I've been notified that my entry has been received. The weekend of Feb. 3 - 5 is the judging. I've brought a couple of bombers of this batch up from the cellar to chill until Saturday night, when, in accordance with my superstition, I'll be tasting what the judges are tasting.

I've done all I can do.

The obvious solution is to not exercise.

I dropped my entry off last Friday. Judging to take place the first weekend in February. I'm a little more apprehensive about this competition than with other ones. I entered an American Pale Ale called FedoraDave's American Ale. Not only does it literally have my name on it, but it's the first all-...

Since I brewed this morning, I might as well get this perennial thread started. 1/1/23 - Tam O'Shanter Wee Heavy - 3 gallons 1/15/23 - Kingpin IPA - 5 gallons 1/22/23 - Porter - 3 gallons 1/29/23 - South Ferry Steam Beer - 5 gallons 2/19/23 - 2Daves Irish Red - 5 gallons 2/26/23 - 100 Years War IPA ...

All the best in 2023 to my fellow Borgites.

I squeeze the heck out of the grains. I use a strainer and a pot lid, and I keep twisting the bag to tighten it up as I go. I've won competition awards with the beers I've done this way.

Every serious brewer needs an assistant.

My granddaughter, Josie, helping with the first hop addition.

I can finally add to this! We had our kitchen remodeled, beginning mid-January, and it's finally done! Mid-April, and it's the first opportunity to brew. So here goes. 4/17/22 - FedoraDave's American Ale - 5 gallons 4/24/22 - 100 Years War IPA - 3 gallons 5/15/22 - Fedorus Magnus Kölsch - 5 gallons ...

I entered my sweet stout, Littlejohn's Ale, this year. I honestly didn't expect great results. I'm not a big fan of stouts, and would probably be a poor judge of the style. But I liked this beer, and so I figured "why not?" And I won second place! I'm gonna have to get a bigger frame for m...

On this day, in 1933, Prohibition was repealed. President Franklin Roosevelt announced, "I think we could all use a beer."

Well, I understand the principle behind it, Inkleg, but I've also had both ales and lagers that I submitted that were given high praise for their clarity, and they were bottled. But I may do that. I'd be ready to keg the batch in another week or two, so I'm likely to drink it all before submitting. ...

Kealia, I have actually decided to dry hop on my usual schedule, rack to a secondary and cold crash in the secondary. This will take the dry hop sack out of the picture, and free up my carboy, which is a consideration. And yes, the bottling can wait another week; there's something like two whole mon...

This makes sense, Berry. Thanks. I think I'll dry hop on Wednesday, crash on Saturday, pull the hop sack on Sunday, and then bottle on Monday.

I mean, I know what cold-crashing is, but I have a specific question about it for a batch I brewed yesterday. See, I intend to enter it in a competition in February 2022. And I'm tired of getting gigged in the Appearance category for cloudy beer, so I'm going to cold crash before I bottle. But here'...

Wow, Crazy, that's a great list! Thanks for the time it took to compile it. I can definitely see myself taking this road trip, and perhaps I'll plan on doing it next autumn, so I can look at some lovely fall foliage while I sip awesome microbrews!

Yep. Plans like a sound, don't it?