Final Gravity isn’t a phrase just for beer geeks any more. It is also the name of a band (of beer geeks) and the title of their debut CD release. Featuring four homebrewers, Los Angeles rockers Final Gravity takes the marriage of rock and beer to new heights.   

Final Gravity’s beginning as rockers was humble, but steeped in tradition. Drummer John Chominsky and vocalist Bill Moore met when Bill auditioned to sing for John’s cover band, Elixir. On the second try he was brought on board and the group played together for two-and-a-half years at venues around Penn State University. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Bill and later John joined guitarist Mike Clark as roommates and eventually became bandmates in another cover project called Deja Vu. Mike brought his friend Charles Mumford into the mix on bass, and the ingredients of Final Gravity were in place. But something wasn’t quite right about that initial brew, and the band fell flat after only a couple shows, drifting their own ways for several years.    

It was during this time that Bill and John began their first brew, which was an extract-based American pale ale fermented in a 5-gallon (19-L) bucket and hand bottled in several dozen of Bill and John’s impressive beer bottle collection (more than 700 different bottles when it finally went to the recycler). Pleased with the results, they began to explore their own recipes, the first of which was a California common they called “667 — One Step Wickeder Ale.”    

This was an exciting time for microbrewing in Southern California and across the country and Mike started attending beer festivals in the region, beginning with the L.A. Beer Odyssey in 2001. He traveled south to attend some of the early Pizza Port and Stone festivals which have since become regular events for the whole band. But Mike doesn’t do things halfway, and besides drinking beer, he also got involved in brewing, joining Strand Brewers in Redondo Beach. He quickly assembled the equipment for all-grain mashes and quite soon (to the chagrin of his wife, Christina) had turned his kitchen into a small-scale brewery.   

Though the route Charles took to become a beer aficionado was long and circuitous, he arrived at an appreciation for the heavier side of life at about the same time the other band members discovered brewing. Recently divorced, he moved into an apartment across the street from a BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse in the San Fernando Valley. Although he thought he hated beer at the time, he loved pizza, and the combination soon won him over. He quickly discovered that he preferred beer he couldn’t see through, and began exploring the darkest regions of the brewmaster’s art, becoming a regular at the local BevMo and accompanying Mike to beer festivals.   

Through Strand Brewers, Mike became an expert in the science as well as the art of brewing. The brew club offered BJCP training to become a certified beer judge. Learn more about beer? Free beer? Classes at Naja’s Place (with over 70 taps)? Mike almost sprained his wrist signing up so fast! After taking the classes, Mike was awarded certified status with the BJCP and is now judging competitions toward gaining his national rating.   

While the brewhouse was operating at Mike’s, the band got together for the first time in years over an all-grain double IPA. Although it would be a few months more, this meeting planted the seed that led to the reunion of Final Gravity, this time with more intoxicating results.    

Looking for a new band name, they settled on Amendment 21 (the anniversary of the repeal of prohibition is also Bill’s birthday), only to find another
L.A.-area band with that name. Casting around for alternatives, they settled on Final Gravity as indicative of their love for beer and brewing and also representing the craftsmanship they apply to making their music. Nearly two years of work and dozens of recording sessions (accompanied by their favorite beverage, naturally) culminated in their first album, released November 17th. The album is self-titled, but the cover includes four tunes representing the fundamental ingredients of beer: water, hops, yeast, and barley.   

Keep up with the band’s musical and brewing adventures and appearances on the Web at finalgravityband.com.