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

Before I brewed, I had to keg Johnny McClure Rainier Lager, which was in the fermenter that I prefer to use for lagers.

I was actually not up real early, mostly because that 109 mile day of riding really tired me out.

So, I got Johnny McClure kegged and the mash for 1519 Barker Exportbier going right before leaving for church.

When I got back, I did a bit of a sparge and drained the wort.

Then I started heating up the wort to boiling.

Interestingly, my pre-boil gravity and volume was higher than expected. I diluted a bit to get it back into the planned range.

The boil went well. However, I messed up by adding the Tettnang hops before the Magnum.

This beer isn't real hop-forward, so I don't think it will matter too much, but it will be slightly different than last time.

Oh well. I'm sure it will turn out fine.

Note to self ... remember to set the recipe back to the hops in the right time periods.

I got the wort chilled into the low 50's and then racked right onto the yeast cake of Johnny McClure.

I had the beer in the basement with the chilling system going by around 12:30.

Then, I got a short bike ride done.

The bubbling started by the time I went to bed.

Fermentation has been going strong and is now really just sitting around waiting for me to keg.

Stay tuned on this blog, and you'll probably find out what I think of the beer.

As always, stay tuned on the regular SheppyBrew Channels to see what is happening with beer and other things: SheppyBrew's Facebook Page; Sheppy's Twitter Feed; SheppyBrew's Instagram Page; and SheppyBrew's Website.

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.

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.

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

 

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 ... 

 

Halfway to Helles vs Astrosuds Lager

So, part of the logic around brewing Halfway to Helles Leichtbier in May had to do with my May "Seasonal" Helles in a Hand Bock-sket.

Last year, while drinking Hand Bock-sket, I made the comment:

#WillDrinkInJune. Great bready malt character. Loving this beer. I think the only improvement I can think of is making it lower ABV ... But it wouldn't be a Maibock then 😎

I believe this was shortly after drinking a beer at Green Mountain Brewing Company that really reminded me of  Hand Bock-sket, but was lower in ABV. It's name was "AstroSuds Lager".

While a 5A. German Leichtbier isn't really anything like a lower ABV Maibock, it is sort of similar in that they are both German lagers.

Before my latest camping trip, I saw cans of AstroSuds Lager in Green Mountain's beer cooler, and I decided to pick up a four pack.

Around that time, I poured the Halfway to Helles Leichtbier and AstroSuds to compare side-by-side.

 

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 ...

Tasman Devil Pilsner (batch 368)

Well ... here it is 2025 already. Happy Brew Year!

As I mentioned in SheppyBrew 2024 Year End Brewing Stats, in 2024 I brewed my lowest volume of brewed beer since 2018.

I didn't even get to 100 gallons, which also has not happened since 2018.

I expect 2025 will yield about the same amount of beer, but I guess we'll have to see.

With holiday guests and other cheer, my beer inventory is getting a little low, and for quite awhile I've been wanting to get a New Zealand Pilsner on tap.

So ... this past weekend I brewed:

Tasman Devil Pilsner

Tasman Devil Pilsner

In the 2021 BJCP Style guidelines, there is a section called Style Guidelines Appendices and References.

And ... in there, Appendix B: Local Styles.

One of the "Local Styles" is X5. New Zealand Pilsner. 

"A pale, dry, golden-colored, cleanly-fermented beer showcasing the characteristic tropical, citrusy, fruity, grassy New Zealand-type hops. Medium body, soft mouthfeel, and smooth palate and finish, with a neutral to bready malt base provide the support for this very drinkable, refreshing, hop-forward beer."

It is a style that I generally enjoy quite a bit, and I usually will order it when I see it at various breweries.

In Search of Michelob

There's a little story behind the name 1519 Barker, which I shared both on the recipe page "1519 Barker Exportbier", and on the brew day blog post 1519 Barker Exportbier (Batch 361)

My intention of brewing 1519 Barker was to capture the essence of how I remember my favorite beer in college. 

 

1519 Barker Exportbier

Style: Dortmunder / Export
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 17
SRM: 5.5

Description:

Embark on a journey back to the roots of German brewing with 1519 Barker Exportbier, a classic Dortmunder Export that pays homage to the rich brewing traditions of Dortmund. This golden lager pours with a brilliant clarity, crowned by a creamy white head that invites you to savor its balanced and refined character.

1519 Barker Exportbier (Batch 361)

I've been pretty busy with my #GCCUSA and have not brewed in awhile. My last brew day (before this one) was on August 4th.

This year, I'm actually tracking to finish the year with less than 90 gallons brewed, which would be the least amount since 2014.

Luckily, I have not been drinking a whole lot of homebrew compared to previous years either, and I am fine on my beer inventory.

But, I did kill a keg of Summer Lovin' fairly recently and thought I'd like to brew a beer to give me a little buffer.

So ... I got a yeast starter going a couple days ago, and I decided to brew a rare workday-brew-day yesterday.

1519 Barker Exportbier

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.

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

 

Mardi Bock

Behold the Mardi Bock, a reverent libation steeped in the rich traditions of German brewing and the spiritual fervor of monks. Picture a deep, mahogany elixir cradled in a vessel, a testament to the dedication of those Teutonic artisans who, like monks in meditative silence, craft this masterpiece.

As you raise the stein to your lips, envision the solemn Lenten season, where German monks toil with monastic devotion to birth this robust Bock Lager. Mardi Bock emerges as the triumphant celebration, a resurrection of flavors after the somber fast, akin to the joyous bells ringing in Easter morn.

Said Strumpet Czech Pale Lager

Ah, the Said Strumpet Czech Pale Lager, a name that titillates the imagination and hints at a brew with a story as intriguing as its flavor profile. This beguiling libation transcends the ordinary, weaving a tale of Bohemian allure that captivates the discerning palates of beer aficionados.

As you raise the chalice of Said Strumpet to your lips, envision a seductive dance of Saaz hops, each aromatic note a whispered secret from the fields of Žatec. The golden elixir cascades with a grace that could rival the most alluring of courtesans, a visual symphony that foreshadows the sensory indulgence awaiting within.

2024 Mardi Bock (Batch 351)

I brewed in the garage this past (Super Bowl) Sunday.

We got a decent amount of snow again on Saturday, and so the back patio (where I usually like to brew) was covered, and I took advantage of the slightly warmer garage for brew day.

This is my 3rd batch of 2024. It's my 351st batch all-time. This is the 69th time I've brewed in my Anvil Foundry.

After Sunday, I've actually brewed this recipe (with minor tweaks, I'm sure) 4 times.

The day this posts will be Shrove Tuesday, aka Mardi Grad, aka Fat Tuesday, aka the day before Lent, and so it is an appropriate time to brew the  seasonal beer ....

Mardi Bock

Snowy Chuck

We got a ridiculous amount of snow last Saturday, and we spent a rare weekend day completely at home.

I smoked a Chuck Roast, kegged my Said Strumpet Czech Pale Lager,  watched the Bradley Braves defeat the lowly Illinois State basketball team (if you can't go to school, go to state), and sampled this year's Arctic Vortex Winter Saison.

And shoveled tons and tons and tons of snow.

I probably did other things too, but those are the highlights.

I kegged the 2024 Arctic Vortex Winter Saison the weekend before, and although I had already sampled it a few times already, Saturday was the day that I poured a fully carbonated pint to drink "for reals".

Said Strumpet Czech Pale Lager (Batch 350)

If you read Roll-a-Style 1 ... 3A. Czech Pale Lager, or follow SheppyBrew on Facebook or Instagram, you knew this was coming ...

I brewed Said Strumpet Czech Pale Lager a couple of weekends ago.

This was my second brew of the year and my 350th batch of beer ever brewed. If I'm counting correctly, it is the 225th unique recipe I've ever brewed.

It is the first Roll-a-Style beer I've brewed in 2024, and will help satisfy my current BJCP Goal.

For whatever reason, my other two Czech-style lagers have names inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (Ello Poppet Czech Pilsner and Scallywag Czech Dark Lager).

So ... continuing on with the naming trend, I named this beer:

Said Strumpet Czech Pale Lager

Decemberfest Lager (Batch 348)

December already? Where did 2023 go?

Seems like I just submitted the first 2023 post recently.

I suppose I'm just getting old enough that time flies by faster and faster.

Anyway ... 

I brewed my 23rd batch of beer of the year Sunday. I believe this will be my last batch of beer for the year.

It was the 348th batch of beer I've ever brewed.

I have brewed this beer (with minor recipe modifications) 3 times now.

It is a nice December Seasonal lager.

Decemberfest Lager