In Memory jimjohnson--Brewer Of The Month March 2017

[The_Professor]

IN MEMORY jimjohnson MARCH 2017 BREWER OF THE MONTH!

As everyone, I was sorry to hear the news about Jim.

As per the nomination thread Jim is posthumously the BOTM this month with no votes cast.

In lieu of the normal interview questions I would ask that instead members post any words they would like to about jimjohnson.

As I mentioned before in another post, Jim and I brewed an RCE together. I do not know Jim from way back like some of you. Of course the link is only to the forum thread about the RCE. Jim and I PMed back and forth while working on the brew as well. We even texted back and forth on brew day. Jim was a great guy to plan and brew with. I did not realize there were any issues this serious when I was brewing with him. We will miss him.

I have a bottle of the RCE brew in the back of my fridge. I'll open it up this weekend and review this thread.

[bpgreen]

I never met him, but I remember him as a regular poster here and he seemed like a good guy.

Edited to fix autocorrect nonsense.

[LouieMacGoo]

JJ BOTM.jpeg (59.08 KiB) Viewed 12263 times

Jim's Signature

"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."

Edgar Allan Poe

[berryman]

Even though I never met JJ in person, I considered him a very good friend. I first met him on the MB forum when he joined, and then a lot of us came here and JJ was here when I came, but as Rick stated in another post Jim would still go back because he liked to help new brewers. We PM'd back and forth a lot here, and he was big on the tap room and we talked many nights into the wee hours. Then I got a friend request on FB and it was JJ, then we had lot's of fun, talked beer, politics, jokes and whatever, we had the same kind of thoughts and hit it off good. I had a big plan and I told him this..........the next time I go down south, I was going to stop in at the LHBS he was working at and give him all kinds of $hit and he wouldn't recognize me then I would tell him who I was. Sorry to say that didn't happen. A good person, A Vet, loved his kids and grandkids, loved making and drinking beer and helping others to make good beer..
RIP my good friend JJ Jim Johnson

[Beer-lord]

I'm not sure what my first contact with Jim was but I do know that his posts were always helpful and he was friendly. Then, when we decided to have a small meet up in Nashville 3 years ago, Jim said he'd drive up to meet us. He drove to Nashville, leaving very early in the morning to meet us at the house we had rented. He brought his wife but as we met him outside, he was taking beer out of his car that he had brought for us.
And, I remember him having different 6 packs for us to take home but, he had given us some of the same beer but also different beer based on what we liked. He took the time to consider what kind of beer each of us liked and fixed a special 'to go' pack for each of us.
And, he came out of his way just to meet us for part of one day. He left in the early afternoon and texted one of us when he got back home. To take the time, go out of his way both in travel and gift beer was just a small part of what Jim was. You don't get any more down to earth than Jim. He wore his kindness in his smile. He loved his family and his country and Jim was never 'on the fence'. You knew exactly where Jim stood.
I bet Jim had tons of friends at home. Godspeed Jim.

[BlackDuck]

I remember that weekend just like you do Paul. And I really can't add anything that you haven't already said. I consider myself a lucky man to have met him and become friends with him. He will surely be missed around here!!

[RedBEERd]

This is very perfect way to send JJ off to the GREAT BREWERY IN THE SKY.

I too have those very same memories of Jim in Nashville. And they are now considered SPECIAL memories.

Well earned, Jim. RIP.

[FedoraDave]

I never met him in person, but I knew him from the MB forum, and this one.

He was a good guy, and always helpful. It seemed to me, also, that he took extra care to post a lot of welcomes in the Assimilation forum for new members, telling them he was glad they found us, and encouraging them to stick around, ask questions, and peruse all the forums.

This is a fitting tribute to a man who embodied the Spirit of the Borg.

[RayF]

My heart goes out to his family. Very nice tribute. The Borg is full of classy good hearted People. Glad to be a member here!

[mashani]

I never met Jim in person, but we had many discussions on the old MB forum, as well as here, and chatted/PM'd sometimes. He is for sure someone I would have liked to have meet in person and shared a bunch of homebrews with. I'm sad that he is no longer with us.

[Inkleg]

I first met Jim on the old MrBeer forum. With me living just East of Atlanta and him living 2 hours south in Columbus we kinda made a connection. Many a PM were sent back and fourth between us about.......well.....everything serious and nothing serious, sometimes all at once.

The first time I met Jim was in Asheville. As Paul has already said, the attention to detail for each person he was giving beer too was above and beyond anything I've seen before and since. As everyone will remember, every beer was in a Model bottle. They are shorter and thicker than normal 12oz bottles. Jim said he liked them because they fit his hand better and what a hand it was. Like him it was large, firm, but gentle as needed.
His grandkids, unless you had time to spare don't bring up his grandkids. Heck, it wouldn't matter cause he would bring them up. They held a very special place in his heart.

The last time I saw Jim was on February 27th 2016. I know this date as it is in my brew notes. Jim had kinda taken over his LHBS due to it's owner falling ill. He had not planned on it, but that was Jim, he was always there to help no matter what. He wanted to teach a brewing class and show different ways to brew. He contacted me and ask if I would come down and brew BIAB so others could see another brewing style. He ask if I would brew his Middletown Pale Ale recipe as he wanted to show the same beer brewed different ways and plans were made.
I almost didn't go down and brew with him that Saturday as I'd been sick. In fact Jody ask me to stay home. But I'd made a promise to a friend and I'm glad I kept it. I felt like hell, but the weather was fantastic and seeing Jim's enthusiasm for brewing and just making anyone who came by feel welcome made it worth it. He had 2 cases of his Middletown Pale Ale in his signature Model bottles and passed them out to all that stopped by with specific instructions of when they should be enjoyed. Jim was a stickler for exact timelines, part of his military background.
Brew day over and wort in tow I shook Jim's big hand and gave a hug. We both said "Till we meet again" and back home I went.

This is Jim's House Pale Ale recipe as given to me by him. The ABV, IBU's and color are correct, the amounts are for my system set up.

Recipe: Middletown Pale Ale
Brewer: Naked Cat Brewery
Asst Brewer: Jim Johnson
Style: American Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 8.54 gal
Post Boil Volume: 7.29 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.048 SG
Estimated Color: 5.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 36.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.7 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -
8 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 69.6 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3 8.7 %
1 lbs Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 4 8.7 %
1 lbs Rye, Flaked (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 8.7 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.3 %
0.75 oz Galena [12.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 27.8 IBUs
0.50 oz Cluster [7.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 8 6.3 IBUs
1.20 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 9 -
0.50 oz Cluster [7.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 2.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 Yeast 11 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 8.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 37.54 qt of water at 157.9 F 152.1 F 75 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 7 min 168.0 F 10 min


Till we meet again my friend.

[John Sand]

Well, that Pale Ale looks good. I have Cluster on hand too.
I never "met" Jim in life, just on the net. We PM'd about politics, music and sailing. I sent him a cookbook. I remember his efforts to protect and care for his daughter and grandchildren.
He was a good man.

[FrozenInTime]

Thank-you for the recipe. I never had the pleasure of meeting JJ in person but felt like I knew him well. We spent many nights chatting about brewing/old music videos/family/military/guitars and about anything that struck the moment. I miss those late night chats we had. I had planned on dropping by some time on one of our trips to FL but now it will never happen. I'll always consider him a brother I never met (in person).

[Crazy Climber]

I've been away from the Borg for a bit, and this is very sad news to return and see. But BOTM is a very fitting tribute.
The picture of Jim enjoying the company of his grandkids in the other thread is one I'd seen before and made an impression on me then, and it brought a tear to the eye to see it in this new context. My heart goes out to his family.
Godspeed, JJ.

[ScrewyBrewer]

JJ BOTM.jpeg

Jim's Signature

"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."

Edgar Allan Poe

I read A Tale of Two Cities in 9th grade, it was Summer reading, prep for starting in the new school after Labor Day. The Cask of the Amontillado too. Funny how so many years later those memories remain vivid.

I was surprised, and pleased, to meet Jim on FaceBook too. I remember Jim posting on 'the forum', wish I had known him better.

I think Jim may have owned a craft beer store? Anyhow, in my eyes Jim seemed like a gentle soul with a good heart. Here's to you Jim[emoji482]


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