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.

2024 Mardi Bock

2024 Q3 SheppyBrew Stats

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:

• Hail Storm Summer Saison ... 2024 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 359)
• N.T.S. Faux Pilsner ... N.T.S. Faux Pilsner (Batch 360)
• 1519 Barker Exportbier ... 1519 Barker Exportbier (Batch 361)
• Falling Leaves Autumn Saison ... 2024 Falling Leaves Autumn Saison (Batch 362)
  
  

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.

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

2023 Seasonals

So ... a couple of years ago, I spent some time identifying "SheppyBrew Seasonals".

I didn't really pay much attention to "Seasonals" in 2023, but a couple weeks ago, looking through my blog, I came across 2022 SheppyBrew Seasonals. That made me want to check out which of these seasonals I did brew in the past year.

I figured that I had not done nearly as many as I had in 2022, but as it turned out ... I was actually pretty close.

The fact that I always brew the Seasonal Saisons every year gives me a little of a head-start.

Arctic Vortex 

 

SheppyBrew's Most Brewed Beers

Last week (from when I am typing this ... not when it was posted), there were technical issues with SheppyBrew.com where the web server could not connect to it's database.

I was a bit annoyed that my hosting company needed me to point out the problem, and that it took them several hours to fix it after I pointed it out.

But, in the grand scheme of things ... it's a first world problem.

For some reason ... once the issue was fixed, and I was looking through the database I decided to figure out what beers I've brewed the most.

I went down a rabbit-hole of sql queries and since I had gone through that effort ... I thought I might as well share what I found.

2023 Q3 Brewing Stats

The summer just flew by. We are now into October and therefore it is time to report my Brewing Stats for the 3rd Quarter.

I brewed 6 batches in each of Q1 and Q2. I keep saying that I'll start to slow down ... but again ... I brewed 6 batches in Q3.

For what it is worth, in July I brewed 3 batches. 2 batches in August. I only brewed 1 batch in September. So, I am sort of slowing down I guess.

The recipes I brewed in Q3 were:

• Hail Storm Summer Saison
• Gypsy Magic Bière de Garde
• Helles Won't Kellerbier
• Steamacularly Common
• Buckwheat's Belgium Pale Ale
• Shoddy IPA

Country Style Pork Ribs

Country Style Pork Ribs ... Aren't.

It's annoyingly misleading that these things are called "ribs", isn't it?

I honestly have no idea why they are labeled "ribs", and Google really has not been very helpful in answering this question for me. 

They are actually cut from the shoulder of the pig.

Regardless, though, they are delicious.

I made some on the Weber Kettle last weekend.

They are pretty easy to make. I put charcoal in the "vortex" in the middle of my kettle and placed the "ribs" around it.

2023 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 338)

It is summer, and that means it is time to brew my Summer Seasonal Saison.

We've had a lot of company and the over the last few weeks, and of course we had 2023 Fathers' Day Weekend.

This prevented me from brewing over most of June AND all these visiting people have been drinking my beer.

So .. my beer inventory is lower than usual.

I mentioned in 2023 Q2 Brewing Stats, that my Hail Storm Summer Saison would be the next beer I brewed.

Last Sunday, I did ...

Hail Storm Summer Saison

2022 SheppyBrew Seasonals

Earlier in the year, I published a blog post in which I talked about beers that could be considered  SheppyBrew Seasonals, attaching them to each month of the year.

As I was working my way through brewing over the year, I kept this list in mind. I didn't hit every month, but I brewed most of the beers close to their month this year.

2022 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 313)

The first day of summer was last Tuesday, which means it is an acceptable time to brew my Summer Saison.

This summer is the 9th time I've brewed this recipe. According to my records, it is the 313th batch of beer I've brewed since I started way back in 2009.

It is my 38th batch of beer that I've brewed on the Anvil Foundry.

I picked up ingredients from Tom's Brew Shop on Wednesday.

I started an "overnight mash" on Saturday.

I brewed early Sunday morning.

Hail Storm Summer Saison

SheppyBrew Seasonals

While out for a walk earlier in the week, I was thinking about homebrewing (surprise surprise).

One of the things that popped into my mind was beers that I always brew about the same time of year.

I was wondering if I had seasonal beers for every month of the year.

An obvious example is my Seasonal Saison series of beers. January is almost always when I brew Arctic Vortex Winter Saison. I usually brew Melting Stream Spring Saison in March or April, Hail Storm Summer Saison in June or July, and Falling Leaves Autumn Saison in September or October.

May is easy. The tag line for Helles in a Hand Bock-sket is "Will Drink in May". 

Will-o'-Wisp Pumpkin Ale makes the most sense for October.

Decemberfest Lager has "December" right in the name. 

2021 Q2 SheppyBrew Stats

Q2 of 2021 is already over, which means its time to report our brewing stats for the year so far.

I didn't brew quite the ridiculous amount that I brewed last quarter, but still quite a bit.

I brewed 6 batches and 31 gallons of beer.

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket

I'm not nearly on the same pace of last year's total, but I am on pace for the 2nd most batches and gallons I've ever brewed. Currently, I'm on pace for about 140 gallons in 2021.

2021 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 290)

If my records are accurate, I brewed my 290th batch of beer on Sunday.

Over the weekend, I was talking to another homebrewer ... one that has been brewing way longer than I have ... who was going to brew his 100th batch on Sunday.

So ... 290 is a lot.

I've been brewing an average 23 batches of beer since 2009.

Last year I brewed 31 batches and I'm on pace to brew 28 this year.

The beer that I brewed Sunday was one of my Seasonal Saisons. I've been brewing those since 2014, and this was my 8th time brewing this recipe.

Hail Storm Summer Saison

2020 Q2 SheppyBrew Stats

As you may know, the Brewery likes to post quarterly updates on how much we have brewed. You can see all these updates (including the one you are reading right now) by following this link: Sheppy's Blog: Brew Stats.

And ... believe it or not ... the 2nd quarter of 2020 is done. Finished. Complete.

2020 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 259)

Summer Saison Time. Last Sunday, I brewed SheppyBrew's Hail Storm Summer Saison.

This is the 7th time I've brewed the Hail Storm Summer Saison.

Has it really been that long? I must really like saisons. I must really like the WY3711 yeast.

Yes. Yes I do.

I also had a pork shoulder in my freezer left over from a Sam's Club two pack. I decided to make that Sunday too.

I was up a little after 4AM to get started on the pork butt.

It was a little smaller than last time, but it also was not completely thawed, so I got started pretty early.

2019 Q3 SheppyBrew Stats

This year is really flying by. Here is it October and the 3rd Quarter is done.

As you may know, the Brewery likes to post quarterly updates on how much we have brewed. You can see all these updates (including the one you are reading right now) by following this link: Sheppy's Blog: Brew Stats.

As you may remember, I didn't brew very many times last quarter, although I did some bigger batches so my volume was still pretty high.

I brewed a whole lot more often in Q3. I brewed 6 batches which yielded a 34 gallons of beer.

Hail Storm Brew Day

• Hail Storm Summer Saison
• Muggled Pale Ale
• Alabama Pelican Brown Porter
• Schreck Gartenzwerg Pilsner
• Will-o'-Wisp Pumpkin Ale
• Falling Leaves Autumn Saison

2019 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 236)

Summer Saison Time. Last Sunday, I brewed SheppyBrew's  Hail Storm Summer Saison.

Apparently, I've been doing this Seasonal Saison thing for more than 6 years, because this is the 6th time I've brewed the Hail Storm Summer Saison.

Has it really been that long? I must really like saisons. I must really like the WY3711 yeast.

Yes. Yes I do.

I don't know if you've noticed, but my last few batches of beer, I've made extra. This batch was similar in that I made an 8 gallon batch rather than my regular 5.

2018 Q3 SheppyBrew Stats

The 3rd quarter is done.

As you may know, the Brewery likes to post quarterly updates on how much we have brewed. You can see all these updates (including the one you are reading right now) by following this link: Sheppy's Blog: Brew Stats.

Hail Storm Summer Saison brew day

2018 Hail Storm Summer Saison

Summer time. Hooray for summer. It is going too fast.

Of course, with the change of seasons, I am required to make another Seasonal Saison.

Hail Storm Summer Saison to be more precise. Yum.

Yes ... Sunday, I brewed my Summer Saison.

If you follow my brewing patterns on this blog or social media, you probably have realized that I brew at least four Saisons a year. One for every season (saison is French for season). I call them my Seasonal Saison Series.

The Summer Saison is fairly light in color. Golden to light orange. It is designed to be around 5.5 to 6% ABV. It is fairly hoppy with Tettnang hops, but not at all bitter. Like most of my Seasonal Saisons, I use WY3711 French Saison (The Real Super Yeast).

Delicious.