Monday, April 21, 2025
J is for Justice Lady Brewing
Friday, April 18, 2025
2025 Melting Stream Spring Saison (Batch 374)
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Roll-a-Style 3: 5A. German Leichtbier
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 83 of the 108 styles in the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines. Since the beginning of the year, I've already brewed 5 new BJCP styles (6 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. However, sometimes, I have decided what I want to brew and "pretended" to roll the number I wanted to brew.
May is coming up, which would be a time to brew the "seasonal" Helles in a Hand Bock-sket, and I thought this year it would be fun to brew a lower ABV German Lager to replace the Hand Bock-sket beer.The one lower ABV German Lager I still had on the list was 3, and I pretended to roll the online die ...
Monday, April 14, 2025
Ribs and Belgian Beers
My spare rib process has changed some over the years, but for the most part it remains basically the same.
I set up charcoal in sort of an ugly snake with chunks of (usually) hickory wood.
For a 6pm dinner, I'll aim to get the ribs on the kettle around 5pm.
I cook the ribs between 250 and 275 for between 2 and 3 hours ... usually closer to 3.
Thursday, April 10, 2025
2025 Q1 SheppyBrew Stats
Here we are already in April. Time to report on the 2025 Q1 SheppyBrew Stats.
The year is flying by and I have brewed quite a bit so far this year. Last year was a down year for me, not even reaching the 100 gallons.
This year so far my brewing rate is a bit faster; I'm on pace to reach over 110 gallons this year.
In Q1, I brewed 6 batches totaling 30 gallons.
My 6 batches were:
- Tasman Devil Pilsner
- Merida Scottish Ale
- Mardi Blonde
- Oisin Owl Irish Stout
- Kemosabe Quad
- King Fergus Wee Heavy
Tuesday, April 08, 2025
King Fergus Wee Heavy (Batch 373)
Sunday, April 06, 2025
Kemosabe Quad: A Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Category: 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Brewer: SheppyBrew Home Brewery
ABV (Alcohol By Volume): 9%
IBU (International Bitterness Units): 25
SRM (Standard Reference Method): 16
Appearance: Pours a deep, dark mahogany with ruby highlights. A generous, creamy tan head crowns the beer, leaving intricate lacing as it slowly recedes. The beer's clarity is excellent despite its dark color, with a slight haze typical of the style.
Aroma: The aroma is rich and complex, featuring notes of dark fruit such as raisins, figs, and plums, intermingled with caramel, toffee, and molasses. Subtle hints of spice, clove, and mild phenolics from the Belgian yeast add depth. A faint earthy and floral hop presence is detectable, balancing the malt sweetness.
Thursday, April 03, 2025
H is for CHeluna Brewing Company
Tuesday, April 01, 2025
SheppyBrew Brewery's Beers Now Officially Declared Health Drinks!
LITTLETON, CO – April 1, 2024:
In a groundbreaking revelation that's sure to delight beer enthusiasts and health gurus alike, SheppyBrew Brewery is proud to announce that our beers are now officially classified as "health drinks"!
This momentous news follows extensive research confirming the undeniable benefits of enjoying a SheppyBrew pint.
Friday, March 28, 2025
G is for Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse, Belmar
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Oisin Owl vs Guinness Extra Stouts
So ... I recently brewed Oisin Owl Irish Stout with the intention of having it ready for St. Patrick's Day.
And, of course St. Patrick's Day was last week.
At some point, I thought it would be cool to grab some Guinness Extra Stout to compare with my homebrew. So, I bought some from a local liquor store.
The weekend before St. Patrick's Day, I tried them both side-by-side.
Monday, March 24, 2025
Roll-a-Style 19: 17C. Wee Heavy
I've mentioned a few times 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 79 of the 108 styles in the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines. Since the beginning of the year, I've already brewed 4 new BJCP styles (5 if you include Tasman Pilsner).
I'm hoping to brew another 8 or 9 before the end of 2025.
If you've been following along on this blog, you know that 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. However, the past few new styles, I have decided and "pretended" to roll the number I wanted to brew.
But, recently, I actually rolled the online die, and got 19 ...
Friday, March 21, 2025
F is Frolic Brewing Company
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
2025 Cycling Goals
It blows my mind that we've already passed the ides of March. The year seems to be flying by.
I know that I'm the only one who really cares, but I have not mentioned any 2025 cycling goals on this blog yet.
In the past few years, I've probably overshared how much cycling I do and how I'm tracking towards various mileage and elevation goals.
I have not done that at all so far this year.
I have these 2025 goals. I just have not taken the time to "share" them.
Again, no one really cares other than myself, but I do like to have these to go back and look at from time to time.
So now, here I am posting my 2025 Cycling Goals.
Monday, March 17, 2025
Oisin Owl Irish Stout
Style: 15C Irish Extra Stout
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 40
SRM: 41
Appearance: This stout pours a deep, opaque black with subtle ruby highlights when held to the light. The head is a creamy tan, thick and persistent, leaving a generous lacing on the glass with every sip.
Aroma: The aroma is a harmonious blend of rich roasted malt, dark chocolate, and freshly brewed coffee. Hints of caramel and toffee add a layer of sweetness, while subtle earthy hops and a whisper of dark fruit like plum or raisin round out the olfactory experience.
Friday, March 14, 2025
Tasman vs Tasman
I don't know if I ever mentioned it on this blog, but if you follow SheppyBrew on Instagram or Facebook, you might have caught that when I was picking up ingredients for Tasman Devil Pilsner, I stopped by Dry Dock Brewing company.
In a wild coincidence, Dry Dock had a New Zealand Pils on tap called "Tasman Pilsner" ... Great Minds Think Alike I guess.
Obviously I had to try it and I really liked it.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
E is for Someplace Else Brewery
Monday, March 10, 2025
Kemosabe Quad (Batch 372)
Thursday, March 06, 2025
Glop
Tuesday, March 04, 2025
Mardi Blonde: A Festive Brew
Style: Belgian Blonde Ale
ABV: 7.4%
IBU: 25
Aroma: The nose is greeted with a bouquet of light malt sweetness, delicate floral notes, and a hint of fruity esters reminiscent of ripe pears and apples. Subtle touches of honey and freshly baked bread add depth to the aromatic profile.
Flavor: On the palate, Mardi Blonde strikes a harmonious balance between malt and hops. The initial sip reveals a smooth malt backbone with flavors of biscuit and light caramel, followed by a gentle hop bitterness that lingers just long enough to create a crisp, clean finish. The nuanced flavors of citrus zest and white grape add a refreshing twist, making each sip more enjoyable than the last.
Friday, February 28, 2025
Modifying the Roll-a-Style List
So ... after posting Roll-a-Style 9: 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale, I decided to look a little closer at the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.
First, I had never known exactly how many individual beer styles were listed in the guidelines, so I counted.
If I counted correctly, there are 108 styles, and I've brewed 79 of them (actually, as I type this, I have not brewed the Belgian Dark Strong Ale, but once I brew it I will have completed 79).
I've mentioned that there are some styles I'm not really interested in brewing, and so I left those styles off my Roll-a-Style list. Most of these are sour beer styles, but as it turns out, a couple were ones I just didn't look closely at and thus didn't really understand.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Snowshoeing and Pulled Pork Green Chili
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Oisin Owl Irish Stout (Batch 371)
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Roll-a-Style 9: 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale
I've mentioned a few times that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal and my Roll-a-Style list this year.
Late in 2024, I harvested yeast from Tafel Mystère Belgian Single (Batch 367), which I used to ferment Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew.
I had 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale on my Roll-a-Style List, and thought it would be a good idea to use the whole yeast cake of Mardi Blonde to ferment such a big Belgium beer.
So, I pretended to roll a 9 on my 20 Sided Online Die.
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Merida Scottish Ale
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
D is for Denver Beer Company, Olde Town Arvada
Thursday, February 06, 2025
Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew
Tuesday, February 04, 2025
Tasman Devil Pilsner
Crafted with the finest hops, including Motueka from New Zealand and the unique Eclipse from Australia, this Pilsner embodies the harmony of its enchanted origins. Each batch is a celebration of craftsmanship and a tribute to the timeless tradition of fine beer-making, infused with a touch of magic and the spirit of collaboration between mythical creatures and nature's wonders.
Saturday, February 01, 2025
Roll-a-Style 12: 15C. Irish Extra Stout
Early in the year, I brewed Merida Scottish Ale, using harvested Irish Ale Yeast, and I wanted to continue that yeast with an Irish Ale.
I have 15C. Irish Extra Stout on the Roll-a-Style List and with St. Patrick's Day coming up, I thought that would be a great beer to have on tap for this holiday.
So, I pretended to roll a 12
Which, of course corresponded to the 15C. Irish Extra Stout.
Thursday, January 30, 2025
I is for Incantation Brewing
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Roll-a-Style 1: 25A. Belgian Blond Ale
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Merida Scottish Light Ale (Batch 369)
Monday, January 20, 2025
2024 #Strava #YearInSport
If you've been following along on this blog for awhile, you may remember that I have been sharing my Strava YearInSport stats over the past couple of years.
I pay more attention to my cycling goals and totals on Strava, but the YearInSport stats cover all activities.
Sort of interesting to me. Not sure if any blog readers care, but I'll share regardless. To be honest, this just helps me compare year-to-year how I do.
Friday, January 17, 2025
Roll-a-Style 8: 14A. Scottish Light Ale
I have some Irish Ale Yeast harvested from Hooligans Stout, which I brewed in November.
There were a few Scottish Ales on the Roll-a-Style List, and I decided that the Irish Ale yeast would work well in those beers. I decided to tackle the 14A. Scottish Light Ale (60 Shilling) first.
So, I pretended to roll an 8 on my 20 Sided Online Die. This corresponds to the 14A. Scottish Light Ale on my list.
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Tasman Devil Pilsner (batch 368)
Monday, January 13, 2025
2025 Roll-a-Style List
Well ... if you've been following along on this blog, you know I've decided to concentrate on renewing my BJCP Goal with a "Roll-a-Style" list.
The concept is pretty simple. I have a list of beer styles that I have not brewed. I assign numbers (1 - 20) to the styles. When I want to brew something new, I roll a 20 Sided Online Die, and brew that style associated with the number I rolled.
Sometimes I actually pick the style I want to brew and "pretend" I rolled the die, but either way, I'm working the list down of styles that I've never brewed.
There are more than 20 beers, so I include a "bench" of beers to move into the list once another gets brewed.
There are some beer styles I decided not to include because I know I won't like drinking them.
When I was going through 2024 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal, I realized that there are some beer styles that are not on my list, but probably should be.
So ... I decided to add a few more beer styles to my "bench".
Friday, January 10, 2025
SheppyBrew 2024 Year End Brewing Stats
Well ... as I'm typing this, I'm not 100% sure I'm done brewing in 2024, but I think I am.
So ... I'll go ahead and type up the draft of my 2024 Brewing Stats. And when you're reading this, you probably won't know if I ended up brewing again or not because it will no longer be a draft and I will have updated based on the (potentially) last brew of the year.
Anyway ... in the 4th quarter of 2024, I brewed 5 batches of beer:
- Will-o'-Wisp Autumn Ale (no pumpkin)
- Pack o' Hooligans Stout
- X-Mas Ale 2024
- Decemberfest Lager
- Tafel Mystère Belgium Single
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Will-o'-Wisp Autumn Ale (no pumpkin) |
Wednesday, January 08, 2025
C is for Cohesion Brewing Company
Monday, January 06, 2025
2024 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal
Through a series of blog posts, I've discovered / acknowledged that I had not brewed whole categories in the 2021 Style Guidelines (see BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines, I lied, and 2021 BCJP Styles to Brew).
Since then, I've covered all the categories (or at least I'm pretty sure I have now) ...
And .... at some point, I decided to not only try to get every category covered, but work through all the styles (at least the ones that I'm interested in drinking)
I even came up with a "Roll-a-Style" concept to give me help deciding which style to brew.
At the end of last year, I posted 2023 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal. I thought I'd post another update at the end of 2024.
Here is that post ...
In 2024, I've only reduced my Roll-a-Style list by 5 beer styles. Instead, I concentrated on 2024 Seasonals.
In 2025, I'm planning on hitting the Roll-a-Style list harder. My unofficial goal is 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've been rolling).
Keep an eye on Sheppy's Blog: Roll-a-Style, and you'll be able to follow along how I'm doing.
Friday, January 03, 2025
December #7100MilesIn2024 Progress
I do realize that no one really cares about my Strava goals, but honestly, I'm not sure there are many people who read this blog.
So, these posts are more for me to remind myself how things went during the year.
And ... well ... I blew away my #11EverestsIn2024 goal and my #7100MilesIn2024 goals.
I actually cycled just under 650 miles in December, which is a bunch for a winter month, putting my 2024 total at 8,062 miles.
I gained 31,464 feet in elevation for the month, putting me at 409,081 feet of elevation gained for the year.
I've also extended my #MetricCenturyEveryMonth streak to 41 straight months with at least one 100 km (62.2 miles) ride.
Wednesday, January 01, 2025
2024 Seasonals
Early in 2022, I spent some time identifying "SheppyBrew Seasonals". I tied a specific SheppyBrew beer to every month in the year.
For whatever reason, after the year was done I shared 2022 Seasonals I had brewed during the year. I had brewed all but 3 of the "Seasonals".
I reported on the 2023 Seasonals as well, missing 4 months. Now that I've established the pattern, I feel like I have to share my brewed "Seasonals" for 2024.
I actually made it a brewing goal in 2024 to brew all my "SheppyBrew Seasonals". Around July or August, I got tired of the idea, but I had hit all the months so far, so I forced myself to finish them up.
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2024 Mardi Bock |