2nd Annual Garden State

348 entries with Reinke's Revenge 2019 (33A) and Kemosabe (22A) in their respective classes duking it out! As of now, I'm still waiting on sheets from AWOG in NY, but even in just their 2nd year the Garden State Homebrewers have it together enough to have results and sheets posted in less than 24 hours from the awards ceremony! So another 34 for RR, folks are not digging the Amburana wood as much as myself and neighbors, but Kemosabe stroked a 34 as well and a silver. Our Injun' is on a roll. With Reinke's judges are believing it to be "spiced" but in reality everything in this Impy is from the amburana. This is the second 34 in a row with just about the same notes, so I'll be sitting on the rest of this keg. Jersey, check!

Brew Batch #140 Southie v2.1

Using Imperial's B63 yeast, this version of Southie got chewed up! A beautiful medium brown with some garnet highlights and an FG 1.004-0.001 @57F. This is the batch where I would have found out about the other hydrometer being off fo sho'. So the question is do I go with my missed OG of 1.083 or my expected 1.096 on this overnight mash. My gut tells me this one landed where it should have just like Reinke's did (actually overshot) so we should be sitting at about 12.2%. It's on gas and should be ready for a little sampling this weekend.

SNAFU's 2020 Winterfest

Another fine, well run comp by SNAFU! Almost dead step with KCBM, Kemosabe (22A) went 38.3 and a bronze medal, whereas in a crowd favorite head scratcher Reinke's Revenge 2019 (33A) slipped on a 35.3 out of 82 entries? Not complaining just thought it would be the other way around. I'll take my third sweet-ass looking medal from this club with pride! Noticed I competed against a few of them in ND.

24th AWOG

Came and went, was put on by the Niagara Association of Homebrewers, and as of yet only the winners have been posted. I would think after doing this for almost a quarter of a century that they could at the minimum load scores into the brewcomp software, but the link now redirects to their personal club's blog post. All I can tell you is that it was supposed to be a 500+ comp and I didn't medal under any of the "tabs" listed on the club's site. I'll update as score sheets come in. 
(update 3/9/20: sheets finally here! Kemosabe was sent for both 22A & 21A and oddly enough did better as a pale ale than DIPA. 35 for the PA class and 25.5 for the DIPA class. Though all bottles were filled at the same time, apparently the ones for 21A had better head retention and the profile was more preferred whereas the 22A bottles were perceived as "slick" and oxidized. Go figure, got a NY medal already anyway)

Brew Batch #141 Pill Roller v2.1 (aka Go Pils)

As I attempt hopefully this final version of Pill Roller (my Czech Pils that's been an International Pale Lager all of it's creation, in other words just not quite crisp and florally hoppy enough), RP at OTB thought who better to try it on than the military. So in a joint venture and partially funded by ACSC, PR v2.1 became a 10 gallon batch to be split and given in half to them under the Formation Brewing Co label "Go Pils". I also have been using my new hydrometer that I won at Hoppy Halloween and after an overnight mash on next to no grain for a 10 gallon batch got the OG reading of 1.030 (expected 1.043 @66%) and almost blew a gasket! So I tried ole faithful I've had forever. Long story short, a quick water test at 64F let me know that the new colorful prize was off almost 20 points and that's what I've been measuring by for months now. OG 1.048+0.000@64F

KCBM 37

KCBM 37th Annual Homebrew Competition held today and 3rd time was a charm. It's a circuit qualification the High Plains Circuit, Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing and Midwest Homebrewer of the Year. Scale ups by KC Bier Co and Red Crow Brewing took place for best German ale and IPAout of the 556 entries this year. But Table 21: Strong Ales, had redemption for myself as part of FBC. Kemosabe, entered into both 21A and 22A snagged a little bronze for DIPA at a score of 38. No longer will this hang heavily over my head. First comp of the year, 500+, bling...check!

Brew Batch #137 Reinke’s Revenge 2019

This almost annual labor of love slid in to the keg after being on an Amburana wood spiral for 26 days (just couldn't wait the full 4 weeks). I'm so stoked about the slight smoke and gingerbread notes of this Brazilian oak that I kegged it with the original spiral and another 2&1/2" addition to hopefully put it over the top and the wood notes prevalent throughout the kegs lifespan, however long that may be. FG 1.022 +0.000@60F to make it a solid and most potent version made 11%. Maybe this will keep me off of the barrel aged stuff that took almost 10 months to make.

Brew Batch #140 Southie-12 v2.1

As I came across this recipe the other day, I realized I hadn't given it a "go" lately. So here we are with hopefully a better version of 2.0. Continental base malt throughout, a pound of dark candi sugar and a pound of turbinado all give an OG 1.083+0.001@80F. Trying out Imperial's B63 Monastic strain as well. And since it cost me $15 at my LHBS, I can tell you right now that the Bier de Garde I've been dying to try will quickly come up on the horizon! Think I'll go have a Westie-12 to celebrate Southie's rebirth.