It was April 2009 when I first began brewing beer at home. What follows is a list of every batch since then and some brief notes on each. It was a great year. Not every beer was amazing, but some were very impressive, especially for a new guy. As you can see, I jumped around styles a bit, but still have much to explore. I’m pretty proud of myself for taking this hobby more seriously than I’ve taken any other extracurricular activity in the past. It’s fun to see the progression from extract, to full boils, to partial mash, to lager, to kegs. So here is the year in review:

1. 843 Amber – did not carbonate, ended up drinking it but mixed it with light beer to create a decently tasty amber
2. Pale Ale #1 – (w/ caramel- Brewing Classic Styles) -first beer I shared proudly with others
3. Sierra Nevada Clone #1 – not quite a clone, but a great, hoppy beer. First kegged batch, first clear beer- enjoyed on vacation
4. Continental Pilsner – delicious and served at friends rehearsal dinner- floated keg easily
5. American Wheat -more like a pale ale but with some wheat liquid malt extract. Much like Goose Island Harvest Ale- my first favorite beer, very very good- 1st and only beer to be entered in a competition so far. “Special Delivery Pale Ale.” No ribbon, no honorable mention
6. Saison – a great attempt at the style. Kegged 5 gallons for best friends engagement party – well received
7. Irish Red Ale #1 (Brewing Classic Styles) – did not carbonate- too lazy to drain pour it. Still in basement. Also first full-boil
8. Righteous American Real Ale (Papazian) – full boil, brewed back to back days with Irish Red #1- great beer. Simplest of all so far, but good flavor. ESB with Cascade hops, no steeping grains
9. Pale Ale (w/o caramel- Brewing Classic Styles) – solid, hoppy beer
10. Blonde Ale (Brewing Classic Styles) Good but not great – syrupy – gravity didn’t lower quite enough – served via keg anyway @ Halloween party
11. Grand Cru (Papazian) – very Belgian. Tasty, spicy, sweet. Good beer.
12. Oktoberfest (Brewing Classic Styles) –first lager. Great beer. So true to style, kegged 5 gallons, served @ Halloween. Very well received and tasty
13. Irish Red Ale # 2, same recipe as Irish Red #1 – same carbonation issue, but much more drinkable, not bad
14. Red Ale (#4 –from Nate) 2.5 oz Centennials for bittering – way too much. Big, red, bitter, monster. Perfect for some days- kegged 3 gal and bottled balance
15. Claus Haus Pale Ale – first partial mash – sprinkled dry Nottingham yeast- could taste the effects of the particular yeast strain. Good, not great, should re-do with different yeast (from EdWorts Bee Cave Brewery Haus Pale –loosely)
16. Red Ale #5 -revision of Red #4, first recipe I tweaked well on my own. Great beer- one of my favorites. 4.2% but flavorful and drinkable.
17. Graff! Cider / beer hybrid. Very easy, inexpensive and a real crowd pleaser…especially ladies. 7% ABV
18. AmberHop –(Brewing Classic Styles- American amber) -Big partial mash, 7.75lbs of grains. overdid the DME, became huge. A bit syrupy, but beautiful clear, ruby color, great dry hopped aroma, very solid and well received by some. Kegged.
19. Rainy Day Pale Ale (Brewing Classic Styles, Hoppines is an IPA)- partial mash- didn’t add enough DME- turned out like Great Lakes Burning River- strong, hoppy pale ale, with just a bit of malt balance missing. Best color yet. Beautiful, clear, burnt orange. Great beer.