Brewing Goals 2013

I may not stick to the “Lose 20 lbs” or “Run a mini-marathon” New Year's resolutions, but I have been fairly diligent about working towards yearly goals in the brewhouse. This year, I have set the bar high:

1. Brew more than forty (40) 5-gallon batches within the year.

Practice makes perfect. Pretty simple.

2. Start and maintain a blog as a brew log.

To become more purposeful in my brewing schedule, I have started working on a few of my existing recipes rather than brewing a different style every week. In doing this, I have noticed my attention to note-taking is lax on a fairly consistent basis. This blog will hopefully improve my note-taking and planning habits.

3. Pitch appropriate cell counts for every batch.

Brewing 40 batches will be a lot of work! To make the beer worth the effort, I plan to spend more time preparing yeast starters, as well as collecting, storing, and maintaining yeast from successive batches.

4. Win 1^st place in any category at the Indiana Brewers Cup.

In the past three years, I have placed either second or third in various categories at this competition. Its time to add my first blue ribbon to the collection!

5. Enter at least one beer in the NHC.

I have never competed in any other competition aside from the Brewers Cup. The NHC will provide great feedback and a good bench mark of my abilities.

6.Go to the NHC!

I also have never attended an NHC! My work schedule has never allowed for it, but this year I have made it a priority.

7. “Clone” my own beer – repeatedly brew the same Pale Ale recipe three times in a row.

If there is a theme to this year’s goals, it’s refocusing my attention on recipe formulation and consistency. I have recipes that I brew on a seasonal or yearly basis, but never with the frequency to test consistency from batch to batch. I believe the ease or difficulty in achieving this goal will reveal a lot about me as a brewer.

Let's get to it!