Brewing/beer resolutions...

[Zamial]

So, as it is now the new year and it is still young did anyone make any serious resolutions that had something to do with brewing/home brews/beer, that they really are trying to keep?

Mine is: "I will not buy beer that comes in bottles or cans for myself."

I have been spending a good chunk of cash and time tracking down other peoples beer. I have come to the realization that I can be a beer snob or I can be a home brewer but not both...

In order to help me stay on track. I have created a brewing schedule for all of next year.

What is yours?

 

[BreckBastion]

I too have created a brew schedule. My resolution is to spend time with the wife and dog while brewing as much as possible. I will most likely have to lay off of it for a year and half as my ship is going on another deployment and ending up in Virginia. We will be apart for a year straight after that. Next year I will be at sea for almost all but 4 months. Sometimes I can't believe some of us can stay married. Glad I found such a great woman and the best dog you can.
cheers everyone and Happy New Year!!

 

[WAORGANY]

Well as I type this now I am brewing the first batch of beer for the Brew Year, 2011...it is a extract kit that will soon be Raspberry Wheat one of my wife's favs....so the last Brew of last year 2010, was on 31 DEC 2010!!! It was a partial grain kit Caribou Slobber Brown (Northern Brewer) just loved the name....
As I have one more partial grain kit remaining.....Dry Irish Stout....my Brew Years resolution is to complete my ALL ELECTRIC HERMS, and go full grain for 2011 and the future!!!! I also want to revise the 'local' brew club back to life, here in the NNY, (Watertown/Ft. Drum) Area...used to meet at teh Winemaker our LHBS. I think the brew schedule is a great idea..wonder who can stick too it, because, as well all know life happens. Wishing you all the very best in 2011!!!

 

[WAORGANY]

I too have created a brew schedule. My resolution is to spend time with the wife and dog while brewing as much as possible. I will most likely have to lay off of it for a year and half as my ship is going on another deployment and ending up in Virginia. We will be apart for a year straight after that. Next year I will be at sea for almost all but 4 months. Sometimes I can't believe some of us can stay married. Glad I found such a great woman and the best dog you can.
cheers everyone and Happy New Year!!

Breck,

Thanks for your service!!! I am retired Army so I feel your pain, it takes a great spouse and family to stand behind our service members!!!

 

[winstonofbeer]

I need to get my act together and really, Find more time to brew with different yeasts.
Also, I need to get a design for my collapseable brew/burner stand and then get it built.

Basically i want to get to be able to set up all 3 burners in one stand...But it will be able to be broken down into 3 single burners easily so they can be put away with least amount of effort and space. Oh and cost is a factor too.

 

[BSBeer]

I feel you man, I'm prior Navy as well. What boat you on?

 

[AnonyBrew]

1. Have a minimum of 3 taps going all year and never run dry.
2. Get a Mead pipeline going.
3. Upgrade my MLT so I can accurately maintain a recirculated mash temp.
4. Find some type of bulk buy source (existing or create a new one)

 

[steveo929]

I have a new brewstand being built which will make things much easier on brewday. I'd like to use that to make as much beer as possible in 2011!

I also have a business plan nearing completion for a potential brewery! I'll be experimenting with recipes and different styles all year.

Happy New Year!!!!

 

[92greenyj]

I am planning to actually try to enter some competitions this year. Never done it before but have wanted to for ages. Think my first one will be the big one Quaff hosts here in San Diego in February

 

[bennyd]

A month ago my resolution was to go AG in 2011. I decided against that right now because of the $$$$ to upgrade and the time factor. BUT I have resolved to keep to more of a schedule, to not HAVE to buy beer, and to begin using yeast starters. I won't ask for any tips as I am aware of how to use the search feature.

 

[FireBrew63]

My goal is to never have an empty keg. Therefore, I must stick to a brew schedule.

 

[febbrewro]

1) Use my past experiences of brewing clone recipes to come up with my own original ones.

2) Enter above original brews into local homebrew competitions.

 

[BigBlueBrad]

Went from kits to extract last year. I want to go all grain this year.

 

[hopdawg]

To refine my English Ale and ESB skills.
And no more infections. EVER!

 

[KFBass]

Nice to see people doing the same resolutions as me.

I summed mine up with "Brew More, Drink Less" I plan on brewing alot more, and not buying as much commercial beer. That's an effort to get better at brewing. Even if it means I have to host a "kick the keg" type of party every couple weeks to get the fermenting and storage space.

 

[hopdawg]

Nice to see people doing the same resolutions as me.

I summed mine up with "Brew More, Drink Less" I plan on brewing alot more, and not buying as much commercial beer. That's an effort to get better at brewing. Even if it means I have to host a "kick the keg" type of party every couple weeks to get the fermenting and storage space.

Good plan. I need people to drink the top half of my kegs so I can have the bottom half for myself.

 

[Johnnyooze]

To go AG by the end of the year and have a kegerator. Also to brew beer once every other week or so!

 

[curlyfat]

I want to actually brew twice a month like I always plan too (20g/m), rather than months without, and months with 4 brews, and ending up only brewing 150g in a year.

I don't want to eliminate commercial beer from my palate because I love the experience of enjoying "pro" beer and trying to beat it, or deciding mine is better. I just want to make sure I never "need" to buy beer because I will already have a selection at home already.

 

[artguy]

1. Drink somewhat less. With all this seductive homebrew around, I have found it too easy for ~4 beers to become my normal daily intake. For the sake of my waistline (and general health), 1-2 daily with only an occasional ~4 beer evening is probably the way to go for me.
2. Do more experimental split batches (e.g. same wort and hops split to ferment with 2 different yeasts; same wort and yeast split into 2 boils with different hops; etc.)
3. Come up with a couple of contrasting "house" APAs (which are my favorite daily drinkers) that are customized to my tastes to the point that I would want to re-brew them with at most minor changes and fine-tuning.

 

[nebben]

Refine my brewing processes.

I keep my last two competition reviews on my desk so I can make a conscious effort to fix the problems that my old brews had. Branching out and brewing new recipes is fun, but consistency and quality is the name of the game now.

Perhaps more than the lousy competition scores that are driving me is that the last two times I've had guests over, I've had to make excuses and apologize about the beer that I have to serve. In two separate instances, I've had unexplainable sediment get stirred up and poured out, glass after glass, when company came over and tried my beers. That, and on another occasion I had a keezer malfunction partially freeze my kegs. That incident resulted in cloudy beer for a half dozen glasses from each keg. Either way, I've had sediment laden or cloudy beer.

Better beer, most definitely.

 

[brentt03]

My resolution is to continue to learn as much as possible about brewing and all the things that play a role in a particular brew, to start a small micro brewery and to make a one off IPA....may need more than a year! LOL

 

[Sparky]

My resolution is to completely upgrade the whole brewing system:
- New sink, faucet
- Heated source for sink, electric
- 60amp, all electric brewing system
- New pots, pumps, the whole sha-bang

 

[BryanJ]

My resolutions:
1. Take better notes and be consistent in doing so
2. Hit temps more consistently
3. Start kegging hopefully
4. Larger kettle
5. Get a better thermometer