First Friday at Smog City Brewery (Virtual)

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Greetings Pacific Gravity,

Keeping the Pandemic at bay report from the front lines…I hope you are all well and maintaining your sanity during this long sleep.

For our February First Friday Meeting we will feature Smog City Brewing as out virtual destination!
https://smogcitybrewing.com/

First Friday at Smog City Brewing
Friday, February 5, 2021 at 7:00 PM PST
Smog City Brewing & Taproom
1901 Del Amo Blvd
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 320 – 7664

Porter and Laurie have once again put together a Pacific Gravity Sample package of Smog City’s most recent beer releases for us to try.  They will include:

*1 32 OZ Crowler of the ‘New Normal’ Lager
*1 Pint can of ‘Snow Donut’ Hazy IPA (6.7 ABV) brewed with Citra, Idaho 7, Falconer’s Flight hops.
*1 Pint can of ‘Quarantine Machine’ IPA (6.6 ABV) West Coast IPA brewed with Loral, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops
*1 500 ML Bottle of ‘Pink Moon’ (Cellar release of a Farmhouse Ale with Berries and Pink Peppercorn, 5.7% ABV)

The price for the Pacific Gravity Package will be:  $32.00 after the sizable discount they are giving us.

You can order your beers here:  https://smogcitybrewing.com/products/pacific-gravity-homebrew-club-1st-friday-set  Please note that Smog City only delivers on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so please order them soon! Read more →

Pacific Gravity – First Friday 2nd Saturday Special Edition

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Greetings Pacific Gravity!

Happy New Year!  I hope this message finds you all safe, sound and recovered from your holidays!  If so let’s kick off the new year with beer!

First Friday was January 2nd this year so we decided to move it to the following Saturday and make it special by hosting a Stuffed Sandwich First Friday held on the second Saturday!

EVENT:  Stuffed Sandwich Second Saturday (VIRTUAL)
January 9, 2021 at 7:00 PM.

The way we hope to work this is that on Saturday, you swing by the Stuffed Sandwich on Saturday afternoon and pick up some food and beer to go, and then join us at 7:00 PM as we eat, drink and be merry together on ZOOM!

Stuffed Sandwich is at:
1145 E Las Tunas Dr.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 285-9161
https://stuffedsandwich.com/

Marlene has some fantastic beers on tap, the current lineup includes:

  • RUSSIAN RIVER BREWING COMPANY  – SANTA ROSA, CA. U.S.A.
  • HAPPY HOPS INDIA PALE ALE ‘2020’
  • ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY  – SAN DIEGO, CA. U.S.A.
  • SPEEDWAY STOUT ‘2020’
  • FREMONT BREWING –  SEATTLE, WA. U.S.A.
  • DARK STAR IMPERIAL OATMEAL STOUT ‘2020’
  • MISSION BREWING – SAN DIEGO, CA. U.S.A.
  • DARK SEAS RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT ‘2020’
  • THE LOST ABBEY/PORT BREWING – SAN MARCOS, CA. U.S.A.
  • SERPENT’S IMPERIAL STOUT ‘2020’
  • HIGH WATER BREWING – CHICO, CA. U.S.A.
  • HIGH WATER CAMPFIRE STOUT ‘2020’
  • GREAT DIVIDE BREWING COMPANY – DENVER, CO. U.S.A.
  • YETI IMPERIAL PEANUT BUTTER STOUT ‘2020’
  • FULLER’S  GRIFFIN BREWERY-  CHISWICK, LONDON, ENGLAND
  • LONDON PORTER ‘2020’
  • EINSTOK OLGERO – AKUREYRI, ICELAND
  • ICELANDIC TOASTED PORTER ‘2020’

Those of you who have social media can read the descriptions of the beers here:  https://www.facebook.com/thestuffedsandwich/posts/10158408943682098

Marlene is also going to see what old bottles she has lying around of such beers as Thomas Hardy, Stille Nacht, Samiclaus and Big Foot and those bottles will be available for purchase as well!

This should be a fun event that supports one of our clubs long time strongest supporters at a time when they can use our support!  So, grab a sandwich, grab some beer and settle in for cheers and laughter together!

Pacific Gravity is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Pacific Gravity – First Friday (2nd Saturday Special Edition)
Time: Jan 9, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85333924269?pwd=Tmg4V2YzaW9kamRqRXk2MmN2aTg5Zz09

Meeting ID: 853 3392 4269
Passcode: 506163

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Meeting ID: 853 3392 4269
Passcode: 506163
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdzvdj5CyW

Cheers,
Ian Fraser
President
Pacific Gravity

 

First Friday Dec 4th at The Daily Pint (Virtual)

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Greetings Pacific Gravity,

 I hope you all had a fulfilling, restful and safe Thanksgiving Holiday!  Mine was quiet and very peaceful.

For our First Friday for December we are coming back to the Daily Pint.  Phil has rounded up some tasty seasonal beers for us.

They include:
Schlenkerla Eiche (The oak smoke Dopplebock)
Duchesse de Bourgogne Sour Cherry Ale
Russian River’s ‘Jannemie’ Saison (those of you who bought the ‘Robert’ Saison, this is his sister beer)

The 3-pack of beers will cost $30.00.  There will also be a separate offering of:
Old Rasputin Barrel aged in Bourbon Barrels 500 ML Bottle $30.

The beers will be available from Tuesday evening on to Friday at Ian’s house:  3939 Glencoe Ave, Venice  CA  90291
Zoom coverage will begin at 7:00PM.  You should receive a link to the Zoom meeting by separate email. If you don’t get the email, please let me know.

So stop by, grab some beers and let’s get ready for the holidays in style!

Cheers,

Ian Fraser
President
Pacific Gravity Homebrewers

First Friday Nov. 6th – Beer and Sake Tasting/Pairing with Harajuku Taproom

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Greetings Pacific Gravity!

Hoppy Halloween, Dia De Los Muertos and Election Day 2020!

Hopefully by this Friday we will have much to celebrate, or we will really need a drink! Either way you will get you wish by joining us for:  Pacific Gravity First Friday for: Beer and Sake Tasting/Pairing with Harajuku Taproom.   We will start up a Zoom session Friday November 6th at 7:00 PM.

This will be something new for First Friday, a beer and food pairing! Harajuku has put together a great package! The Harajuku/Pacific Gravity Pack* ($25) includes:

• Baird Beer: Wabi-Sabi Japan Pale Ale (11.2 oz bottle) paired with order of Edamame
• Coedo Beer: Sayama Green Tea Saison (11.2 oz bottle) paired with order of Taproom Gyoza (choice of chicken/pork or shrimp; can be reheated before tasting)
• Joto One Cup Sake: Single serving of Honjozo sake from Marumoto Brewery paired with Midnight Moon Gouda cheese

It’s suggested to order and pick up the PG Pack from Harajuku Taproom on Friday, before the tasting, or Thursday evening, so the food will be the freshest. Gyoza will be cooked when you order it.

Also, Harajuku is offering a 10% discount on any additional food/drink that PG members want to purchase while picking up their PG Packs.  In addition, Harajuku is offering Pacific Gravity members a deal on a mixed case of Baird Beer (one 6-pack each of: Wabi-Sabi JPA, Rising Sun Pale Ale, Suruga Bay Imperial IPA, and Numazu Lager) for $75, single 6-packs for $25. All beers have been in cold storage and are in great shape.*

* IMPORTANT NOTE: HARAJUKU HAS REQUESTED THAT YOU NOTIFY YOUR INTENT TO PURCHASE BY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, AT NOON, IF YOU 1) WILL BE PURCHASING THE PG PACK (so Harajuku will know how much fresh cheese to order), AND 2) IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A CASE OF BAIRD BEER, AND IF YOU WANT A MIXED CASE OR SPECIFIC BEERS. Please RSVP your order to me at President@pacificgravity.org and I will forward it on to them.

Harajuku Taproom is located at: 4410 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230

Tel: 310-963-7811

Email: adam@hjtaproom.com

Website: www.harajukutaproomla.com

You should receive a link to the Zoom meeting by separate email.  If you don’t get the email, please let me know.  This should be a cool First Friday, jump in and I will see you there!
Cheers,

Ian Fraser
President
Pacific Gravity

Virtual First Friday at Tortugo Brewery Oct 2nd, Virtual Big Brew October 10th

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Greetings Pacific Gravity,

Please join us on Friday, October 2nd for our First Friday (Virtual) at Tortugo Brewing.  We will get started at 7:00 PM.

Joe will join us with the latest news in the brewery industry, happenings at Tortugo and a conversation about the beers.  First Friday’s are less organized and more free flow than club meetings, but Joe is still offering a 3 pack of 32 oz. crowlers with the club discount for $30!

The 3 pack includes:

  • Seymour kolsch 5.2% Traditional kolsch style
  • West Coast Llvin 8% big bright double west coast IPA
  • Mai Tai PA 5% Kicker rock on pineapple, orange, coconut, cherry!

So swing by and pick up your beers and get geared up for Friday!

Virtual Club Big Brew on October 10, 2020. 

Tired of being quarantined?  Missing those opportunities to drink fresh homebrew?  Well, then, join us for Pacific Gravity’s first ever Virtual Club Big Brew on October 10, 2020.  The festivities will kick off at 10:00AM.  The official style is Dean’s favorite American Brown Ale.  Dean’s recipe is included below, though feel free to brew whatever you want.  For those of you with non-portable setups, this will be an excellent opportunity to demo your home system on your home turf.  Carl will crank up the amazing thermosiphon reboiler.

Craig will have Zoom up and running.  The link will be sent via e-mail as the date approaches.

So, plan out your recipe now, and make the trek out to the Eagle Rock Home Brewing Supply Co. to pick up your supplies shop.  While you’re out, pick up something simple to throw on your grill too.  We’d like to see just how many people we can get brewing at once!  If you have the setup, I’d recommend you put up some bottles so we can distribute them around for a future virtual club meeting.

Virtual Club Big Brew
Saturday, October 10, 2020
10:00AM to about 4:00PM
Location:  Your place and Zoom!

Dean’s American Brown Ale (targets:  5.5 gallons of wort, 1.052 OG, 1.012 FG, 22 IBU, 25 SRM, 5.2% ABV)  [see Note #1 below]

This recipe aims to produce a “middle-of-the-road” American Brown Ale:  not too strong, not too bitter, not too hoppy, with a nice malt-and-chocolate profile.  This beer should pair wonderfully with Thanksgiving dinner.  And if you brew it during the October 10 Pacific Gravity Big Brew, it should be ready just in time for Thanksgiving!

8.0 lb. American 2-row malt  [see Note #2 below]
2.0 lb. Munich malt 10°L  [see Note #2 below]
12.0 oz American chocolate malt 350°L
10.0 oz. CaraMunich malt 60°L

0.4 oz. Chinook hop pellets 11.6% AA for 60 minutes
0.5 oz. Cascade hop pellets 7.3% AA for 10 minutes
0.5 oz. Cascade hop pellets 7.3% AA for 0 minutes

White Labs WLP001 American Ale Yeast  [see Note #3 below]
Mash grains at 152°F for 60 minutes.
Sparge to get about 7.0 gallons of wort.
Boil wort for 60 minutes, adding hops according to schedule above.
Cool wort and pitch yeast.Ferment and enjoy!

Note #1:  These targets are based on an assumed efficiency of about 70%, and an apparent yeast attenuation of about 76%.  Your mileage may vary, and you may need to adjust things based on how your homebrew system works.
Note #2:  For an extract version of this recipe, substitute the American 2-row malt and the Munich malt with 7.5 lb. of light malt extract.
Note #3:  Here are just a few possible substitutes for the WLP001 American Ale Yeast (but the possibilities are endless):  White Labs WLP051, Wyeast 1056, Wyeast 1272, Safale US-05.

Cheers,
Ian

Virtual First Friday at Common Space Brewery Sept 4th

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Greetings Pacific Gravity,

Can you believe it is almost September already?  That’s crazy!

I hope this finds you all safe and healthy while we continue to shelter in place.  In our ongoing efforts to bring you new and interesting content and experiences we are featuring Common Space Brewery (https://www.commonspace.la/ )  for our September First Friday on Friday, September 4, 2020.

First Friday at Common Space Brewery Virtual Zoom Meeting
September 4, 2020, at 7:00 PM

Josie Becker (CSB brewer and PG member) will be leading the tasting for Pacific Gravity.
Brent Knapp (CEO and alumnus of Tomm Carroll’s first UCLA Extension Craft Beer Class!) may join in for a bit of the tasting.  Common space has put together a Pacific Gravity beer set for this event.

The Pacific Gravity 4-pack (chosen by Josie) consists of: Read more →

First Friday With Firestone Walker Aug 7 7PM

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Greetings Pacific Gravity,

It is August already!  I hope this finds you all remaining safe and healthy in this, our 25th year of existence and continued isolation. For our First Friday in August, we have decided on a virtual visit to Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Propagator located here in Venice.

First Friday August 7, 2020 at 7:00 PM VIRTUAL on ZOOM

This will be a more informal format then our previous virtual First Fridays with no organized beers pre-selected.  Sam Tierney, the brewing manager at Propagator, will join us for an informal chat about brewing at Propagator and the beers brewed there! Read more →

Pacific Gravity July Virtual First Friday at The Daily Pint

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Greetings Pacific Gravity,

For our club’s first Friday coming up at 7:00 PM Friday, July 3, 2020 we are doing a virtual First Friday at yet another of one of our club’s longtime supporters.  This First Friday will be a virtual meeting at one of my favorite hang-outs, The Daily Pint!  We want to continue in the same vein as the last First Friday which featured a very successful virtual visit and tasting at Project Barley with our own Rives!  Thank you Rives for getting this set up!

This First Friday will feature Russian River beers purchased from The Daily Pint.  Phil has put together a 4–pack of Russian River 500 ML beers for us to purchase and drink at our First Friday, the lineup includes:

STS Pilsner
Velvet Glow (a new dry pale ale)
Blind Pig IPA
ROBERT (their new Saison)

Because the Pint is a reseller we are paying a little extra on this go around, the 4-pack will cost $40 with all proceeds going to support The Daily Pint. I also hope to have Phil himself join us and give us all the latest news about the goings on at the Pint and his reopening plans.   The beer will be available starting tomorrow Saturday June, 27, 2020 and the pick up address is: 3938 Glencoe Ave, Venice CA.

Please have your $40 cash with you at pick up.

We are not posting the Zoom link publicly but all members should have received an email invitation with all the details.  If you did not get the email but want to join the meeting send me an email at president@pacificgravity.org and I will forward it to you.

Cheers,
Ian Fraser
President
Pacific Gravity Homebrewers

First Friday June 5th – Here is the Beer List, Order before Sunday 5-31

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Greetings Pacific Gravity,

OK, HERE ARE THE DETAILS FOR FIRST FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2020 @ 7:00 pm

For our club’s first Friday coming up at 7:00 PM Friday, June 5, 2020 we are doing a virtual First Friday at our club member Rives own Project Barley Brewery.

Rives will deliver 3 packs of Project Barley beers to a central location. Any members who want to participate will purchase the 3 beers; and we will have our in-house judges Carl and Tomm evaluate each of the beers while you taste along.  Rives will be on hand and can tell us each of their stories!

When you pick up your 3-packs of pints, we will have judging score sheets available to anyone who wants to score the beers along with Carl and Tomm.

The 3-pack includes the following beers:

  • Fruit Tart: Key Lime (a Key-Lime Pie inspired kettle-sour.)
  • Em Day’s Pale Ale (modern West Coast Pale Ale with Citra, Mosaic  and Galaxy).
  • Imperial Walker Stout (classic Imperial Stout).

The cost of the 3-pack of pint (16 oz) cans is $15.00; this price includes the gas and tip for the delivery driver. All funds go to Project Barley, the club is not trying to make any money on this process.

Rives will drop off the beers at my house about noon on Sunday and they will be available for pick up any time after that.  That means you have until 8:00 AM Sunday morning to let me know if you want in on this, drop me an email at: president@pacificgravity.org to be included.    Also check with me at this address if you don’t have the Zoom info.

The beer pick up address is: 3938 Glencoe Ave, Venice CA please have your $15 cash with you at pick up.

Cheers,

Ian Fraser
President
Pacific Gravity

Virtual First Friday May 1 – 7PM on Zoom

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Greetings PG Isolators!

Tired of being shut in?  Bored of the same old…same old?  Talking to your cat?  Is the cat talking back?  Well Pacific Gravity is doing our part to maintain some resemblance of normality by having First Friday!  Virtual First Friday that is!  And we want you and your cat to join us!  So, Friday May 1 about 7 PM, sit back with a beer or drink of choice and join the club!

I will be present with upcoming news and to answer your questions, so I hope to see many of you Friday night!  I also hope to get some of local brewers that support PG to come in and tell you what they have going on!

We are not posting the links publicly but all members should have received an email invitation with all the details.  If you did not get the email but want to join the meeting send me an email at president@pacificgravity.org and I will forward it to you.

Ian