So February is upon us, the days are getting longer since the passing of Imbolc (google it) and spring is just over the horizon. My blogging hasn't been as regular as I had intended but thats the way I roll.
So whats been happing since my last ramblings, well quite a bit has been going on at the worlds quirkiest brewery. We had the Beerex in Dorchester, I got to the afternoon session on the saturday with our 18 year old apprentice and then again with the rest of the Piddle gang on the evening session.
Our IPA LOT 7.1 was one of the 1st beers to sell out, at a mere 7.1% abv I'm guessing it was enjoyed by many and not one hollow legged legend. It was a game of two halves for me, no pun intended there, the first half was the afternoon, and as i had to drive back afterwards this was a sober affair. The evening was a different story altogether, many beers samples and pontificated over, loud music, Jim from the farm and his crazy dancing, a quick bunk up to the Colliton Club and back before anyone noticed we had gone,and a special mention has to go to my good friend and brewing assistant Simon and yet another expensive jacket on display that we had not seen before, swit swoo big guy! The evening ended in text book style with our bosses treating myself and the wife to tradition turkish supper of champions, before retiring to our taxi for the journey along the Blackmore Vale to home. I do think Empire Kebabs in Dorch should at least sponsor a barrel at next years event! We managed to raise over 10 thousand pounds for charity and the brave souls at Weymouth Lifeboat station can now have ALL their lifejackets replaced.
Back to the brewhouse, we have spent a lot of time evolving our beers, we take into account the tiniest changes in extract from our malts, alpha humulone variances and so on, we have many blind tastings, triangle tests and flavour profiling to keep our beer consistent but with the tiniest tweek here and there, brewing is a mix of art and science and the most rewarding and demanding job in the world, often descibed as a cruel mistress. This mistress had me out late on tuesday evening, helping Andy with the element in the copper and within a few hours I was back at the mash tun just before 7:30am on a day known now as "Big Wednesday" history was made on this day as we took on and completed our first double brew, yes that's two brews in one day with the 2nd one following on before the 1st one has finished, with genius usage of hot liqour and cunning mathmatics combined with confidence befitting a swagger like Mick Jagger, we managed to pull off this feat and be finished just after midnight, Rob had aspirations of being in the pub for last orders, even with his help on the clean down this was a bridge too far on this occasion. The bar has now been set and we will be drinking from the golden chalis on our next attempt!
I have to mention "Little Piddle World" before finishing off this literary masterpiece. Our Shed....a long time in the making, started by "Our Grandad" Christopher Wurthers this thankless task took us over a month to complete, a stolen hour here and there, Young Cosgrove was sent under the roof with a torch and cordless drill and the instruction book that would rival war and peace, we completed this complex structure and the joy and relief was worth it to see the smile on Clares face as she realised her ambition to reclaim the coldstore to house beer only and not a whole load of worthless junk that makes up our outside bars and Robs selection of bar stools.
And finally.. The next seasonal on my schedule is Cocky Hop, a fragrant brew to make, a cornucopia of hops that give a light zingy abundace of taste with a following on of slight bitterness in the aftertaste that keeps you going back for more, available now in bottles and in the cask before the spring equinox.
Happy Piddling folks, until next time...
Cheers
Vic
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