2025 Update on the BJCP Goal

If you follow this blog, you know I've renewed my old BJCP Goal.

My original BJCP Goal was to make sure I've brewed beers in every category of the BJCP Style Guidelines. I've now covered all the categories, and have decided to work through all the styles (although there are some I will probably skip).

I even came up with a "Roll-a-Style" concept to give me help deciding which style to brew.

At the end of 2023, I posted 2023 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal and last year, I posted 2024 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal.

And, now I decided I'm not going to brew any more new styles in 2025, so I'm doing another similar post for 2025. (Can you believe 2025 is almost over? I can't)

At the beginning of 2025, I planned on hitting the Roll-a-Style list harder. My unofficial goal was to reduce the list enough that I'll be rolling a 12 sided die by the end of the year (as opposed to the 20 sided die I had been rolling).

Keep an eye on Sheppy's Blog: Roll-a-Style, and you'll be able to continue to follow along how I'm doing. 

O is for Odell Brewing 5 Points

Remember the A to Z Series of posts?

Back in June we were flying through Round 6.

We had just posted N is for North River Brewery (RiNo), which is more than half-way through the alphabet.

This after only 7 months from posting A is for Arms, Call To Brewing Company, the beginning of Round 6.

Then, for whatever reason we inexplicitly stopped for several months.

I'm not sure why this happened, but there's always a woman to blame, so it must be the Beer Model's fault.

Anyway ... last Saturday, the Beer Model allowed us to pack a lunch to hit the next brewery on our list ...

O is for Odell Brewing 5 Points

12 5k's of December

So ... I mentioned on Bobcat that I've been following some running plans by Runna. 

I'm currently in week 4 of 9 of their "5k Improvement Plan". I do a couple of runs a week that are designed to improve my 5k time. 

At some point, I noticed the 12 Days of 5ks on Facebook virtual challenge advertised in my Facebook feed.

Taking a look at my Runna plan, I was already going to do 8 runs of 5k or more in December, and I thought to myself, "How hard can it be to run 4 more 5k's in a month?"

Well, I decided to go ahead and sign up.

I'm not pushing the fundraising like I did for the Great Cycle Challenge, so currently I'm the only one who donated to my challenge. If you'd like to help out, it is a Facebook Fundraiser at:

I’m Doing 12 Days of 5ks for the American Cancer

November Update on 2025 Cycling Goals

I do quite a bit of cycling for a middle-aged couch potato.

With all the BBQ I make and eat, and all the beer I brew and drink, biking a ridiculous amount helps keep me somewhat in shape.

So ... I spend lots of time cycling around the foothills of Denver.

If you're interested, I always track on Strava. (even if you're not interested)

Anyway ... as you may remember from 2025 Cycling Goals, I have 5 cycling goals this year:

#MetricCenturyEveryMonth / #8200MilesIn2025 / #16EverestsIn2025 / Triple Bypass Ride / #GCCUSA

We're getting close to the end of the year ... and ...

Here is an update for these goals as of the end of November, 2025: 

2025 Thanksgiving Turkey

This past Thursday was Thanksgiving.

Since 2018 (Cherry Wood Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey), I've been the one in charge of cooking / smoking / grilling the turkeys at the SheppyBrew house.

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 several techniques for actually cooking the turkey.

I've smoked a few roasted whole. I've done spatchcocked. I've halved the bird and last year, I quartered the bird.

My plan this year was to repeat the Quartered bird like I did with the 2024 Thanksgiving Turkey. However, for whatever reason, this bird was just being difficult when I was cutting it.

I ended up just deciding to try the spatchcock method again.

2025 Thanksgiving Beers

Thanksgiving is here! Merry Thanksgiving from SheppyBrew Brewery.

In lots of ways, it honestly feel like 2025 just began and now it's getting close to being over.

Here at the SheppyBrew Home Brewery, we have a pretty decent lineup of beers available for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Tri-tip photos

I've had a tri-tip in my freezer since sometime in mid-ish October. 

Tri-tips were on sale I guess and I purchased two. One I grilled on October 13. The other I grilled this past Saturday.

I never posted about the first one. Now, lucky reader, I'm posting photos from this past cook.

I really enjoy grilling eating tri-tip, but they are expensive enough that I never buy them unless they are on sale.

Tri-tips are pretty simply to make, and my process is always pretty much the same. I apply a salt / pepper / garlic rub hours before I want to cook.

I generally prepare my grill around an hour and a half before dinner. I'll set up the grill for a reverse sear. Indirect for the first hour to hour and fifteen minutes and then direct for the last little bit.

Gnomeberry Hollow Cherry Porter

Style: Cherry Porter
Brewer: SheppyBrew
ABV: 6.2%
IBU: 28
SRM: 40 (shadow-black)

Appearance 👀

Pours inky black with a dense tan head that settles into a creamy cap. Held to light, faint ruby glints flicker at the edges, like fireflies escaping a hollow log. The body is opaque and shadowy, cloaking the cherry secrets within.

Aroma 👃

Roasted malt and cocoa rise first, followed by a burst of tart cherry—bright, fresh, and slightly wild. Beneath it all, hints of vanilla, toasted almond, and damp earth evoke the forest floor after rain. It smells like dessert and mystery.

Yoker Belgian Tripel (Batch 385)

As I mentioned in Learning to Homebrew: 2025 X-Mas Ale (Batch 384), I was hoping to get together with at least one of my homebrewing buddies coming up soon.

It turns out that this past weekend, we were able to do this.

The SheppyBrew Beer Model and I packed up our brewing equipment Saturday and headed over to Doc's Brewery for a brew day.

Getting started at Doc's Brewery starts even later than when I brew at home with the Beer Model, but Saturday I still got up fairly early to get things ready for the Travel Brewing.

I put a Chuck Roast on the weber kettle to smoke for a few hours so that I could leave it in the crock pot most of the day.

That way we'd have dinner ready when we got home.

Yoker Belgian Tripel

Style: Belgian Tripel
Brewer: SheppyBrew
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 24
SRM: 5 (golden brilliance)

Appearance 👀

Pours radiant gold with a creamy white head that rises like a crown and lingers like a stat line. The body is crystal clear, shimmering with hints of straw and sunlight. Tiny bubbles race upward like fast breaks, promising energy and finesse.

Aroma 👃

Aromas of pear, white pepper, and clove swirl with subtle floral hops and a whisper of honeyed malt. The yeast esters are expressive—spicy, fruity, and regal. It smells like a monastery garden in spring… or a locker room after a win.

Bobcat

I was out running this morning. Yes, running. 

Well ... I'm not sure I was going fast enough to really call it "running", but it went down as "3.25mi Long Run with Runna" on Strava.

After Strava bought Runna, I've been trying some of the Runna plans to add a little balance to my workouts.

It is funny how I can do a Century Ride on a bike without really much of a huge effort whereas a 5km run is somewhat difficult for me.

Hopefully these Runna plans will change that.

Anyway, while out on this 3.25mi Long Run, I was at a park fairly close to my house (close enough that I can get there and back over 3.25miles) ... I looked off to the side of the path and saw a Bobcat.

Learning to Homebrew: 2025 X-Mas Ale (Batch 384)

Saturday was Learn to Homebrew Day. Originally I thought maybe I'd be brewing with one or more of my homebrewing buddies, but Doc was busy and Du has moved away ... so it was just me and the SheppyBrew Beer Model this year.

Doc and I might get together in a couple weeks, but we'll see.

You may remember from Roll-a-Style 20: 17D. English Barley Wine (X-Mas Ale 2025) that this year's X-Mas Ale is a little different than the usual Winter Warmer that I generally brew.

This year, I'm marking 17D. English Barley Wine off my Roll-a-Style list, and since a Barley Wine is a bigger beer than I usually brew, I decided to pitch right onto the yeast cake of Gnomeberry Hollow Cherry Porter (Batch 382).

This meant, I had to keg Gnomeberry Hollow before getting started on Saturday. 

October Update on 2025 Cycling Goals

I do quite a bit of cycling for a middle-aged couch potato.

With all the BBQ I make and eat, and all the beer I brew and drink, biking a ridiculous amount helps keep me somewhat in shape.

So ... I spend lots of time cycling around the foothills of Denver, which I always track on Strava.

Anyway ... as you may remember from 2025 Cycling Goals, I have 5 cycling goals this year:

#MetricCenturyEveryMonth / #8200MilesIn2025 / #16EverestsIn2025 / Triple Bypass Ride / #GCCUSA

Here is an update for these goals as of the end of October, 2025: 

Crock-pot Smoked Pork Butt

There are quite a few posts on this blog about my Pork Butt cooks.

Generally, this is an all-day commitment (or at least a significant portion of the day), and although most of the time allows multi-tasking, I have to mostly stay around to make sure things are going ok.

The past few pork-butts I've cooked, I've borrowed a "technique" that I've been using for Chuck Roast for quite awhile, and it helps free up time for other things.

Basically, I'll smoke the pork for 2 to 3 hours on my Weber Kettle and then move the butt inside and finish it off in the crock-pot.

Roll-a-Style 16: 26C. Belgian Tripel

Well ... if you follow this blog at all, you are familiar with my BJCP Goal and Roll-a-Style list.

Of course, the idea is that I have a list of beer styles that I've never brewed. I roll a virtual 20-sided online die, and brew the style that corresponds with the number that comes up.

Originally, I had 20 beers on the list and several on "the bench". I've reduced the list so that I'm still rolling a 20-sided die, but not all the numbers have a style assigned to them. In fact, soon I'll be rolling a 12 sided die.

You also likely know that quite often I know what I want to brew next and "pretend" to roll that die to correspond with the style I want to brew next.

Part of the reason I recently picked Tafel Mystère Belgian Single (Batch 383) to brew was to build up some Belgian yeast so that I could get to a style I've had on the list since the debut of the list.

So ... I pretended to roll a 16

Tafel Mystère Belgian Single (Batch 383)

I brewed last Friday morning.

Friday!??! Yes Friday.

As I mentioned on Gnomeberry Hollow Cherry Porter (Batch 382), my homebrew inventory is pretty low right now, and I potentially might be hosting a brew day on the 8th of November.

Homebrewers tend to drink beer when they get together, and need a decent selection.

So ... just in case, I thought I'd better get at least one more batch of beer in that would be ready to serve in early November.

I actually THINK I'll be heading over to Doc's Brewery, but we have not finalized plans, and it is better to be safe than sorry.

So ... Friday I decided to do a quick "Short and Shoddy" type brew and brewed:

Tafel Mystère Belgian Single

 

Double Spare Ribs

So ... remember not too long ago I did "hot and fast" Individual Spare Ribs for the first time.

I really liked how they turned out.

The past Tuesday I had another rack of Spare Ribs, and decided I would do something similar.

I trimmed the ribs on Tuesday morning. This time, I cut them into pairs of two ribs instead of the singles I did last time.

Then, I applied rub and let them sit until the afternoon.

As I mentioned in Individual Spare Ribs, I thought I could have put them on the grill about half an hour later than I did. This time I did wait and got them on just after 3:30 for a 6pm supper time.

Gnomeberry Hollow Cherry Porter (Batch 382)

I brewed Sunday. 

I've gotten myself into a situation where I'm running low on beer "inventory". The last time I brewed before this batch was 1519 Barker Exportbier (Batch 361) in early September.

And this ... with Learn to Homebrew Day coming up ...

I'll probably be brewing quite a few batches between now and November, which is likely to put me in the opposite situation.

Anyway ... I posted about this recipe back in JULY ... Roll-a-Style 10: 29C. Specialty Fruit Beer, but I took a break on the Roll-a-Style beers with Johnny McClure Rainier Lager and 1519 Barker Exportbier.

Plus, I thought the name was more appropriate to brew in October. Now ... it's time to get back into it ...

Gnomeberry Hollow Cherry Porter

 

Roll-a-Style 20: 17D. English Barley Wine (X-Mas Ale 2025)

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.

But, if you follow this blog at all, you probably have read that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal this year, and when I was thinking about brewing my 2025 X-Mas Ale, I wanted to pick a style on my Roll-a-Style list.

Looking through the list, I decided that the closest to my "traditional" X-Mas Ale recipe was 17D. English Barley Wine.

So, I pretended to roll a 20 on my 20-sided online die.

 

2025 Q3 SheppyBrew Stats

Here it is October already. We're over three quarters through the year! 2025 is flying by.

At the SheppyBrew Brewery, Q3 was another lighter than average brewing quarter, with only 4 batches of beer and 20 gallons of beer.

This means we've brewed 14 batches and 70 gallons so far in 2025, putting us on track to hit 92 gallons this year.

I don't expect I'll pick up my volume all that much in Q4, but I guess we'll have to see how it goes.

My Q3 batches were:

• Cuttlefish Czech Amber Lager
• Voodu Magic Tropical Stout
• Johnny McClure Rainier Lager
• 1519 Barker Exportbier

As I'm typing this, Cuttlefish is gone, and Voodu Magic, Johnny McClure, and 1519 Barker are still "on tap". 

Cuttlefish Czech Amber Lager

 

Finished #GCCUSA2025

If you follow this blog or any of my socials, you know that I finished up the 2025 Great Cycle Challenge at the end of September.

There is still plenty of time to donate if you'd like to help fight childhood cancer. You can do that on my rider page: 

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/riders/EricShepard.

During the month, I logged 49 outdoor rides along with 1 indoor one for a total of 1,210 miles. On those rides, I climbed a total of 52,769 vertical feet.

More importantly, I raised $3,384 for cancer research, thanks to all my generous sponsors. 

Another successful GCC!

Johnny McClure vs Rainier Lager

If you follow along on this blog, you know that after my wife and I visited the Seattle area, I brewed a beer that I called Johnny McClure Rainier Lager.

It was inspired by a beer I remember seeing a lot when I was a kid living in Washington, Rainier Beer, but I wasn't really looking to clone Rainier at all. I purposely added more hops than Rainier to make it a SheppyBrew recipe.

Regardless, this past weekend I thought I'd pour my beer next to Rainier and compare the two.

#GCCUSA2025 Jersey Shots

As you know if you've been following along, I'm riding 1200 miles this month as part of the Great Cycle Challenge.

If you'd like to help out with a donation ... here is my rider page:

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/riders/EricShepard

I've been doing this thing every year for the past 10 years and over that time have collected quite of few GCC Jerseys.

As of a couple days ago, I've taken selfies of all these jerseys (other than 2016, which doesn't fit me and is now in my wife's closet).

Here are those photos:

2025 Jersey

 

Individual Spare Ribs

So ... I have not shared any of my BBQ adventures recently.

I've been smoking / grilling every week, but just have not had anything I've taken the time to share.

Sunday, I did something new, though.

I've tried various ways to smoke BBQ Spare Ribs. all of which take several hours to make.

On various BBQ forums, I've seen pit masters do ribs "hot and fast". Some of them cut the ribs into individuals before putting on the grill.

Theoretically, individual ribs cook faster than a big rack of ribs.

With all the riding I'm doing this month, long cooks are a little more difficult to pull off. So, I decided to give this technique a try on Sunday.

#GCCUSA2025 Half-way Done

Today (the day I'm typing ... not the day this posts) is the 16th of September, which means I'm about half-way done with my 1,200 mile Great Cycle Challenge.

You can donate or follow along at my fundraising page at:

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/riders/EricShepard

🍺 Johnny McClure Rainier Lager

“Born in the woods. Refined in Gorst. Brewed by gnomes.”

Style: 'Merican Light Lager
Brewer: SheppyBrew
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 16
SRM: 3.4

Appearance

Pours a pale straw gold with brilliant clarity and a tight, snowy white head. Effervescent bubbles race upward like a mountain stream, forming a persistent cap that laces the glass with each sip.

Aroma

Clean and subtle with hints of grainy malt, a whisper of corn sweetness, and a gentle floral lift from classic American hops. There’s a faint herbal edge that nods to the evergreens of the Pacific Northwest.

1519 Barker Exportbier (Batch 361)

If you've been following my Great Cycle Challenge, you know that I've been pushing pretty hard to log miles this month.

I've already done my 2nd Century of the Challenge, and as I type this I've logged over 500 miles on my bikes.

Sunday, I decided to take a bit of a break, and brew some beer.

I'm still taking a bit of a break from my Roll-a-Style list, and I thought I'd brew another lager.

You may remember that last September I brewed 1519 Barker Exportbier (Batch 361), which was a tribute to my college days.

There were enough issues with the first batch that I knew I'd like to brew it again.

This seemed like a good time to get the 2nd batch done.

1519 Barker Exportbier

 

My second #GCCUSA2025 Century

On Saturday, I accomplished my second Century of my Great Cycle Challenge.

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 1,200 miles over the course of September, and so I need to get long rides in. 

I always try to get a good start over the beginning of the month 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 more GCC rides. If you'd like to follow along or make a donation ... follow the link:

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/EricShepard

August Update on 2025 Cycling Goals

I do quite a bit of cycling for a middle-aged couch potato.

With all the BBQ I make and eat, and all the beer I brew and drink, biking a ridiculous amount helps keep me somewhat in shape.

So ... I spend lots of time cycling around the foothills of Denver, which I always track on Strava.

Anyway ... as you may remember from 2025 Cycling Goals, I have 5 cycling goals this year:

#MetricCenturyEveryMonth / #8200MilesIn2025 / #16EverestsIn2025 / Triple Bypass Ride / #GCCUSA

My first #GCCUSA2025 Century Ride

On Monday, 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 1,200 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

2025 Tribute Day Photos

Here it is ... September already. 

As you know if you follow me at all, 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

 

Johnny McClure Rainier Lager (Batch 380)

So ... if you've been following along on this blog, you know that this year I've been concentrating on my BJCP Goal and the Roll-a-Style list when it comes to brewing beers.

I've brewed 87 of the 108 styles in the 2021 BJCP Guidelines.

This year, I've brewed 9 new BJCP styles.

I recently decided I wanted to brew a non-Roll-a-Style batch.

As I mentioned in the Seattle Trip posts, my wife and I recently visited Washing State.

I used to live in Washington, and while I never drank as a child, I remember Rainier Beer being around.

Washington Trip ... More Seattle Photos

As I posted in Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos and Washington Trip ... Beach Photos, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and I recently took a trip to Washington state.

The first few days, we spent in and around Olympic National Park, which is geographically / environmentally very diverse.  Olympic National Park has rain forests. It has mountains. It has ocean - front beaches.

In Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos we shared photos from the first couple of days.

In Washington Trip ... Beach Photos we shared photos by the beach on day 2 and then a few more a little later in the week.

Washington Trip ... Mountain Photos we shared some Mountain Photos 

Washington Trip ... Seattle Photos we shared some photos in and around Seattle.

And .. now ... here are more photos in and around Seattle:

 

Washington Trip ... Seattle Photos

 As I posted in Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos and Washington Trip ... Beach Photos, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and I recently took a trip to Washington state.

The first few days, we spent in and around Olympic National Park, which is geographically / environmentally very diverse.  Olympic National Park has rain forests. It has mountains. It has ocean - front beaches.

In Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos we shared photos from the first couple of days.

In Washington Trip ... Beach Photos we shared photos by the beach on day 2 and then a few more a little later in the week.

Washington Trip ... Mountain Photos we shared some Mountain Photos 

And .. now ... here are photos in and around Seattle:

 

Washington Trip ... Mountain Photos

As I posted in Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos and Washington Trip ... Beach Photos, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and I recently took a trip to Washington state.

The first few days, we spent in and around Olympic National Park, which is geographically / environmentally very diverse.  Olympic National Park has rain forests. It has mountains. It has ocean - front beaches.

In Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos we shared photos from the first couple of days.

In Washington Trip ... Beach Photos we shared photos by the beach on day 2 and then a few more a little later in the week.

Here are some photos from the mountains in Olympic National Park:

 

Washington Trip ... Beach Photos

As I posted in Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and I recently took a trip to Washington state.

The first few days, we spent in and around Olympic National Park, which is geographically / environmentally very diverse.  Olympic National Park has rain forests. It has mountains. It has ocean - front beaches.

In Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos we shared photos from the first couple of days.

Here are some photos from the beach in Olympic National Park:

 

Washington Trip ... Rain Forest Photos

My wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and I took a trip to Washington state last week.

We did a bunch of stuff and had a ton of fun. 

The first few days, we spent in and around Olympic National Park, which is geographically / environmentally very diverse.  Olympic National Park has rain forests. It has mountains. It has ocean - front beaches.

And in just a few days we did it all.

Our home-base was a motel in Port Angeles, WA.

Voodu Magic Tropical Stout 🪄🌴

Style: Tropical Stout (Kveik-fermented)
Brewer: SheppyBrew
ABV: 6.6%
IBU: 43
SRM: 38 (mystical black)

Appearance 👀

Pours obsidian-black with a velvety tan head that lingers like jungle mist at midnight. The body is opaque, yet alive with glimmers of burnt amber when held to light. Legs cling to the glass like shadow spirits.

Aroma 👃

Layers of dark chocolate, roasted malt, and licorice swirl with unexpected bursts of ripe tropical fruit—papaya, mango, maybe a banana whisper. The warm fermentation brings esters that add intrigue and illusion to every sniff.

July Update on 2025 Cycling Goals

I do quite a bit of cycling for a middle-aged couch potato.

With all the BBQ I make and eat, and all the beer I brew and drink, biking a ridiculous amount helps keep me somewhat in shape.

So ... I spend lots of time cycling around the foothills of Denver, which I always track on Strava.

Anyway ... as you may remember from 2025 Cycling Goals, I have 5 cycling goals this year:

#MetricCenturyEveryMonth / #8200MilesIn2025 / #16EverestsIn2025 / Triple Bypass Ride / #GCCUSA

Cuttlefish Czech Amber Lager 🦑🍺

Style: Czech Amber Lager (Polotmavý Pivo)
Brewer: SheppyBrew
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 34
SRM: 15 (deep amber)

Appearance 👀

Pours a shimmering amber with flashes of copper and coral in the light. Dense, off-white foam crowns the glass like sea foam on a tide-washed reef. Moderate clarity and sparkle give it a polished, nautical charm.

Aroma 👃

Crackling toast and caramelized malt surface first, chased by faint herbal hops and a splash of ocean breeze (or maybe just noble spice). There's a subtle, almost briny undertone—as if the grains were whispered over by cuttlefish sages.

Voodu Magic Tropical Stout (Batch 379)

I brewed this past Sunday.

It was another beer to check off a new style in my BCJP Goal.

If I'm counting correctly, I've now brewed 87 of the 108 2021 BCJP styles.

As I mentioned in Cuttlefish Czech Amber Lager (Batch 378), I recently killed a couple of kegs, bringing me down to two kegs on tap, one of which (Halfway to Helles Leichtbier) is very close to being empty.

Since then, I packaged Gob Stopper Grape Ale and Cuttlefish Czech Amber Lager, so my beer inventory is looking pretty good.

But, I wanted to get this beer brewed ....

Voodu Magic Tropical Stout

 

Gob Stopper Grape Ale 🍇🧙‍♂️

Style: American Grape Ale
Brewer: SheppyBrew
ABV: 7.0%
IBU: 16
SRM: 7 (radiant violet)

Appearance 👀

Pours a soft purple with glowing edges—somewhere between wizard robe and melted grape popsicle. Medium white head fades quickly but leaves a ring like candy dust. Light haze gives it a whimsical, fairytale feel.

Aroma 👃

Concord grape front and center—like you just cracked open a juice box at recess. Beneath that: gentle floral honey, a whiff of grapevine must, and faint cereal notes from the malt. Nostalgic without being fake or flashy.

Flavor 👅

Tart grape onset morphs into gentle sweetness mid-palate, lifted by honey malt and clean fermentation. A crisp finish keeps it from going syrupy, and low bitterness balances the fruit. Tastes like if childhood had a craft beer sponsor.

Roll-a-Style 10: 29C. Specialty Fruit Beer

If you follow this blog at all, you probably have read that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal this year.

As of the time of this post, if I'm counting correctly, I've brewed 86 of the 108 styles in the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines. Since the beginning of the year, I've already brewed 8 new BJCP styles (9 if you include Tasman Pilsner).

And ... I have ingredients and will probably brew my Roll-a-Style 15: 16C. Tropical Stout soon.

I have my Roll-a-Style list, which helps me keep track of styles that I still need to brew.

The idea is that I use a 20-sided online die to decide which style to brew next. 

In late-ish July, I was killing time one day and thought I'd spend time coming up with a new recipe. 

To figure out what beer I'd brew, I rolled my 20-sided online die, and rolled a 10 ... 

 

Hickory Smoked Mac and Cheese

So ... I don't make it a whole lot, but my kids REALLY like my smoked mac and cheese.

Well ... not just my kids. Just about anyone who has ever tried it has raved about it. I love it too. Unfortunately, it isn't the healthiest of meals, and that comes from someone who makes a ton of BBQ.

Anyway ... a couple weeks ago, my older son had his girlfriend over and my son requested that I make my smoked mac and cheese.

 

More SUP Photos

Well ... if you read this blog, you probably know that last weekend was my 2025 Triple Bypass Ride.

After the ride we spent the night in Avon. Then on Sunday, we drove back to the Denver area.

On the way home is Dillon Reservoir, and we thought it would be fun to do some paddling on the lake.

It is an absolutely gorgeous lake in amongst the mountains, and it was a beautiful sunny day.

It was a great day to be on the lake.

My photos never quite do justice to these spectacular views ... but still ... 

... here are some pictures ...  

2025 Triple Bypass Ride

So, if you've been reading this blog this year, you probably understood this was coming ... Saturday I rode the 2025 Triple Bypass.

If you're unfamiliar ... no I didn't have heart surgery. The Triple Bypass is a 118 mile bike ride in Colorado with 10,800 feet elevation. 

It takes 4,000 + bike riders up over 3 mountain passes.

I did this ride last year, and I thought it would be fun (type 2 fun) to do it again and see if I could finish faster.

Of course, last year, the whole thing went about perfect and lots of things can go wrong over 8 to 10 hours on the bike, so finishing faster wasn't part of my success criteria. 

 

Roll-a-Style 15: 16C. Tropical Stout

If you follow this blog at all, you probably have read that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal this year.

As of the time of this post, if I'm counting correctly, I've brewed 86 of the 108 styles in the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines. Since the beginning of the year, I've already brewed 8 new BJCP styles (9 if you include Tasman Pilsner).

I have my Roll-a-Style list, which helps me keep track of styles that I still need to brew.

The idea is that I use a 20-sided online die to decide which style to brew next. 

In early July, I was running sort of low on inventory, and needed to brew to get the pipeline going. 

I rolled my 20-sided online die, and rolled a 15 ... 

Cuttlefish Czech Amber Lager (Batch 378)

This past weekend, I killed two kegs, leaving me with only two beers on tap. I suspect Halfway to Helles Leichtbier is also running low.

I have Gob Stopper Grape Ale fermenting, but I'm in danger of running low on my homebrew.

As I mentioned in 2025 Q2 SheppyBrew Stats, I've slowed down brewing quite a bit lately, so this certainly should not come as a surprise.

But, I figured I needed to get some beers in the pipeline.

You might have seen my recently posted Roll-a-Style 2: 3C. Czech Amber Lager, and if you did, you probably realized this was coming ...

Saturday, I ran off to my favorite LHBS to get ingredients and Sunday I brewed....

Cuttlefish Czech Amber Lager

 

4th of July Paddle on Chatfield

You may remember that my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and I went Paddle Boarding with Juneteenth Paddle on Chatfield.

I mentioned in that post that we'd have to look into a new better pump than the one my wife has been using.

Well ... since then she had a birthday and I got her a bigger, more expensive, hopefully better pump, and we figured we would have to try it out to make sure it actually was better.

The first opportunity we had was July 4th.

So we packed up our paddling stuff, some beer, a lunch and headed down to Chatfield Reservoir. It being a holiday weekend, we went earlier than usual, which really paid off.

 

Roll-a-Style 2: 3C. Czech Amber Lager

If you follow this blog at all, you probably have read that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal this year.

As of the time of this post, if I'm counting correctly, I've brewed 85 of the 108 styles in the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines. Since the beginning of the year, I've already brewed 7 new BJCP styles (8 if you include Tasman Pilsner).

I have my Roll-a-Style list, which helps me keep track of styles that I still need to brew.

The idea is that I use a 20-sided online die to decide which style to brew next. 

In early July, I was running sort of low on inventory, and needed to brew to get the pipeline going. 

I rolled my 20-sided online die, and rolled a 2 ...