Competition Corner – January 2020

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

Competition Corner – October 2019

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

Competition Corner – September 2019

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

LA County Fair Homebrew Competition Entries due Friday July 26th

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:

Eagle Rock Homebrewing Supply
4981 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
323-258-2107

Home Wine Cheese Beer Making Shop
22836 Ventura Blvd #2, Woodland Hills, CA 91364
(818) 884-8586
**MAIN LOCATION* for Mail and drop off, mark package: Attn: Maltose Falcons Mayfaire

Read more

Competition Corner – May 2019

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

Competition Corner – April 2019

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

Competition Corner – March 2019

The beers have been organized into their walk-in cooler lair
In hopes that Master Level Judges soon would be there.    

Well, the big event is almost here:  The 5th Annual Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge.  With thanks to Los Angeles Ale Works, just about everything is set for judging day on Sunday, March 24th. We have a cadre of judges lined up, including not one, but two Master level judges.  Any competition could use a couple more judges, so if you ever wanted to give it a try, come on down.  Activities will get under way at 8:00 AM on Sunday, March 24th at LA Ale works, 12918 Cerise Ave, Hawthorne, CA 90250. If you want to judge, please sign up at http://comp.belgianbrewchallenge.com/.  I’d like to give an advance shout-out for all volunteers including judges, stewards, the master chef, bottle sorters and course, our sponsors. Read more

Competition Entries Update – AHA Nationals and LABBC

Thank to Tom Hok, we will have transportation of entries to San Diego for the AHA competition!
Tom will be at the Monster brew at Smog City on Saturday (3/9).  You can bring entries with you if you are coming.
Otherwise, please bring them by my place tomorrow or Friday.  I’ll be out and about most of tomorrow (Thursday), but you can leave them in a cooler behind my unlocked metal gate if I am not home.  If you miss this deadline, you are on your own to ship them to Alesmith, or whichever regional site you have selected.  They must arrive no later than March 14th.
As previously noted, the entry deadline  for LABBC is Friday March 8th.  Bottles may be dropped off at one of the local brew shops or at Los Angeles Ale Works.  If you plan to join us for bottle organizing at LAAW, you can bring them Sunday morning March 10th at 9AM, but please note that the entries must be registered by Friday the 8th.
PLEASE do not mix up your entries!  Keep them separate.
Good Luck to all entrants!
Carl

Competition Corner – February 2019

The on-line registration deadline for the California State Fair is this Friday, February 8th.  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 11 – February 15, 2019.

Coming up right behind the State Fair is the 5th Annual Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge comes up next.  Since this is one of our own competitions, we will need help in planning, bottle organizing and judging.  On-line registration for Judging and Stewarding is already open at http://comp.belgianbrewchallenge.com/.  General registration of entries will be open February 8th.  As in past years, this is a competition limited to Belgian styles and will be held at Los Angeles Ale Works.  Entries will be due on March 8th, with judging on Sunday March 24.

April will include the Jeff Sanders Memorial Competition, run by Strand Brewers club.  This is another limited-style competition focusing on the styles Jeff liked most.
Also in April will be the Maltose Falcons Mayfaire Competition

Rounding out the competition year are the following:
July – Los Angeles County Fair
September – Pacific Brewers Cup
October – California State Homebrew Competition

Although not part of the Pacific Gravity Homebrewer of the year cycle, here is a local competition you might want to enter:

  • The Romancing the Beer Competition, held by the Thousand Oaked Homebrewers.  Registration is open now at http://www.romancingthebeer.com/ Entries are due February 8th, and can be dropped off at the Eagle Rock, Woodland Hills or Steinfillers brewshops. They need judges on Feb 23rd, at Five Threads Brewing Company in Thousand Oaks.

If you are hard-core competition junkie, there are a bazillion other contests to enter.  The AHA has their master list at http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/competitions/aha-bjcp-sanctioned-competition/.

 

AFC Entry Dropoff – Due Thursday Jan 24th

Thanks to a roadtrip offer by Peter Moran, we have personalized handling of our homebrew competitions entries for America’s Finest City Competition to Alesmith Brewing Co.  But, you must drop off your entries to me (Carl) no later than Thursday, January 24th.

Registration is open at https://quaff.org/AFC-2019/ .  2 bottles are needed for each entry, but if you throw in a 3rd bottle, Peter will make sure it gets extra special handling!

Carl’s Address:  3621 Redwood, LA 90066.
On Thursday night, I’ll be at Los Angeles Ale Works from 7:30 to 9:00 PM, so if you like swing on by and hand them to me in person.

If you miss the Thursday deadline, you can still ship your bottles to AleSmith Brewing Company 9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, CA 92126 no later than January 31st.