Christmas vs X-Mas Ales

Sunday, I posted SheppyBrew vs Breckenridge Autumn Ales where I compared Breckenridge Autumn Ale with my Will-o'-Wisp Autumn Ale (no pumpkin).

Of course, I also have my X-Mas Ale 2024 on tap, and it just so happens that I also have some bottles of Breckenridge Christmas Ale.

Breckenridge Christmas Ale actually inspired my traditional base beer recipe of my X-Mas Ales.

"The chill of winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and strength! An abundance of carefully roasted malts create notes of caramel and chocolate, while Chinook and Mt. Hood hops contribute a spicy quality for balance and a clean finish."

SheppyBrew vs Breckenridge Autumn Ales

One of the SheppyBrew Beers I have on tap right now is Will-o'-Wisp Autumn Ale (no pumpkin).

It is a malty, dark amber, medium to low alcohol berer with caramel flavor and notes of dark chocolate. It is basically the base-beer of my world-famous Will-o'-Wisp Pumpkin Ale ... minus the pumpkin and the spices.

One of the commercial beers I have in one of the beer fridges is Breckenridge Autumn Ale. 

"Our fall seasonal hit combines the malty goodness of a German lager with the clean crispness of an American ale. Brewed with Munich malts and a delicate blend of Bavarian hops, it's full-bodied with a nutty-sweet middle, a warming alcohol level and notes of toasted grain. A pre-winter winner."  

2024 Thanksgiving Turkey

Since 2018, which was the year I started becoming obsessed with BBQ, I've been in charge of smoking the Thanksgiving turkey outside.

It's fun for me, and it frees up the oven for the various sides my wife generally makes.

And, I think smoked turkey tastes better than it would if we cooked it in the oven.

Over the years, I've tried different ways to cook the turkey, and this year I actually tried something new.

Last year, I spatchcocked, and halved the bird, which is how I generally cook my whole chickens now.

This year, I came across a youtube video where the author "quartered" the bird. I decided to do the same thing on my cook this year.

 

November #7100MilesIn2024 Progress

I'm probably the only one who cares, but I've hit my Strava goals for the year.

As of the 1st of the month (which is when I'm typing this), I'm over 7,400 miles with over 377,600 feet climbed for the year. I've blown away my #11EverestsIn2024 goal and my #7100MilesIn2024 goal.

There is still 1 full month to go.

Of course, I also extended my #MetricCenturyEveryMonth streak with my Black Friday Century.

Since July of 2021, I've ridden at least one 100 km (62.2 miles) ride. This makes the streak 40 straight months.

A is for Arms, Call To Brewing Company

Well, if you follow this blog at all, you probably realize that we recently finished up A to Z Denver Breweries Round 5.

While we certainly have a bunch of breweries left on the Colorado Brewery Map & List, I wasn't sure if we'd continue along with the A to Z series of posts.

There are a bunch of letters (including the letter "A") that we have to fudge a little to cover Denver-area breweries.

We had a good run working our way through the alphabet 5 times, but I wasn't sure it made sense to continue down the alphabet.

But, apparently, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) was (and is) sure, and we're continuing. I don't even have a choice....

A is for Arms, Call To Brewing Company

Decemberfest Lager (Batch 366)

As I've mentioned a few times, I'm concentrating on brewing all the SheppyBrew "Seasonals" this year.

On the 2024 Learn to Homebrew Day, I brewed my "November Seasonal", X-Mas Ale 2024.

And this meant I had hit every month of the year so far, leaving just my "December Seasonal". 

While I brewed a couple of batches on 2024 Learn to Homebrew Day, the people I had over did a pretty good job of reducing my inventory of beer.

With 1519 Barker Exportbier running low, I decided to brew another beer a little earlier than I originally planned.

This past weekend, I brewed the "December Seasonal" ....

Decemberfest Lager

Pack o' Hooligans Stout

BJCP 16A Sweet Stout
ABV: 4.5% 
IBU: 30
SRM: 39 

Appearance:

Pours a deep, opaque black with a thick, creamy tan head that lingers gracefully. The luscious body exudes the look of a classic stout, promising a rich experience.