Cider

I've got enough 2l bottles to bottle one fermenting bin. It's still nice but cries out for cheese.


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A BAD Christmas

Merry Christmas to the BAD group and to all brewers & drinkers everywhere.


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Brew Day Post Script

We have fermentation. If we can avoid leaks in the keg we should have a good night.


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Brew Day

I'm on my own but I'm not unhappy with that as I can recover from last night & slob around in a messy house in only crusty underpants & a pair or wellies.



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Bruges 4

It's now Sunday & we've beaten a hasty retreat to Brussels to avoid being trapped by the transport strike. We've arrived in a puppet theatre which is also a bar.


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Bruges 3

It's now Brugge as we are classed as locals. A couple of pictures.








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Bruges 2

For one nasty moment we thought the BAD velociraptor had missed the trip. But here it is.


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Bruges Trip

We've all arrived at the station. Except the person who has all the tickets. In just a few hours we'll be drinking gay beers.


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Cider Update

It's crystal clear & the colour of a darker white wine. It smells earthy & of apples. It's dry & tart but not harshly acidic. It has a warming alcohol finish & it's streets ahead of any cider we have made so far. This one is actually & genuinely good. And at 6% ABV it doesn't need an artificial boost.


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Symposium 2

We've tried the beer, the Christmas beer & we've now started on the bottles. It could get messy.


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Symposium 1

We are sitting in the semi dark listening to music & drinking beer. It's Cottleigh Tawny Bitter on steroids. 6.2% ABV. All too drinkable. As there's only half the group turned up it's not a big tragedy that the keg leaked & we lost half the beer.


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BAD News

The BAD news is that we have a slow puncture & less than half of our beer left. However I have bought a case of interesting British beer & we have Xmas beer (a sight sour note from the cherries, could do with a bit longer conditioning but definitely drinkable). We won't go thirsty.


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The Beerhouse

A trip out to the new micropub in Market Harborough.


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BAD Apple Day

Last Sunday was apple pressing day for the BAD group.  There was a good turnout but I was too busy to sort out Blogger to post on here.

Better late than never, here are the photos.

Racking

It's taken a while to ferment out but it tastes like a half decent best bitter. And some members of the BAD group won't be disappointed by the accidental ABV.


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GCR Beer Festival 3

I'm now at Quorn. Mainly for the Double Top Old Stoneface. It's a 6% treacle stout, slightly astringent, rich & mysterious as it should be. And there's s mini steam & heritage transport rally for sad geeks like me.


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GCR Beer Festival

The first beer, Titanic Black Ice. Good grapefruit hopping but a little thin & lacking in stout characteristics. Not bad for 4.1% ABV.


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GCR Beer Festival

One of us has turned up. It's a nice way to read the paper, with a steam train & a pint or two.


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Spontaneous Fermentation

A celebration of environmental yeast, Lambic beer & sourdough bread. A winning combination & it makes me look forward to my upcoming trip to Bruges.


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Brewing Day Post Script

It's looking lively. We have fermentation.


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Brewing Day 2

We've finished now. The yeast is pitched & we've naughtily bumped up the OG to 1050.


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Brewing Day 1

Sparging is now happening. The beer is based on a Cotleigh Tawney Bitter recipe & my RSPB clock has just played a Tawney Owl call.


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Indigo, Hucknall

Two BAD boys (me & John Dzelme) have arrived to drink some Blue Monkey. As it's all for charity we will do our best to selflessly put some money in their coffers.


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RIP James Garner

Which ex-BAD boy has lost his role model today?


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Symposium

It's reached that time in the evening when we are mourning the passing if the white dog turd. This may or may not be a good thing.


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Symposium

The beer is really lively. A 6% ABV interpretation of Hopback Summer Lightning. If we can pour enough we might be able to taste it.


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Annual bank statement

Brew Day 2

Sparging master class.


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Brew Day

Mashing has commenced. We have a big team this time.


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Christmas Beer

It's now maturing while I wonder how to get rid of suspended mushy bits of cherry. It's a shade over 5% ABV.


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Christmas Beer Brewing Day 3

The yeast has been pitched & the cherries added. Now it's a case of nature taking it's course.


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Christmas Beer Brewing Day 2

It's time to sparge. That also makes it beer O'Clock. Cheers.


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Christmas Beer Brewing Day

It's time to brew the beer for next Christmas to a special recipe devised by our head brewer John Dzelme. Come round, I've put the kettle on.


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Leicester Beer Festival 2

At least 8 BAD boys & girls are here.


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Leicester Beer Festival

Several of the gang are here already. I'm continuing the symposium with another Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby.


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Symposium 1

The beer is well conditioned & brewed to a Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild recipe.





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CAMRGB Twissup

I'm in Manchester doing various pubs/breweries. Follow on Twitter #CAMRGB





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Racking

The beer is primed & racked. It can now wait for us. Can we wait for it?


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Progress of the Brew

Will it be vinegar? I first tested the final gravity & after sticking the numbers in an online calculator I worked out an ABV of 5.8%.





Next-the taste test. It was flat and cloudy which will be sorted by priming & kegging. It was still sweetish but not cloying, fading to a pleasant & subtle dry finish. Very moreish for such a high ABV. I'm looking forward to it already.

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The Day After Brew Day

It's alive & trying to climb out of the fermenting bin.


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