So I submitted four beers that I bottled and one of them placed second in oatmeal and sweet stouts category at the Dixie Cup homebrew competition in Houston Texas.  Being that it was the only the second brewing competition I’d ever entered I wasn’t expecting much.   There are so many people in Baton Rouge who get to brew more than I do and this competition was much larger than that.     I’m very happy with it and feel like I’d really like to brew for the sake of competitions when I’m not brewing beers to fill the taps at home.   The only problems are space, time and money!

All this has me scheming about small batch brewing at around two gallons.   It’d allow me to brew more often and produce a wider variety of beers with the amount of space I have.     It solves several logistical problems I have such as storage of finished beer and not having to bottle so damn much when the kegs are still fun. (2 gallons gets   Plus even a good beer at five gallons takes a while to float being that I don’t throw many parties.      A little research has me thinking if I can construct a small three gallon mash tun and purchase two three gallon carboys then I’m in business!    I have everything else I need including sensitive scale equipment, bottling equipment and refractometer.    I can switch gears between the small batch bottle brewing and brewing for the kegs and events our club participates in.   Less ingredients means less cost.   Sounds like fun!

Regardless of what I do I am thinking I want to submit at least a dozen beers to Dixie Cup next year.   Two of the four I submitted this year I didn’t care for so I think I have an easy road to improvement.