Falling Leaves Autumn Saison (batch 298)

As you know if you follow my Instagram feed, I brewed Sunday.

If I'm counting correctly, it was my 298th batch of beer.

My 22nd of the year. My 27th on the Anvil Foundry.

It is Autumn. For the most part, the weather here in Denver isn't really cooling down THAT much, but regardless, Summer is technically over.

My last couple of batches have reflected the passing of Summer. 

A couple weeks ago, I brewed a Märzen, Rocktoberfest Lager (Batch 296).

Last week, I brewed a pumpkin Ale, Will-o'-Wisp Pumpkin Ale (Batch 297).

This past weekend ... I continued the Autumn-themed beers with my Autumn Seasonal Saison ...

Falling Leaves Autumn Saison

Will-o'-Wisp Pumpkin Ale (Batch 297)

It's that time of year again ... pumpkin spice beer time.

Sigh.

As you probably know if you've been following this blog for awhile, the SheppyBrew Beer Model (aka my wife) likes pumpkin spice ales.

Unfortunately, back in September of 2014, I brewed a pumpkin spice beer that she really liked.

Unfortunately, I've been brewing this beer every year since.

Unfortunately, last Sunday it was time to brew it again.

Fortunately, the Beer Model was willing to help. So we brewed it together.

Will-o'-Wisp Pumpkin Ale

M is for Mountain Toad Brewing

I wasn't invited to L is for Lady Justice, but the SheppyBrew Beer Model did a great job on that brewery visit.

I guess that's fair. I did most of round 1 without her, and the "L" is the first one I've missed.

Anyway ... last weekend, after logging some morning miles on my Great Cycle Challenge, we decided we should bike a brewery together.

As you probably know, after L comes M. 

There are tons of "M" breweries on the Colorado Brewery List, but most of them are outside the Denver area. 

I used one of them on X is for Mad Jack's [JaX] Mountain Brewery ... which ... again ... wasn't my idea/

Molson / Coors or Miller / Coors (whatever you prefer to call them) is a possibility, but not ideal.

When it came right down to it, I really only had one choice for this trip ... 

M is for Mountain Toad Brewing

Sin Lima Mexican Lager vs Ska Mexican Logger

Well ... Hell. The summer is almost over. How did this happen so quickly?

Blah.

Last time I was at my local liquor store, I didn't see any of Ska's Mexican Logger. That probably means the Mexican Logger season is about over. 

Luckily, I had a can of it in my beer fridge to compare with my Sin Lima Mexican Lager (batch 293).

Smoked Mac and Cheese Pictures

A couple of weekends ago, my son wanted Smoked Mac and Cheese. So, I made Smoked Mac and Cheese on my Weber Kettle.

I pretty much followed the recipe from Smoked Mac and Cheese. 

Rocktoberfest Lager (Batch 296)

The weather here in Denver doesn't agree, but we're getting close to Autumn.

I'm seeing all kinds of local breweries on social media announce their Oktoberfest celebrations.

I thought I should probably get on making my own 2021 Oktoberfest Lager.

So, I brewed Sunday.

It was my 20th batch of the year. My 296th batch in my brewing "career". My 25th batch done on the Anvil Foundry.

I've been brewing this recipe since 2010. According to my notes, it was my 2nd all-grain batch back when I was still only doing 2.5 gallon batches.

Sunday was the 7th time I've brewed this beer....

Rocktoberfest Lager

 

8th Everest of 2021

Well ... my Great Cycle Challenge continues. I've passed my 8th Everest of 2021.

As I type this, I've climbed a little over 234,346 feet of elevation on my bikes.

At this point, Strava says I'm 24,600 feet ahead of plan to hit my #10Everestsin2021 goal. By the end of this month, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm a whole Everest (29,032 feet) ahead of schedule.

L is for Lady Justice - By Guest Blogger, known by many names but for this purpose, MBW (Main Blogger's Wife)

 

I have known my friend, Kristi, since we were about 3 years old. I moved away when I was 6. We maintained contact through the years, first through letter writing, then through email, then Facebook. She has started her own company, focused on creating a safer and more equitable world for women. She recently wrote a book (titled Quit being so Good), and her summer book tour brought her to the Denver area. She wanted to contact a women-owned brewery, and I told her about Lady Justice, although Sheppy and I had not been there yet. We were considering making it our “L” brewery when Kristi messaged me at work one day and asked me to meet her there. I agreed, and since Sheppy did not visit the “L” brewery, I am making the entry as a guest blogger.

On this 3^rd round of the A to Z Denver Brewery series, the last brewery we had visited was a K brewery, so next up is:

“L” is for Lady Justice – “Great beer can make the world a better place”

Another #GCCUSA Century Ride

To be honest, when I wrote "I might attempt Century Ride # 4 this Labor Day Weekend" on 3rd Century Ride #GCCUSA, I was mostly kidding.

Century Rides are hard. They take a lot out of me. I didn't think there was any way my legs would be ready for another long ride before the end of the long weekend.

But ... honestly, I was feeling pretty good after a rest day, and I had Friday off work.

I got up early for a bike ride. 1000 miles were not going to ride themselves. I had to keep up with my commitment to the Great Cycle Challenge.

I knew I would do a long one. I didn't really plan for 100, but I thought I'd see how it went.

After 10 or 20 miles, I was fairly sure I wouldn't be riding more than 50 miles. My legs didn't feel like they had much in them.

3rd Century Ride #GCCUSA

It is September, so I've begun my Great Cycle Challenge. 

I've committed to cycling 1000 miles in September to help raise awareness and money for Childhood Cancer Research.

If you'd like to help out with a donation my "Rider Page" is at:

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/EricShepard

I'm extremely pleased with the support I've gotten so far. I've actually far exceeded my expectations for the amount of money I would be able to raise.

So ... with all those generous folks donating money to my "ride", presumingly expecting me to meet my 1000 mile goal, I certainly want to make sure I do my best to get all my miles in for the month.

K is for Kettle, Copper Brewing Company

On my 3rd round of the A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts, I have not had to take any artistic license on any of the names yet.

I've gone from A is for Altitude Brewing & Supply to J is for Jackass Hill Brewery following the alphabet.

When it came to "K", though, the Colorado Brewery List didn't have any breweries close enough for me to want to visit.

I could have gone to Boulder or Longmount, but I didn't want to drive that far (and the Beer Model certainly didn't want to cycle that far).

And I had a brewery that I thought was close enough ...

K is for Copper Kettle Brewing Company

N.T.S. Faux Pilsner (Batch 295)

As you know if you read Shoddy Pale Ale Take II (Batch 294), I had a problem with my Lithuanian Farmhouse yeast and had to pick up a pack of dry LalBrew Voss - Kveik Ale Yeast to ferment the beer.

I fermented out that batch of Shoddy, and harvested some of it to brew again.

This past Sunday, I decided to brew up a beer with it.

I have to take advantage of the hot August days.

One of the things I see people talk about online quite a bit, is using Kveik yeast for "Pseudo-Lagers". 

To be honest, I'm not sure I believe that Kveik yeast ferments out that clean, and actually Voss is not a strain that is supposed to produce a lager-like profile.

Even so, I thought I'd give that concept a try, and came up with a recipe very similar to some of my real lagers.

N.T.S. Faux Pilsner

T.Ra.Sh. Light Mexican Lager vs Ska Mexican Logger

What the hell happened to the summer? August is almost over. My kid is back in school. WTF?

It seems like just a little while ago that I posted Updating the Homebrew Colorado 6 pack. However ... that was back in MARCH! Almost 5 months! Almost half a year ago!

WTF?

So ... at the time I had Sin Lima Mexican Lager on tap and figured I could get Ska's Mexican Logger any time. But apparently, I misjudged how quickly the seasonal Mexican Logger would be available, and by the time I found it in any stores, Sin Lima was gone.

J is for Jackass Hill Brewery

Well, we're moving right along on the A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts. 

It wasn't too terribly long ago that I was stuck on E is for Evergreen Brewery for a couple months.

I've gone from F is for Fiction Beer Company to I is for Iron Mule Brewery in less than a month.

The Beer Model (aka my wife) has been keeping us going from brewery to brewery.

And so far this round, I have not even really had to take creative liberties with any of the names.

As I mentioned in My Second Century Ride, I stopped by our house at mile 70 and picked up The Beer Model to go to lunch. 

If you looked closely at the pictures in that blog post, you realize that we hit a "J" brewery.

J is for Jackass Hill Brewery

Shoddy Pale Ale Take II (Batch 294)

It's August in the Denver area. Hot. The highs have reached into the 90's pretty consistently for quite some time now.

As you know, if you remember my Lithuanian Farmhouse posts ... I go a Lithuanian Farmhouse yeast from a local brewery and have been propagating for over a year.

This yeast loves hot fermentation temperature. High 80's into the 90's are just fine.

Shoddy Pale Ale (Batch 288) used this Lithuanian yeast. I mentioned in that post that the beer is designed to make for a quick brew day.

As I mentioned in that blog post, I thought I could cut the brew day down even more by using my propane brew kettle for the boil (in addition to the overnight mash and half hour boil I used in that batch)

So ... on Sunday, I brewed up this batch with this small change to the process

Shoddy Pale Ale

My 2nd Century Ride

 I did my second Century Ride last Saturday. 100 miles on my gravel bike.

Yep, 100 miles.

That's right ... On my bicycle.
Yep, in one day.
No, my butt is fine.
Nope, I'm not crazy.
Yes, I know you don't like to drive that far.

If you've been following me, on this blog, you know I'm "training" for September. 

In September, I'm riding 1,000 miles to help raise awareness and money for the Children's Cancer Research Fund with the Great Cycle Challenge.

If you can afford it and are against childhood cancer, you should donate some money to help with the cause. If you want to help my fundraising effort ... you can donate at

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/EricShepard

Spare Ribs and Corn

As usual, I barbequed this past Sunday. A family favorite ... Spare Ribs.

Spare Ribs are certainly a time commitment, but well worth the effort. 

Not only does it provide a delicious dinner, but I always cook a couple of large racks, which always results in left-over that I can enjoy as lunches the following week.

For the first time in quite awhile, I used the Weber Rib Rack to smoke these ribs.

I guess I still have not decided on the best way to smoke my ribs.

I also made Corn on the Cob. I am still in the process of fine-tuning grilling corn. I think I'm close.

Sin Lima Mexican Lager (batch 293)

I brewed this past weekend.

You may have noticed that I am slowing down a little bit. Earlier in the year, I was on track to match the amount of beer brewed last year. Now, I'm tracking to brew about 20 less gallons.

We'll see how things progress going forward the rest of the year.

Sunday was my 293rd batch of beer that I've brewed in my brewing "career".

It was SheppyBrew's 17th batch of 2021, and the 22nd batch done in the Anvil Foundry.

It is the 2nd Mexican Lager in a row that I am making.

It is also the 2nd time I've brewed this particular recipe this year.

I really like this beer, and I am wanting to add it to my "Homebrew Colorado 6 Pack" to replace commercial beers that don't exist anymore.

Sin Lima Mexican Lager

I is for Iron Mule Brewery

If you're following along on this round of the A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts, you know that we recently checked "H" off the list.

H is for Holidaily Brewing Company

If you're familiar with the English alphabet, you realize that next up is "I".

The first time through the list, we did I is for IronWorks Brewery and Pub. At the time, it was the only "I" brewery I could find in the Denver area.

By the time we got to round 2, Iron Works had closed, but another "I" brewery had popped up, and we did I is for [The] Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project.

Again, there was only one "I" brewery in the Denver area.

Sometime between the time that Intrepid Sojourner disappeared and now ... still another "I" brewery popped up for us to go to.

I is for Iron Mule Brewery

Friendship Bread on the Kettle

It has been awhile that I've talked about Amish Friendship bread.

See Sheppy's Blog: Friendship Bread.

What is "Friendship Bread"?

“Amish Friendship Bread is a type of bread or cake made from a sourdough starter that is often shared in a manner similar to a chain letter. The starter is a substitute for baking yeast and can be used to make many kinds of yeast-based breads, shared with friends, or frozen for future use.”

Or ....

“It’s a gloopy, unappetizing substance in a bag that you mash for ten days before baking the most heavenly bread in the world.”

Either way ... you can find information about how to make it and what to make with it at The Friendship Bread Kitchen.

KFC on the Vortex

I've been playing around with Kettle Fried Chicken (KFC) for a few months now. 

When I got my "Vortex" for father's day, one of the things I really wanted to try on it was KFC to see how it affected that recipe.

This past weekend, I had chicken thighs I wanted to grill, and I decided to use them to make KFC and test out the "Vortex" to make them.

So. That is what I did.

I started early in the afternoon by combining flour, bread crumbs, corn starch, and various spices in a bag.

H is for Holidaily Brewing Company

If you are following my A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts, you know that the SheppyBrew Beer Model (aka my wife) and I are working through our third round of breweries.

Last week, we hit Grist Brewing Company (Rare) to get our 3rd "G" brewery checked off.

If you're familiar with the alphabet, you probably realize that next up was to find a brewery that starts with the letter "H".

There are quite a few "H" breweries on the Colorado Brewery List, but most of them are either too far away, or breweries we've already visited.

In fact, there was one logical choice to visit next. And, this past Saturday, we decided to give it a visit ...

H is for Holidaily Brewing Company

Pork Butt and Corn on the Cob

If you follow this blog ... you'll see me posting about smoking Pork Butts on my Weber Kettle quite a bit.

The family really likes pulled pork sandwiches, and Pork Butts are fairly easy to smoke. They are also pretty economical to buy.

It is pretty much an all-day commitment, but that is ok on most Sundays.

I can let the pork cook while I'm doing a lot of other things. As long as the charcoal is set up well at the beginning, the cook just sort of takes care of itself for the most part.

So ... it is a great meal for Sundays.

Last Sunday I made a pork butt for pulled pork sandwiches again. 

Grist Brewing Company (Rare)

If you've been following along on my Sheppy Brew's A to Z Denver Breweries series of posts ... you know that usually the Beer Model (aka my wife) and I try to bike to various breweries around our area.

About a year ago, we bought her a new Pedego E-Bike, which helped tremendously increase her biking range, and allowed us to cycle at about the same general speed.

I know a lot of cyclists look down on E-Bikes, but I personally am a fan. I think our situation where I cycle a ton and she doesn't is a perfect example of what is great about them. She and I can ride together without either one of us being frustrated by the speed or intensity of the ride.

I had never ridden one, though. This past Saturday, I decided to give one a try and rented one at a local bike shop ... GoodTurn Electric Cycles.

And what better destination to try, but the next brewery on our list ...

G is for Grist Brewing Company (Rare)

T.Ra.Sh. Light Mexican Lager (batch 292)

I brewed Sunday.

If my accounting is accurate, this was the 292nd batch of beer I've brewed in my "career".

It was SheppyBrew's 16th batch of 2021, and our 21st batch done in the Anvil Foundry.

This is actually the 4th time I've made this recipe.

T.Ra.Sh. Light Mexican Lager

T.Ra.Sh. Light isn't really a "typical" Mexican Adjunct beer like Corona or Dos Equis. It actually is all-malt ... mostly Vienna with some pilsner mixed in.

As a result, it isn't as pale or thin as the prototypical "Mexican Lager". It also has a bit more noble hop flavor in the finish than you'd associate with the mass-produced versions.

It is something I really like to drink during hot summer days, though. And the "T.Ra.Sh" family seems to appreciate it.

Whole Chicken in the Vortex

So ... if you've been following along for the past couple of weeks, you might remember that I've been using a (knockoff version) Vortex in my Weber Kettle for some of my weekend meals.

I've done Chicken Thighs and Steaks with corn.

One of the specific reasons I asked for a Vortex was based on a Weber Kettle Facebook group post I saw awhile ago where someone cooked a whole chicken inside the cone with charcoal surrounding it.

The main advantage to this (at least in my mind) is that the chicken can sit upright without being in danger of hitting the top of the kettle lid.

In my experience, whole chickens seem to turn out best when sitting upright like this.

So, on Saturday, I got to try this Vortex configuration with a whole chicken I had thawed from my freezer.

6th Everest of 2021

According to Strava ... I'm up to 174,890 feet of elevation gained on my bicycles so far this year, putting me just over 6 Everests in 2021.

It's true. 29,032 x 6 = 174,192.

I'm still ahead of schedule to hit my 300,000 goal by the end of the year.

F is for Fiction Beer Company

It's been almost 2 months since I posted E is for Evergreen Brewery.

With covid restrictions loosening up, I really thought I'd make more progress on our A to Z Denver Breweries Project.

But, with other things going on, we just have not had a chance to visit new breweries. 

This past Saturday, though, the SheppyBrew Beer Model wanted to go to our "F" brewery.

Obviously, she almost always gets what she wants, so that is what we did.

We got in the car, stopped by Qdoba to pick up some food, and then headed to .... 

F is for Fiction Beer Company

More Paddle Board Pics

As I mentioned in Paddle Board, I got my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) a paddle board for her birthday.

This past weekend, she and I packed up her board,  one of our kayaks, some sandwiches, and some beers to head over to Chatfield Reservoir. 

We spent an hour or so on the water and then came back and had lunch.

After lunch, we packed up a few beers and headed back onto the water.

The weather was great ... sunny and in the mid-80. Not too terribly hot.

It also wasn't as crowded as Chatfield Reservoir is quite often on a summer Saturday mid-day.

Here are some pictures:

Summer Lovin' American Wheat (Batch 291)

I brewed Sunday. My 15th batch of the year. My 291st batch in my brewing "career". This was also my 20th batch brewed on the Anvil Foundry.

The beer I brewed was the original Summer Lovin' American Wheat, 

Summer Lovin' is the base recipe of a bunch of beers that I brew. Lots of my fruit wheats use this as a base. But, it's been almost 4 years since I brewed this as a stand-alone beer.

Both my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) and myself were shocked when I looked up when the last brew day was.

And ... as I am spending 2021 exploring older recipes, I thought I had to brew this one up.

Summer Lovin' American Wheat

Vortex Steaks and Corn

On the 5th of July (Independence Day Observed), I had some ribeye steaks and corn on the cob to grill.

As you may remember from First Vortex Use, I received a (knockoff version of ) the Vortex, and I mentioned that it could be used in various configurations.

Monday, I thought I'd try another configuration. I turned it upside down and placed it towards the side of the trusty Weber kettle, filling it about 75% with lit charcoal.

I then started reverse searing the steaks with pecan wood chunks for awhile.

Paddle Board

If you've been following this blog for awhile ... you may know that the family has a couple of kayaks we use from time to time.

Good family fun.

My wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) has tried out paddle boarding a few times and seemed to enjoy it.

I thought that getting her a paddle board would be a something she would enjoy.

She had a birthday over the weekend, and this is the year I decided to buy her one. 

Nothing too fancy. I decided to get an inflatable one that could be packed up so that transporting it would be fairly easy.

Over the weekend, we headed up to the Lake Dillon area to have her try out her new toy.

First Vortex Use

On Fathers' Day, I received a new accessory for my Weber Kettle. It's a cheap knockoff of a Weber Vortex called a "Whirlpool". For the purposes of this blog, I'm going to refer to my new toy as a "Vortex".

The Vortex seems to be very popular on various Weber / BBQ forums I look at. It's shaped like a cone with the tip cut off. 

It can be used in various configurations, but I think the most common way to use it is to fill it with charcoal in the center of the kettle and have it concentrate the heat to allow a really high concentration of heat up the center.

It is supposed to provide an air-fried effect and many people swear it helps give really crispy skin on chicken (most often I see posts specific to wings).

A couple of Saturdays ago, I tried it out with this configuration for the first time with some chicken thighs. 

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

Fathers' Day 2021 in RMNP (Part 2)

As I mentioned in Fathers' Day 2021 in RMNP (Part 1), we went camping in Rocky Mountain National Park over Fathers' Day weekend.

On Saturday, we drove up Trail Ridge Road and enjoyed the mountain views.

Fathers' Day 2021 in RMNP (Part 1)

Like most Fathers' Days, we went camping as a family again this year. This year, we went to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).

I love camping and I'm glad that even though the kids are getting bigger, they still seem (for the most part) to enjoy going with me.

Happy Fathers' Day to me!

Here are some pictures from this weekend ...

5th Everest of 2021

I've done another Everest since 4th Everest of 2021.  Another 29,032 feet climbed. My 5th Everest ... over 145,160 feet.

According to Strava, I've climbed 147,350 feet while cycling, putting me just over my 5th Everest of 2021. Strava says I'm ahead by over 10,000 feet to reach 300,000 by the end of the year.

I've also cycled just over 2,500 miles, putting my ahead of schedule to reach 5,000 miles by the end of the year.

Eric's Red Ale (Batch 289) and Brisket

I brewed and made brisket this past Sunday. 

At the same time I was in Sam's Club picking up my Country Style Pork Ribs, I saw a 10 pound brisket, and generally when I see a full brisket at that size, I try to pick it up.

In my opinion, a 10 pound brisket is the perfect size for smoking on my Weber Kettle, so I felt like I had to pick it up.

As far as the beer ...

This brew day was my 289th batch of beer. It was the 18th on my electric Anvil Foundry.

The beer is a recipe I've made a lot over the years, but I have not brewed in a few years....

Country Style Pork Ribs

Last week, I was in Sam's Club looking at meat. I saw Country Style Pork Ribs, which is something I used to make quite a bit, but really have not made (as far as I remember) since getting my smokers.  

Seeing them made me want to have them. I bought them to smoke this past weekend.

Country Style Pork Ribs are not really ribs at all. They are actually cut from a pork shoulder (the standard pork butt that I made pulled pork from). I have no idea why they are called "ribs". Of course, I don't really understand why a pork shoulder would be called a "butt" either.

Another KFC

Well ... I've shared a couple of experiences I've had making Kettle Fried Chicken (KFC).

Basically the same concept of oven fried chicken only made on the Weber Kettle.

Kettle Fried Chicken (KFC) turned out pretty good.

KFC take 2 turned out even better.

I made some this past weekend ... pretty much the same as how I did it on KFC take 2. 

I think the crispiness was even better this time. I think the coating could have used a bit more flavor. Probably a little salt would have been good.

But... since I never really mark down exactly what I put in rubs and coatings etc ... I may or may not remember next time.

Tri-tips

I made tri-tips back in 2018 X-Mas Ale and Tri-tips and really liked them.

For whatever reason, I don't see tri-tips available in my area very often. Usually when I see them, they are more expensive than I'd like to pay.

So, I don't make them very often. In fact, I think I only made them that one time.

Maybe one other time.

Last week, randomly, I saw two tri-tips in my grocery store on sale, and I picked them up.

I smoked them on the kettle this weekend.

I decided to experiment again with the cast iron pan much like I did in Reverse Sear Steak on Cast Iron Pan.

E is for Evergreen Brewery

As you might have noticed from D is for Dead Hippie Brewing, the SheppyBrew Beer Model and I started up again on our A to Z Denver Breweries Project.

If you are familiar with the alphabet, you probably realize that next up was to find a Denver area brewery whose name started with the letter E.

Generally, when looking for these breweries, I hit the Colorado Brewery Map & List, and there are lots of "E" breweries in Colorado.

But, most of those are either not in the Denver area or we already have them covered.

There is one E brewery that while not REALLY in what I would consider the "Denver area", is fairly close to our house.

As a bonus ... this place also serves food, so we wouldn't have to pack a lunch.

E is for Evergreen Brewery

Reverse Sear Steak on Cast Iron Pan

Saturday, I had ribeye steaks in my fridge, and I decided to try making them a little differently.

The way I usually cook steaks is how I did them in Reverse Seared Ribeyes.

Cook the steaks indirect until they are just below their desired doneness.

Move to direct heat over the fire and sear them.

On a couple of youtube videos I had seen people basically the same thing, but rather than sear directly over the fire, they used a cast iron pan to add the crust.

I have a cast iron pan, so I thought I'd give this a try.

So, Saturday, I set up my fire in my two weber charcoal holders. This provided a circle of charcoal which was exactly the same size as my pan.

D is for Dead Hippie Brewing

It has been quite awhile since I've posted on my A to Z Denver Breweries Project.

This is mostly due to covid restrictions. Covid 19 sucks.

Restrictions have started lifting, and my entire family is vaccinated, so last Saturday, the SheppyBrew Beer Model and I decided to take a bike ride and continue round 3 of the project.

In C is for Cerveceria Colorado ... I sadly reported that "Dead Hippie Brewing Company" had permently closed due to not being financially able to survive the latest rounds of COVID restrictions.

However, at some point after that, someone stepped in and purchased the brewery, keeping the name.

Dead Hippie came back alive. I'm not 100% on the details, and the re-opening didn't have nearly as much press as the closing did.

Sort of strange ... but since it was back open ... even though I've been to Dead Hippie, we decided that.

D is for Dead Hippie Brewing

Infusion Roaster on the Kettle

 So ... I've had this "Turkey Cannon Infusion roaster" since right before I smoked my first turkey in 2018 (see Cherry Wood Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey).

I've used it a couple times for Turkey, and until this past weekend, I've used it once for chicken (see Smoked Chicken on Infusion Roaster).

You've probably noticed that I've been using my Weber Kettle for most of my grilling / smoking. It is easier to use than my off-set smoker, and I can shut down the vents so that the charcoal can be saved for the next cook.

Last time I cooked a whole chicken, I noticed that the beer can stand made the bird stand up so that the top of the kettle lid hit the bird. It was ok, but I not really ideal.

On one of my facebook forums, I noticed that someone placed their chicken in a pan on the charcoal grid rather than on the cooking grate.

This got me thinking ... my Infusion Roaster could rest on the charcoal grid and would allow plenty of room between the top of the bird and the kettle lid.

4th Everest of 2021

Since 3rd Everest of 2021, I've climbed another 29,032 feet on my bikes. Another Everest. 

According to Strava, I've cycled 1,896 miles so far in 2021 with 116,175 feet climbed. This puts me on track for 5,000 miles with 300,000 feet by the end of the year.