August Chatfield Kayak / SUP Photos

Saturday morning, I got up early and rode my bike up to Evergreen and back down to my house.

I call this my Evergreen Loop.

It was only a 43 mile, 3 mile ride, but it was almost 3,700 feet of climbing.

When I returned from the bike ride, my wife (aka The SheppyBrew Beer Model) informed me that we would be going to Chatfield Reservoir to Kayak and Paddle Board.

The kids were not going. So, just me and the Beer Model.

It was a hot August day, which meant that lots of people were out at Chatfield Reservoir, but we were early enough that our normal spot to park wasn't very full at all.

Double Batch of N.T.S.

So, last year, I came up with a recipe for N.T.S. Faux Pilsner, which was an experiment to see if I could ferment a lager-like beer at a hot fermentation temperature with LalBrew Voss - Kveik Ale Yeast.

In my various brewing forums, lots of people say they make "pseudo-lagers" with various Kveik yeasts at higher temperatures.

The N.T.S. Faux Pilsner was a nice beer, but it was not very lager-like in my opinion.

The Voss - Kveik Ale Yeast imparts a very ale-like character. It is great for Pale Ales and IPA's. I even tried it out in my McShepardSons "Irish" Ale.

I just wouldn't consider it for "lager" beers.

Regardless, I liked the N.T.S. Faux Pilsner, and wanted to brew it again. I brewed it last Sunday.

I've gotten to a point where I'm low-ish on beer, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to brew a double batch to help get my beer supply back to normal levels.

D is for Denver Beer Company - Downing

As you know if you've been following the A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts, the SheppyBrew Beer Model and I decided to push on with the 4th round of the project.

Towards the end of July, I posted C is for Comet Brews, and I'm sure you know if you are familiar with the concept and the English alphabet, next up we needed a "D" brewery.

According to the Colorado Brewery Map & List, we had a ton of "D" breweries that we could choose from.

You may also know that on Saturday I completed my First Century Ride of 2022.

If you were paying attention to that post, you probably already know which brewery we chose.

D is for Denver Beer Company - Downing

 

First Century Ride of 2022

This past Saturday, I did my first Century Bike Ride of 2002.

Yep, 100 miles.
That's right ... On my bicycle.
Yep, in one day.
No, my butt is fine.
Nope, I'm not crazy.
Yes, I know you don't like to drive that far.

If you've been following me, on this blog, you know I'm "training" for September. 

In September, I'm riding 1,000 miles to help raise awareness and money for the Children's Cancer Research Fund with the Great Cycle Challenge.

If you can afford it and are against childhood cancer, you should donate some money to help with the cause. If you want to help my fundraising effort ... you can donate at

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/EricShepard

Drinking my Merican Lite Lager

I brewed Jethro Bud Nelson Merican Lite Lager (Batch 312) on June 12th. It was kegged on June 28th. 

We had a trip scheduled to Lake of the Ozarks with the Beer Model's sisters and brother and their families, and as the adults in that group are mostly BMC beer drinkers I thought they might like to try the Merican Lite Lager.

So, I tried to refrain from drinking until we went on the trip. But, the weekend before, I spent some time comparing the Jethro Bud Nelson to some other American Light Lagers.

Tivoli Brewing Company makes an American Light Lager called Outlaw that I've really started to enjoy over the past few months, and I thought it would be the most logical comparison.

On Track for #10Everestsin2022

It is only about a month before I start riding for the 2022 Great Cycle Challenge to help fight kid's cancer.

I'm pledging to ride 1000 miles in September and asking sponsors to donate money to the Children's Cancer Research Fund, which is a national nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood cancer.

I've been doing this since 2016, and in total I've raised over $15,000 thanks to generous friends and family.

I'm hoping to raise $2500 this year. Right now I'm at $931.50. Most of most my most generous past donors have not donated yet, so $2500 is certainly likely.

If you'd like to help out, head to my "Rider Page" at 

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/EricShepard

Last Minute Brew Day

My parents were visiting this past weekend, and because of that, I had no plans to brew.

When we were talking about things we might do on Sunday, my dad asked me what I would usually do on a Sunday if they were not here.

As most of my Brew Days are on Sunday, brewing beer came up as something I might do on a Sunday.

He thought it might interest them to watch me brew.

Since I didn't have any grains my initial reaction was that brewing wasn't really a realistic option.

But ... one of the wonderful things about living where I do is that I have access to multiple Homebrew Shops within reasonable driving distance.

I called Tom's Brew Shop to make sure they were open on Sundays. They are. I was actually surprised to learn that they open at 9AM on Sundays. I sort of assumed 10AM.