2016 Q1 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:http://blog.ericshepard.com/search/label/Brew%20Stats .

Q1 of 2016  at the SheppyBrew Brewery was busy early in the quarter, but then slowed down. I brewed three batches in January alone, but then only 1 in February and none in March.

In case you don't want to do the Math, that's 4 batches:

• Arctic Vortex Winter Saison
• Ulterior Motive Amber Lager
• Brother Bear Dopplebock
• Ello Poppet Czech Pilsner

Those batches were each 5 gallons, putting my total first quarter volume at 20. I'm on pace for only 80 gallons this year. Last year, I brewed 6 batches in Q1. I'm off that pace.

Arctic Vortex Winter Saison

2016 Melting Stream Spring Saison

I brewed last Sunday.

Melting Stream Spring Saison

Of course Melting Stream is the Spring version of SheppyBrew's Seasonal Saison series of beers. It is the lightest in color of the series. It is the biggest in alcohol of the series. It is the hoppiest of the series.

It does follow my basic philosophy about Saisons, though. Of course, I use Wyeast 3711 French Saison yeast ("The Real Super Yeast"). It isn't overly high in alcohol or saison funk. And it gets its flavor from real beer ingredients.

Return of Brother Bear Dopplebock

Do you remember the "Ulterior Motive" of my last brew day?

The last beer I brewed (Ulterior Motive Amber Lager) was basically a big starter batch so that I could build up enough WLP833 German Bock Lager Yeast to brew a proper dopplebock.

The fact that I'll get a batch of beer to put in my keggerator is a bonus.

As you probably know, lagers generally require more yeast to get the fermentation job done.

Big lagers obviously require even more yeast, and a dopplebock is a great big beer.

I've used the technique of "yeast harvesting" from smaller lagers into bigger lagers before, and it ultimately ended up with my award-winning Maibock, Helles in a Hand Bock-sket. It is less expensive than buying extra vials of yeast, and of course, I also end up with 5 gallons of a smaller beer to enjoy.

Ulterior Motive Brew Day

As promised, I brewed an International Amber Lager this past weekend.

I named it Ulterior Motive Amber Lager because I my my ulterior motive for batch is to use it as a starter for a dopplebock that I will brew it a few weeks. That is also why I picked WLP833 German Bock Lager as the yeast.

I have not published the dopplebock recipe yet, but I have mostly entered it into Beer Smith. Stay tuned at the SheppyBrew Website to see what the final recipe looks like.

The Ulterior Motive brew day went very well.

It was cold outside, and my patio was snow-covered, so I decided to brew in the garage.

This isn't unusual during the winter.

SheppyBrew 2015 Styles: International Amber Lager

So, if you have been following this blog for awhile, you know that in 2013 I made a pretty big effort to make sure I had brewed at least one beer in all of the 2008 BJCP Categories.

On 12/30/2013, I finished up this goal, brewing Schnockered to Comfortably Numb Barleywine (see Brew Day: Schnockered to Comfortably Numb).

But, of course, then the BJCP updated their style guidelines last year (see 2015 Style Guidelines). Now there are more Categories to brew.

Last year, I did brew a Pre-Prohibition Lager ... or at least something that I believe satisfies the guidelines (see Brewing Chelsea Dagger) ... to check off the new Category 27. Historical Beer. Other than this one style, I have not made any progress on the new 2015 style guidelines.