On the beer front, the Britannia Class Range has been going from strength to strength. Lightning was a popular beer, and was almost brewed again but I decided to ignore the requests and so out came Polar Star. It was brewed using wheat malt & maize, so it was something of a new direction for us - and what a beer it was. It is certainly the palest beer I have brewed, indeed one of the palest I have ever seen, and the Centennial hops really made it stand out. Not even I can ignore the clamouring for this one...
Knight Templar, a 4.9% golden beer also caused a minor storm, being named the best beer at a few festivals (although none that do official certificates to add to our collection), and going down equally well in the trade. Trouble is, at 4.9% it's a bit strong for many, and so we have a dilemma. Brew it again at the same strength, and limit it's outlets, or brew it at a lower strength, and thus increase it's sales potential. Trouble is, we can't really manage another regular without major expansion, and that is a path with so many headaches along it we need a lie down just thinking about it. So it will hover in the background for now.
What we have done though is a 4.0% beer with a slightly reddish hue, called Twilight. Bit early yet for feedback, but it raised a smile when sampled last week prior to being casked up.
We have a slot for a brew later this week, and it has yet to be decided how it will be filled. Another new Britannia has been mooted (we don't have the hops yet for more Polar Star), but then so has the original Britannia. Originally rested due to a lack of hops, we managed to secure some earlier this year, saving them for a suitable point in time.
All these decisions... I think I'll have beer.
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Nature Notes - Warblers & All
Having in the past been proud of our Swallows & Spotted Flycatchers, this year they are noticeably down in numbers. This may of course be a false statement, caused by the noticeable increase in birds of species simply drowning out the Swallow / Flycatcher numbers.
So here is a run-down of what we have been seeing in the last few weeks...
Sparrows by the shedload - mostly of the House variety, but a few Tree variants as well.
Buntings - Corn/Field type in soem quantity, plus a few Reed Buntings for good measure. Given that we now have a Ford in our vehicle fleet (Don't, it still pains me to accept this) it is only a matter of time before we get the photo of a Bunting Ford (geddit?).
Sedge Warblers are back on the reedbed, as are Reed Warblers. Boy can they make some noise between them, especially after dark....
A Yellow Wagtail has been making themselves obvious, alongside the usual Pied variants.
We have a few Robins, most of them cocky and of the opinion that we are in their way...
The Red Kite is getting more common (we are on the edge of their expanding Chiltern territory), and of course the Buzzards, Kestrels & Sparrowhawks are as common as ever. There are tales of the Marsh Harrier being sighted, and of a Red Tailed Falcon (which apparently is basically a Buzzard really, no doubt escaped from a collection).
What we haven't seen or heard much of though are the Owls - but they are around still, in Barn, Tawny, Little & Short Eared forms.
Of course it is only June, so plenty of time yet for more. And of course we have the Blackbirds, Thrushes, Jays, etc etc etc all still frigging around as well.
So here is a run-down of what we have been seeing in the last few weeks...
Sparrows by the shedload - mostly of the House variety, but a few Tree variants as well.
Buntings - Corn/Field type in soem quantity, plus a few Reed Buntings for good measure. Given that we now have a Ford in our vehicle fleet (Don't, it still pains me to accept this) it is only a matter of time before we get the photo of a Bunting Ford (geddit?).
Sedge Warblers are back on the reedbed, as are Reed Warblers. Boy can they make some noise between them, especially after dark....
A Yellow Wagtail has been making themselves obvious, alongside the usual Pied variants.
We have a few Robins, most of them cocky and of the opinion that we are in their way...
The Red Kite is getting more common (we are on the edge of their expanding Chiltern territory), and of course the Buzzards, Kestrels & Sparrowhawks are as common as ever. There are tales of the Marsh Harrier being sighted, and of a Red Tailed Falcon (which apparently is basically a Buzzard really, no doubt escaped from a collection).
What we haven't seen or heard much of though are the Owls - but they are around still, in Barn, Tawny, Little & Short Eared forms.
Of course it is only June, so plenty of time yet for more. And of course we have the Blackbirds, Thrushes, Jays, etc etc etc all still frigging around as well.
Ever Wondered Where Your Tax Goes....?
Well, do you? I know we do.
Here then is something of note:
http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=38227
Of course we all want a fair and equal society, where all can benefit from good healthcare - even lager drinkers. But I can't help thinking the best way to do that is just to say 'Here Is The GP, And This Is Hospital', then allow people in. How can that not be a fair and open policy? It seems though that in reality it needs a Symposium. Oh yes. I used to work on the fringes of the healthcare world, and I can safely say that these sort of meetings (to use plain and perfectly adequate English) are so common I'm amazed anyone gets time to fix the sick. Still, I particularly liked Collage 2 - it speaks to me about the world we live in, and the people who try and run it for us.
I'm off now to utilise the posture-enhancement facilitator, whilst at the same time engaging in a holistic-centric approach to a fully inclusive refreshment dynamic (I'm going to put my feet up and wait for someone, indeed anyone, to put the kettle on).
Here then is something of note:
http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=38227
Of course we all want a fair and equal society, where all can benefit from good healthcare - even lager drinkers. But I can't help thinking the best way to do that is just to say 'Here Is The GP, And This Is Hospital', then allow people in. How can that not be a fair and open policy? It seems though that in reality it needs a Symposium. Oh yes. I used to work on the fringes of the healthcare world, and I can safely say that these sort of meetings (to use plain and perfectly adequate English) are so common I'm amazed anyone gets time to fix the sick. Still, I particularly liked Collage 2 - it speaks to me about the world we live in, and the people who try and run it for us.
I'm off now to utilise the posture-enhancement facilitator, whilst at the same time engaging in a holistic-centric approach to a fully inclusive refreshment dynamic (I'm going to put my feet up and wait for someone, indeed anyone, to put the kettle on).
Thursday, 5 June 2008
We're Still 'Ere...
No, we've not been on holiday, asleep or even pretending to be the potential next US president. Well, Ok, so we tried to do the latter, but the queue was a bit big. The truth is I couldn't be bothered. Far too busy watching and doing things to actually sit down and write about them. So here is a quick synopsis of what has happened since early March...
The Beers:
Golden Plover is now a regular, it was that well received amongst our local customers. The alternative Britannias are going well, and the sixth has just been released, 'Polar Star', which is a very blonde beer with a bit of a citrus kick. Brewed with maize and wheat alongside the more traditional barley, this beer nods slightly towards the 'American Pale Ale' style, and of course was fermented with our yeast, which - if you have been concentrating - you will know is partly a bottom fermenting (ie 'lager') strain. Rumour is that when the beer was barrelled up, most of it was drunk before it reached the casks, so it must be good.
The Brewery:
Still plodding on, but recently blowing up pumps & coolers at random yet crucial moments. We have a proper sales person chap now, who goes by the name of David. It seems he may be able to out anorak existing staff in areas mechanical & musical, and so is fitting in just well. And we are selling more beer, which can't be bad. We just need now to get some more tanks in, if the Chinese haven't eaten all the steel yet.
The Wildlife:
Now the real reason we have been busy. The Lapwings chose the field by the brewery for nesting this year, and so we have had many a happy hour firstly watching the Lapwing Defensive Strategies being deployed, and then doubly so once the chicks hatched. There is something indefinably addictive about the little chicks as they bob around in the grass. Sadly, the adults move the chicks to longer undergrowth after a couple of weeks, so they are now a couple of fields away, although there is apparently a chance of further broods as late arrivals start nesting. The Swallows arrived before the last snows in April, which seemed to perturb them a bit (the Swallows that is, not the snow). But they are still here, in great numbers, and nesting. We have Pied Wagtails and Pigeons nesting in sight of the office door, so there is still some bird action to come (so to speak). We even have a Corn Bunting who wanders up to the office door most days, which is nice and apt. The ducks have ducklets, and the Moorhens will soon be joining them no doubt. The sparrows have been hard at it as well, and for a species that is apparently on the RSPB red list, they seem to be doing just fine in the barns here.
Anyway, must go. We have a government to fund, so time really is money know, and quite probably about to be taxed....
The Beers:
Golden Plover is now a regular, it was that well received amongst our local customers. The alternative Britannias are going well, and the sixth has just been released, 'Polar Star', which is a very blonde beer with a bit of a citrus kick. Brewed with maize and wheat alongside the more traditional barley, this beer nods slightly towards the 'American Pale Ale' style, and of course was fermented with our yeast, which - if you have been concentrating - you will know is partly a bottom fermenting (ie 'lager') strain. Rumour is that when the beer was barrelled up, most of it was drunk before it reached the casks, so it must be good.
The Brewery:
Still plodding on, but recently blowing up pumps & coolers at random yet crucial moments. We have a proper sales person chap now, who goes by the name of David. It seems he may be able to out anorak existing staff in areas mechanical & musical, and so is fitting in just well. And we are selling more beer, which can't be bad. We just need now to get some more tanks in, if the Chinese haven't eaten all the steel yet.
The Wildlife:
Now the real reason we have been busy. The Lapwings chose the field by the brewery for nesting this year, and so we have had many a happy hour firstly watching the Lapwing Defensive Strategies being deployed, and then doubly so once the chicks hatched. There is something indefinably addictive about the little chicks as they bob around in the grass. Sadly, the adults move the chicks to longer undergrowth after a couple of weeks, so they are now a couple of fields away, although there is apparently a chance of further broods as late arrivals start nesting. The Swallows arrived before the last snows in April, which seemed to perturb them a bit (the Swallows that is, not the snow). But they are still here, in great numbers, and nesting. We have Pied Wagtails and Pigeons nesting in sight of the office door, so there is still some bird action to come (so to speak). We even have a Corn Bunting who wanders up to the office door most days, which is nice and apt. The ducks have ducklets, and the Moorhens will soon be joining them no doubt. The sparrows have been hard at it as well, and for a species that is apparently on the RSPB red list, they seem to be doing just fine in the barns here.
Anyway, must go. We have a government to fund, so time really is money know, and quite probably about to be taxed....
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