When I was but a wee lad of a brewer I read ever brewing book that I could get my hands on just trying to get everything I could learn crammed into my head. I saw different configurations of systems and learned different techniques. From MB Raines, I learned the wisdom of prepping your yeast for their hard road ahead (seriously, a starter when I began in 1999 was still looked on as fussy and not really necessary). From Bruce Brode and Brian Vessa, I learned the power of a strange ingredient or two (Kix in this case). From Mick Deering, I learned the value of soldering on during a brew day despite any blood loss and a reminder that you might as well double on your day and smoke some ribs while you're at it. The list goes on and on, but suffice it to say, there's a real value of learning by doing with those who've preceded you in the trade.
Ok, labor discourse aside - here's the upshot of my walking down memory lane. Saturday June 28th, a few members of the club, will be opening up their homes to other folks to brew together. Most of these sites will be unlike a shop brew - there will be no wort for members to take home. Instead, brewers will signup on Saturday 6/7/2014 to reserve a spot at one of our sites. Then on Saturday June 28th, you'll go to your chosen location and hang out, learn and help out. Here are the sites as they exist today:
| Castaic | Craig Frump | We will be brewing a 15 gallon all grain batch on my 1 BBL automated electric brewery, this batch will be using 75lbs of grain and 2lbs of hops. Anybody interested in brewery automation should show up for this brew. This batch will be going towards the Falcons aniversary party. | 15 brewers |
| Manhattan Beach | Jay Ankeney | Mini-Mash and Extract Batch along with a Mead Demo. Also learn Jay's novel sanitation and cleanup technique. Jay also lives near the famous Strand and can show you where to go for great beer and food | 10 brewers |
| Mid-City | Sean Johnson, Don Liebig | Sean and Don will be sharing their IPA secrets on their all grain rig seen here: http://losangelesbrewers.com/. | 10 brewers |
| Northridge (Closed) | John Aitchison | Come learn the secrets of decoction mashing from the man who does more of it than any other in the Club! John will be making a Bohemian Pils and brewers will be able to take home some wort. There will be a nominal fee to cover the cost of ingredients | 7 brewers |
| Pasadena (Closed) | Drew Beechum | Drew will be busting out the brewery to make a Saison - in multiple flavors and with multiple yeast strains. Also, he'll demonstrate his technique for pressure canning starter wort to make starters easy for the year! | 15 brewers |
Again - signups will happen on Saturday June 7 at roughly noon PDT!
Comments
Saison with Drew or Pilsner with John. They are both tops with those styles.
Would like to sign up with john Aitchison. Jerry & Eric Nehring
Art FitzSimmons here. Not sure what the sign up is going to look like. But I would like to volunteer to brew with John. Just learning to do all grain. I think this will help.
where do we sign up? would like to attend the saison brew session at Drew's if possible.
Would like to sign up with Drew as well. Will there be a separate sign up page or should I keep hitting refresh here?
Don't see the sign up link. Would like to sign Dave up for Pasadena with Drew.
Signups are live now!
Confirmed! Thanks guys.
Hello Catbh - You signed up for the club shop brew day on June 15 then didn't show up, and you didn't respond to my numerous messages to you asking if you were planning to attend...and my attempts to confirm your active membership. If you're a member, please send me your full name and email address so I can check it. For future events, please sign up and attend, we want to see you! But please know that a lot of time and effort go into planning these events, they are a benefit of membership, and there is a limited number of spots, so be considerate of your fellow members, and please don't sign up for something and then not show up. Thanks, Matt - publicity@maltosefalcons.com
Sign up bottom is almost unreadable on mobile devices but I finally found it.