5 Tips For Homebrewers Entering The Sonoma County Home Brewer's Competition

We collected the best tips from top local brew masters to help home brewers prepare for the Annual Sonoma County Home Brewers Competition

1. Beer Hygiene

It is imperative that you always be neat and clean. Don’t use bleaches on your equipment because it can cause a chemical reaction with the maltose molecules and end in a nasty flavor. Even a slight drop of bleach can destroy an entire batch of a perfect brew. There are so many cleaners and sanitizers available in the market, but you can purchase an inexpensive vodka which does the job just fine as a sanitizer. You can also use vodka in your airlock instead of water. Keep some vodka handy in a spray mist bottle so you can also use it on your equipment on the fly.

To keep you bottles clean use a large cooler that can hold as many as 48 beer bottles. Fill it with 6 - 7 gallons of water with the plug near a drain or sink. Add some no-rinse sanitizer. Sink your bottles neck up until they fill with water to the point they stop floating. You may need to add more water and sanitizer to get larger sized bottles submerged. Leave them there until you are ready for bottling process. Pull the plug to discard the water.

“JJ” Jay is the master brewer for Petaluma Hills Brewery. “My advice is have a solid recipe, reasonable brewing procedures, and clean and sanitary space and equipment will produce an awesome beer every time!”

Click here to see the other 4 tips including master brewers from Bear Republic, Hen House Brewing, and Ken Weaver editor of All About Beer Magazine.

VIDEO: Stan A Angel’s Heart Of #SonomaCounty

We found this video very well done with great high definition quality and very soothing music which made if very enjoyable to watch. Great job Stan.

#SonomaCounty Bay Area Commute Times Improve

Whether we want to admit it or not, our commute is not as bad as we think! Sonoma County commuters spend an average of 25 minutes getting to or from their destination. That’s a few minutes better than the average Bay Area commuter, according to data from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. From 2003 to 2013, the latest year that data is available,

North Bay Commuters experienced the most erratic traffic congestion in the Bay Area, spending 3-and-a-half percent of their total trip in traffic jams, lower than the roughly 5 percent for the rest of the Bay Area. But only as far back as 2007, Sonoma County commuters spent almost double the average in stop-and-go traffic.

via News and Talk of Sonoma County 1350 KSRO – Local News Stories.

For other stories about Sonoma County go to our website PositivelySonoma.com.

#Healdsburg's Raven Film Center 1 of 5 bay area Movie Theaters Serving Food & Alcohol

You can’t beat the Raven in terms of local offerings: the bulk of the food and drink options at the small Healdsburg cinema are sourced from just a few blocks away. The bread for their sandwiches? From Costeaux Bakery directly behind the theater. The beers on their drink menu? Two of them come from Bear Republic, just around the corner. Even the sparkling option–Sofia Blanc de Blancs–originates less than six miles away.

The menu is small and simple, offering a handful of choices like a smoked sausage and pepper sandwich, chicken quesadillas and a decadent three cheese grilled cheese, all of which can be delivered during your movie. Their alcohol menu is more extensive: they offer with a sizable collection of local wines available by the glass, bottle or half bottle, and a selection of local beers on tap. And with the Groupon they’re currently offering ($14 for two tickets and a large popcorn), you can use the money you saved to get a glass of wine.

Raven Film Center

415 Center Street, Healdsburg, CA

Ph: (707) 522-0330

Hours: Mon-Thur,3:00pm-9:30pm; Fri-Sun, 12:00pm-9:30pm

Price Range: $ (entrees under $10)

via Bay Area Bites Guide To 5 Movie Theaters Serving Food and Alcoholic Beverages : Bay Area Bites.

New county park on Sonoma Mountain offers miles

Photo by John Burgess Press democrat

Sonoma County’s latest gem of a park opens Saturday on the north face of Sonoma Mountain, affording visitors miles of new trails and stunning views rarely seen by the general public.

PDF map of North Sonoma Mountain

About 2 miles along the park’s new main trail, the forest thins to reveal a 180-degree view of northern Sonoma Valley and the Santa Rosa Plain. On a clear morning this week, a number of prominent landmarks were visible in the distance, including Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Hood Mountain and Mount St. Helena.

via New county park on Sonoma Mountain offers miles | The Press Democrat.

For more information about Sonoma County visit our website Positively Sonoma.

North Coast vineyards yield record $1.45 billion crop

Photo by Christopher Dung, Press Democrat

Grape production dropped 7 percent on the North Coast in 2014, though its vineyards still delivered a record $1.45 billion crop as rising prices and strong demand for top-quality cabernet sauvignon offset smaller yields, according to a new report issued Tuesday. The smaller crop had been widely expected by growers and winemakers after back-to-back record-breaking harvests in 2012 and 2013. Even so, growers in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties still picked 528,878 tons of grapes last fall — making it the third-largest harvest in more than a quarter-century, according to preliminary figures issued Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The smaller crop had been widely expected by growers and winemakers after back-to-back record-breaking harvests in 2012 and 2013. Even so, growers in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties still picked 528,878 tons of grapes last fall — making it the third-largest harvest in more than a quarter-century, according to preliminary figures issued Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

via North Coast vineyards yield record $1.45 billion crop | The Press Democrat.

Under Construction

This is under construction and should be up and fully operational in the new future.