The February newsletter is now available.

Come Join us this evening from 5pm-Midnight as we TAP!

Stone Brewing Co. Double Dry-Hopped Ruination I.P.A.

Need a reason to join a homebrew club? Jenn Garbee of LAWeekly and EatHistory.com drops 5 reasons you should do it. (And of course the Falcons, PG and the Yeastside Brewers all get shoutouts - thanks!)

Top 5 Reasons to Join a Homebrew Club

The Falcons are doing a bus tour of local breweries!  On Saturday 24 March the Falcons will visit some our fellow Falcon brewers who went pro at Enegren Brewing, Ladyface Ale House, Golden Road Brewing, LAB Brewing, and Eagle Rock Brewery.  Pick up and drop off locations will be Union Station and the HBWC shop in Woodland Hills.  We chose the breweries and schedule so that guests could take the train to meet the bus (draws on a larger audience and helps fill the bus).  $58 includes your bus ride, sandwich lunch, brewery tours and beer at all five breweries.

Join us for our annual Mayfaire fest on 19 May.  We are trying a new location this year at the KOA in Acton.  The camp is located on the bank of the Santa Clara River about 25 miles away from the north SF Valley.  It has cottonwood trees,

Brewed a RyePA on Saturday, 1/28, and tried something new this time. A recent visit to Costco (AKA the 200 dollar store) turned up a gadget for wine geeks. It is called the Vinturi and is intended to aerate red wine as you pour it from the bottle into a decanter or even a glass. It uses the venturi effect to pull air through two small holes as the liquid passes down the main channel. I bought one (for about $20) with the idea that it might be useful in the brewery, as an alternative to canned oxygen and an air stone.

Our monthly Club Shop Brew is set for Sunday February 19th at 8:00 a.m. Our Club WebMeister and Grand Hydrometer, Drew Beechum, will be leading this crew with the brewing of an Oatmeal Raisin Brown Ale. All Brew Crew members will be brewing on the Falcons 30 gallon all grain brew system located at the Home Beer Wine and Cheese Making Shop in Woodland Hills. Members will participate in all aspects of the brewing process from measuring and crushing the grain to clean up. Each participant will then take home 5 gallons of wort to ferment at home at a really cheap price for their effort.

Now in its 21st year!  Tasting will be held at the Woodland Hills shop.  Bring mead and/or something to share for the snack table, as we always take a mid-tasting snack break.  Send confirming email to:

hordeum_vulgare [at] yahoo [dot] com

We had a fine Doug King Competition yesterday. You shoulda been there if ya weren't!! Over 40 judges and many stewards (including my good friend Gina) converged on the Eagle Rock Brewery bright and early on the morning of the 21st. With over 100 entries to judge, we knew we were in for a long but very fulfilling and filling day!

http://www.foodgps.com/qa-with-eagle-rock-brewery-jeremy-raub/

Jeremy gives the Falcons some love and the Doug King Competition as well!

http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/beer.php

cr

On March 1st, the price of a CHA membership (and subsequent admission to the SCHF) goes up to it's highest price - $50 per person.

Don't hesitate, buy your membership today!

You have until tonight to get into the SCHF for $40!

Buy your membership to the CHA right now, online!

http://www.calhomebrewers.org/

If you're interested in a free membership, consider volunteering for a few hours and register as a Volunteer. Be warned, volunteer slots go quick so double time it for these.

Before Prohibition single-handedly decimated the brewing industry in America, the majority of beer that would find its way into a man's belly was brewed locally. It's truly exciting to be living in a time when the momentum seems to be shifting back to the side of smaller, home-grown operations that can serve their local markets, and Golden Road Brewing is wasting no time quenching us Angelinos' thirst for craft beer.

Time to escape the heat and quaff some cold beers at our annual Sunfest.  To top it off awesome food will be had for dinner and the Falcons will have copious amounts of beer available for the pouring.

So come on out, drink, dine, dance.    Your entry includes camping so plan for that and DON'T DRIVE!

Sign Up Now

We will be partying at Oak Park in Simi again for Oktoberfest, with the actual festivities beginning around noon on Oktober 6th. As usual, camping will be available both Friday (5th) and Saturday nights.

Of course we will have lots of beer, several bars to pour them from, and the Band WILL be playing, too! Last but not least, we will have our traditional Stein Holding and Keg Toss games, and maybe something new and different to go with them. We will also have our Falcons-Only Oktoberfest Comp - this is a less formal Comp, with entries welcome in any format (bottles, kegs, etc).

It's official and announced by Boston Beer Company that their subsidiary "Alchemy & Science" has bought Angel City as it's first brewery. A&S is run by Alan Newman who helped found Magic Hat out of Vermont. (Magic Hat was sold last year to North American Breweries which owns Pyramid, Genesee, Labatts, etc) Michael Bowe, Angel City founder and a Falcon, is staying on for two years. Congrats to Michael for successfully establishing his brand and attracting national attention to brewing in Los Angeles.

The January Club Meeting will be held January 8th, at 12:00 noon. Following our standard practice, when the first Sunday falls on a holiday weekend (or Superbowl), we have the meeting the following Sunday.

Our Burgermeister, Peter Sheppard, has provided the menu for lunch, which will be served around 1:30-2:00 pm:

Tossed Greens Salad w/Assorted Dressings
Warm Artichoke & Pasta Salad
Italian Drumstix
Black-eyed Peas with Chicken Italian Sausage
Texas-Style Corn Bread
Brownie Sundaes

The Grand Hydro Beer Style of the Month is:
Cervisia Oblectatio

See ya there!

EAGLE ROCK BREWERY TURNS 2 JANUARY 28th 12-4PM Come join us for our 2-year anniversary celebration at the brewery! We'll be celebrating another amazing year by featuring many of our special beers on tap in the taproom and an outdoor beer garden (Sorry, no pets or children permitted.). Grill Em' All and Mandoline Grill will be at the brewery to celebrate with us and serving up some of our favorite eats. Need more of a reason?

The July Club Meeting features judging of Porters for the AHA Club Only Competition! This COC is Porters, BJCP Class 12. Bring your Porters to the club meeting, the best will be sent to the national competition! The club pays all entry fees and postage! You can only win if you bring your beer to the meeting!

Registration opens on Feb 1, 2012. Get your registration before its sold out!

Click here to go to the registration page for the 34th Annual National Homebrew Conference in Seattle

Check out the Conference Web site for complete info

Info pertaining to the Maltose Falcons will be posted here soon.

The Maltose Falcons Mayfaire Homebrew Competition is the Oldest Homebrew Competition in the USA. Your entries are due April 12. Judging will be on April 28.

Mayfaire 2012

Our April meeting features Judging Irish and Scottish Ales, BJCP class 9 for the National Club Only Competition. Bring your class 9 beers to the club meeting, the best will be sent to the competition. The club will pay for fees and shipping, so brew up some fine ales and by Faith and Begorrah, you might win!

Our March Club meeting features the judging of the March Club Only Competition. Bring your Stouts, BJCP class 13, beers. The best will be sent to the national competition. The club will pay all fees and postage, so just bring your Stouts.