My first #GCCUSA2024 Century Ride

On Tuesday, I accomplished my first Century Ride since the Triple Bypass Ride back in July.

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.

I have committed to riding 1200 miles over the course of September. 

I always try to get a good start over the first few days and the long Labor Day Weekend so that I'm not worrying about miles towards the end of the month when who knows what the weather will be like or what else might be going on.

By the time you read this, I will probably have gone on several GCC rides. If you'd like to follow along or make a donation ... follow the link:

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/EricShepard

Labor Day Weekend SUP

My wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and I spent the weekend up in the Breckenridge / Frisco / Dillon area over the Labor Day weekend.

One of the things we like to do when we're up there is spend some time on Dillon Reservoir on personal watercraft.

Generally, we bring one or two kayaks (depends on whether the kids are with us or not) and my wife's paddle board.

But, this year, our bigger vehicle was in the shop when we headed up there, and we decided to take a vehicle that does not have a roof rack.

This vehicle is not ideal for bringing a kayak, and we decided that we would pick up another inflatable SUP for this weekend.

N.T.S Faux Pilsner

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:

• Original Gravity (OG): 1.045
• Final Gravity (FG): 1.010
• Bitterness (IBUs): 26
• Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.8%
• Color (SRM): 3.6

U is for GUanella Pass Brewery

Here we are ... already up to "U" on round 5 of the A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts.

As I mentioned in T is for Tilray Beer Brands, Littleton, I had no idea what we'll do for a "U" brewery. U was tough for rounds 1 - 4. 

I've used U is for Ursula Brewery (which doesn't exist anymore), U is for oUter Range Brewing Company (which isn't in the Denver area), U is for Upslope Brewing Company (which isn't in the Denver area), and U is for BlUe SprUce Brewing Company.

I was really struggling to see anything for this round.

Luckily my intelligent (and beautiful) wife (aka, the SheppyBrew Beer Model) came up with a genius idea ...

U is for GUanella Pass Brewery

Recent BBQ Photos

I have not posted much about my BBQ adventures recently.

I've been posting about Brewing and local breweries and biking.

Just no BBQ.

I believe the last time I posted about BBQ was over a month ago with Pork Butt Burnt Ends.

Of course, I have been cooking BBQ between then and now.

I thought I'd share pictures from some of those cooks.

On Sunday, August 11, I cooked some spare ribs on the weber kettle.

2024 Tribute Day Photos

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

Style: Saison

ABV: 5.8% 
IBU: 27
SRM: 4.3

Description:

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.

T is for Tilray Beer Brands, Littleton

Honestly, you'd think that we'd have plenty to choose from the letter "T" on our A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts.

And, yes, according to the Colorado Brewery Map & List there are quite a few Denver area breweries starting with the letter "T".

However, we've already used T is for TRVE Brewing Company, T is for Two22 Brew, T is for Tivoli Brewing Company, and T is for Tommyknocker Brewery, and most of the other "T" breweries on the Colorado Brewery Map & List are too far away for just a brewery visit.

There is another local brewery I could use, but honestly, I've never thought this brewery makes very good beer, and I didn't really want to subject myself to beer I don't like.

So ... I am taking a little "artistic license" here ...

T is for Tilray Beer Brands, Littleton

S is for Seedstock Brewing Company

Remember when in A to Z Denver Breweries Round 4, I wasn't sure if there would be a "Round 5"?

Shortly after that, I posted A is for AC Golden Tank Room to begin our Round 5.

That was about a year ago as I type this post.

Well ... obviously we have been actively continuing our A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts, and as you know if you follow along on this blog, just a couple of weeks ago, we checked "R" off the list with R is for Reverence Brewing Company.

Obviously, this means the letter "S" was up next and this past weekend we hit the S brewery ...

Big S. Little S. What begins with S?

S is for Seedstock Brewing Company

GCC Hero Jerseys

If you follow me at all on this blog and/or Facebook and/or Instagram, you know I've been doing the Great Cycle Challenge for several years now (since 2016). 

Not too long ago, I posted photos of myself wearing my GCC Jerseys 2016 -2024. By raising at least $500 anyone doing the challenge earns these each year.

Well, I wasn't wearing the 2016 jersey because it is too small and I gave it to my wife. In 2016, I had never owned a bike jersey before and didn't realize they are not just sized like tee-shirts.

Anyway, in addition to the "Regular" jerseys in GCC Jerseys 2016 -2024, I also own four "Hero" jerseys, which are earned by raising at least $2,500 in that year.

I also have earned an "All Star" jersey, which I got when I had raised a total of $10,000 over all years of the challenge.

N.T.S. Faux Pilsner (Batch 360)

It's been pretty hot here in the Denver area the past couple of weeks.

Really hot this past weekend.

You might have noticed (I've probably actually said that on this blog) that I've been attempting to brew all the "SheppyBrew Seasonals" in 2024. I only brewed 9 out of 12 of the 2022 Seasonals and 8 out of 12 of the 2023 Seasonals.

My "August" Seasonal actually uses Kveik yeast, and as you probably know if you're familiar with Kveik yeast at all, it loves fermenting at hot temperatures. 80's 90's even up into the 100's

Well, all yeast likes fermenting at hot temperatures, but Kveik yeasts actually make nice tasting beers when you ferment hot.

Since it was hot, and I wanted to brew a "Seasonal" that loves hot temperatures, Sunday was a great day to brew.

N.T.S. Faux Pilsner

GCC Jerseys 2016 -2024

So, if you follow me at all on this blog and/or Facebook and/or Instagram, you know I've been doing the Great Cycle Challenge for several years now (since 2016). 

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:

July #7100MilesIn2024 Progress

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 also extended my #MetricCenturyEveryMonth streak with a couple of rides (including my Triple Bypass Ride).

Since July of 2021, I've ridden at least one 100 km (62.2 miles) ride. This makes the streak 36 straight months.

I'm sure I'll extend the streak in August as well.

Shotgun Shells

Lately, I feel like I've seen quite a few posts / videos about Smoked Shotgun Shells, and it is something I'd never made before.

Every post seems to do them slightly differently, but basically, shotgun shells are typically made by stuffing pasta tubes with flavorful fillings, wrapping them in bacon, and then cooking them to crispy perfection.

At least one of my sources suggested cooking the noodles (manicotti) for 4 or 5 minutes before hand.

Most others I saw suggested not doing that.

For my first attempt, I decided to pretty much follow Hey Grill Hey's recipe, and she did suggest pre-cooking the noodles.

R is for Reverence Brewing Company

It has been quite awhile since we did anything with the A to Z series of posts.

Q is for Smokin' Bones BBQ went "live" in May for goodness sake.

Training for the Triple Bypass and some family commitments really didn't leave much time to spend much time in the Denver low-lands.

But, this past weekend we decided to move on to the next brewery.

After Q is for Smokin' Bones BBQ, we needed an "R" brewery, and according to Colorado Brewery Map & List, we had quite a few to choose from.

Eventually, after weighing pro's and con's of different "R" breweries, we decided on a bike ride to:

R is for Reverence Brewing Company

July Chatfield Kayak / SUP Photos

After my Triple Bypass Ride the weekend before, last weekend I thought we should do something that my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) wanted to do.

She picked Paddle Boarding / Kayaking (her Paddle Boarding, me Kayaking).

The most convenient place for us to do that by our house is Chatfield Reservoir State Park.

So ... last Saturday,  we packed up our personal watercraft and related equipment and headed over to the lake.

It was a real nice day ... warm, but not too hot, and although there were thunderstorms in the forecast, we never saw a cloud in the sky.

It was fun. Here are some pictures from the day on the lake:

Pork Butt Burnt Ends

Remember that in Pork Butt Steaks, I cut about half of a pork butt into steaks.

The other half, I vacuum sealed and froze for a future meal.

On the same day I did 2024 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 359), I cooked that other half.

I decided to cut the meat into cubes and do Pork Butt Burnt Ends.

A Pork Butt isn't a real common cut to make Burnt Ends. Usually, you hear about them made with the point of a brisket. 

or ... 

Sometimes people use the pork belly cut for burnt ends.

2024 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 359)

So ... I brewed Sunday. I almost didn't, but I decided to go ahead and get it done.

I placed an order at one of my favorite Homebrew Shops on Friday expecting that I'd pick up the ingredients on Saturday, but various family activities made it so I never made it.

So, as of the morning of Sunday, I didn't have my malts.

If you follow this blog, you know that I usually get started brewing early in the morning, and for awhile I was thinking I'd get the malts sometime Sunday and then just wait until next weekend to brew.

But ... something made me decide to go ahead and brew. This is actually the first beer that I've brewed since Q2.

Hail Storm Summer Saison

Triple Bypass Ride

If you've been following along on this blog, or my social media pages, you probably know that I have been training for the Triple Bypass Ride.

118 miles, climbing 10,800 feet over 3 Colorado passes.

This past Saturday was the day, and I was able to complete the ride.

In fact, I was able to complete it much faster than I thought that I'd be able to do it.

This being my first time attempting any organized ride, let alone one so long, I wasn't sure how to pack. I wasn't sure if I'd want my camelbak, or if I'd be able to just use water bottles, filling up at the aid stations.

I also wasn't sure how much food to bring, or how to pack for unexpected weather.

Pork Butt Steaks

I've been wanting Pork Steaks recently, and therefore looking to buy them.

For whatever reason, my Sam's club hasn't had them when I looked, and my wife didn't see any at our grocery store when I asked her to look last time she was there.

Some time ago I saw a youtube video where someone (I don't remember which channel this was on) removed the bone from a port butt.

Since I wasn't finding pre-cut pork steaks, I thought I could simply make steaks out of a pork butt.

So ... I got a pork butt from Sam's and cut it up this past Tuesday.

Early in the morning, I cut the bone out of the shoulder. It went pretty good, but I am sure with more experience I'd be better at this process.

June #7100MilesIn2024 Progress

If you've been following along on this blog (or various social media outlets), you might have seen that I'm Training for Triple Bypass.

On July 13th, which is fast approaching, I am riding 118 miles with about 10,800 feet elevation gain.

So ... I've been working on doing long climbs on the bike, and as a result, I've rocketed ahead of my  #11EverestsIn2024 goal. In fact, I'm on track to blow away 12 Everests for the year.

I'm just about right on track for the #7100MilesIn2024 goal as well.

In June, I only logged 596 miles, but I did get almost 39,000 feet climbed. Both those totals are down from May.

Nargles American Porter

Venture into the Colorado mountains, where the air is crisp and the pines reach for the heavens, and you may stumble upon a scene from a fable. Here, in the secluded tranquility, Nargels American Porter is not merely a beverage; it’s the centerpiece of an extraordinary gathering. Imagine a clearing, where the gnomes of the highlands convene with the elusive Nargles, their laughter echoing through the thicket.

2024 Q2 SheppyBrew Stats

It is already July, which means the 2nd Quarter of 2024 is done. We can report on the Q2 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 this quarter, I've brewed 5 batches of beer:

• Melting Stream Spring Saison 
• Helles in a Hand Bock-sket 
• Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale 
• Summer Lovin' American Wheat 
• Nargles American Porter 

This 5 batches of beer resulted in 25 gallons, putting me right at a total of 50 gallons half way through the year.

Littleton to Silver Plume

If you've been following along on Sheppy's Blog: Triple Bypass and/or SheppyBrew Facebook and/or SheppyBrew Instagram and/or my Strava profile, you know that I signed up for the Triple Bypass Ride.

FYI ... the Triple Bypass Ride is a bike ride. I am not signing up for heart surgery.

I've been a little surprised how many people thought I was having surgery.

Anyway ... this past weekend, I did another "training ride". 

Littleton to Silver Plume was 6:05 hours of riding time, and a total of 73 miles with 8,458 feet elevation gain.

My unofficial target for the Triple Bypass is to finish the 118 miles and 10,800 feet climbed in 10 hours. The rides I've done give me confidence that I'll be able to do that.

Summer Lovin' American Wheat

Step into a world where fantasy and flavor intertwine with Summer Lovin' American Wheat, a beer that's as enchanting as the meadow it's brewed in. This American Wheat beer, with its **5.5% ABV** and **22 IBU**, is a testament to the art of brewing, crafted by the gorgeous SheppyBrew Beer Model whose passion for beer is as deep as the mountain roots.

In this idyllic setting, surrounded by the majesty of towering peaks, she works alongside a troupe of helpful gnomes, each adding a touch of magic to the brew. The gnomes, known for their brewing prowess, carefully select the finest **Pale and Wheat malts**, blending them to perfection.

Juneteenth Brew Day

I keep forgetting that Juneteenth is a holiday that I get off work.

It always comes as a pleasant surprise when I see it on my calendar. This year, it popped up on Wednesday of this week.

I've been running low on what I had on tap, and so I decided to brew Wednesday.

Summer Lovin' American Wheat (Batch 357) was also ready to keg, so I was able to clear out that fermenter as well.

If you follow along on this blog, you might have caught that I had another Roll-a-style beer coming up ... Roll-a-Style 20 ... 20A. American Porter.

I brewed a slightly modified recipe from that post:

Nargles American Porter

Workday Pork Butt

My oldest son graduated from college this past weekend.

It is sort of hard to believe I'm old enough to have a kid this old .... but ... anyway ...

We had some family in town to help celebrate, and my wife thought I should cook on Friday when the family was going to be arriving.

It was a work day for me, but I decided to smoke a Pork Butt.

Generally, it takes me about 8 hours to smoke a Pork Butt on my Weber Kettle.

Since I work at home, and making pulled pork is mostly just waiting for the pork to slowly cook, it was a very do-able activity while doing my job.

I pretty much had the butt seasoned and the Weber Kettle going by 6:30 AM.

Cold Brewed French Press Coffee

You may remember that I got a French Press for Christmas this past year.

I drink a lot of coffee, and most of it comes out of the Keurig, but I usually use the French Press when I feel like I have a few extra minutes to make coffee in a more "relaxed" manner.

To be honest, I'm not sure the French Press is actually that much more time consuming than the Keurig.

Anyway ... in the French Press post, I intended to do a few more blog posts on it. Until today, I have not really done that but ...

 

Summer Lovin' American Wheat (Batch 357)

I don't know about where you live, but here it is starting to feel quite a bit like summer. I've had to fire up the air conditioning a few times already.

Although I drink just about any beer style at any time of year, there are a few beers that I would consider summer beers.

One of these beers is my "June Seasonal": Summer Lovin' American Wheat.

It honestly doesn't have to be consumed in summer, but it certainly doesn't suck in beautiful warm weather.

This is one of the SheppyBrew Beer Model's favorite beers, and therefore, it is one of my most brewed beers.

I like it too, but she really really really likes it. I think that when we brewed Alex's GPT, what she really wanted was 

Summer Lovin' American Wheat

More Training for Triple Bypass

If you follow the SheppyBrew Facebook and / or Instagram pages, you might have noticed that I rode a long bike ride on Saturday.

Another "training ride" for the Triple Bypass that I'll be riding in mid-July.

I started at my house in Littleton, Colorado at around 5am and went over Juniper Pass, down into Idaho Springs and then up to Cabin Creek Brewing in Georgetown.

The ride was over 64 miles and I climbed over 7,400 feet of elevation.

My wife was kind enough to meet me at Cabin Creek so I didn't have to ride all the way back home. 

Since this ride was over 100 km, it extended my #MetricCenturyEveryMonth to 35 straight months. 

Roll-a-Style 20 ... 20A. American Porter

After Roll-a-Style 11 ... 14C. Scottish Export, I couldn't help myself ... I wanted to Roll-a-Style beer.

In case you are not familiar with the concept ... I made a list of BJCP Styles that I've never brewed, and assigned them to the numbers 1 - 20. When I want to brew, but am not sure what style to go after, I "roll" an online 20-sided die. Whatever number I roll is the style of beer I brew next.

I rolled a:

According to my most recent list, "20" corresponded to the BJCP Style 20A. American Porter.

A malty, bitter, and often somewhat hoppy dark beer with a balanced, roasted, and frequently chocolatey character.

May #7100MilesIn2024 Progress

If you've been following along on this blog (or various social media outlets), you might have seen that I'm Training for Triple Bypass.

On July 13th, which is fast approaching, I am riding 118 miles with about 10,800 feet elevation gain.

Considering how many Century Rides I've done in the Denver area, 118 miles doesn't concern me at all.

10,800 feet climbing was a little bit of a concern because I had never done anything close to that in one day.

So, after my April #7100MilesIn2024 Progress post, I've been working on getting more long climbs in.

As a result, I've really made huge progress on my #7100MilesIn2024 goal, and even more progress on the #11EverestsIn2024 goal.

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket

In the shadow of the majestic Colorado foothills, where the Big Horn Sheep roam with a regal air, there existed a hidden grove known to few. This was the secret brewing haven of "Helles in a Hand Bock-sket," guarded by the most unlikely of allies: German Gnomes and the Big Horn Sheep.

The German Gnomes, no taller than a keg but as wise as the ancient oaks, were the master brewers' assistants. They wore tiny lederhosen, their beards braided with hops, and their hats adorned with the finest barley. Their laughter was like the tinkling of glass bottles, and their songs were hymns to the art of brewing.

Q is for Smokin' Bones BBQ

Big Q. Little Q. What begins with Q?

Nothing. 

As I mentioned in P is for Public Offering Brewing Company, according to the Colorado Brewery Map & List we have no breweries in the Denver Area that start with "Q".

We don't even have any brewery left with the letter Q in it.

In previous rounds of the A to Z series of posts, we have used Q is for Queen Bee Brews, Q is for LiQuid Mechanics Brewing Company, Q is for barQuentine Brewing Company, and Q is for Six Capital Brewing and BBQ.

There is a brewery in Fort Collins that we could potentially use, but I don't want to make that trip just to mark a brewery off this list. Maybe we can use that in round 6.

But ... I decided to do something different for Q this time ....

Q is for Smokin' Bones BBQ

Photos of Poppers and Ribs

I'm sure this will come as a shock to all of you .... but ...

I. Love. Ribs.

I really really like smoking and eating just about any kind of ribs.

Pork spare ribs. Baby back ribs. Beef ribs. Country style ribs (which are not really ribs).

The kind that I make the most are Spare Ribs, for sure, and the weekend before this past one I made spare ribs for dinner.

Just for the fun of it, I added on some Jalapeño Poppers as well.

If you've followed along on this blog at all, you probably know how I make both of these things. If not you can check out Sheppy's Blog: Spare Ribs and Sheppy's Blog Jalapeño Poppers and find lots of information on how to make these.

Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale

In the mystical hills of Scotland, where the whispers of ancient clans still echo through the glens, there lies a hidden brewery tended to by a community of Scottish gnomes brewers. Nestled amidst rolling emerald hills and moss-covered stones, these diminutive artisans craft their legendary Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale with utmost care and reverence for tradition.

Legend has it that these gnomes, with their weathered hands and mischievous grins, have been brewing their beloved ale for centuries, using age-old recipes passed down through generations. As stewards of their craft, they infuse each batch with the essence of the Highlands, channeling the spirit of their ancestors into every pint.

P is for Public Offering Brewing Company

Well ... even though it's been awhile since I posted O is for Odyssey Beerwerks, we're chugging along pretty good on Round 5 of the A to Z Breweries Series of Posts.

We started round 5 in August with A is for AC Golden Tank Room, and we're already more than halfway through the alphabet.

I mentioned in A to Z Denver Breweries Round 4, that we were running out of breweries in certain letters and actually were considering not doing a round 5.

While we have had to use "Artistic License" on some of the letters, we've really not had too much trouble finding breweries to use for every letter so far.

After O comes "P". We had plenty of "P" breweries to choose from, and The Beer Model picked:

P is for Public Offering Brewing Company

Melting Stream Spring Saison

Once upon a time in the picturesque Front Range of Colorado, there was a brewer named Sheppy who had a passion for crafting unique and flavorful beers. As the snow began to melt and the streams swelled with the promise of spring, Sheppy was inspired to create a Saison that captured the essence of the season.

He called it the “Melting Stream Spring Saison,” a beer that was as refreshing as the cool, clear waters rushing down from the snow-capped peaks. The Saison had a light, golden hue like the morning sun reflecting off the melting snow, and a taste that was crisp and lively, with hints of citrus and spice.

Training for Triple Bypass

If you follow SheppyBrew on Facebook or Instagram, you might have seen that I signed up for the Triple Bypass in mid-July.

The Triple Bypass is a one-day ride over 3 Colorado Mountain passes.

The route is about 118 miles with 10,800 feet of elevation gain.

While I've done several Century Rides over the past couple of years, 118 miles will be my longest ride ever, and I've never come anywhere close to climbing 10,800 feet in one day.

The mileage doesn't concern me at all. All that climbing does.

So, over the next 61 days or so, I will be training to increase my climbing ability.

Saturday, I did my first "Triple Bypass Training Ride". As a bonus, I also increased my #MetricCenturyEveryMonth streak to 34 months.

 

Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale (Batch 356)

If you read Roll-a-Style 11 ... 14C. Scottish Export ... you knew that I would be brewing soon.

This past Saturday was the AHA's Big Brew Day, which if you've been following along for awhile, you know is a day that quite often my brewing friends use as an excuse to get together.

This year, we decided to meet at Du's Brewery, up in Fort Collins.

So early Saturday morning, The SheppyBrew Beer Model and I started a mash and packed up brewing equipment on my Traveling Brew Checklist to drive up to Du's.

The beer I brewed was my 14C. Scottish Export ...

Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale

Tuesday Ribs and Cheesy Rice

Historically, the cooking I do is usually over the weekends, but my wife and I have agreed that I should be in charge of dinner at least one time each work-week.

Usually Wednesday. 

Since I work at home, and most of what I make is very easy to multi-task with, there really isn't any reason I can't do long cooks during the day.

Last Tuesday, I decided to cook pork spare ribs during the day.

I didn't really do anything special with this batch of spare ribs. If you need to see my process / "recipe" ... take a look at past posts on Sheppy's Blog: Spare Ribs.

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket (Batch 356) and Chicken

It is almost May. 

Well, when I post this (and likely when you are reading), it will actually be May.

I don't know if I've mentioned it on this blog, but I'm making an effort this year to brew a Seasonal Beer for every month this year.

In SheppyBrew Seasonals, I identified 12 Seasonals.

Last year (see 2023 Seasonals), I brewed 8 out of 12 of those beers.

I missed March (McShepardSons Irish Ale) and May (Helles in a Hand Bock-sket) along with a couple of other months.

This year, I've already hit 2024 McShepardSons Irish Ale (Batch 352). Last weekend (as I type this ... by the time I post it, it will have been 2 weekends ago), I got my "May Seasonal" brewed as well:

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket

 

April #7100MilesIn2024 Progress

I'm probably the only one who cares ... but I've been tracking my 2024 Strava goals every month on this blog. This year, I'm targeting 7,100 miles and 319,500 feet climbed (11 Everests).

Knowing that I'll ride more in warmer spring and summer months, I planned for less riding in the snowy winter / early spring months.

I was behind my plan at the end of January. I caught up by the end of February.

I moved ahead of my plan in March, and extended my lead quite a bit in April, logging 576 miles and 29,429 feet climbed.

 

KFC Thighs Again

I made dinner last Wednesday.

I was planning on cooking chicken thighs, and at some point during the day, I was looking through this blog and came across my KFC posts.

Kettle Fried Chicken (KFC)

I grill / smoke chicken thighs quite often, but I don't think I'd made KFC in almost two years.

Since it had been awhile, I decided to give it a try again.

I went with a pretty simple KFC coating this time. I oiled the thighs up, put a few tablespoons of Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs into a plastic bag, added some random spices, and shook the thighs in the mixture.

Beef Back Ribs

If you read 2024 Melting Stream Spring Saison (Batch 354), you know that I brewed beer last Sunday.

Interestingly, completely coincidentally, the last three times I brewed Melting Stream Spring Saison, I also made Pork Spare Ribs.

(see 2023 Melting Stream Spring Saison (Batch 332),  2022 Melting Stream Spring Saison (Batch 309), and Melting Stream and Spare Ribs)

This time, I mixed it up a little, making Beef Back Ribs.

This is actually the first time I've smoked Beef Back Ribs. I never see them at the grocery store or Sam's Club I usually go to.

However, when I drop my kid off at college, we quite often stop at his grocery store, and I see the beef ribs there.

2024 Melting Stream Spring Saison (Batch 354)

Colorado Spring Time means we get snow, then it gets warm out and melts the snow.

It snows again.

It melts again.

Repeats again and again and again. This cycle is one of the reasons I love living here.

Mountain streams are full and fast rushing this time of year thanks to all the melting snow.

It being Spring also means it is time to brew my Spring time Seasonal Saison.

Sunday, I brewed ...

Melting Stream Spring Saison

O is for Odyssey Beerwerks

It's been awhile since we posted N is for 4 Noses - Park Hill.

We've just been doing other things, and have not had an opportunity to head out to another brewery.

This past Saturday, though, the SheppyBrew Beer Model (aka my wife) decided it was about time to hit our next A to Z Brewery.

Since we did "N" last time, now it was time to find an "O" brewery.

According to the Colorado Brewery Map & List, we had a few to choose from, and the Beer Model picked out ....

O is for Odyssey Beerwerks

Roll-a-Style 11 ... 14C. Scottish Export

After brewing McShepardSons Irish Ale (Batch 352), I thought I'd like to do another "Roll-a-Style" beer.

In case you are not familiar with the concept ... I made a list of BJCP Styles that I've never brewed, and assigned them to the numbers 1 - 20. When I want to brew, but am not sure what style to go after, I "roll" an online 20-sided die. Whatever number I roll is the style of beer I brew next.

My most recent list was on Roll-a-Style 1 ... 3A. Czech Pale Lager.

Most recently, I rolled an 11:

11 corresponds with 14C. Scottish Export.

A moderate-strength, malty beer with light caramel, toast, toffee, and fruit flavors. A slight roast dryness offsets the residual sweetness in the finish, with the bitterness perceived only to keep the beer from being cloying.