Hmmm....I'm rethinking my brew calendar....

[FedoraDave]

I try to plan a few brews ahead, so I can keep the pipeline flowing, as well as get my ingredients in a timely way.

I just brewed a fiver of FedoraDave's American Ale, which is very Simcoe-y. I've never actually sat down and compared the ingredients and numbers and stuff to any BJCP style guidelines, but I'd have to guess it's closest to an American Pale Ale.

Well, I noticed that right after I keg that, I had planned on turning around and brewing a fiver of Crown Top Pale Ale. I also plan on bottling a 2.5 of PacTiki Pale Ale next weekend. Not that there's anything wrong with having a lot of Pale Ale on hand; I like it a lot, which is why I have so many different recipes for it.

But why? I asked myself. Why have three Pale Ales in the pipeline all at once? Do you really need 12.5 gallons of Pale Ale to drink over the next few months? And I answered myself, No. No, I really don't.

So I'm scrapping the Crown Top for now, and substituting a fiver of 2Daves Irish Red. Mellow, malty, slightly smoky. It'll be a nice alternative to the hop-forward lighter brews, and I can always brew the Crown Top later on, to have plenty on hand for the warmer weather.

Having a Dry-Erase calendar in the ManCave is very handy! I can see a whole month ahead and make my plans accordingly.

[Kealia]

You can never have too much Pale Ale. I'm just sayin'.

But good for you for planning things out like you do to stay on top of things.

[John Sand]

" Do you really need 12.5 gallons of Pale Ale to drink over the next few months? "
You mean weeks, right?
While I brew as much Pale Ale as everything else together, I agree with your reasoning. I'm also looking at Pales, but I'm drinking one, kegging one next week, and one is nearly ready. So I probably have 10 gallons handy. My next brew will be nearly Irish Red. Then maybe a rye. And I'm not completely joking about the timeline. During warm weather I drink about 2 gallons a week. I've cut down since the holidays, and less exercise has already added to my waist.

[jimjohson]

Good idea, it'll be ready for St Paddy's Day

[FedoraDave]

Good idea, it'll be ready for St Paddy's Day

I hadn't even considered that, but you're right! Brewing it on Feb. 1 gives me six weeks or so.

John Sand, I've cut down on my beer consumption since 1/1/15, too. I'd already added to my waistline over the past year, and I want to slim down by the time my daughter gets married in September, so I'm really watching everything I shove down my gullet. I'm sticking to two beers a night from now on.

[ScrewyBrewer]

I can only hope to know what motivates me to brew a particular style of beer. Sometimes the idea of taking on a new brewing challenge or sometimes it's just wanting to try my hand at brewing an old favorite. But the one thing they all have is common is that I get to brew again.

[Beer-lord]

I try to plan ahead.....my recipes are planned, just not always my time. I've not brewed in a few weeks and it appears to be many more before I brew again both because of time and pipeline. This is the longest I've gone without brewing since I started back on this hobby after a 15 year break. I think of brewing every day but am trying to learn patience. That's the hardest part.

Like some of you I try not to drink as much. Hardly at all during the week other than a taste test or two.

[BlackDuck]

I envy you for being able to plan that far ahead, I wish I could do that. I usually look at a calendar and see that the next weekend is open along with the day that I would need to bottle, if they are, I run to the store and get my ingredients.

[John Sand]

I'm also at two beers a day, down from 3-4. Except on Sunday. Even watching both football games last Sunday I only drank 3.
As to planning ahead, I should do more. In two years brewing I've made 3 holiday beers: 1 Christmas Red, 1 Irish Red, and 1 Pumpkin Ale. I don't really plan my brews months ahead, but I should start with the seasonals. Next year I hope to brew my Pumpkin in July. This year I brewed it in early December and it wasn't really good until Christmas.

[RickBeer]

If I consumed 2 beers every day, and more on weekends, I'd look like some of you... If I hit 6 in a week it's a big week, most weeks I have 1 or 2 during the week, maybe another 1 on the weekend.

I go to the LHBS and buy 2 or 3 brews - i.e. one now, one in 3 weeks, one in 6 weeks. So I don't go again for 9 weeks, i.e. 5 times a year.

My spreadsheets says "REBREW" when I get to 18 or less 12 bottle equivalents. When I drink brews I save the labels, then change the spreadsheet the next day, and it shows me my inventory. Right now I have to rebrew all those brews I brought to family and friends in Florida.

[DaYooper]

For the most part I always keep an IPA on tap. Just kicked the Black F-Rye Day IPA and replaced it last night with Peak's Pike IPA. So, looking at brewing up Nuggetade next. For the darker or more complex beers like the Northern Brown Ale in the LBK I bottle those up for variety. They tend not to go as fast as they are generally beers SWMBO is not extremely fond of, so they get to age. Plus, I think she would now shoot me if there was not an IPA on tap now that she is accustom to it.

[D_Rabbit]

Good idea, it'll be ready for St Paddy's Day

I hadn't even considered that, but you're right! Brewing it on Feb. 1 gives me six weeks or so.

John Sand, I've cut down on my beer consumption since 1/1/15, too. I'd already added to my waistline over the past year, and I want to slim down by the time my daughter gets married in September, so I'm really watching everything I shove down my gullet. I'm sticking to two beers a night from now on.

I hear that. Not that I'm over weight by any means but since I got married 5 years ago i've put on 40lbs. Now in my opinion, that 40lbs finally put me in the range I should have been my entire life but the problem is where the range of weight went to...... my stomach and waist. I've gone up 2 pant sizes and the Mrs. isn't too happy about it. She decided for our New Year Resolution we would lose weight and get in to shape. I figured it can't hurt. Give me a reason to consume more

[Knightmare]

Stop! You had me at 2 Dave's Irish! I picked up the ingredients to brew this myself. It's a recipe I still brew a couple times a year. It's my St. Pattys Day beer every year. We did good on that one, huh!

[jimjohson]

I decided to take a shot at an Irish Red and picked up the stuff today.

[FedoraDave]

Vince, it's not so much knowing what motivates me to brew a certain style; it's more looking at current inventory (what's in the fermentors plus what's conditioning/being consumed) and looking ahead to what will be on hand down the road. Anything seasonal has to be timed correctly, and a two/three-month lag time is required for any beer -- sometimes longer, and I also want to balance the long-lagering beers with the ones that are better when young. So there's more to it, for me, than just deciding what I'm in the mood to brew right now. In my college days, I interned at a magazine publisher, and I learned that the lead time for every issue is about six months. It's rather strange to be editing Christmas stories in May or June, but you get used to it.