Maltose Falcons

From Julian down in the LBC (aka SacodeToro)

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_1551-1600/ab_1598_bill_2...

This is from Jim T Beal, the same state rep who keeps trying to pass huge alcohol tax increases. Write your rep and say no to the bill. Why?

Congrats to Skipp and Hank for representing the club so well. (http://quaff.org/AFC2010/winners.html)

Skipp tore things up with medals in the following

• IPA - 2nd Place
• Wood-Aged & Smoked Beers - 3rd Place
• Melomel - 2nd Place
• Cider / Perry - 1st Place

Hank scored a 2nd Place Ribbon for his Smoked Porter

Nice going you two!

First, the NY Times discovered growlers yesterday - Growlers, the New Old Beer Conveyance.

Jeremy and Steve continue to garner more press for their efforts - http://www.latimes.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=8f3a0e2e-4b58-4488-a2a0-42...

Congrats guys

DUI Offenders Ignition Interlock Device Pilot Project

So yesterday, the 12th, 30 of us gathered at the Home of the Stuffed Sandwich for our annual Xmas tasting. Sam and Marlene always generate a great list with a lot of oddities. In this case they managed to find 10 of 13 beers that I've never tried. See what you missed on a beautiful cold and rainy Los Angeles day?Good job by our new Activities Director Mike G for his work getting this event off the ground (and to our old AD - John Kaufman for getting things rolling)

Watch for this month's newsletter with Bruce Brode's tasting notes and official scores.

Jay Brooks of the Brookston Beer Bulletin is attempting to sort out what brands are controlled in the US by AB Inbev and MillerCoors.

Thanks to Pete Brown's blog for showing me this little slice of George Orwell's writing - The Moon Under Water.

If all you've ever read of Orwell is Animal Farm or 1984, then you've missed a fair amount of amazing political and literary writing.Even if you don't agree with Orwell's politics, I think most of us can agree with Orwell's sentiments on the pub. The question to you, my fellow Falcons, is what's your favorite pub experience?

First read the link:

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_0ff40f7a-d4d1-11de-afb...

Ok, done?

Seriously folks, if I read one more person saying that running a few gallons of boiling water through their CFC is sufficient to both clean and sanitize their chillers, I'm going to cry.

Look at the bottom of your kettles over time. See all that stuff in there? That same stuff (to a lesser extent) is forming in your CFC as well.

So, the Drew method  of cleaning and preparing a CFC.

1) Recirculate hot PBW (~140F) solution through a pump and the CFC assembly.

2) Circulate/Push hot water through the system for 5 minutes

Los Angeles just did the unthinkable - we had a Beer Week, actually a Beer 11 days. Sure there were glitches, but for a first year event it was amazingly smooth.

All right everyone!

If you're coming to the party (and you better be) - tell us in the comments what you're bringing! 

Dr. Ian O'Neill of Discovery Space has just posted an article that summarizes a Czech study of the impact of warming temperatures on the region's Saaz hop crop. In short it finds that in connection with steadily rising temperatures, the hops have decreased steadily in Alpha Acid percentage as well. Now those 2.6% AA Saaz make sense!

Discovery Space - Now We Have A Problem: Global Warming Is Impacting Beer Production

 No big surprise that I'm as big a fan of food as I am of malted barley concococtions. The other night Amy and I decided to run back home to Florida for our dinner inspiration and it was a damn good meal, so here it is for you. (Oh and for the beer content, all I can say is it's amazing how well Firestone Walker's Union Jack IPA goes with fried catfish)

Drew's Fried Catfish

4 Catfish Filets

1.5 cups flour

1 egg

0.5 cups coarse Cornmeal

Salt

Pepper

Cayenne Powder

one small container Crisco

Just got done judging the LA County Fair Best of Show a few hours back. Bruce Brode did his usual superb job keeping an eye on the motley crew. With me were Steve Cook, Paul Sedwhick and Jim Wilson. Sitting down we were faced with 23 or so entries. Irene quickly pulled each of the bottles and we each poured a small sample. The routine:  sniff, swirl, taste and notes. After running through all the contenders, we start nominating beers we don't think will win or have a flaw. In the blink of an eye, 23 becomes 12, becomes 9 and finally becomes 6.

Wow! Great party up there in the mountains. The early birds got hit with that all too rare Southern California phenom - rain. Reports had everyone huddling under a couple of popups, cooking breakfast and enjoying each other's company. Turnout was a little smaller, thanks mostly to the homebody element's fear of a little rain. Too bad guys, cause this fest was awesome - cool, pine scented and with an amazing view from atop the mountain. And all of it a short 70 minute-ish drive from the Valley.

 Welcome to Day 1 of the new MaltoseFalcons.com. Personally I blame everything about this site on Jonny Lieberman. About 2 years ago, he hit me up with the idea of creating a new site that would allow the Falcons to come in and modify the bejezzus out of their world. Post stories, pictures and recipes, talk with their fellow club members, etc.

I can feel the anticipation growing. Hopefully by week's end, everyone will be able to see this site! Lots of work left to do though!