Ok everybody, What's up for 2008???

[OblivionsGate]

Build a keggerator
Brew a ton to get the kinks out
Understand enough about brewing to "create" a beer without someone elses instructions
Experiment with the other people's instructions until goal number 3 is done

 

[ohiobrewtus]

1. Meet a bunch of HBT'ers at NHC '08 in Cincy.
2. Brew at least 1 sour beer
3. Purchase 10+ kegs and an extra CO2 tank
4. Establish reliable, repeatable haus recipes for my PA, Kolsch, Amber, Porter and Stout.
5. Get started (again) on my homebrewpub
6. Submit beers to competitions. A minimum of 4 to NHBC
7. Brew more in '08 than the 32 batches that I've done so far in '07.
8. Tweak and attempt to perfect my seasonals - IIPA, RIS, Spring Ale (Wit), Summer Ale (Wit)
9. Brew a barleywine to store until '09.
10. Teach more people how to brew (I've taught 5 people so far)
11. Convince SWMBO that we need to bring the Sanyo and 2 full kegs to NHBC '08 :rockin:

 

[Brewing Clamper]

My goals:
Brew more than I did this year.
Converting all my recipes to PMs.
Brew at least 1 lager that doesn't suck.
Bring at least one person into the obsession.
Participate in a swap.

I'm going to start kegging, and am going to try to convince one of my friends to help me drill my fridge and install taps. I'm not sleeping with him, so I don't know if he'll help me as fast as I'd like.

Sounds to me like that could be easily remedied.

My goals...

6. Get the wife to enjoy Edmund Fitzgerald

I think we should all work on this one!

 

[Mutilated1]

I just hope to make some better beers, and I'm going to have another swing at making some Lagers or Pilsners come 2008 when its nice and cool and easy for me to keep the temps under control.

Resolution wise, the only major plan I have is to get some cabinets installed in my garage where I can do the brewing outside or in the garage and get it out of the kitchen.

 

[chillHayze]

Since I have zero homebrew buit up from moving a few states away, I'll refill my stock plus make sure to brew about 15-20 extra gallons for my wedding on 6-7-8.

In other words I may have to go over my goverment imposed quota for 08.

 

[the_bird]

I kinda feel like I'm starting to enter Phase III of my homebrewing. I've got the gear all accumulated (except for faucets on the kegerator, which should be done by the weekend). I've got the lagerator set. I've got the grain mill, my chiller's in good order. Most of the projects I've been working on, beer-wise, are done except for making some more storage.

I do need to score a submersible pump so I can better chill my wort, especially for lagers.

So, now it's a matter of perfecting some things. I want my efficiency to average north of 75%. I want to learn about water chemistry and how to adjust it. There's a chance that there will be some BJCP classes starting up locally, which I will absolute do if they're offered. I'll enter my first competitions.

Basically, now's the time to keep practicing. First, though, I have some kegs to empty - anyone wanna come over and drink?

 

[skeeordye11]

1) Average at least one brew per month
2) Convert my 10 gallon cooler to a mash tun
3) Go partial mash for good (at least until I can go all-grain)
4) Re-brew a previous recipe (other than 311 Day)
5) Make Apfelwein
6) Come up with a label
7) Experiment with new hops and grains to expand my HB knowledge
8) Meet some fellow GRABASS homebrewers
9) Enter a competition
10) Attend a homebrew club meeting

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I wanna finally get my sculpture built.

 

[DUCCCC]

I could have sworn I posted my brew goals for 2008 in a thread somewhere, but I can't seem to locate it...

We're quickly approaching the halfway point for 2008, and I thought I'd give this a bump to see how everyone's plans have panned out.

Me? I planned on brewing at least one batch a month. I've done 5 in 6 months, so I'm not too far off, but I have gone AG. I've also only made one batch of Apfelwein, and 2 grape wines, so I'm at around 42 gallons of fermented goods for the year. I actually started my mead on 12/28/07, so it doesn't count in this.

I'm pretty satisfied with my year, but more beer would be better!

 

[McKBrew]

I had planned on AG this year and kegging by year's end, but due to a big tax refund and a Craigslist deal, I've managed to do this all before April. Now I just need to ramp up my production to fill the empty kegs.

 

[Chad]

I like this. Kind of like pre-New Year's resolutions. Mine include . . .

• Dial in my mash procedures to hit a consistent efficiency
• Work out a system to control fermentation temperatures better
• Do a split batch big beer/small beer in the old parti-gygle style
• Try my hand at ciders, perrys and maybe a braggot/mead
• Participate in beer swaps
• Enter a couple of competitions to get more systematic feedback
• Develop a "house beer" that I brew every couple of batches and really nail down
• Brew a lager or two (preferably Mexican cerveza style amber)
• Brew seasonally

That should keep me busy for a while.
Chad

Hmmm, at the halfway point I have:

• Not quite dialed in on my mash and boil processes. My efficiency still fluctuates pretty wildly. Then again, I've changed equipment a couple of times so I still don't have a stable platform to dial in. I think I'm pretty settled at this point, though.
• I do have a spare fridge that I've been using for more precise fermentation control.
• I did, in fact, do a parti-gyle, split batch resulting in about 7gal of British Mild (very nice and long gone) and about 4gal of Old Ale/English Barleywine. Having brewed it in late December of 2007, I figure it'll be ready about Christmas of '08. I've tried one near the halfway point and it is still hot, alcoholy and raisiny. But it's getting better.
• I've done two ciders so far. One was killed, mixed with commercial cider/apple juice for sweetness, and used for Christmas mulled cider. The other is about 7 weeks old at this point and should end up a little less dry than the previous version.
• I have failed miserably to be more active in beer swaps.
• I have also failed to enter any competitions.
• I still do not have a "house beer" though I have a couple of candidates.
• I have indeed brewed two lagers, one a Dos Equis/Negra Modelo clone that ended up a little less hoppy than I might have liked, but still a damn fine beer. The second is a cross between a British Bitter and an American Standard Lager. It's a SMaSH brew -- Marris Otter malt and British Challenger hops fermented with lager yeast. Should be an interesting lawnmower beer.
• No progress on brewing seasonally. We'll have to see how it goes.

Chad

 

[jfrizzell]

This will be a ramping up year for me. I recently went all grain and have one AG batch under my belt. I have a mill that I built with the help of my machinist brother-in-law, a cooler MLT, a propane burner and a hella big brewpot. I have a keg fridge and two corny kegs, but I'm looking to get a couple more kegs so I can have a batch or two conditioning and ready to go into the fridge. I'm currently running picnic taps in my fridge so I'm also looking to get some faucets drilled into the front of the fridge also. I'm getting a slow start this year due to some other projects I have going on, but I'll be getting back into the swing of things shortly and brewing up some good stuff.

On deck is a Kolsch, a Chimay Blue clone, probably an Irish Red, Porter, Bock or OctoberFAST and probably and IPA.

I'm also hoping to get a space organized in my basement to store my equipment and my grain supply.

 

[rcb]

1. Play with my Brew-magic system. If it ever gets here.
2.Finish/ Continue improving the brewhouse.
3. Get my Final Gravities lower.
4. Brew a lot and drink a lot.

 

[jzal8]

Well, so far so good...here is where I am

Well I have only been brewing for 6 months so my goals are simple:
1. Become a better brewer.
2. Let my fermenters sit for at least a month before touching.
3. Let my bottled brew sit for at least three weeks before touching.
4. Brew twice a month.
5. Brew new styles, especially ones I have never cared for in the past.
6. Create a recipe of my own, and brew it again and again until I get it right.
7. Enter in one competition.

1. There is no doubt I've improved. Night and day since november.
2. Part of becoming a better brewer, I learned #2 is a poor goal. A majority of my beer sits 2 weeks in the primary. Thats all it needs.
3. I have stayed true to this so far, minus my Hefe.
4. So far I have brewed at least twice a month since november.
5. 10 new styles brewed since november.
6. Still working on this, perhaps my Troegs Pale Ale clone will be the one.
7. 2nd Place in the NHC First Round.

 

[EdWort]

Get the Brew Hut built
Start using my Blichmann Conical
Brew a Barleywine
Lose some weight
Win some homebrew competitions.

Hmm.

Working on the brewhaus.
No conical use yet.
No Barleywine yet
lost some weight, found some of it too.
No competition ribbons yet, but we still have 6 months to go.

I intend to complete all of these items before the end of the year.

 

[zoebisch01]

I am determined this year to (mostly) only drink homebrew, only buying small packs for sampling purposes or things like camping. Other than that I am committed to making 95% of what we consume.

 

[PseudoChef]

• Begin brewing outside and at club events.
• Understand and possibly utilize step and decoction mashing (when necessary).
• Spread the spectrum and develop an arsenal of both increasingly complex and increasinly simple beers.
• Brew a few "year-agers" (Barleywine, Belgian Strong Dark).
• Experiment with blending and aging (yeasts, batches & oak, etc.).
• Become more involved in my homebrew club.
• Convert a few extract brewers to AG without EAC-toned preaching.

• I did my 888 at a brew day over at jdoiv's, and just two weeks ago our club brewed up 60+ gallons of dark strong to be aged in a used Jack Daniel's barrel.
• Understand? partially. I did it anyway with my Belgian Dubbel, but I do need to do it again.
• Not complete, haven't been crazy-happy with the beers I've put out so far. my IIPA was really good, but definitely needs some tweaks.
• I've brewed the 888, and two different Dark Strongs. A Birthday Barleywine is planned for July.
• I've oaked 2 beers and will oak the sour I have going to capture the bugs. No blending yet.
• I have been to every meeting since I joined.
• I converted my friend after I got him started doing extract.

 

[Beerthoven]

In 2008...

I plan on brewing somewhere between 12 and 24 batches, 5 gallon all grain.

I want at least half those batches to be repeats of brews I've done before. I'm trying to nail down two or three house ales - an IPA, a bitter of somekind, and either a porter or dry stout.

I doubt I will get into kegging this year. I will buy a pond pump for faster cooling, an O2 system for aeration, and a food-saver. This will be the extent of my brewery upgrades for the year.

I want to brew my first belgian beer and my first all grain wheat beer.

I want to brew a good pumpkin ale for Thanksgiving and good holiday ale for Christmas/New Years.

My first brew of 2008 will be the [thread=41782]08-08-08 Russian Imperial Stout.[/thread]

I plan on hanging out with fellow homebrewers more, and continuing to read as much as I can about beer and brewing.

I'd like to get my AG brew time down to about 4 hours so I can do it on weeknights.

Sheesh...lets see.

On track for 18 beers this year.
Haven't done any repeat brews yet, but I do plan to.
Got the O2, got the pond pump, and will ask for a food-saver for X-mas.
No Belgian yet, but I did brew a Wheat and I'm going to brew it again.
Brewed the Winter Warmer but decided that pumpkin beers are gross.
Did not brew the 888 RIS...oh well
So far have read "Mild Ale" by David Sutula, "Pale Ale" by Terry Foster, "Brewing Classic Styles" by you-know-who, and am working on "The Complete Mead Maker." Been hanging out with some brewing buddies from time to time.
My AG brew time is about 5 hours...and that's good enough for me.

 

[Desert_Sky]

I will hit 100 AG batches and keep on truckin

Almost there. Ill make good on this goal around October I think

 

[adrock]

I've collected 3 old sanke-style half barrels that I plan to convert to keggles and an HLT for my move to AG.

Before I start on that project though, I'll be converting our old kitchen fridge into a 4- or 5-tap kegerator; a daunting task considering I haven't started kegging yet!