Trail Dog Brewing Company

07/19/2020

I took 2nd place in the European Sour category for my Gueuze this year at the SF Regional of the National Homebrew Competition. The overall comp was cancelled but thanks to several people in the bay area all of the beers were judged and a first class video awards preso was put on.

The category was presented by Vinnie Cilurzo, founder of Russian River Brewing and the guy behind Pliny the Elder and many other awesome brews including some of the best commercial wild and sour beers anywhere.

This same Gueuze placed third two years ago in the same competition so apparently it is improving with age. Like me.

09/02/2019

Brew weekend is killing me. Got a new version of the Berliner Weisse and a tart Saison in the fermenter. Mmm.

08/23/2019

Here's the recipe for Berliner Bites published this month in Zymurgy.

07/18/2019

Great article about my plans in light of my recent win at NHC.

Feels like a sign :)

A local homebrewer who began making beer in a bucket five years ago is becoming a master of his craft, with a collection of prizes under his belt, a preference for making complex and difficult styl…

06/29/2019

Trail Dog Berliner Bites just won first place in a field of 231 in the Euro Sour beer category at this year's National Homebrew Competition in Rhode Island.

Psyched! I've said previously that if there was one beer that I wanted to perfect it would be my Berliner Weisse. Boom!

05/07/2019

Winner at the 2019 Napa Homebrewers Classic Popular Vote Award. There was a comp for all brews and a separate one for hopless brews (technically not beer since no hops). Won it with my Norwegian Cherry Sour - a fan favorite. This one is easy to make so good to know the recipe is solid and will sell well commercially.

04/10/2019

Heading to finals with a Berliner Weisse and a Sticke Alt bier. Very psyched for third year in a row.

03/14/2019

Next up. Napa Homebrewer's Classic. What to enter? Hmmmm

03/11/2019

Shipping this year's entries into the National Homebrewer Competition tomorrow. These are my best shot at moving through to the Final Round so hopefully at least one of these beers will take at least a third. Trying to keep my streak going. This would make it three years in a row with a beer in the final round.

Sticke Alt - Experimental - Malty, rich cherry, only available in Dusseldorf a few times each year. Too big for the altbier category and specifically instructed by the judging guidelines to NOT enter this beer as altbier... but they don't say where???

Pineapple IPA - American IPA - Kveik yeast with Sorachi Ace and Citra. No pineapples were harmed in the making of this beer but you would swear they're in there.

Sour Loquat - Wild Specialty - Brewed this beer with my brother Sean last year at Olema Campground. Wheat beer with oyster shells, salt, and loquats plus a second fermentation with pediococcus, lactobacillus and brettanomyces.

Berliner Weisse - Berliner Weisse - Lemony sourdough and low alcohol. Lemonade for grownups.

Norwegian Farmhouse - Bière de Garde - The funky outlier of the bunch. Great beer but hard to place it. Let's hope the judges recognize it and are duly impressed. Kveik yeast again, brewed like a saison but with the addition of roasted beets and simple syrup to dry it out.

03/09/2019

The latest tasty brew, Pineapple Pale Ale. Hornindal Kveik yeast, Sorachi Ace and Citra hops. Very delicious. (No pineapple in this beer)