that the first round judging for the National Homebrew Conference has been postponed.
We are staying in contact with the CHA and monitoring their response and will provide updates about SCHBF (May 1-3, 2020) as they become available.
While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our club’s membership and public health officials assess our risk to be low, we are focused on caring for the health and well being of our members, their families and our community at large.
We apologize for any inconvenience this situation has caused.
Please maintain your focus on keeping yourselves and your families safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Ian Fraser
President
Pacific Gravity Homebrewers
Pacific Gravity’s first homebrew competition for 2020 is now open for business! Registration is now up and running at http://comp.belgianbrewchallenge.com/ On-line registration will run up until March 6th at 6:00 PM. Entries can be dropped off at the local homebrew shops, or directly at our host brewery, Los Angeles Ale Works in Hawthorne, starting on February 21st.
Judging for Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge will be held this year at Los Angeles Ale Works, on Sunday, March 15, 2020. Back again are all your favorite Belgian styles as described in the BJCP guidelines, along with the ever-popular Belgian Specialty Category 35A.
A new feature this is is that we will have TWO Pro-Am opportunities for the Best of Show Beer and a second beer to be selected between Los Angeles Ale Works and Smog City Brewing.
In addition to your entries, we need judges and stewards to make this all work. You can sign up for either at http://comp.belgianbrewchallenge.com/index.php?section=volunteers . All volunteers will get a tee shirt, so make sure you enter in your tee shirt size.
Other upcoming events:
Feb. 7, 2020 First Friday at Smog Cites newest taproom, Smog City West
Feb. 15, 2020 25th anniversary bottleshare at 4th Horseman
Feb. 20, 2020 25th Anniversary Club meeting at Neil Saunds
March 7, 2020, 1st Saturday Bus Trip to Stuffed Sandwich
Our first competition of the year First up is America’s Finest City, run by QUAFF in San Diego. Registration is now open at https://quaff.org/AFC-2020/ . I’ll be heading to San Diego Friday morning 1/31, so if you get you entries to my place no later than Thursday 1/30, they will get personal service. Or, you can ship them off for arrival by Friday to AleSmith Brewing Company, 9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, CA 92126.
The next competition is the California State Fair. This one has been moving earlier in the season each of the last several years. Registration is already open at http://home.castatefair.beer/. You can drop off entries at South Bay or Eagle Rock shops, but they must be packed for shipping. Local drop-off is February 3 – February7, 2020. I‘ll be heading to Eagle Rock on Thursday morning February 6th, so if you drop them off by Wednesday, Feb 5th, I’ll take them along. They still need to be packed for shipping.
Next up is first round of the AHA Nationals. Placement announcements and payment must be made by February 14. Entry drop-off then runs from February 20th through March 5th. Judging will begin on March 13th. If you can make the trip to San Diego at the end of February of Early march, please let me know.
Carl Townsend
Competition Coordinator
As a new year dawns upon us, now is the time to brew! We have a bunch of competitions front-loaded this year.
First of all, there is a series of BJCP Mead series of three judging classes starting Wednesday, January 8th, 3 classes Wednesday nights (7PM) lead by John Kaufman of the Maltose Falcons. Classes will be at the Woodland Hills shop. The class will lead up to BJCP Mead judging exam on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020. Contact John at john@lacitylive.com if you are interested.
Last year, Craig Corley walked away with the coveted Pacific Gravity Homebrewer of the Year award. Who will win this year? Here is a rundown of the competitions eligible for point awards in 2020:
Our first competition of the year First up is America’s Finest City, run by QUAFF in San Diego. Registration is now open at https://quaff.org/AFC-2020/ . Beers need to be dropped-off any time up through January 31, 9:00 PM at AleSmith Brewing Company, 9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, CA 92126. If anyone is interested in making the trip to drop off entries, please let me know and the club can reimburse you with gas money. Read more →
As we await the final results of Pacific Brewers Cup, don’t lose sight that the final competition of the year is fast approaching. Entries for The California State Homebrew Competition are due Friday, October 11th. Registration is up and running at https://castate.brewcompetition.com/ . Since there are no local drop-offs for this competition, each entrant is responsible for shipping off their entries. Entries cost $12 each and must include 3 bottles.
The shipping address is:
Oak Barrel Winecraft
1443 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 849-0400 Read more →
The entry deadline for Pacific Brewers Cup is fast approaching! Entries are due Saturday, September 14th. Registration is up and running at http://www.longbeachhomebrewers.com/comp/pbc/bcoem/. Long Beach Homebrewers are running the operation this year, which rotates among Strand and Pacific Gravity as well. Entries can be dropped off at any of the following locations: Read more →
As we get ready for the Summer party, don’t lose sight of the entry deadline for the Los Angeles County Fair Homebrew Competition. Entries are due by Friday, July 26th. Registration on-line is available at http://competitions.maltosefalcons.com/2019LACF/ Two bottles are required for each entry. Cost is $10 per entry.
Entries can be dropped off by 5PM at the following locations:
4981 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
323-258-2107
22836 Ventura Blvd #2, Woodland Hills, CA 91364
(818) 884-8586
**MAIN LOCATION* for Mail and drop off, mark package: Attn: Maltose Falcons Mayfaire
Entries are due this Thursday, May 9th for the Jeff Sanders Memorial Competition, run by Strand Brewers club. Enter now at http://www.jeffsandersmemorial.com/. This competition features a limited set of categories. Entries may be dropped off at South Bay, Eagle Rock, Steinfillers, Woodland Hills homebrew shops. Judging will be May 18th at Los Angeles Ale Works. Read more →
First up, a quick reminder that Mayfaire entries are due this Friday, April 12 at Eagle Rock, Steinfillers, Woodland Hills brewing shops. Enter now at http://competitions.maltosefalcons.com/. Judging will be April 27 at Five Threads Brewing Company. We will also likely do a local preliminary judging round sometime in the next two weeks. Check back here for details. Read more →
