Release & Recipe: Scotty’s Struggle

Local homebrewer Jim Connor has submitted his recipes for consideration by professional brewing companies as part of our Homebrew Summer program each of the past three years. And each of the past three years, one of those homespun recipes has been selected. In 2021, he had his Vienna-style lager was crafted on a commercial level by Creative Creature Brewing. In 2022, a roggenbier he helped develop was produced by Deft Brewing. This time around one of his creations was chosen by the founders of El Cid Brewing, the Navy veteran-owned business that took over the North Park space that previously housed combo-biz, The Homebrewer and Home Brewing Co. Connor worked with El Cid founders Eric Bridges and Terry Kellar to brew a pro-skills version of his Scottish-style ale, Scotty’s Struggle. The beer was recently tapped at the brewery’s tasting room, and the recipe for it is available right here!

New pro-am beers will continue to debut on a weekly basis over the rest of the summer, so be sure to check back to San Diego Beer News on a regular basis (or subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter and we’ll send all the recipes and release information straight to your inbox). Cheers and happy homebrewing!

Jim Connor

Homebrewer

How long have you been homebrewing and why did you submit this recipe for consideration?

I have been brewing for 10 years and am a member of local club, QUAFF. This recipe was developed for a British and Pacific Isles club competition in February 2022. I submitted it because it was a great recipe and a stylet that could appeal to a large variety of beer-lovers.

How did it feel to have your recipe selected for Homebrew Summer?

I’ve been fortunate and lucky enough to have one of my recipes selected for every year of Homebrew Summer. I always feel honored and excited to share my recipes and beers with family, friends and all of San Diego.

How was the collaboration brew day for your beer?

Spending the day with Eric and Terry was a lot of fun. They included me in every step of the brewing process, and at the end of the day we were able to hit all our target numbers. It is always interesting to see how each brewery’s set-up is slightly different. And while I was there, they shared their vision of their beers and future plans for El Cid Brewing. I’m excited to see what beers they come up with in the future.

Eric Bridges

Co-owner, El Cid Brewing

Why did you select this recipe to brew as a pro-am beer?

We wanted to get out of our comfort zone and do something different. It’s always tricky to do “other than mainstream” styles because we do have to sell it, however, when I saw this recipe I thought it would be a way to do a different beer–or at least one you don’t see often–and have a captive audience come and try it.

How was the collaboration brew day?

It was very fun and cool having Jim brew with us. It was also nice having him to do grain-out. Watching him smile from ear-to-ear doing something we do on a weekly basis was very satisfying, reminding us of how cool our job is.

What are your thoughts on the local homebrew community and its importance to San Diego as a beer region?

San Diego’s homebrew community is very ingrained in the local craft-beer scene and plans an integral part in how our county’s beer stands out from the rest of the country. Because ingredients and knowledge are more accessible here than other places, there seems to be a large number of homebrewers who come to the tasting room and talk about beer with us. It’s amazing that there are so many people we can talk to about trends, techniques and process improvement. For San Diego, there is a very unique relationship between professional and recreational brewing that is intertwined, resulting in a unique and significant beer subculture.