| 2015 Resolution Updates |

I penned my resolutions for 2015 on New Years Eve, hesitant to make any promises I didn’t think I could keep. I thought it’d be fun to check-in to see how I’m doing since the year is half over.

Resolution 1: Two xBmts per month
It’s funny to think this felt like a stretch back in December, as just a couple months into the year we started publishing 1 xBmt article every week, which we fully intend to keep up with. We are also in the process of finalizing The Hop Chronicles, a new project I hope will provide the homebrewing community with interesting data about new/experimental hop varieties. All of this while continuing to provide product reviews, reflective pieces, and other interesting junk.

Resolution 2: Build a Team of Contributors
Accomplishing my first resolution was only made possible because of the contributions of 3 really cool dudes who have dedicated heaps of time, energy, and money into providing the community with more interesting data ponder. A huge thank you to contributors Malcolm Frazer, Ray Found, and Greg Foster!

Resolution 3: Brew Beer My Friend’s Want to Drink
Errrr… sorry? Despite one of my xBmt beers making it to the second round of the NHC, my passion for experimentation continues to get in the way of any desire to craft a world class IPA. It’s not like I have a problem getting rid of the beer I brew, it’s just usually not a super trendy  spice-laden 15% ABV concoction using hops that cost more than my car. Rather, I’ve been focusing on lager styles using different methods and, to my credit, am currently trying to hone a Vienna Lager recipe to kick Derek’s (FiveBladesBrewing.com) and Dan’s asses in the 2016 NHC.

Resolution 4: Become a BJCP Judge
I took the tasting portion of the exam back in February and have yet to receive my results. Urgh. Comparing just the scores I gave to those of the judges, I did pretty good, certainly better than I expected. I feel like my scoresheet comments were pretty good, even after recently going over them, but one can’t be too sure. I’m hoping to receive the results soon… very soon.

Resolution 5: Bring Back Videos
This hasn’t happened. Not a single video this year. A part of the reason for this is that I wasn’t terribly pleased with the production quality, but it’s also rather time consuming and I’ve been doing a lot of brewing lately. That said, I’m inches away from acquiring a nice HD camera that I hope inspires more videos. I’ve no plans to get back into homebrew tastings, I always felt sort of awkward doing those, but I do have some other potentially fun(ny) ideas up my sleeve. Stay tuned.

Resolution 6: Brülosophy Merchandise
It’s nothing huge and not terribly convenient for those who miss it, but I’ve completed 2 Teespring campaigns and the third one is only days from ending. As a result, nearly 300 people are sporting Brülosopy t-shirts and hoodies! It’s been interesting and pretty damn cool bumping into people I don’t know wearing shirts with the site name on it. I would really like to get more merchandise going, it just takes time, planning, and moolah. As soon as the opportunity is right, I’m hoping to offer hats, bottle openers, stickers, and fanny packs.

Resolution 7: Attend the National Homebrewers Conference
I attended the NHC this year and couldn’t be more pleased with the experience! Amazing people, fun events, incredible seminars, decent beer– what’s not to like? Despite being on the other side of the country, I’m already planning to attend in Baltimore next year and have absolutely no qualms encouraging everyone else to do the same. If you’re not already an AHA member, please consider joining now, they do so much for this hobby and require the support from homebrewers like you and me to continue fighting the good fight.

I give myself a half point each for resolutions 3 and 4 for a total of 5/7. Not too shabby! And the year’s not over yet, who knows, maybe I’ll end up with a sweep.

| Check It Out! |

I recently had the very cool experience of being interviewed by Popular Mechanics, if you’re interested, check it out!

Finally, my buddy Olan from the new BrewUnited.com (formerly HomeBrewDad) is running a very unique competition with tons of rad prizes. Basically, there are 3 categories you can enter (hoppy, balanced, malty) and all the beers have to be brewed using a rather limited list of ingredients. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or a virgin to competitions, I highly recommend checking this thing out! I’ll be judging the hoppy category and entering both Kölsch and Munich Dunkel.

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| Read More |

18 Ideas to Help Simplify Your Brew Day
 7 Considerations for Making Better Homebrew
 List of completed exBEERiments 
 How-to: Harvest yeast from starters
How-to: Make a lager in less than a month 

| Good Deals |

Brand New 5 gallon ball lock kegs discounted to $75 at Adventures in Homebrewing
 ThermoWorks Super-Fast Pocket Thermometer On Sale for $19 – $10 discount
 Sale and Clearance Items at MoreBeer.com

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