EAST STREET is back

Brewing an untried, untested beer is always fraught with risk, but I'm happy to report that the Belgian style wheat beer "Haze" turned out better than expected.  Keith and Trevor (my loyal assistants in the brewery) were initially slightly sceptical, especially after seeing samples from the fermentation vessel with orange bits floating in it.  However, a few weeks later they were hovering around the brewery sample minipin like wasps around a jam jar and they gave the "Haze" a big thumbs up.  I hope our customers who've tried it have enjoyed it too.  We still have some available in firkins and we have plenty of bottles in the brewery shop.  I suspect that it's a style of beer that will mature nicely in bottle, so grab some whilst you can!

With the arrival of Spring and longer, warmer days, we have brewed our annual Easter favourite "East Street".  It's not one of my recipes, but I won't hold that against it, it's a damn fine beer - extra pale Maris Otter barley gives it a clean, biscuity crispness and copious amounts of Cascade, Crystal and Aurora hops pack a refreshing, aromatic aroma and finish.  For an extra zing we add further Crystal hops after the fermentation has finished.  We brewed it early last week on a Brew Day Experience with a very enthusiastic home-brewer called Peter helping out.  It was a real pleasure hosting the day for him.  Although he had a knowledge of brewing already, he asked plenty of questions and it was very satisfying having someone in the brewery who shared a passion for good beer.  I don't think the passion quite extended to digging the hops out of the copper at the end of the day, especially after he saw the volume that went in at the start of the boil!

After just over a week in the fermenting vessel, the "East Street" was racked into firkins last week and is now available.  The bottles will be on sale in two weeks time.  I'm off on holiday next week, so Nelion will be taking the reigns whilst I'm away.  Meanwhile we have a brew of "Heresy" to do tomorrow, and the very popular American Pale Ale "Martyr" will be brewed next week and hopefully be available in firkins in a fortnight.  Bye for now, got to go and skim some yeast...