Well, It’s been minus something dreadful outside, I’ve got on more layers than a neurotic onion and our couriers have started to use huskies, so obviously we’re thinking about summer beer. I must admit, trying to picture the perfect bevvy for a gloriously hot day doesn’t come naturally when you’re hacking the ice off the lock of your malt container, but we donned our most hibiscus covered shirts and gave it a go.
The recipe that has come out of this painful thinking (I won’t use the terms ‘blue sky’ or ‘imagineer’ on the basis that I still have some self respect) should be a perfect partner for Sundown - a balanced, strongly aromatic pale ale, with a more hoppy finish at 4.5% abv.
Or so we hope.
Because now comes the hard part. Actually making a trial of the beast. It’s been a while since the 40 l trial kit got dragged out of storage. Ember was never trialled (is that actually a word?) and went straight to full brew status. This, of course, was down to our absolute confidence in the beer and not at all to do with getting it out in time for Christmas. So the kit’s been under a dust sheet for a year since the heady days when we were experimenting with Eclipse and Sundown.
The kit itself isn’t that difficult to use, it’s just that getting it to marry with a brewery that produces 1000l a time needs … artful solution. By the time you read this I should have got some photos onto facebook, so you can see what I mean. Suffice to say, the end result looks like a cross between scrapheap challenge and the lab of a mad scientist with no flair for interior design. Actually, the temptation to add a couple of plasma globes, an assistant with some obvious image issues and to practice my hearty insane cackle is almost irresisitable.
It does provide us, however, with a pretty decent snapshot of what the finished beer will look and taste like without the expense and risk of a full brew. And, best of all from your perspective, we can hand out some tasting samples at the markets to see if everyone else thinks we’re on the right track. The samples should be ready in a couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for the Untapped taste challenge!
Of course, we still have to come up with a name…