LOCAL BEER BREWERS ADVANCE TO NATIONALS.Byline: R.A. Hutchinson Daily News Staff WriterMeleq Kacani of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. credits his homemade home·made adj. 1. Made or prepared in the home: homemade pie. 2. Made by oneself. 3. Crudely or simply made. Adj. 1. brewing brewing: see beer. equipment with securing his traditional German bock Noun 1. bock - a very strong lager traditionally brewed in the fall and aged through the winter for consumption in the spring bock beer lager beer, lager - a general term for beer made with bottom fermenting yeast (usually by decoction mashing); originally a finalist's berth in a national home brew Products that are developed at home by hobbyists. contest. ``I was afraid it was a call to say my sample had gotten broken. I entered the contest pretty late and sent it by air,'' Kacani said. Jonathan Rocks of Camarillo said he simply asked God to bless his Belgian strong ale before sending it off to Massachusetts. ``The first miracle in the Bible was turning water into wine. So I asked God to bless the beer before I brewed it,'' Rocks said. The two Ventura County residents are among nine home brewers This is a list of member brewers of the Brewers Association. Numbered
``I just found out that there was another guy from Ventura County. I couldn't believe it,'' Kacani said. Winners in three categories - ale, lager and mixed - will be decided at a tasting in September in Jamaica Plain, Mass. The victor in each category gets an expense-paid trip for two weeks to anywhere in the world that has a brewing history, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Kate Begley, contest coordinator for the Boston Beer Co. In addition, the three winning beers will bottled and distributed nationwide under the company's LongShot label. The names of each brew's creator will appear on the bottle neck. Kacani got into home brewing after a friend of his bought a kit and made beer. ``I wasn't that interested in the taste - it wasn't that good. But I was intrigued by the fact that he made it,'' Kacani remembered. ``I went out and bought all the books I could on brewing. I researched brewing a lot.'' After a few mediocre me·di·o·cre adj. Moderate to inferior in quality; ordinary. See Synonyms at average. [French médiocre, from Latin mediocris : medius, middle; see medhyo- beers, Kacani began to make his own brewing equipment. Kacani credits his scientific approach and the use of his own equipment as the top ingredients to his success. ``I got all my home-made brewing equipment dialed in and starting making good batches all the time,'' he said. ``It's a lot cheaper to make your own beer. But if you're going to put a price on time, then it's very expensive.'' Rocks is an enthusiastic fan of Belgian beers. He said the European country has about nine different beer styles, but more than 600 different beers. His goal is to taste as many as he can. ``I hope I win this contest so I can go to Belgium for two weeks. I want to visit every pub,'' Rocks said. The men said it takes anywhere from an hour to three hours to complete a brewing, but aging the beer can take up to two or three months. Both Rocks and Kacani say they'd like the opportunity to turn their favorite hobby into a career. ``I'm really into it,'' Kacani said. ``I'd like to have sort of a career in the beer brewing industry someday some·day adv. At an indefinite time in the future. Usage Note: The adverbs someday and sometime express future time indefinitely: We'll succeed someday. Come sometime. . But I know it's hard to get into.'' Begley said the Boston Beer Co., which makes the Samuel Adams brand, started the contest a year ago after the company's founder, Jim Koch, found several home-brewed beers very tasty. By distributing a winning brew for a year, Koch said it would give other beer lovers an opportunity to taste some of the best home brew. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (color) Meleq Kacani of Simi Valley is one of two Ve ntura County residents to make the finals in the Boston Beer Co. contest. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News |
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