Jen’s Cali Common won a 1st place and Best of Show at the SFHG “Tribute to America Comp” last month. It has also won: 1st in the San Mateo County Fair Homebrew Competition; 3rd in the Greenbelt Brewers Association “Bridging the Gap” competition; and 2nd place at the Maltose Falcon’s “Mayfaire” competition.

Here’s Jen’s winning recipe!

Jennifer Jordan’s Cali Common
10 gallons, all grain

2 tsp gypsum in mash water (Brisbane, CA tap water)
12 lbs American 2 Row
3 lbs Marris Otter
4 lbs Domestic Munich
2 lbs 30-37 Crystal
1 lb Barley Flakes
1 lb Aromatic
Mash at 149F for 60 min
2 tsp gypsum in sparge water
60 minute boil
1 oz Northern Brewer 60 min
1 oz Northern Brewer 30 min
1 oz Northern Brewer 15 min
1 oz Northern Brewer 5 min
2 oz Cascade -15 min
1.062 OG
Cooled to 75 degrees, then pitched Cal Common Giga Yeast
Primary Fermentation 6 days at 64 degrees
Secondary for 16 days at 60 degrees
Cold Crashed at 40 degrees for 1 week
Final gravity 1.015
Bottle properly, drop off for comps, collect ribbons!

Edit 5/20/2013: Jen deserves more congratulations! Since winning these third place ribbons, she grabbed two seconds and a first in two other BJCP-AHA comps and also won Best of Show and 1st Place for her Cali Common in the SFHG Tribute to America comp!

1) Michael Stearns – Rudolph’s Sweet Ass Winter Stout

2) Alex Deacon – Sparge Blocker Belgian Christmas Ale

3) Jamie Simpson – Dark Mammatus Winter Ale

HM) Chris Sita – Indiscriminate Holiday Ale

HM) Kevin Inglin – Gingerbreadmint Holiday Ale

HM) Tim Ryan – Charles Francisco’s The Spice of Life

People’s Choice for Competition Beer) Chris Sita – Indiscriminate Holiday Ale

People’s Choice General Category) Jen Jordan – Jen’s Helles Bock

The SFHG is turning 1, come celebrate with us!

We launched the SFHG during SF Beer Week last year with a Homebrew Share at Pi Bar, one of SF’s premier craft beer purveyors. The SFHG did a ton over the last year, one thing that always rocked was the awesome crowd and amazing brews at each of the Homebrew Shares we’ve done at Pi Bar!

At this Homebrew Share we will announce the winners of the SFHG Winter Spiced Beer Competition (as chosen by a panel of six qualified judges, most BJCP ranked or Certified Cicerone). We’ll also be awarding the People’s Choice, everyone gets a vote, so definitely bring enough homebrew to share with everyone.

A measly $15 to Pi Bar gets you all the pizza and salad you can eat and covers them for opening during non-business hours just for our event. Have you had their pizza? This is a steal, my friends. I expect we’ll have a crowd, so get there at noon!

Do you have what it takes to be named the SFHG Homebrewer of the Year in 2013? The SFHG is holding four homebrew competitions in 2013, in which we will judge seven different BJCP style categories. Three of these competitions will be BJCP sanctioned. Points earned by club members in the club competitions, plus points earned by placing in certain outside competitions, are added up to determine who is the SFHG Homebrewer of the Year. The winner will have their name engraved on the SFHG HOY trophy cup and will bask in the adulation of their peers. Brewers must be a paid annual member of the SFHG to be eligible for the SFHG HOY Award.

In addition to the four SFHG club-only competitions, Guild members may earn points toward the SFHG HOY award by placing in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd (or winning Best of Show!) in any BJCP beer or mead style category in the Bay Area Mashers “World Cup of Beer” or any of the three events used to determine the State of California “Sierra Nevada Homebrewer of the Year,” which includes the Mayfaire Competition, the California State Fair, and the California State Homebrew Competition.

 2013 SFHG Competitions

SFHG Winter Warmer/Holiday Spiced Beer Competition– Entries due no later than January 31. Beers will be judged according to the 2008 BJCP Style Guidelines for style 21B – Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer. Winners will be announced during SF Beer Week at a Pi Bar Homebrew Share event on Sunday, February 17.

SFHG Tribute to America Memorial Day Competition – BJCP sanctioned competition. Entries due no later than May 3. To kick off SF’s cool American summer, brewers may brew one or both of the invented-in-America beer styles we chose for this competition. The categories are: the beer that made San Francisco famous, 7B – California Common, as well as that iconic American brew, 14B – American IPA. Winners for each style will be announced at an SFHG Pre-Memorial Day BBQ/Picnic (location TBD) Saturday, May 18.

SFHG Celebrates Belgian Independence Day Competition – BJCP sanctioned competition. Entries due no later than July 16. To honor Belgium’s Independence from the Netherlands on July 21, 1831, brewers can brew the farmhouse favorite 16C – Saison. Winners will be announced at an SFHG Event/Homebrew share (location TBD) in August 2013.

SFHG Return to our Brewing Roots Competition – BJCP sanctioned competition. Entries due no later than October 18. To honor the enormous influence of European countries on popular American beer styles, brewers may enter the roasty favorite with a British background, 12B – Robust Porter. Winners will be announced at an SFHG Event/Homebrew share (location TBD) late in 2013.

2014 SFHG Competitions

SFHG Winter Barleywine Fest – That’s right, we’re giving you notice over a year in advance — for our SF Beer Week competition in February 2014 we will be judging Barleywine! We’re mashing 19B – English Barleywine and 19C – American Barleywine together into one general Barleywine category, so get brewing now and give them time to mature. Points earned in this competition will count toward the 2014 SFHG Homebrewer of the Year award.

For more info, go to the dedicated SFHG Homebrewer of the Year Competition Series page.