NHC 2011 San Diego - I'm Going For It

I've made it a goal to seriously brew and try to get a beer into the second round of the nationals this next year. Since the NHC is in San Diego this next year and is fairly local for me I am planning to go to the whole thing and want to at least be in the running for a medal. So, since last month I have been planning and brewing to get as many beers in as many categories as I can just to play the numbers game a little. I have the brews planned along with repitching yeast for similar styles for optimum yeast health, faster turnover, and a little savings on $. Here's what I have brewed so far:

From a pitch of WLP 002 English Ale
English Mild
Southern English Brown
Oatmeal Stout
Sweet Stout

WLP 028 Edinburgh Ale
Scottish 60/-

The 60/- is fermenting now, and that yeast will be split to make a 70/-, 80/-, Wee Heavy and an Irish Red

Here's the rest of the plan from now until spring 2011 with the yeast strains and the brews from them:

WLP 840 American Lager
American Light Lager
American Premium Lager
American Dark Lager
Classic American Pils

WLP 833 German Bock
Munich Helles
Munich Dunkel
Schwarzbier
Bock
Doppelbock - time permitting

WLP 013 London Ale
Northern English Brown
Brown Porter
English IPA
English Barleywine

WLP 002 English Ale
Ordinary Bitter
Best Bitter
ESB

WLP 036 Dusseldorf Alt
Northern German Alt
Dusseldorf Alt

WLP 300 Hefeweizen
German Hefeweizen
Dunkelweizen
Roggenbier
Weizenbock - time permitting

WLP 001 American Ale
Blonde Ale
American Brown
American Stout
Robust Porter
Russian Imperial Stout
Cream Ale
American Pale Ale
American IPA
Double IPA
Amber Ale
American Barleywine

My list is a bit overly ambitious, and I doubt I will be able to brew all of them. The American ales will be definitely brewed last to preserve the hop character. I will post regular updates as I go. My biggest bottle neck in the process is kegging/bottling, mostly freeing up keg space to carb and condition. We'll see how far I get. Here's to seeing you in San Diego!

Very ambitious. Good luck.

I smell Ninkasi winner...I don't think Gordon Strong is shooting for it this year.

That looks like an awesome plan, you have some serious brewing to do. Best of luck!

Do you know the first round entry date?

Online entry normally opens late Feb/Early March. Bottles needing to arrive late March early April.

Yes, the bottle entry dates are usually by early April and I'm going to need all of that time. The drop off for So Cal has been AleSmith in San Diego, so I plan on driving down my entries near the end of that window. If there's anyone in the LA area that plans on entering, maybe we can work out some arrangement or even carpool, with a stop at a brewery or two after.

Today I brewed the 70/- and 80/-, so hopefully next weekend will be the Irish Red and Wee Heavy.

Here's the update:

English Mild
Southern English Brown
Oatmeal Stout
Sweet Stout
Scottish 60/-
Scottish 70/-
Scottish 80/-

Up next: Irish Red and Wee Heavy

Oh yeah. I should have remembered that timeline. I mean I entered last year. Even got one into the second round. I might brew some for this, but I really hope I'll be somewhere on the path to professional by the time NHC comes around, so we'll see how that goes.

Update on the brews so far:

Progress and setback -

All of the Scottish/Irish beers are brewed as of today. Between yesterday and today I kegged the 70 and 80/- and brewed the Irish Red and Wee Heavy.

Here's the setback. I noticed an off flavor in my Southern English Brown a few weeks ago but let it sit to see if it would go away. Instead it got worse. And it showed up in the other two beers from that yeast pitch. Somehow after I kegged my Mild the yeast sample got contaminated. The Southern Eng. Brown, Oatmeal Stout and Sweet Stout are no good. If I can get around to them again I will when I do the other beers with 002, if not there's three less off my list.

List:
English Mild
Scottish 60/-
Scottish 70/-
Scottish 80/-
Irish Red
Wee Heavy

Brewsmith said:

Update on the brews so far:

Progress and setback -

All of the Scottish/Irish beers are brewed as of today. Between yesterday and today I kegged the 70 and 80/- and brewed the Irish Red and Wee Heavy.

Here's the setback. I noticed an off flavor in my Southern English Brown a few weeks ago but let it sit to see if it would go away. Instead it got worse. And it showed up in the other two beers from that yeast pitch. Somehow after I kegged my Mild the yeast sample got contaminated. The Southern Eng. Brown, Oatmeal Stout and Sweet Stout are no good. If I can get around to them again I will when I do the other beers with 002, if not there's three less off my list.

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That sucks! Did you get a lacto infection? That happened to me once, and I had about 3 beers to suck down really fast and give up hopes for a comp with them. The good news is that you still have a ton of time.

I wish I could be at NHC 2011, but I'm almost certain it's not going to happen for me.

I'm not exactly sure. Nothing was growing. No pelicle. But there was a tart note and the beers kept getting drier and worse as time went on. And I was trying to be as careful as I could. It could have been that the flask didn't get immaculately clean when I racked off the Mild. Oh well.

Yooper_Brew said:

I wish I could be at NHC 2011, but I'm almost certain it's not going to happen for me.

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Awww boo! I am going to be there, and was hoping to meet up with you for a beer or six, I assume there will be a vast HBT get together at the event?

I am looking forward to getting some beers into the comp as well, I will be focusing on my favorite rock solid recipes, maybe a few new ones as well.

azscoob said:

Awww boo! I am going to be there, and was hoping to meet up with you for a beer or six, I assume there will be a vast HBT get together at the event?

I am looking forward to getting some beers into the comp as well, I will be focusing on my favorite rock solid recipes, maybe a few new ones as well.

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It seems like the only time there is a "vast HBT get together" is if I'm there to organize the troops. I'm sort of, I don't know, pushy I guess, and I send out text messages stating where to go and when. We had about 20 HBTers at lunch on Friday, but SoperBrew wasn't responding so I had to call him and go drag his sorry hungover ass out with us.

I went out on a Pubcrawl with Soper, Chriswilkes, Thataintchicken, and myself. I have to say that those are the funniest drunks I ever hung out with. OllllO met up with us as we staggered into the hotel.

HBTers, and homebrewers in general, are the most wonderful people I've had the chance to meet. I'd love to go to SD, but it's not in my budget this year. It's easily $1200 or more for me to go to the conferences, and I don't have anybody to share a room with to help with expenses. Last year, just the hotel was over $600.

I did not get an invite to that?? now I am going to pout in a corner!

azscoob said:

I did not get an invite to that?? now I am going to pout in a corner!

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NHC 2010! Everyone was invited.

Anyway....good luck Brewsmith!