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?

There will be a special Hair of the Dog event on Friday March 5th at 6:00 pm. Meet Alan Sprints founder and brewer of Hair of the Dog. Luckys will be tapping the following beers:

2001 Adam

2003 Doogie Claws

2003 Fred

2007 Doggie Claws

2007 Fred

2009 Adam

2009 Fred

Blue Dot just brewed

Mystery Keg

Luckys will be celebrating all weekend long with this event.

Saturday March 13th and Sunday March 14th will be a special Russian River weekend.

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

 IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

Because of a stupid little football game, the February meeting will be on Saturday February 6, but the Annual Chili Cook-off will go ahead as scheduled.  Please post here or e-mail theburgermeister [at] maltosefalcons [dot] com ( Burgermeister) of your intention to enter a chili.  Please plan to arrive about noon to start heating the chilis.  

 On New Year's Eve I got the chance to share a 5 year old bottle of Victory Brewing's V-Twelve. The inspiration for this beer is a Belgian Dark Ale/Quad. The beer comes in a corked 750ml, and has a bottled date, with a recommendation of consuming within 5 years.

DUI Offenders Ignition Interlock Device Pilot Project

A non-member sent this to me.  Hope the rest of you find it amusing too.

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?

I just finished rereading the great posts here by the Raines Man on Yeast propagation and maintenance.  SWEET.  Thanks Rainey.  It made my day.

First read the link:

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

Ok, done?

This is just a reminder to all of the brew crew members that tomorrow is the big day. Please be on time at the shop, and don't forget to bring a clean, sanitized fermenter and airlock with you. The brew crew are the following people:

Steve Cook (leader)

Irene Ferguson

Carrie Love

Gabriel Gonzales

Kevin McNamara

Ryan Clark Moriarty

Of course all interested people are welcome to come on by to observe and party with the crew.  Beer and snacks are always appreciated to share.

See you there!

Diane

It's time for a Falcon's website blog on meadmaking recipes, techniques, experiences, and issues.  Let's kick this off with an interesting recent perspective from honey and beekeeping observer Kim Flottom on what he feels is the coming rise in honey prices.  Check out his Daily Green report here:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/bees/honey-beekeep...

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

Just a reminder to all that the next shop brew is Sunday November the 15th at 8:00am. It will be held at the Home Beer Wine and Cheese Making Shop in Woodland Hills. The style is American pale ale, and the brew crew leader will be our president, Steve Cook.