Pouring a beautiful amber hue with a creamy, off-white head, this lager greets you with inviting aromas of freshly baked bread and a hint of noble hops. The flavor profile is dominated by a well-rounded malt character, featuring subtle notes of biscuit and toasted bread, without overwhelming caramel or toffee sweetness.
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.
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.
There's a little story behind the name 1519 Barker, which I shared both on the recipe page "1519 Barker Exportbier", and on the brew day blog post 1519 Barker Exportbier (Batch 361)
My intention of brewing 1519 Barker was to capture the essence of how I remember my favorite beer in college.
The SheppyBrew Beer Model and I are done with Round 5 of our A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts.
We started last August with A is for AC Golden Tank Room and just recently finished with Z is for Zymos Brewing.
Amazingly enough, we were able to cover most of the letters of the alphabet without taking too much "artistic license".
We made it to "H" before we didn't have a brewery that started with the letter and decided to do H is for Left Hand RiNo Drinks & Eats.
And, if I'm counting correctly, we only had to choose a total of 9 breweries that didn't start with the letter we were on. Not bad considering we've been through the alphabet 4 times before this round.
Will-o-Wisp Autumn Ale is a bewitching brew that captures the essence of fall without relying on the overdone pumpkin spice craze. This ale is crafted with a blend of rich, caramel malts that provide a deep amber hue and a robust, toasty flavor. Hints of dark fruit and a subtle earthiness round out the profile, making it a perfect companion for crisp autumn evenings. The finish is dry and slightly bitter, balanced by a smooth, lingering maltiness that leaves you craving another sip.
Every year since I started homebrewing (way back in 2009), I've brewed an X-Mas Ale to have around the holidays.
The base beer was always a very similar "Winter Warmer", and I'd add various ingredients to make it more of a "Holiday" Beer.
Over the years, I added wood spirals, vanilla, cherry pomegranate, chocolate, peppermint, peanut butter, hazelnut, cherry, and many other flavorings.
Some years, I brewed the base beer without the "festive" flavorings.
When I started thinking about the 2024 X-Mas Ale, I had been doing the Roll-a-Style series of brews for over a year.
17A. British Strong Ale had been sitting on the list for quite some time, and at some point I wondered if I should just mark off that as a style that I had already brewed as one of my base-beer-only X-Mas Ales.
But ... I decided that this style wasn't exactly what I was brewing on the base beers.
I decided, though, that I would switch up the base a bit to make it match the "British Strong" a little closer, and make this new recipe the 2024 X-Mas ale.
I pretended to roll an "18" ...
After my #1200MileSeptember, it isn't a surprise that I've been cycling less in October. Even so, I logged over 625 Strava cycling miles for the month.
As of the 1st of the month (which is when I'm typing this), I'm over 6,900 miles with over 353,000 feet climbed for the year. I've blown away my #11EverestsIn2024 goal and only need less than 200 miles to hit #7100MilesIn2024.
With 2 full months to go, it is almost a certainty that I'll be able to log 200 miles.
Of course, I also extended my #MetricCenturyEveryMonth streak with my October Metric Century.
Learn to Homebrew Day is coming up on the first Saturday of November. At this point, I'm planning on getting together with my brewing buddies Du and Doc, but I'm not sure if this will be a travel brew day or if I'll end up hosting.
Anyway ... I was recently thinking about what I'd brew, and came across a recipe in Beer Smith that I developed at some point.
Pack o' Hooligans Stout is actually a 16A Sweet Stout. At some point I must have gone to my Roll-a-Style list and "rolled" 14 on an online 20-sided die ...
Embark on a journey back to the roots of German brewing with 1519 Barker Exportbier, a classic Dortmunder Export that pays homage to the rich brewing traditions of Dortmund. This golden lager pours with a brilliant clarity, crowned by a creamy white head that invites you to savor its balanced and refined character.
The addition of Midnight Wheat Malt imparts a subtle depth, while the Magnum and Saaz hops provide a delicate balance of bitterness and floral notes. Fermented with the renowned French Saison yeast, this beer boasts a dry, farmhouse character that is quintessentially saison.
Well ... after my #1200MileSeptember ... I'm running so far ahead of the pace I need to accomplish my 2024 Strava goals ... #7100MilesIn2024 and #11EverestsIn2024, that I'm not even sure it makes sense to talk about them being goals.
I've ridden 6,311 miles so far this year, which means I only need 789 miles over the rest of the year to hit #7100MilesIn2024. That's only 263 miles per month.
I've gained 325,183 feet in elevation so far, which means I only need 27,169 feet over the next 3 months. That's an average of only 9,056 feet per month.
I don't know the last time I've cycled that little in a month.
Now, I'm on pace to blow away my new Strava elevation goal, 348,384 (which is 12 x 29,032 feet).
If I continue on my mileage pace, I should be able to get way more than 7,200 miles.
It is already October, which blows my mind. Where did the summer go?
Of course, this means the 3rd Quarter of 2024 is done. We can report on the Q3 SheppyBrew Brewing Stats.
When it comes right down to it, I'm sure no one besides myself really cares, but I like to look back on these posts to see how much I've brewed and what I was planning on brewing at certain points of the year.
As I've been saying, I expect that I'll brew less beer this year than I have for the past several years, and so far it does look like I'm tracking for a lower volume than 2023.
In fact, as of October 1 ... I was on track for just over 93 gallons for 2024, which would be the least amount I've brewed since 2018.
In this quarter, I brewed 4 batches of beer:
I'm getting towards the end of my Great Cycle Challenge. As I type this, I still have just over 200 miles, which is a pretty big distance to bike, but I've ridden over 1000 miles.
You can donate or follow along at my fundraising page at:
https://greatcyclechallenge.com/riders/EricShepard
Back in August, I posted photos of myself wearing GCC Jerseys 2016 -2024 minus 2016, which actually fits my wife much better.
Over the last 8 days, I've been wearing these jerseys and taking selfies of myself again. I thought I'd post them here.
This year, I'm actually tracking to finish the year with less than 90 gallons brewed, which would be the least amount since 2014.
Luckily, I have not been drinking a whole lot of homebrew compared to previous years either, and I am fine on my beer inventory.
But, I did kill a keg of Summer Lovin' fairly recently and thought I'd like to brew a beer to give me a little buffer.
So ... I got a yeast starter going a couple days ago, and I decided to brew a rare workday-brew-day yesterday.
I'm running way ahead of the pace I need to accomplish my 2024 Strava goals ... #7100MilesIn2024 and #11EverestsIn2024.
In fact, I'm on pace to blow away my new Strava elevation goal, 348,384 (which is 12 x 29,032 feet).
If I continue on my mileage pace, I should be able to get more than 7,200 miles.
N.T.S. Faux Pilsner is an innovative take on the classic Pilsner style, brewed with a twist that sets it apart. This beer is designed to mimic the crisp, clean profile of a traditional Pilsner while utilizing the unique characteristics of Voss Kveik yeast.
Grain Bill: The foundation of this beer is built on Pilsner malt, providing a light, straw-colored base with a subtle malt sweetness.
Hops: Noble hops, specifically Tettnang and Saaz, are used to impart a delicate bitterness and a floral, spicy aroma that is quintessential to the Pilsner style.
Yeast: Fermented with Voss Kveik yeast, this beer showcases a unique lemony ester profile that complements the traditional Pilsner flavors while adding a refreshing twist.
Brewing Process: The mash schedule includes a single infusion at 152°F for 60 minutes, ensuring a fermentable wort that leads to a dry finish. The beer is then fermented at a higher temperature typical for Kveik yeast, which enhances the ester profile without compromising the clean character of the beer.
Stats:
We're getting close!! In September, I'll be cycling 1,200 miles in September to help raise awareness and money to fight childhood cancer.
It is called the Great Cycle Challenge.
If you'd like to help out, head to my "Rider Page" at
https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/EricShepard
Hail Storm Summer Saison is a refreshing and complex farmhouse ale that captures the essence of summer in every sip. Brewed by industrious gnomes in the majestic Colorado mountains, this saison pours a hazy golden hue with a frothy white head that lingers beautifully. The aroma is an enticing bouquet of fruity esters, with notes of ripe pear, banana, and a hint of spicy clove, courtesy of the French Saison yeast strain.
Every year, I pledge to ride a number of miles through out the challenge month. (originally in June, but it has been September since 2020).
I get donations for this pledge to raise money for the Children's Cancer Research Fund. If you'd like to donate, you can do so on my Rider's Page.
Everyone who raises at least $500 gets a "Free GCC Jersey", and I have one for each year that I've done the challenge.
Recently, I've been riding with all these jerseys (except 2016, which is too small for me) and taking selfies. I thought I'd share what they all look like in a blog post.
So ... here we go:
Thanks in a large part to all the training I've been doing for the Triple Bypass Ride, I'm running way ahead of the pace I need to accomplish my 2024 Strava goals ... #7100MilesIn2024 and #11EverestsIn2024.
In fact, I'm on pace to blow away my new Strava elevation goal, 348,384 (which is 12 x 29,032 feet).
If I continue on my mileage pace, I should be able to get more than 7,200 miles.
I have my Great Cycle Challenge coming up in September, so I probably won't slow down any time soon.
I'm sure I'll extend the streak in August as well.
