Not sure what’s in store for 2012. I think my process and equipment is finally stable so I hope to make some (more) kick ass beer I am going to start blending Lambic, since I’ve brewed a batch each year for the past 3 years (raw wheat, turbid mash, aged hops) and it’s finally time to make some gueze. I also want to try a few small jugs aged with different fruit.
I went to my first NHC in 2011, got a pH meter, motorized my grain mill, and dialed in some of my favorite styles. I was also really pleased with some competition results that I got (and others, not so pleased ;) ). I already have a pump, plate chiller, 20 gallon kettle, second freezer for lagering, refractometer, microscope, hemacytometer, etc, so I don’t think I need any more toys this year.
2011 was a busy year for me. Learned to be a papa. started kegging and brewed 25 gallons of the same recipe, learning all about consistency. I think I got a handle on barley wines finally (the trick is to keep it simple ;)). made huge leaps in my general process. fell in love with partigyle. made my first barrel aged beer which I think is my best beer so far, a really solid and drinkable 11% barley wine. It’s going to age well I think but it’s delicious already.
2012 I am going to start entering some contests for the feedback. keep brewing lots of fun beer. dial in a couple more recipes. grow my own hops and (hopefully) malt some of my own grain.
To all who replied, Thanks. Its great to hear of everyone’s success and optimism. I have the fire on the kettle now. Knocking out one last batch for the year. I’m doing 10 gallons of my Vanilla Porter. I’ll split half of it off and age on Bourbon soaked American oak cubes. Cant wait to try this one out in the new year! Cheers!
I will brew at least six times in 2012. I realize that isn’t much by serious brewing standards, but it will keep me in the game, and is realistic for the year ahead, which has a lot happening elsewhere in my life. For me, planning the next brew session is part of the pleasure. I’m going to calendar my brew sessions later today. If I can brew more, great.
The key goal I have for 2012 is to introduce more process into my process, both for making the brewing experience easier physically and to produce more consistent beers. (Consistently good, of course )
2012 will include entering and judging some competitions. We will go to the NHC again. A trip back to Germany is planned (airline tickets are bought so we are going). Brewing an American Barleywine tomorrow.
My resolution for 2011 last year was to brew something that didn’t taste like homebrew. I think I’ve got that pretty much accomplished.
Made the switch to all-grain and brewed about 25 or 30 all grain batches, very few of them from recipe (but with lots of help from the forum).
Tried a decoction mash - not gonna rush to do another in 2012
Won 3 gold medals for different brews, a wit, an APA and a Kolsch.
Really happy with my APA recipes and my Cali Common
Began using starters and washing yeast.
Joined the AHA
For 2012
Continue to perfect my system and maybe clean up my basement so I have more than 10 square feet to brew in.
Try a barley wine
Continue to work on perfecting the process for lagers
Win CABA Brewer of the Year as a stepping stone to my 2013 Ninkasi win
Drink a metric butt load of homebrew.
2011:
I brewed 9 batches this year. Although looking back a lot of them were non-beer.
I made a hard lemon aide, 2 california commons, 2 stouts, A cycer, 2 meads, and a dopplebock.
2012:
I hope to make some session beers. Be more willing to hand out my stuff to others. I have at least one competition I’m entering. I’m also looking into becoming a judge; or at least review judging to help my beer.
2011: First full year of brewing!! I met the goals that I had set (switch to all grain, start using yeast starters, enter a competition, and start kegging). I also found a fridge for fermentation so i can ferment at what ever temp I would like.
2012: I plan on moving to ten gallon batches, entering more compietitions(for more feed back), improving house brews(ESB, IPA, Porter) and keeping better records.
2011 - Started this year with a deployment, so spent the first 10 months reading, listening to podcasts, and planning my first batch. Successfully completed 5 extract batches (APA, N English Brown, Robust Porter, Brown Porter, IPA) all of them tasting great.
Joined the AHA
Joined the Cascade Brewers Guild
2012 - Move to All Grain (Success! Brewed a Special Bitter today)
Complete at least 30 Batches
Begin to dial in recipes of my favorite styles
Attend NHC in my Backyard
Enter at least 5 beers in competitions for the feedback
Purchase a fermentation freezer
Drink More Homebrew
2011 was a special year for me. In July I celebrated my 40th year of brewing at home. It was also a year in which I ‘changed up’ or modified some procedures and methods I had been using for at least the last 20 of those years…I decided to give a try to some of the great tips and bits of info that show up on the forum (thanks Denny, Gordon, Keith, Kristen, Kai, and others).
File 2011 under “old dog, new tricks”
Due to my work taking me out of town for extended stretches of time, I only managed to do around 14 batches in 2011 and some of them are still aging, but fortunately I was not wanting for beer at any time. ;D The biggest development of the year for me was diving headlong into the wild world of water chemistry, thanks to a sad decline in the quality of the municipal water supply in Central NJ.
On the upside, doing so has done unexpected wonders for some of the darker brews which I was happy with before, but which I now find much more satisfying.
Although 2012 is looking to be a busier year for me professionally than last year (with at least one extended gig on the west coast at some point), I’m still looking forward to getting in at least the same number of batches as 2011; I’ve already gotten a head start on 2012’s Xmas Ale.
And I aim to delve a bit more into lager brewing, something I’d done only very sporadically in the past.
We got our first ten gallons done yesterday as well. We brewed a variation of a Black IPA, Dark IPA, Cascadian Dark IPA, or a bigfoot beer. Whatever you want to call it. OG was was 1.082, and the only the second time using straight O2 to oxygenate. Hopefully the 1056 can handle that OG, it was bublling within three hours. Plus, BeerSmeith said 147 IBU’s, but we used some older hops. Also, someone once said it’s impossible to go over 100 IBU’s. Any thoughts?
2011 was a busy year for me personally, but I still managed to squeeze in 22 batches. I also put a 10-gallon system into place, added another fridge for lagering, and started paying close attention to water chemistry, which has really made a big difference in my beer.
For 2012, assuming the world doesn’t come to an end, I’d like to enter more comps, take the BJCP exam, and try to get to the NHC. And of course, brew more beer.
Thoughts - The Chico yeast has no problems with 1.082 OG. As for 100 IBU’s that is difficult to achieve, but not impossible. The limit is sometimes said to be 110ish. Someone in the industry here in MI said one of their beers measured 113 in the lab. That one was kind of bitter.
Many beers that are advertised over 100 are usually lower. A beer that I thought had high IBU’s, around 99, came in at 65 when measured in a lab.
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