New Year Beer Resolutions (2014)

Continue homebrewing more this year. I'd like to do about 50-60 gallons. 10-12 batches.

Currently doing all grain with some amateur water treatment.

2 Process oriented resolutions:
Get a temperature controlled frementation set-up, as I'd love to lager.
Experiment with more advanced mash schedules/profiles. Currently I just do 1 hour, at 150-156, with some batch sparging and recirculating.

Beers I want to brew this year:
Czech/Helles Pilsner, West Coast style DIPA, Hefenweizen, Rye IPA. I want to revist our Oatmeal Stout recipe and perfect it.

Hops I'd like to try: Amarillo, Simcoe, Galaxy/Nelson Sauvin, Columbus.

 

Explore some different styles. Take a trip to Tired Hands Brewing. Get to Vermont more.

 

1) Thin out the beer herd currently residing in my cellar
2) Explore more of the great local brews coming out of the Chicago-land. I've ignored them far too long.
3) Explore more of the Belgian style of beers. Had my first Orval Trappist Ale recently. Wow ......
4) Share the wonders of great beer and . . .
5) Make my trade partners shout so loud with glee, that I can hear them no matter where they live!!!! (That's what I call a win!)

 

Visit more cities with good beer that I have never been to.

 

I MIGHT be able to help you with that



My biggest beerolution is to brew more and buy less! Got a barrel project in the works to help that out!

 

Buy a chest freezer so I can lager my homebrews.

 

I wanted to do the whole Vermont thing (HF, Alchemist, etc.) last year but it didn't happen. This year I'm turning the big 4-0 so I'm doing it in May. I also want to visit Jack's Abby and Treehouse at some point this year.

 

My resolution is simple: Stop chasing limited beers and learn to appreciate the wide variety of awesome and just as delicious local and non-local brews which are readily available to me.

 

Procure a bottle of Cable Car and share it with my friends.

 

How do you get your hands on a barrel?

 

Drink less beer. Buy less beer. Trade less beer.

 

Depressing, but so true...

 

Try more new breweries beer.
Get into sours
Brew more on the homefront.
Dial in some recipes and try to nail a clone recipe or three.
Let Brett in.
Cleaning and disinfection.
More bicycling brewery field trips.
Get more shelving to put the homebrewery stuff up on.

 

Work towards more sustainable brewing practices - use less water.

 

Drink through my cellar (I have way too much) and drink mostly Michigan beer (since we have so many great breweries and supports the local economy).

 

1. Get back into reviewing beers - this has been a relaxing hobby for me since 2007 but I had little time/money for it after graduating, moving, and student loans kicking in.

2. Get back into trading beer- aside from #1 - my closest FedEx was 40 min away and after being burned on a few trades/BIFs it just wasn't worth the risk for me. I'd really like to try other people's great local beer rather than getting caught up in whale hunting again.

3. Visit more brewpubs. It will be hard to match 2013 with trips to Russian River, FiftyFifty and Three Floyds.

 

Drive to distillery, purchase barrel, drive home

 

Try to continue to buy 'new release' in limited numbers ,

enjoy more 'growlers' of Driftwood , Hoyne , Lighthouse , Moon Under Water , Phillip's , Spinnakers & Swan's ,
and add both Canoe , Vancouver Is. to that list

review the local 'places' especially the brewpubs

 

To finally get it through my thick skull that American beer needs to be defended against foreign intruders, that Dirt Wolf is actually a real beer and not my **** Hound's nickname, that brewing with my son is a huge pleasure with great results, and to take the dive like Cavedave and seriously provide beer for the greater good. Oh, and also to try to resist the genetic urge to play with words and be a smartass.

 

I'm doing a dry January (first time attempting this), then from Feb onwards, I plan on having at least 3-4 nights per week off, rather than 1-2.