I'm not that far away and was thinking of going myself.

60-90 minutes at 146F, 15 minutes at the next two, the temperature slowly ramps between the the steps so you cross over the entire temperature range for the enzymes. I'm usually busy with other things, so the time isn't wasted waiting for the mash to get done. This doesn't work for everybody...

I mash out with every beer just because it's easy on my system, I set the temp and I can go do other things. The reason I still do a mash out is increased efficiency. I do a 3 step mash, one at 146F, one at 158F and one at 168F for most beers (lagers). With each step I see an increase in...

Thanks! That was was really hard to tell it was an extract, no twang and very malty. The head retention was very good as well. I brought to my homebrew club prior to the competition and most were surprised it was an extract. It’s a great way to get a beer brewed in a hurry.

Thanks! I just posted about it in the Beginner's Forum. That beer was so good! It was because I just finished it last night!

After brewing beers for years with all grain, I rediscovered extract brewing and found out the beer was really good. A year ago I showed my youngest how you could brew a decent beer at home with extract. So the two of us brewed a simple recipe with just dry malt extract and dry yeast. The beer...

Where a does man get this amount!?? Looks really good. I'm not a big fan of sours, but put some fruit in it and it can really good.

Overall, the water additions make a relatively low impact on the beer compared to the other ingredients in the beer. Adding 2 grams of calcium chloride and 4-5 grams of calcium sulfate (gypsum) is about all that's needed. Compared to other IPA's, you may be underwhelmed by the hop aroma and...

I hope this is just the beginning of your winning streak.

I have use Abstrax in IPA's before, Citra mostly. I just brewed one and added it to the dry hop charged, it seemed good. It can be really punchy at first, but within a week or so it blends in nicely. I made one for NHC final round and it scored a 46, but never medaled. The flavor and aroma was...

Thanks, Don. The key to winning is to not let other people drink my crappy beer!

Thanks for the replies! It's hard not to stick my chest, but at least I'll try not to do that.

It’s actually an easy beer to make, at least easier than a German Pils.

I just got the news I won a gold in the US open Championship for my wife’s beer Lynn’s Lager. That’s the same beer that won BOS at the 2025 NHC. I’m glad I wasn’t skunked at this competition. The funny thing is that I’m in Lisbon Portugal and didn’t know until I started getting texts from...

It sounds like you’re describing a RIMs system. I have one and it works awesome.

I compete a lot, wins and losses seem to have a cycle to them. One year I’m winning everything and the next year I bomb. I think what you’re doing is good, your persistence will pay off.

It depends what it taste like, but it looks to me like a 9A Doppelbock. If in doubt, enter it in to more than one category. You don't enter the beer you brewed, you enter the beer you got. In other words, if you brewed a Helles and it tastes like a Pils, enter it as a Pils, or you could enter...

Add some farts and I'm sold on it.

Your beer will likely be fine since you caught it early. Not all yeasts do this, lager yeasts require less headspace. English and Kolsch strains will "puke" with regularity, especially when fermented warm. Next time you use that yeast, give yourself a little more room in the fermenter and maybe...

If you're bottling beer for a barbeque that going to be drank right away, the cobbled together systems work just fine. The biggest issue with packaging, as always, is oxygen ingress. If you consume the beer right away, it works well, but if you compete or want to store the bottled beer for more...