Brew Batch #118 Cabana Boy

Trying to keep a Berliner on tap to throw the neighbors a growler filling curve ball, Cabana Boy filled a keg slap up to the gas post after adding 32 ounces of pineapple juice and 90mls of coconut flavoring. So far, these have fared as well as most of my hazies. Orange Creamsicle was my first gold medal, Smurf Whizz was just fun/funny to drink and this one should keep later Pale Ales and IPAs on tap a little longer. FG 1.002-0.001@57F for a hefty 4.4%.

Brew Batch #119 Aoteaoroa v1.1

With slight change in grain bill ridding it of the Maris Otter and simply replacing with 2-row, I'm hoping this one doesn't come across as sweet and misperceived as oxidized. Same everything else. Better BE this time and OG 1.058+0.000@66F. I noticed on the previous score sheets everyone wants their PAs more bitter almost pushing low level IPA bitterness as opposed to relative balance. We'll see if this one scores any better cause I can assure you the keg kicked so fast at the tap that there was no oxidation.

2019 IBU Open

Then there was the Iowa comp with 365 entries that after doing this for years could only muster posting my failure the next day some 18 hours after start of awards ceremony. However, my previous silver medalist from Port City tagged a 35 with A by S a 31. Score sheets not available and according to previous sources that have been in this comp, I may not see them for 2 weeks (even electronically). So 1 of 3 and a little burn out. Lemme brew some fresh entries and see what I can do with some old favs with new twists. 

2019 Port City Plunder

Then I dipped into Wilmington, NC for round 2 of the evening put on by the Wort City Brewers. No coincidence that with 252 entries folks in NC (home of Asheville) were ready for a little SHV NEIPA cause Mab's grabbed some silver there. Unfortunately reggiebeer was used and they're currently on a learning curve of how to post scoresheets? So no idea how Addition by Subtraction and Gettin' Lei'd fared. I'll update this post later when that comes in. (update 3/28/19, Mab's pumped a 40, A by S 27 and Gettin' Leid 28, reading over score sheets)

2019 Star City Throw Down

For yet another brew off weekend, Star City Homebrew Throwdown started it off at 5pm CST with Mab's Milkshake and Addition by Subtraction in attendance. But out of 114, no bling was to be mine from Old Dominion. Mab's garnered 34 with all notes pointing to "interesting" but the BJCP world isn't ready for milkshake IPAs. Addition by Subtraction the inadvertent lager eked out a 28. Weird, a lot of the final notes stated "no faults" but gave little else as to why it scored the way it did. My only beef is that this comp took almost 24 hours to post scores and only had minimal entries. Other than that the score sheets posted relatively quickly with many of the hometown crew getting medals. 

Brew Batch #118 Cabana Boy

As spring creeps upon us, I opted into an early Berliner to enjoy. Not as wild as Smurf Whizz and more closely tied to Orange Creamsicle, this Berliner will be on fresh coconut and mango (haven't ruled out vanilla). OG 1.035+0.005@102F (yeah that's correct), letting lacto work on it for 48hours prior to crashing for 1056 finish.

2019 Suwanee Beer Festival

After being "robbed" last year, I was determined to medal in this comp. So I pulled out the big guns in Rasta Reinke's Revenge and my new "pea-shooter" Mab's Milkshake. Rasta took a bronze with 37.5 and Mab's fared much better than previous with 33.5. Thanks to my neighbor blowing the keg, Rasta's run has ended by medaling in 3 of 4 entered comps. 206 total entries judged. And btw, I wasn't "robbed" I just obviously needed to up my game. Just wish they'd come down off the $9 entry. That may keep me from entering again now that I've placed. 

Brew Batch #116 Gettin' Lei'd

Slid into the keg with a little SMB (new method I'm trying to deplete oxygen pick-up) along with 118mls of banana and 15mls of accenting coconut flavorings. FG 1.016-0.001@48F to give this sweet stout base a 6.2%abv. It was only on Kona coffee beans for 30 hours but it had a massive almost acrid impact. I'm hoping as the carbonation flows in some of that will balance out and I found in the trial runs of mixing that the banana accents the toasted coconut very well. Start grabbing samples in a week.

2019 Winterfest

Put on by SNAFU with 129 entries duking it out. This was a Rasta Reinke's, Aotearoa and Mab's Milkshake (1st time entering) event and it did not disappoint! Rasta garnered it's second 🥈 with 36.6, then Aotearoa and Mab's dragged the totals down with a 26.5 and 24.5 respectively. But I can now "check" NV off the list.