Brew Batch #186 Reinke's Revenge 2023

We last heard from this batch in January of 24'. Well, 'Merica's 250th is here and what better day to finally keg this beauty. A compilation of 4 separate and blended batches of our "annual" favorite from 2005, this one sat in a John Emerald Spurgeon spiced rum barrel for almost 30 full months. Yield was monstrous as well considering the sleep! (About 13.5 gallons or more). The smell and taste are of absolute victory! ABV landed at 11.9% and the notes of barrel wood and pirate's liquid are a mélange of effort and patience. One keg will be of the barrel pull, a second of 3# red cherry puree and the third I'll hold out for now. Look for your 8oz pour at the taproom. 

Brew Batch #210 Occasionally

FG on this one 1.004+0.000 @66F with some gelatin for clearing as it seems that adding a whirfloc to anything nowadays is something I am painfully missing. Makes it 4.9% and lower than my last batch but those extra 4 points on the front end would've made the difference. Hoping this one is a bit more dialed into style so I can enter it into NGHC. Let's let it sit for a month to clear and see what happens. Onto the next batch!

Brew Batch #210 Occasionally

Needing to fulfill a neighbor's desire for a crisp quaffable German Pils, we enter into the foray of brewing Occasionally again. Grain bill is the same as last but after judging some of these at the last AL HBC, I changed the water profile just gering. I'm hoping bumping the CaSO4 gives it a perceived higher bitterness without the actually palate harshness. Also had a sh'ton of fresh WL830 in multiple generations, which is a good thing. OG 1.040+0.001 @74F

Brew Batch #209 HOLD FAST!

Cold crashed on 4/22 in an attempt to clear it up as I forgot all about the Whirfloc. FG 1.010+0.000 @63F gives it a gulp-able 4.2%. And it has now yielded a slap full quart and a half of 2^nd gen healthy yeast. 

Brew Batch #209 HOLD FAST!

In an attempt to perfect this recipe (and prop up more 2112 for the impending Baltic) we hit the high seas again. OG 1.042+0.000 @72F with a solid pitch of half a pint or so of 1^st gen. The previous batch drank so good it flew out of the tap!

2026 DCHB Cherry Blossom Comp

And just one week after a disappointing AL HB Cup, the same 2 beers, Little Sausage and HOLD FAST! represented here out of 286. The Vienna was pounded and included notes of monstrous oxidation (and a 22 overall, 😒). It was judged by pro brewer, Alex Spencer, from DC Brau. The heavy paper he noted was thanks to FedEx shaking it for an extra 2 damn days and making a fresh 3-day ship a 6-day endeavor.  The Anchor "nod" came in at 31 with expected notes of a smidge more hop bitterness needed (next batch will have Perle to bitter then NW for boil and flameout)  but still managed to snag🥉. I can mark DC off the list but really wanted them to have better entries from a shipping standpoint. May re-enter again next year for giggles. 

2026 AL Homebrewer’s Cup

Has come and gone with no jewelry again. Entered Little Sausages and HOLD FAST! with the steam style ultimately doing better. My Vienna gutted a 29 with notes of more complex malt profile and a more drying yeast even though FG was 1.007. Seems pretty dried out to me. HF! toed the line at 34 needing a smidge more NW hop profile. This I figured would be the case but thought those scores would be reversed? Either way both were noted to have clean fermentation profiles so maybe I’ll start bittering HF! with Perle and saving NW for later additions. Alas, my home state is becoming more difficult than all others to medal in. I’ve noticed it’s becoming easier to medal in larger comps with more of the same style than in smaller ones where they may be lumped into general categories ( ie “pale or amber” whatever) where related beers are judged against each other.