2025 "Seasonals"

If you've followed this blog at all this year, you know that I wanted to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal and my Roll-a-Style list in 2025.

As a side-effect, I purposely ignored most of my "SheppyBrew Seasonals". 

After brewing Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew and Oisin Owl Irish Stout (Batch 371), I thought to myself that those could be considered February and March "Seasonals".

The Mardi Blonde fit right into the "Mardi Gras / Lent" season in place of  Mardi Bock, and of course Oisin Owl being an "Irish Stout", it was perfect for St. Patrick's Day in March.

At that point, I started thinking that maybe with a little planning, I could come up with replacement "Seasonals" for most months even while brewing new beers based on the Roll-a-Style list.

So ... like I had done with 2024 Seasonals, 2023 Seasonals, and 2022 Seasonals, I started tracking how I could slot 2025 beers into the monthly "Seasonal" matrix.

2025 Mardi Blonde

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).

My Roll-a-Style list has 13 beer styles on it, so I could probably switch to a 12-sided die. I suspect I'll end up picking my next one instead of rolling. Then, I'll switch the list to 12. 

I actually don't think I'll do as many of these Roll-a-Style beers in 2026.

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

Ribs and Belgian Beers

I made some spare ribs a few weekends ago.

I have not really published many BBQ posts on this blog this year, and I took photos when I made the ribs. 

So I thought I might as well go ahead and share. 

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.

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

At the time of me typing this blog post, Merida is the only of these beers that I've finished. King Fergus is fermenting. Kemosabe Quad is aging and not in the beer fridge yet. 

Mardi Blonde: A Festive Brew

Style: Belgian Blonde Ale
ABV: 7.4%
IBU: 25  

Mardi Blonde is a delightfully refreshing Belgian blonde ale with a lively personality. Pouring a radiant golden hue, this brew sparkles with clarity and invites you in with its enticing appearance. 

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.

Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew

Here it is ... February already.

We've made it through January and the Groundhog (or Marmot ... whatever your rodent of choice) has seen its shadow.

My plan was to brew on Sunday, but my birthday is early February and my kids decided they would like to celebrate it Sunday.

So ... I postponed the brew day.

The recipe I had picked to brew called for an overnight mash and a shorter-than-usual boil, which meant it wouldn't take quite as long a brew day.

So, on Monday I decided I would brew on Tuesday before work (which was actually my birth day).

Mardi Blonde

Roll-a-Style 1: 25A. Belgian Blond Ale

I've mentioned a few times on this blog that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal and my Roll-a-Style list this year.

I have harvested Belgian Ale Yeast from Tafel Mystère Belgian Single (Batch 367), and since I have a few somewhat high ABV Belgium styles to work through on the list, I decided to actually plan stepping up the harvested yeast rather than wait for the random roll to get to these styles.

The first Belgium on the list is 25A. Belgian Blond Ale, and so ....

I pretended to roll: