Events – Page 14 – Pacific Gravity

How do I modify my wort from the Monster Brew at Tustin Brewing?

February 8, 2012/1 Comment/in Events /by Tad Johnston

Answer:

I hope you are all planning to join us at Tustin Brewing’s Fourth Annual Monster Brew, Saturday, March 3^rd, 2012 from 6 am to 2 pm hosted by our very own Jon Porter. We’ll be brewing up a batch of Rye-based wort. Where it goes from there is up to you! We’re hoping to have as many variations on the theme as possible for upcoming events such as the Southern California Homebrew Fest, club meetings and Summer party. Read more →

Anchor Trip / COY Party Reminder!

February 1, 2012/3 Comments/in Events, Road Trips /by kurt

Photo Credit: Orin Zebest

Here are some reminders and updates for the upcoming trip to Anchor Brewing in San Francisco for the Club of the Year award presentation:

For those of you who will be attending the Anchor Party on Saturday the 18^th, the festivities kick off at 1pm and will wrap up about 5. There will be lots of great beer & food, so if you plan on attending the party and will not be taking the bus up to SF, please send Audrey an email at president@pacificgravity.com so that we can give the guys up at Anchor a head count as they put the party together!

Bus tickets are $85. You can leave your payment at CCHBS. Please leave cash or a check in an envelope clearly marked with the names of everyone the payment is covering along with your contact information. PLEASE pay ASAP to help those of us who are organizing the trip.

Hotel reservations MUST be made by Friday 2/3 to get the group rate. Last I checked there were still a few (and I mean a few) rooms left in our block so if you want one, get in touch with the Carlton.

The plan is for the bus to leave CCHBS on Friday the 17^th at 8:30am with an eye on being in the city by 3:30pm so as to enjoy the San Francisco Beer Week festivities. There are no official club-sanctioned events aside from the Anchor trip, so make plans with other PG members. We were going have an outing to Beer Revolution in Oakland, but it appears timing was bad, so that is off (although I believe a large group will be heading there Friday night).

Bus Update

The Carlton is a union hotel, as such they HAVE to remove the baggage from the
bus. Sadly this means you are on the hook for $6 for ever bag. It sucks but
there isn’t anything we can do about it. Please bring cash to pay for it.

Also, plan on bringing lunch, the Bay Bridge will be closing Friday night is it
is imperative we get up there as fast as we can. So we’ll have a quick stop to
stretch our legs, but we won’t be stopping for lunch. Far from ideal, but it
beats sitting in LA and SF traffic in one day.

February First Friday – Change In Beer Lineup.

January 31, 2012/in Events, First Friday /by Brian Holter

Hello again. I just spoke to Rob at El Segundo Brewing. He’s looking forward to meeting us and taking us around the brewery (if we’re there early enough – he needs to cut out for a family obligation). Unfortunately, due to the very limited availability of Simcoe hops, the Blue House IPA won’t be on tap. He told me he’s very happy with the recipe in its present form and didn’t want to try and “cheat” it with a different hop, so he’s waiting until he gets his next allocation to continue brewing it.

Instead, he hopes to premiere his Citra IPA with us – it’s actually slated for release the next day. The W.I.P.A. Wheat IPA will also be on tap for anyone whose hop jones needs fixing, as will the Pale Ale and Double Stout.

Thanks again – hope to see you all there.

— Victor

February First Friday at El Segundo Brewing

January 29, 2012/1 Comment/in Events, First Friday /by Brian Holter

Please join us this Friday the 3rd for our monthly First Friday beer outing. We’ll be showing our support for new local breweries (and homebrewers-gone-big!) by paying our first club visit to El Segundo Brewing Co. – brewers of “Blue House Ales”.

Rob Croxall was a longtime homebrewer before he took the necessary steps toward “living the dream” and opened the brewery in his home town of El Segundo. On tap will be his 4 production beers: Blue House Pale Ale, Blue House IPA, White Dog W.I.P.A (a wheat IPA), and Hyperion’s Double Stout. There may also be a “taproom only” experimental beer on.

Here are the details:

Date: Friday, February 3rd.

Time: Taproom hours that day are from 4:30pm to 8:30pm. You’re welcome to arrive early, but it’s likely that many of us will get there around the official start-time of 6pm. If we make a good showing, they may be able to stay open past 8:30 for us.

Food: They’re strictly a brewery, but you’re welcome to bring your own munchies or order-in from local restaurants.

Location: 140 Main Street in El Segundo, 90245. Phone is 310 529 3882.

Thanks, and hope to see you there.

— Victor

Big Brew @ Neil’s: Saturday, January 28th

January 20, 2012/2 Comments/in Big Brews, Events /by Brian Holter

What’s up, my fellow club members? I’d like to remind you all that we’ll be holding another Big Brew at Neil’s palatial duplex on Saturday, January 28th.

For those unaware, a Big Brew is simply a multiple-brewer event, usually held outdoors. If you’re new to homebrewing or want to make the jump to all-grain, these events are great opportunities to observe some of the myriad processes, equipment, and techniques our legion of club homebrewers employs to create the fine fermented beverages we consume at our meetings and parties. Or in garages.

Neil will likely be brewing an all-grain cauldron of something hoppy or strong (or both), I’ll probably brew something weird extract-style, and there’s plenty of room for more brewers. If you’d like to brew with us, please shoot me an email at communications@pacificgravity.com and inform. Remember to bring your own “brewing rig”, ingredients, fermenter, etc. Neil will have filtered water available.

Here are the details:

When: Saturday, January 28th. Brewing should begin around 10am and we’ll finish up around 6pm or so.
Where: Neil’s Duplex: 12966 Rubens Ave, Marina Del Rey-adjacent, 90066
Beer: As provided by those in attendance, so feel free to bring a keg, a growler, bottles, or any other vessels of brew.
Food: We’ll have a gas grill available if you’d like to bring something to sear. We may also order some “community” pizza for those willing to pitch in a few duckets. Potluck stuff to share is always welcome too.

Here’s a link to a recap I wrote of our last Big Brew in November for AHA “Learn To Brew Day”.

Thanks, and hope to see you at Neil’s on the 28th.

— Victor

PG Holiday Party: SATURDAY, December 10th!

December 4, 2011/in Events /by Mimi Bardet

Our annual Holiday Party is this coming Saturday (Dec 10th)!!

Time: The party begins at 6pm.
Location: Neil Saund’s duplex, 12966 Rubens Ave. Los Angeles, CA
(It’s the house on the SE corner of Alla Rd. and Rubens Ave.)

WE NEED YOUR HELP to pull it all together. As with all our parties, we count on club members to volunteer to help out. There are a number of ways you can volunteer to help. We need help with set-up and clean up, we need members to bring potluck dishes for our feast, we need members to donate beer and we need assorted equipment.

Potluck and Food
The menu should reflect past Holiday Parties featuring delicious meats including Carbonnades ala Flamande, roast & deep-fried turkeys, spiced ham, and much more! As is customary with our holiday party, this is a potluck event; the club supplies some of the main dishes BUT we count on members to provide more main dishes, the side dishes, the salads, and the desserts. So if you have a favorite family holiday recipe and want to share it with the rest of us, this is your time to shine! If you’d like to volunteer food for the party contact: Mimi & Audrey at ActivitiesDirector@PacificGravity.com.

Please, please bring your dishes in DISPOSABLE containers (not glass or plastic containers that need to be returned). Inexpensive aluminum trays and containers come in many sizes and are available at any supermarket.

Also, there is no need to bring serving utensils as we will have plenty!

If you must bring your own containers, then please remember to label any dishes (tops and bottoms), utensils, etc. that you bring so that we can get them back to you. Ideally, leave the lids at home and use aluminum foil as substitute lid.

Beer
Of course, we need beer for this event – lots of beer! Or mead! Or cider! We’re counting on you to provide it. So pull out your kegs and dig deep in your closet for those old tasty bottled treasures and bring them along! Please let us know what and how much homebrew you’re planning on bringing. Loaner kegs are available for those who are not so equipped. And, bottles of beer are always welcome.

Any of you who have already volunteered kegs should drop them off at the shop by Thursday, Dec 8th or bring them to Neil’s Saturday (Dec 10th) afternoon before the party.

We’ll be dispensing a lot of beer and will need more taps, jockey boxes and dispensing equipment than we currently have. If you can volunteer dispensing equipment or can bring your new club jockey box, please let Carl know.

Please remember to label any kegs or dispensing equipment that you bring so that we can get them back to you.

If you’d like to volunteer beer for the party, contact Carl Townsend at CompetitionCoordinator@PacificGravity.com.

Equipment
We’re looking for some assorted equipment. Please let us know if you can volunteer any of the following:

Jockey boxes/beer dispensing equipment
CO2 tanks
Firewood

Any of you who will be volunteering equipment should try to bring it to Neil’s on Sunday, Dec 10th in the afternoon before the party.

Again, please remember to label any equipment that you bring so that we can get your equipment back to you.

If you’d like to volunteer equipment contact: Carl at CompetitionCoordinator@PacificGravity.com or Mimi & Audrey at ActivitiesDirector@PacificGravity.com.

And finally, if you’re volunteering equipment, kegs or food, plan on picking up your items at the Sunday clean up. We really don’t have any capacity to store items that are not picked up.

Clean Up
On Sunday, Dec 11th at 11am, we’ll meet at Neil’s duplex to clean up after the party. We always need lots of people to help with clean up and the more we get, the faster it goes.
If you’d like to volunteer for set up or clean up contact: Mimi & Audrey at ActivitiesDirector@PacificGravity.com.

PG Meeting November 17

November 15, 2011/1 Comment/in Club Meetings, Events /by Brian Holter

Don’t forget this most important meeting of the year, this Thursday at 7:30pm behind Culver City Home Brew Supply. We will be conducting our annual elections for President, Vice President, and Treasurer, as well as PG Club Member of the Year.

Ballots will be made available for the Member of the Year-Vote for TWO.

The monthly beer styles are German Wheat and Rye Beers(BJCP Cat #15).

There will be a judging of the Club Only Competition entries, also German Wheat and Rye Beers (BJCP Cat. #15).

If you cannot be present to vote, you may e-mail your selections to Elections@PacificGravity.com

For more detailed election information please see the previous postings on the PG website.

If you have beer, whether in style, or not bring some to share. Remember, all in-style beers are eligible to win a $25 gift certificate to CCHBS if yours is chosen as the evening’s favorite.

We will be holding the monthly raffle, so if you have any equipment you wish to donate, please bring it. The reward for donating raffle prizes is free beer at all meetings and parties.

There will be sign up sheets available for the following:

Holiday Party Beer and Food, Volunteer opportunities for the Holiday Party-you really don’t want to pass up an opportunity to help out at this once a year event! Unlike the Summer party, this one is much more of a pot luck.

Volunteers will be making the main courses, including prime Rib, Hams, Deep Fried Turkeys, and Carbonnades a la Flamande. We need you members and guests to bring appetizers, sides, salads, and desserts. More details will be given at the meeting by our Activities Directors, Mimi and Audrey.

Be sure to check out the next edition of the Pacific Gravity Gazette which will be published at the end of November. I am sure that all your questions regarding the PG Holiday party will be answered.

Michael Steinberg,

President of Pacific Gravity, the 2011 California Homebrew Club of the Year!

Election Update

November 10, 2011/in Events /by Brian Holter

NOMINATIONS:

Don’t forget that there’s still time to nominate a P.G. member for the following elected Board offices:

President, Vice President, Treasurer.

You may also nominate someone for Club Member of the Year.

Nominations close on November 12 at midnight.

ON LINE VOTING: If you are unable to come to the November 17th, you may still vote on line by sending an E-mail to Elections@PacificGravity.com

Here are the nominees:

President-Audrey Hill-Lindsay

Vice President-David Mauceli

Treasurer- Craig Corley

MEMBER OF THE YEAR (Alphabetically):

Audrey Hill-Lindsay

Tom Rierson

Neil Saund

Dean Sussman

Carl Townsend

If you come to the meeting the election will be conducted as follows:

If there are no other nominees for the elected Board Officer positions, we will conduct a voice vote. If there are additional nominees for any office we will have a ballot and each member present will vote for one (1) person per office.

The election will take place when announcements are made, approximately 7:45-8:00 pm. Each member present at the meeting will vote for two (2) people for Member of the Year. Ballots will be collected by Ian Fraser, 2010 Member of the Year. He will count them, along with a current Board member who is not running for office.

The election results will be announced at the Holiday Party after dinner.

Please see the November issue of the Pacific Gravity Gazette for more information on all of the nominees.

WE DID IT! P.G. NAMED CLUB OF THE YEAR!!!

November 10, 2011/4 Comments/in Events /by Brian Holter

If you are one of the few who haven’t heard the good news, just look at the title of this article. For the first time since 2006 we have been named by a panel of judges at the Anchor Brewing as the 2011 California Homebrew Club of the Year.

For those who have joined PG since 2006, here’s what it takes to win:

First, have a dynamic club that has many diverse events, such as Club Brews, Road Trips, Competitions, and parties.

Second, have some of the hardest working members in the state, making sure that the events are successful.

Third, have members who brew on a regular basis, enter competitions, and take home ribbons.

Fourth, submit a really good presentation, and make sure it gets delivered with plenty of time to spare.

That being said, I’d like to thank Dave and Beth Mauceli for putting together the PowerPoint presentation which was sent to Anchor. Dave wrote the text, and Beth did the graphics. Kudos to you both. You two could be pros if you really tried hard.

Thanks to all those who entered competitions this year, and took home the ribbons which kept us in contention for the award. Stalwart brewers such as Carl, Craig, Neil, and many others, helped to make 2011 a banner year for P.G.

It must be noted that all those members on the Board of Directors, whether they be full or part timers, put in a lot of work in 2011. Kurt has planned and executed some fine Road Trips (are you going North on 11/12?).

Activities Directors, Audrey and Mimi have made sure that our monthly club meetings, Summer Party, and other happenings have been successes.

The generosity of other members also added to our success as a club. Included in that group are Neil, Dean, Dan, and Carl, who have allowed us to use their homes for events.

Special Projects, led by Tom Rierson and Carl made improvements in the CDS, another accomplishment we were able to brag about.

We should all be proud to be members of Pacific Gravity, and hoist one tonight to honor ourselves.

Finally, for those who are unaware of when the Club of the Year Award is given, it is on President’s Day Weekend, at Anchor Brewery. In past years, the good employees of that most famous brewery prepare a barbecue for the winning club, and open the taps in the tasting room. We will likely be renting a bus, and making hotel reservations for those who are going. So, save your money and be sure to attend.

Learn To Brew Day – where were you, ay? (with photos)

November 8, 2011/2 Comments/in Big Brews, Events, Recap /by Brian Holter

In spite of the ever-so-slightly inclement weather the day before, Saturday morning greeted us with about as clear a sky as you’re likely to see in a metropolis such as our own. Learn To Brew Day, hosted by the ever-generous Neil Saund at his palatial duplex , would go on. Carl arrived just before I did and was unloading a stripped-down version of his all-grain system – sorry kids – no thermosiphon reboiler. I followed suit and in no-time, water was on the fire. Neil was already set up, and we were soon joined by the brewing trio of Dave, Kurt, and Anthony. Rives Borland, our resident double-agent, arrived a bit later and got going right out. It’s OK, Rives – only a matter of time – just ask Dan! On tap was Neil’s “Norm-influenced” hoppy Amber ale, and a while later, our host’s amazingly-aged Imperial Stout with lots of residual nitro made its presence known – and boy, did it.

Carl brewed an all-grain Amber ale, Neil made a giant vat of “Teach Wheat”, I cranked out an extract Dunkelweizen, the 3 Brewsketeers suffered through a partial-mash-process Porter as a base for adding vanilla later, and Rives, if I’m not mistaken, brewed a low-gravity base beer which will grow up to be a Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere clone. Audrey reprised her role as Grill-Mistress and satiated the brewing masses with sausages and hot dogs.

In the days leading up to the brew, Carl and I had discussed toasting LA “good beer bar” pioneer Dave Farnworth, co-founder of Lucky Baldwins. So we gathered everyone up, silenced the boombox, and raised some fine Belgian beers high in his memory. It bears repeating that without Dave, Los Angeles’ beer bars might’ve taken a lot longer to escape the post-prohibition dark ages, continuing to serve megaswill to the unenlightened and indifferent hordes.

Although “learner” turnout was low, from a “Big Brew” standpoint, the ratio of brewers to attendees was quite high, so chalk-up another successful PG multiple-brewer session. Collectively, we brewed about 40 gallons, and some of those gallons will be enjoyed by the membership at our upcoming Holiday Party on December 10^th. Thanks again to Neil for hosting us and to Audrey for organizing the event.

Here are a few pics from the occasion (courtesy Audrey and yours truly):