A kind of meet the brewer....

Last night we were at the White Gross, Groeswen, where we gave a talk on the difference between Ale and Lager.  Yes you heard that right... a talk on factual stuff, not stuff we've made up 5 minutes before!

Well that's not necessarily true as we only wrote the script (for script, think A4 page with major points to discuss) an hour before we arrived at the pub but, given our woeful state of preparation - I blame the brew we'd just completed for hogging our time - it went pretty well, or at least no-one obviously nodded off of shouted obscenities so that's judged a success in my eyes!

For the occasion we'd brewed a special lager of our own!  Well, it had been brewed a few months back by a visiting hotrod builder (Ben) from Oakland, California, on our mini-kit, but we thought this would be the ideal opportunity to release our first, and maybe only, lager onto the world...  suffice it to say our beer went down well although you try explaining to a roomful of people with varying levels of beer knowledge that the beer on tasting is a hybrid San Francisco "steam" beer crossed with a double-decoction mash European lager... that was fun!  There was another lager on tap, I won't name names but it tasted like cider; nice!

In other news, we've re brewed Mosaic Plus due to popular demand, have delivered beer to the Thames Valley and the rather good Hope at Carshalton and have more beer off to Birmingham and Bristol tomorrow.

Sorry for the lack of updates....

... But we've been mad busy brewing, selling and delivering beer!

Our two latest are now in cask; the "nuclear Armageddon" series shows why you shouldn't watch the news whilst thinking of beer names! In our defence "Preemptive strike" is dry-hopped with the new German Polaris hop (giving a bizarre grassy, sweet oily melon-like character) and "Bikini atoll" is hopped mainly with south Pacific hops with the glorious Nelson sauvin being the star of the show.

We've just brewed "Prince of Bengal", a 5.5% golden brew, to I s new recipe and we're pretty happy with the ,preliminary tastings.

Also in the tanks is an amended recipe of Gazza's favourite Steel City beer "New Dawn Fades" which is stuffed full of citra and calypso hops for a fruit cocktail of a beer!

More news soon and we promise to update more frequently next week... The Facebook page gets more frequent updates if you really want to know what's going on!

Just the one brew this week....

After two weeks of mad brewing (to build up some stock after we were virtually cleaned out) and equally manic delivering it's just the one brew tomorrow, a revamped Pixie Spring beer; "Prince of Bengal IPA"!  This golden 5.5% brew has plenty of hops to keep the hopheads dosed up but enough malty body so normal drinkers don't get too scared by it!  

Last week here at Hopcraft Towers the theme was "nuclear armageddon" (proof, if more were needed, that watching the news isn't good for you or beer name creation!) with "Pre-Emptive Strike" (German Polaris hops) and "Bikini Atoll" (mainly New Zealand hops) being sent to FVs 1 and 2 for your delectation in a few weeks' time.  

We also casked up "You Love Us", our mad-hoppy 5% pale brew with a name which simultaneously pays tribute to one of the finest Manics tracks as well as poking fun at those who don't like us... oh, and it could also be construed as "You Love US" seeing as all the hops are from the US; clever, eh?

Also in the conditioning tanks is "Graveyard Eyes", our porter, which received a hefty dose of mental Sorachi Ace hop pellets and is currently being disgorged of said hops; I suppose reading this you'd imaging a scene a la Francais but the sad reality is Gazza crouched under the tanks with a very large bucket getting splashed with green goo.  Livin' the dream...

Another mad week at Hopcraft Towers!

Well, it looks like it's going to be another one!

After hitting our 6-month brewing targets within 9 weeks we're already considering upping our batch size to 12 barrels for beers we feel will be more popular and also brewing twice a week, every week, and maybe trying to deliver some beer to more local customers rather than sending it all over the country.

In the last week we've sent beer out to Boggart (Manchester) and Pigs Ears (London) wholesalers, delivered a full vanload to London (Pelt Trader, Snooty Fox Canonbury, Southampton Arms and Brodie's King William 4th) plus a bit of local stuff, this week we're planning a run to Reading, Euston Tap then up to Derbyshire and Sheffield as well as squeezing in a couple of brews plus the trip up to the brewer's jolly that is the Charles Faram hopwalk in Herefordshire!

This week we're brewing a special with the interesting new German hop Polaris called, appropriately, "Pre-emptive Strike" along with another as yet un-named hoppy pale beastie which will have all manner of hops utilised such as Mosaic, Citra and Nelson Sauvin... "noms", as they say on that there internet thingy.

We still welcome - nay, encourage - feedback, so if you've anything to tell us then try hops@hopcraftbrewing.co.uk or, if you're particularly enraged about something and want to tell it to our smug faces then come on down the brewery and let us know... honestly we love to talk to people about beer and brewing and, if you do manage to find us in the confusing maze known as Coed Cae lane industrial estate, we'll try and make you feel welcome with beer whilst we listen to your point.  Then try to sell you a T-shirt.

So, cheers to everyone for their support so far; it's been a great start and we intend to get better with each brew; the first half-dozen were decent enough but we're now getting into our stride with the brewing and let's just say you've seen nowt yet!

Tomorrow's brew is....

.... "Graveyard Eyes", a modern porter hopped with some lovely American hops and finished off in the conditioning tank with Sorachi Ace, the mad hop originally from Japan, which imparts flavours of coconut, orange peel and dill and works a treat with chocolatey porters!

Later this week we're also going to be casking up Tidy Bitter v2 and transferring "You Love Us" to the conditioning tanks with a generous dose of Amarillo dry hops, and inbetween that sending pallets out and delivering a full vanload to London!

Brewing again!

We've actually brewed twice this week in what seems to be a futile effort to keep up with demand for our beers; first off was Tidy Bitter version 2 (very slightly tweaked) and today saw the turn of "You Love Us", a massively hopped golden brew with buckets of luscious American hops being piled in with Columbus, Citra, Chinook, Centennial and Cluster all making appearances.

Speaking of appearances, Gethin from the excellent Coach pub in Bridgend was here to help and learn some brewing lore, although whether we passed any on is debatable!

Next week sees pallets going around the country and us heading off along the M4 on another jolly to London where we'll deliver another vanload of beer to thirsty customers all across the city... and maybe try a few ourselves whilst we're at the superb King William 4th which, as any fule kno, is the home of Brodie's beers out in Leyton; proper east end that is.

Next week also sees us brewing another dark beer, this time it's the turn of "Graveyard Eyes", a modern take on porter brewed with German, New Zealand and American hops, but it's the totally bizarre Sorachi Ace hop which should steal the show with it's character of coconut, dill and orange peel... honestly, it has!

Now that's a hop charge....

Deep hop bed or what?

Gazza and Gethin prepare to add the aroma charge to "You Love Us"

"How many hops?!?!"

The hops for "You Love Us"

Tidy bitter looking... well, Tidy!

Some photos from the "meet the brewer(s)" last week.

Our "meet the brewer(s)" at the City Arms, Cardiff last week was a big success; all 8 beers went down well and we had plenty of good feedback - cheers everyone!

Some photos from the event are below...

Written in lights!  well, almost...

Keg?  You're worse than Hitler...

Four of our beers flank SA!

The pumps...

And the stillage with Tidy bitter and Redneck.

Cheers for the camera...

Now gurn!

Meet the brewers!

Yes, that's right, we're doing our first ever "Meet the Brewer" event tomorrow in Cardiff at the City Arms!

These events are getting very popular in the UK now; they originated in the US where brewers are much more in touch with their customers than they are (or were) over here and, in our opinion, are a great way of connecting with the actual people who drink our beer, let them know what's going on and then receive some (hopefully positive!) feedback... we then come away with a greater understanding of what we need to do and what beers we need to brew.

Anyhow, it's at 20:00 Wednesday 14th August at the City Arms on Quay Street, just off Westgate Street in Cardiff.  We'll hopefully have the following beers available for your delectation;

1. Statement of Intent
2. Tidy Bitter
3. Spanish Main Jamaican Stout
4. The Public Want what the Public Get (on Ecofass keg)
5. Darwin's Paradox
6. Redneck US Red (Cletus' reserve - dry hopped with Citra)
7. Hop Secret (only 1 cask in existence, brewed with test European hops)
8. Mental Mosaic (only 1 9 and a pin exist, brewed on the test kit with - you guessed it - mental amounts of Mosaic hops!)

See you there!

http://www.sabrain.com/138912

The cupboard was bare...

Well, not quite, but our coldstore is looking distinctly sparse at the moment!

Basically we sold a lot more beer than we thought in the last two weeks and so we're playing catchup now; Darwin's Paradox and Redneck are going into cask tomorrow and we're brewing twice this week in an attempt to have a decent range available again...

I'm not complaining about selling all the beer, honest guv, but we've been taken a little by surprise by the demand for our beers...  cheers everyone, hope you enjoy them.

Not a lot...

Mosaic "plus" in the FV and more deliveries....

Today saw the new and improved version of our second brew, Mosaic, which has been made better (more "Awesome" to use beer blogger gibberish if you will) by the addition of loads more hops at flame-off!  Whilst the original utilised only Dr Rudi, the new one uses those plus a big dose of gorgeously fruity Mosaic which, hopefully, will give the beer a much more robust flavour and, to help this, bitterness has also been slightly boosted to 80 IBU from the previous 70.

Tomorrow is yet another delivery run to the Alehouse and Nag's Head, Reading, White Horse at Hedgerley, Egham USC beer festival, the Shoulder of Mutton at Wantage and finally the Cornubia in Bristol.

So, with a second brew this week to boost flagging stocks (Fleur d'Alsace, made with the new French Triskel hop) and a rebrew of Tidy next week, things are increasingly busy!

The flavour addition of Mosaic and Dr Rudi wait their turn in the copper...

They really are a fantastic hop!!!

Busy, busy busy...

Well delivering in London was fun!!!  Actually it was, although some of the deliveries were - let us say - challenging, the Euston Tap springs to mind....  anyhow, all the casks were successfully delivered to their correct place and now we're in process of organising the next lot of deliveries!

Gazza is off with a vanload of beer to Derbyshire and Sheffield tomorrow when beer will be delivered to the Old Oak Horsley Woodhouse, Hunter's Arms Kilburn, Thorn Tree Waingroves, Raw brewery, Shakespeare Sheffield and finally the Rutland Arms which, obviously, is also in Sheffield.

Next week we've got an additional run along the M4 with casks going to the lovely Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage, Nag's Head Reading, Egham United Services Club and also maybe the Alehouse Reading and White Horse at Hedgerley...

And we also need to find time to brew some more beer!  Not complaining, honest... 

M4 eastbound

Casks dropped at the superb Cock, Hackney

Outside the Euston Tap!

Week of big deliveries coming up.

Now then.

This week sees us begin deliveries in earnest as we take a full vanload of lupulous goodness up to Derbyshire (Old Oak, Horsley Woodhouse, Thorn Tree, Waingroves and Hunter's Arms, Kilburn) then off to Shiny Sheff to drop at the Shakespeare and Rutland Arms...

Before that, however, we brave London where we'll deliver to a rash of places including the Pelt Trader, William 4th (Brodies), the Euston Tap, Southampton Arms and Howling Hops (the Cock at Hackney).

Any feedback on our beers is positively encouraged so, if you see some, sup it and let us know what you think (good or bad, we don't bite) at hops@hopcraftbrewing.co.uk

Cheers!!

Load 'em up...

Kegwashing Hopcraft style...

We've found an old keg so are experimenting with washing methods.  This one we call "old faithful"...

Thar' she blows!

Acid rain....

Plus, we've racked 71 casks and secreted them in our new cold store ready for dispatch... if you want any please email us!  (hops@hopcraftbrewing.co.uk)

71 casks in the cold store!

"Redneck" American Red is in FV2...the 1st month anniversary brew!

Today we brewed yet another one-off, this one vaguely in the American Red style (I say vaguely as we used Weyermann malts for colour and flavour not the usual crystal which Yanks seem to be addicted to in a bizarre obsession with creating "balance" and "body" in their beers) with Columbus, Nugget, Citra and Cascade, it'll be about in a couple of weeks and around 4.5%.

This was our 7th brew and exactly a month to the day since our first one!  As it's only now the beers are beginning to emerge you can see we don't exactly rush them... dry hopping in the tank with pellets and/or hops for a long enough period, under a CO2 blanket, is the way we give our beers their pungent hop aroma - the wait is worth it!  Call it craft, call it doing things the American way, call it what you want; we won't release a beer we wouldn't drink ourselves and, thus far, all have passed muster!

Well, it's red alright....

Weyermann Chocolate Wheat malt ready for "sparging over"... 

Cold store delivered...

We never thought we'd get it out of the ramshackle industrial unit in Aston, we really didn't... but, with the help of a superb forklift driver and a bit of brute force, as you can see we did!

It's a 23-foot ex-lorry cold container which we'll use to store the beer once it's been casked/kegged up to free up conditioning tank space.  It's a bit tatty at present but, with a good jetwash and lick of paint, it'll look the business, plus the aircon unit is almost new which was almost worth the price of the container!

Clearance, what clearance?

Maneuvered into position...

Attaching the HIAB straps...

Winching it up... (what's the load of a pallet truck, by the way?)

Secured on the truck

And finally at it's new home!

Conditioning tank washing and beer transfer...

Today we've been doing some of the mundane tasks that most people don't know happen in a brewery; it's not all sprinkling hops into a copper, swanning around pretending to be a celebrity brewer and drinking free beer you know!

It was time to transfer our 5th brew "The Public wants what the Public gets" from FV1 to conditioning tanks 5 and 6 which means going through the cycle of rinse/caustic wash/rinse/peracetic rinse/CO2 flush on the tanks so the beer you transfer is installed into a sterile environment as possible, one with a CO2 blanket which stops oxidation and keeps the beer lovely and fresh whilst it matures for a week or two.

We've also beer racking beer for delivery next week in Birmingham.

And look at those goggles, eh... quality PPE that is!

Sprayball in action...

Holding the caustic sprayball just in case it jumps out... !

I'm inordinately proud of my new goggles...

Delivering beer for the first time!

Today was spent delivering beer to Bristol, picking up our repaired pump and scouting out potential new places to hawk our wares.

Surprise of the day was just how amazing the beer range at the Barley Mow (Barton Rd, St Phillips) was with eight cask and ten keg on sale giving one of the best beer ranges I've seen in the UK for a long time - a session there is calling!

We also dropped at the Bag o' Nails and Arbor (for the Three Tuns festival next weekend) and chatted to landlords at other pubs where we're hopeful of getting some business in the next month.

So, we're finally getting out beers into the market and it feels good; next stop tomorrow are some local pubs, mainly Tidy Bitter.

Next week should see us brew twice, we've not decided what exactly as yet but there's a strong possibility they will include an American Red and a pale brewed with the new French hop Triskel.

No photos today, we forgot to take any... so you'll have to make do with this picture of Malcolm.

Malcolm lives at the Bag o Nails in case you didn't know...

Second-hand casks!

Just found these photos and thought I'd share them with you all... see, Brewing isn't all rock'n'roll celebrity brewing, sometimes you have to spray paint numbers onto old casks....

The finished casks... ex Blackfriars and, before that, Wibblers I think!

Livin' the dream....

Tidy bitter is in the cask!

Our first full-scale brew is in cask!

Yesterday we racked Tidy Bitter into 31 brand new steel casks (hired ones, as you can see!) and transferred Spanish Main to conditioning tanks for a week of flavour development (it has plenty already, believe me!).

So, as you can imagine, within a few weeks we'll have a range of beer to sell and will start to take it out to pubs both nearby and further afield; we've already had some good interest and have sold a surprising amount of all the beers thus far!

So, no brewing next week as we get our cold store and sales sorted out, then after that everything will ratchet up as we begin to brew and sell full-time.

Exciting times!

Portal to another dimension... or the valve at the bottom of CT7?

The first casks of Tidy bitter are racked!

And, a mere 45 minutes later, we have 31 casks filled!

"The public want what the public get" starts it's fermentation in FV1.

On on on cried the leaders at the back...

Well, not exactly, but we're pressing on with brewing this week with another 1400 litre brew tomorrow, this time it's "The public want what the public get", an extra-pale brew with a right old mix of hops including Columbus, Magnum, Bramling Cross, Dr Rudi and maybe even some Sticklebract too!  We'll see what we feel like tomorrow...

The awesome sales department is now in full swing so, if you're a landlord who wants in at the cutting edge of UK craft beer, then give us an email on hops@hopcraftbrewing.co.uk and we'll see what we can do.

The rest of the week sees transferring Spanish Main into conditioning tank, racking Tidy bitter, and various other jobs that need doing... 

|Tidy bitter - looking Tidy!