May has treated us well, The month started with a bang! We
unveiled Midstream Mild on May Day at the top of The Giant in Cerne Abbas with the Wessex
Morris Men at Sunrise, 5:40 am from memory, but it all is a bit vague, The
climb up this year was more pleasant with the help of Chris Parsons and without the sideways rain and howling
gale! The sunrise was spectacular and the beer was outstanding, She
was brewed at 8bbl (32 cask) with over 30 kg of Fresh Honey, This was from the
beehives on the orchard where our cider apples are grown in Melplash,
Keeping the whole thing “in house” It sold out instantly so we will be brewing
this again next May. It has been suggested that it may be a good idea for me
to have some breakfast at next year’s may day celebrations and that way I may
keep both my eyebrows and job!!
We have also brewed #No.1 This is a Bohemian lager style beer, brewed
with Lager malt and Pilsner hops. This has gone straight to bottle and Keg! Yes folks that means we can raise it through a chiller, gas it and serve it out a lager pump ice cold and fizzy!! We will be trialling this on our outside bars over the summer so keep your eyes on the website, facebook, twitter etc. for details of up and coming events. There is even talk of a launch frenzy in the brewery. As a brewer of beer using malt,
water, hops and yeast I personally feel this is completely different from mass
produced Lager made by the big boys using syrups and hop extract! I use only
the finest ingredients and hand craft it in the same way I do with all my ales, for the tech heads i have used our own strain of yeast and then lagered it over a few weeks prior to bottle and kegging.
Next on the monthly special list for June is, “Bursting Out” a
4.4% Pale Ale with floral and fruity characteristics, Brewed with a simple
Marris Otter Pale malt base with no adjuncts and heartily hopped with Maryanka
from Poland, Vic stumbled across this hop whilst chatting to his good friend
Will from the hop merchants, It isn’t widely used and gives a lovely floral,
resinous and at the same time a herbal essence. This will be available
throughout June in all good pubs. We have Q.C’d this from stillage and it is
absolutely stunning.
The July special is on the drawing board, (or more to the point
a big bundle of papers, illegible scribblings of a madman and a few ancient
books on Rob’s desk,) we are waiting for elderflower to appear on the hedgerows
on Mr Horsington’s farm, this is a bit late this year due to the soggy spring,
but rest assured the trees are budding nicely as I write this. So in true
Piddle style our seasonal beers are very much dependent on the seasons. As
folklore can be shorthand for remembering important information, I surmise that
the hag in the following tale represents death... The wood in the elder tree
contains cyanide, which when burned in confined quarters, such as one roomed
hovels many peasant farmers would have lived in the middle ages, can fill a
room with noxious smoke, killing its occupants instantly. I suspect then, that
the hag in the elder tree is always a bit moody when it comes to asking for her
firewood, although she is just as likely to say “Help yourself to the flowers,
just leave enough to turn into berries in the Autumn” Vic has come up with a
cunning plan upon cropping the flowers that involves the freezer. He has also sourced
a secret delicate hop to complement this in the off boils but sincerely intends
on bittering with the traditional favourite of all true English brewers the
noble Golding. The name of this brew has yet to be decided but rest assured we
are confident that our usual inebriated “think tank” will come up with another
memorable offering.
Production has increased again, we now brew 2 double brews a
week bringing our weekly tally to 48bbl, not bad considering I brew Monday
to Thursday! Please feel free to come and see us this week-end as I am off to join the Piddle team at "The Royal Bath and West Show" at Shepton Mallett. I shall be doing 3 talks in the food arena, I hope they are ready for it, all i have to do is work out what to say, i have been told to make it like a womans dress..." long enough to cover the important bits, but short enough to keep you interested" No doubt the obligatory bottle of Royal Bath and West 150 ale lovingly crafted by my good self will help oil the vocal chords... Until next time Piddlers, be nice to yourself and each other.
Cheers
Vic
