May’s Club Meeting: Charity Donations, Club Barrel Project, and more!

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Hello Club Members,

Just a reminder that the May club meeting will be this Thursday, May 19th at the Culver City Homebrew Supply Store!  Located at:
4234 Sepulveda Blvd Culver City, CA 90230 with a start time of 7:30pm. Also bring your “Alternative Fermentable” homebrewed beers. AKA anything with added alternative grains like “rye, oats, buckwheat, spelt, millet, sorghum, rice, etc” and alternative sugars like “honey, brown sugar, invert sugar, molasses, treacle, maple syrup, sorghum, etc.” for your chance to win a $25 gift Certificate to the Culver City Homebrew Supply store. BJCP Style Guide Here, page 66. As well there will be the “Alternative Fermentable” commercial tasting and some off flavor and other educational tastings presented by Michael Patterson.

Also Do Not Forget, we are doing another smaller Charity Drive for our Friends at OPCC.net during the May Meeting this Thursday. In short this week PLEASE stop by your Ralph’s, CVS, Target, Costco, or any of your local stores to buy in bulk donations for the meeting. We are looking mainly for either “Mens Socks” regular or sweat socks and/or “Toiletries” to bring for donations. Also all other clothing donation are accepted as well, like we did for last December’s winter party (Also if you want to donate straight money, Mimi B. will go out and buy needed supplies with your contributions too for OPCC). Charity Donations are listed below and to entice you or bribe you to donate for this great cause we will be giving out EXTRA RAFFLE TICKETS TO THOSE THAT DONATE!!!! the more you donate the more tickets we’ll give you, but a pack of socks or 2-3 toiletries will be worth about 5 extra tickets in the raffle.

Items in this weeks Raffle: Beers, Glasses, Hops and Hop bag, Beer Boxes and Bottles, Fresh Cascade Hop Rhizomes, Wyeast Merchandise Pack, and Firestone Walker Merchandise Pack and glass wear just for some example!!! Regular for purchase Raffles tickets will be for sale too as normal.

PG MAY 2016 – Charity Drive
We are collecting items that will be donated to Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC).
OPCC is an independent, community-supported organization in which staff, volunteers and clients work with mutual respect to address the effects of poverty, abuse, neglect and discrimination.  OPCC empowers people to rebuild their lives. (https://www.opcc.net)
In-kind or non-monetary contributions
These donations are valuable resources that we then distribute to our clients. In keeping with our mission of treating all clients with respect and dignity, we ask that all donations should be clean and, if used, in good condition.
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
  • Sneakers – men’s & women’s most needed
  • Shower shoes/thongs
  • Rain ponchos for adults & children
  • New underwear – men’s, women and children
  • Flannel and long sleeve shirts for adults

Tolietries / Hygiene Items
Travel or regular sizes of the following:

  • toothpaste
    • toothbrush
    • deodorant
    • shampoo
    • disposable razors
    • bar soap
    • hand & body lotion

Next, on the Sour side of things, do not forget we are starting a “Pacific Gravity/Phantom Carriage Club Barrel Project” during this meeting as well. Here is the info below:

At this month’s meeting, Simon from Phantom Carriage will be bringing a few jars of sterile wort to inoculate with various wild yeast and bacteria from club members.  These inoculated jars will be used to create a Pacific Gravity “club barrel” of blonde/lambic-style beer at the brewery, which will be packaged at a later date.  
Homebrewed/house cultures are preferred, but all samples are welcome, so feel free to bring along commercial varieties of wild fermented beer to share and pitch bottle dregs.  Also feel free to bring yeast/bacterial slurries for pitching in addition to bottle dregs (they don’t have to be carbonated in a bottle).  We will vote on our favorite homebrewed contribution, which will win some Phantom Carriage swag!

So basically, bring your homebrewed bottles of sour beer, or collect in a bottle or jar some of your slurry and sour beer for tasting from a carboy, or bring your favorite live culture commercial sour beers to the meeting for sampling, judging, and sour dreg pitching. Then on a later date and time we will be throwing it into a barrel at the brewery!

See you all at this Thursday’s Meeting!!

Hoppy Holidays!

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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 12, 2015 at Neil Saund’s party duplex. Neil’s address is:  12966 Rubens Ave. Los Angeles, CA. t is the house on the corner of Alla Rd. and Rubens Ave.

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!

You can help!

FOOD:

Although the club will be providing much of the main dishes, this is still a potluck party and YOUR favorite party dish will sure be appreciated!  The menu should mostly reflect past holiday parties featuring Carbonnades ala Flamande, prime rib ala BBQ, deep fried turkeys, spiced ham and much more! Suggestions 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!  If you have any questions about what to bring, please contact Club Chef Ian at: [email protected] or Mimi at [email protected].

The dinner portion of the event is scheduled for 7:30 PM.  There will little or no oven space available for reheating food, so please bring it ready to serve, not ready to cook!  Also, don’t forget to label your containers or anything you want back.

EQUIPMENT:

We set up the decorations and tree this last Sunday and installed 2 firepits so we NEED FIREWOOD!  If you can bring wood please do so!  It is forecasted to be cold on Saturday evening!

We could use a few more tables.

We also need jockey boxes and CO2 cylinders 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. Rumor has it we may need a few Sanke taps, so if you have one bring it along.

If at all possible, please bring your kegs and heavy stuff around noon on Saturday and help us set up. 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 and taps are well labeled so they all return to their rightful owners Sunday morning.

FOOD & CLOTHING CHARITY DRIVE:
It’s time to clean out your closets…Pacific Gravity is having a FOOD and CLOTHING DRIVE at our Holiday Party!  We will have boxes for any donations you can bring to the party.
For food, please bring any canned or non-perishable foods which will be donated to the Westside Food Bank. For clothes & other items, please see the detailed list below which will be donated to OPCC. They are mostly in need of men’s clothing in large sizes. Clothing can be “gently used” and should be clean.

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
Sneakers – men’s & women’s most needed
Shower shoes/thongs
Rain ponchos for adults & children
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
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.

Gift Certificates
Supermarkets (Ralphs, Vons,Albertson’s)
Fast food restaurants
Book & music stores
Movie passes
Clothing stores, department stores (Marshalls, Target or Ross)

Art Supplies
Markers, finger paints, facepaints, crayons, watercolors, glue, glitter, collage materials, coloring books, activity books, stickers

BEER:
Last but certainly not least is 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: [email protected] & let him know what you will bring. Note from Carl: “Some of you had listed “TBD”, so if you know what it is, please send me an update.”  Everyone who signs up in advance will have a colorful tap tag.
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!