Club Agendas / Activities

General Homebrew Discussion
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I’ve been wrapping up our 50th Anniversary Recipe Book Project and created a timeline of events that the club has been involved in (it’s way, way, way too long for here), but I also created a “What does a Club Year/Meeting Look like”. I’d love to see what you and your clubs get up to as well.

Falcons 50th Logo-banner
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The Current “Typical” Year for the Falcons (as of 2024)

Every month:

  • Members Meeting - mostly, kinda the first Sunday of the Month except when fests (no meeting) or holidays/Superbowl (moved)
  • Board Meeting - to discuss what needs doing and how do we keep people brewing
  • Online Happy Hour with a brewery and a 4 pack
  • Online Newsletter

As Often As We Can Muster The Troops

  • Shop Brew on the Club’s System to teach brewing and make beer
  • A Bus Trip / Pub Crawl
  • An Annual Grain Buy to Encourage Fest Brewing
  • Quarterly Style Competition (Jan, Apr, August, Nov)

By Month:

  • January - Doug King Memorial
  • February - Chili Cookoff
  • March - Brew with a Falcon, Mead Tasting
  • April - Mayfaire Competition
  • May - Southern California Homebrewers Festival, Mayfaire Festival
  • September - Sunfest @ Lake Arrowhead, Elections
  • October - Oktoberfest
  • December - Stuffed Sandwich Tasting

A Current Meeting (as of 2024)

  • 1st/2nd Sunday of the month at 11AM at Home Beer Wine Cheesemaking Shop in Woodland Hills
  • Brief Intro from the President
  • Grand Hydro segment covering whatever the Grand Hydro wants to talk through. (Shorter when the club has a Club Only Comp)
  • Business
  • Lunch Break / Troubleshooters Corner
  • Homebrew Tasting (with a vote for favorite) - beer is poured for everyone, brewer talks about their recipe and process and takes questions.
  • Meeting Adjourns (~2:30-4 based on amount of beer)
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Would be cool to have a “how to” make a homebrew festival. I’ve been trying to get my club to plan one for a while.

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That I can totally write up!

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Also for club ‘food for thought’ here is a list of articles on HomebrewersAssociation.org that are club specific and worth scrolling through.

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Curious about your December event. Aren’t all sandwiches stuffed?

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They are, but some more than others! We go every year to “The Stuffed Sandwich” in San Gabriel for a Holiday Beer Tasting. Marlene and her husband Sam opened up the Sandwich back in the late 70’s/early 80’s and it was one of LA’s earliest bright beer spots.

She curates an amazing cellar - one year I went there and got served a 3 year vertical of Samichlaus - it was like 2016, 2010 and 1986.

Marlene is one of my favorite people and I enjoy this event because it gives us a chance to keep supporting her!

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I am fairly new to the 256 Brewers. With a bit of a nudge from the Prez (Julia), I got more engaged a cpl yrs ago. Actually took 2nd in Brewer of the Year this yr.

We meet the 2nd Mon of the month at a local watering hole and usually have a challenge: a bring what you brewed competition for a title belt (people’s choice style judging). It’s pretty informal, no tech talks or anything. Just some opening remarks, sample the challenge beers w/ informal discussion w/the brewer(s), vote, offer up share beers (usually commercial examples), share some small bites (chips, pretzels, meat/cheese tray, etc), announce the monthly challenge winner, hang out a while and head out.

This year we’ll just meet for discussion in Jan (for those who participate in dry Jan), a brewery meet up in Jun, and we’re doing a local baseball game — Double-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels (Jul). We also do dirty Santa style breakfast cereal exchange where you brew a beer with it and bring it in for one of the monthly challenges, a 5 ingredient draft challenge, and a true to style challenge.

They participate in Hoppy Possum festival. One of our more accomplished brewers won the ca$h prize a cpl yrs ago. I haven’t participated in that yet.

This year we’ll pour at Bearded Warriors benefit golf tournament and let the golfers decide the winner of the belt.

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Sounds like a great club and way to rally. I know when I joined a club my homebrewing advanced dramatically.