It is already April. The first quarter of 2026 is done. Time to report on the Q1 SheppyBrew Brewing stats.
Both last year and 2024 yielded 95 gallons of beer, which is lower than any year since 2016.
If the first 3 months are an indication, 2026 will be an even less volume. Significantly less. As I type this, I'm tracking to less than 60 gallons for the year, which would be the least amount of beer brewed EVER!
I'm not sure if the brewing will pick up this year or not. I guess we'll see.
So far in 2026, I've brewed 3 batches of beer.
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| Hop-cember Pale Lager |
Plus, I from time to time I'll look at older updates just to see where I was way-back-when.
LITTLETON, CO – April 1, 2026:
Well, folks… it finally happened.
After years of brewing by hand, experimenting with styles, and occasionally arguing with the Beer Model about whether fruit belongs in beer (it doesn’t), SheppyBrew Brewery has officially entered the age of artificial intelligence.
I am both proud and mildly horrified to announce the newest member — and now sole decision‑maker — of the SheppyBrew team:
The SheppyBrew Beer Model and I went on a cruise. My first. Her second.
I don't really consider myself a "Cruise Guy", but the drink package and the people we were with made it lots of fun.
I ate too much. Drank too much. Didn't get enough sleep. My Garmin watch health stats said "what the hell are you doing?"
It was a ton of fun, and I'm only now feeling recovered from the trip.
Style: Baltic Porter Brewer: SheppyBrew ABV: 6.4% IBU: 27 SRM: 26
A deep, opaque mahogany that borders on black, glowing with garnet highlights when caught by a strong light. The pour builds a dense, tan head with fine bubbles and excellent retention, leaving tight rings of lace as it slowly recedes. The beer looks rich and substantial without appearing syrupy — a classic dark lager sheen.
Smooth layers of dark chocolate, toasted bread crust, and subtle roast rise first, followed by hints of dried cherry and plum. A clean lager fermentation keeps everything crisp and uncluttered. Beneath the malt depth is a faint whisper of earthy hops and a touch of caramelized sugar. Nothing sharp, nothing burnt — just deep, polished malt complexity.
Style: West Coast Pilsner ABV: 5.7% IBU: 35 SRM: 5.0
Bright citrus and pine leap out first — grapefruit zest, lemon peel, and a clean resin snap. Beneath that sits a subtle floral note and a faint hint of fresh‑cut grass. The pilsner malt supports everything with a light crackery sweetness, never competing with the hops. Fermentation stays clean and neutral, letting the hops shine with West Coast clarity.
A crisp, snappy bitterness leads but never overwhelms. Citrus (grapefruit, orange pith), pine, and a touch of herbal spice define the hop profile. The malt character is lean and crackery, adding just enough backbone to keep the bitterness in balance. The finish is dry, brisk, and refreshing — a classic West Coast bite delivered through a pilsner’s clean, streamlined frame.
I've been training for the Platte River Half Marathon in mid-April. It is one of my Fitness Goals to finish a Half Marathon in 2026.
Other than running while playing and practicing for various sports when I was younger, I've never really been a runner. In fact, my first run on Strava was in April of last year.
So, in about a year, I'm basically going from running zero to running a full Half Marathon.
According to ChatGPT, 0.6% of Americans run a half marathon in a given year. 1-3% of adults have ever run at least one half marathon in their lifetime. About 11% of runners have completed or are training for a half marathon.
I don't care enough to double check ChatGPT's stats on this; I'm just going to trust that they are close.
So, by finishing a Half Marathon, I'll be an elite group.
So, it is probably worth a quick reminder ... I created a list of BJCP beer styles that I've never brewed. When I want to decide which beer style to brew next, I roll a virtual 20-sided online die, and brew the style that corresponds with the number that comes up.
Pretty simple, right?
The last style I "rolled" was Roll-a-Style 16: 26C. Belgian Tripel back in October, and I didn't brew it until November with Yoker Belgian Tripel (Batch 385).
Recently, I brewed Whisper of the Tengu Rice Lager (Batch 388), which is a lager. I thought I'd harvest the Tengu yeast and brew a lager on my Roll-a-Style list.
So ... I pretended to roll a 4:
So ... for Christmas, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) got me a "Chouffe Discovery Pack".
Chouffe, of course is a world-famous Belgian brewery. If I were to visit Belgium someday, it would certainly be on my list to visit.
As luck would have it, I have a SheppyBrew "Belgian Triple" on tap, "Yoker". While brewing Whisper of the Tengu Rice Lager (Batch 388), I decided to try La Chouffe Belgian Blond Beer and Yoker Belgian Tripel together.
Yoker is significantly lighter in color and much more clear. It is also drier and (in my opinion) more "drinkable".
Pale straw with a faint golden shimmer, crystal clear and effervescent. A delicate white head forms on the pour, then settles into a thin halo, leaving faint lacing on the glass. The clarity invites contemplation—like moonlight through mist.
Soft and restrained. Notes of steamed jasmine rice and fresh-cut hay drift gently upward, joined by a whisper of floral hops. There’s a subtle minerality, like spring water over stone, and a clean fermentation profile that keeps the nose crisp and quiet.
As you know if you read 2026 Fitness Goals, I'm training for a Half Marathon in April, the "Platte River Half Marathon".
I'm following Runna's Half Marathon plan, and one of the options in the Runna app is including "B-Races" as part of the plan.
In case you're unfamiliar, a "B‑Race" is a race you do during training to help you prepare for your main race, which is called your "A‑Race".
Fairly obvious if you think about it in context, but it was not a term I knew about until I started with Runna.
Coincidently, there was a 5k Race planned that starts and ends at the same spot as my "Platte River Half Marathon" that took place last Sunday.
