For the passionate amateurs who toil away at home to create batches of brews, this festival offers a chance to show off their beers and compete to see who is the best local brewer in Long Beach.
More than 20 home brewers will be serving all sorts of homemade beers on Nov. 11 as part of the second annual Long Beach Homebrew Festival.
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“The concept is just to spotlight local brewers… We’re just excited to allow them to showcase their beer for a larger audience,” said Scott Jones, who, along with his sister Robin Jones, runs the nonprofit We Love Long Beach, organizers of the beer festival.
To keep with the home theme, the festival takes place in the backyard of a house in Long Beach, which has space for about 300 people who will vote for their favorite beer.
The winner gets the People’s Choice Trophy for a year before it’s passed to the next winner in 2018.
So before they start pouring, meet a few of the Long Beach brewers who will be taking part in the event.
- Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
- Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. - Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. - Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Brewers: Long Beach residents David Garcia and Cesar Mora brew as a team under the name Big Boys Brewing. Garcia answered questions via email for the team.
How long have you been home brewing?
We have been brewing for approximately 5 years now. We started in our kitchens and eventually moved on to a 3-tier gravity brew system which we designed and built.
Why did you start?
We started brewing because we love and appreciate craft beer. We wanted to take that appreciation one step further by creating something someone else could enjoy.
What’s the best part about it?
The best part about brewing our own beer is the brotherhood and collaboration. Whether it’s just Cesar and I creating a recipe or we have other home brewers join us on a brew day, the results are always rewarding.
What’s the hardest thing about brewing?
Having to work full time and not being able to brew all day every day.
What’s your signature beer or style?
We like to brew a little of everything always being innovative, but we do have a killer IPA.
What are you bringing to the Brewfest?
We will be be pouring our Tailgate IPA.
What advice do you have for people who want to start brewing at home?
Join a brew club. Collaborate and learn from other home brewers.
Brewer: Los Alamitos resident Jim Sanzaro
How long have you been home brewing?
I’ve been doing it about seven years.
Why did you start?
I like beer a lot, and my wife got me a cheap little Mr. Beer kit and I did it. The beer wasn’t that great but it was a really cool process… from there it’s just basically got out of hand.
What’s the best part about it?
Aside from loving beer, I enjoy sharing it with family and friends. I like the science behind it: the little things, the little details when you can change one small thing and produce a completely different beer from the last time.
What’s the hardest?
The biggest pain is all the cleaning and sanitizing, because it’s the most important thing and I get really meticulous about it because you have to.
What’s your signature beer or style?
The one that I’ve got the best response for is a Belgian Strong Ale that I made a handful of times. It’s the one I’m doing for the Long Beach Homebrew fest. But it’s not my personal favorite type of beer. I like IPAs and kind of mix those up a little, but my family and friends have really liked the Belgian Strong Ale.
What advice do you have for people who want to start brewing at home?
I would say, Just get started, don’t wait. I’ve convinced people to get started. It’s really easy to get started and it can get more complicated, more expensive down the road… It’s really rewarding.
Brewer: Long Beach resident Michael Waldren
How long have you been home brewing?
I started Father’s Day 2013, so, like, four and a half years ago.
Why did you start?
I got tired of paying for beer; it’s expensive.
What’s the best part about it?
My favorite thing about it is being able to give it away and share it. My friends and family who aren’t as knowledgeable about beer as I am get to experience all of the different styles of beer that the beer world has to offer. I pretty much make them all.
What’s the most difficult part about it?
Keeping up with trends. It seems like the beer world is constantly evolving and there isn’t a lot of information for a lot of techniques so just being experimental and trying new things.
What’s your signature beer or style?
You can call it sour beer. I prefer to call it ‘mixed culture fermenting’ because sour is just kind of a limiting term and it doesn’t accurately describe the difference in the way all the beers taste.
What beer are you bringing to the Brewfest?
I am bringing a long-term aged mixed culture fermentation. It’s a blond based..so it’s going to be like a blond peach sour beer.
What advice do you have to people who want to start brewing at home?
Attention to detail I think is the most important piece of advice I can give. You can’t be lazy, you can’t skip steps, you can’t make beer fast. You have to pay attention all the time.
Brewer: Ray Grace, president of the Long Beach Homebrew Club
How Long have you been home brewing?
It’s probably been ten or so years now.
Why did you start?
I’m a chemist by trade. My degree is in chemistry so it kind of made sense. I love craft beer and I love tinkering in the kitchen and cooking so I can of just fell into that… Once I started, like a lot of other people, it just takes a hold of your life.
What’s the best part about it?
The product, of course, but I like the process. It’s a lot of work but a lot of fun. Sharing it with friends and family is a lot of fun.
What’s the most difficult part about brewing at home?
Just finding time. The day will be five or six hours; there’s physical labor involved. The cleaning of course is a huge part of it and always kind of a pain.
What’s your signature beer or style?
I do a lot of IPAs, because that’s what I like. I also like saisons a lot and I’ll be serving one at the festival. But I try to do just about anything.
What are you bringing to the Brewfest?
I’m bringing a slightly unknown stout called a grisette. It’s a low-alcohol saison that was brewed in Belgium historically for the miners.
What advice do you have for people who want to start brewing at home?
Join our club. It’s a great way to meet people.
Long Beach Homebrew Festival
When: 1-4 p.m. Nov. 11
Where: 550 W. Devon Place Long Beach
Tickets: $40 general admission, $55 VIP
Information: www.welovelb.org