Feels Like Home - #ISBF9 Brewday 5 :North Riding Brewery
“I could never be happy on a hill
With a whole lot of money, girl
It just don't feel like it did with you
In a little old shack, girl
Way down home across the railroad tracks
Take me home (take me home)
Sweet home (sweet home)
That's where my heart is (that's where my heart is)”
“Home Is Where The Heart Is” - Bobby Womack
This event (ISBF), it's personal to many of us. Not just those involved “backstage”, but also many of you who turn up, year on year, to have that annual meeting with friends. Friends you met here, many at our original location, St Sebastian's.
To some of us, it's deeply emotional. Please bear with me….
Stuart & Karen Neilson are - quite literally, to me (Jim) and mine - VIPs.
To my mind, Stuart specialises in Cask Conditioned beer. And does that better than anyone. (Not something I say lightly)
Karen runs one of the best pubs in the UK. Exceptional cask. Permanent Kernel lines. Enough said. (Again, praise like this isn't loosely dropped from these lips)
And the pub sits 75 yards from the cliffs above the beach on the North Bay.
My idea of heaven.
Back in 2017, they invited us over to Scarborough to stay the night in “the pub”. It was New Year's Eve. Our first venture out from underneath the darkness. Brought us a little into the light.
We'll never forget that.
Good people these. Some of the finest.
A journey over to Scarbados always feels life enhancing. Especially when it's to brew something close to my heart.
Dark. Decadent. Dangerously Drinkable.
The drive to Snainton was via a Sunrise over Scarborough Castle - I had to….
Beautiful innit?
The drive to “The Factory” (as I lovingly call it - remember, there's a 2Bbl brewery in the pub cellar!) takes about 20 minutes, through some beautiful villages.
I may be a militant Lancastrian, but by ‘eck, parts of Yorkshire are so beautiful…
Into the brewery, tea (Yorkshire Gold, obvs) in hand, there were 350kgs of malt to get wet…..
.... and an early clue about this venture into “The Dark Side”…… (Linda B is gonna love this year!)
For a committed #DeskCat, mashing in 350kg is “interesting” (my body would argue with me the next morning!), but we got those grains hot, wet and thoroughly mixed fairly quickly.
Once that was done, there were traditions to be observed…
2 things to state here :
As all who collaborate with Stu know, there are traditions to be observed. Some of them delicious.
That there picture gets any mention of “The Unmentionable Song” out of the way. 🤮
Time for hops to be prepared (Bramling Cross, seeing as you're asking…)
Shooting the breeze with Stu is always a joy. Music features prominently - especially House Music & Techno. Those who joined us on the North Riding #ISBFHeroes event during the Pandemic might remember via Mike's playlist…. Click here…… It's bloody excellent!
On the back of that event, Stu had some T-shirts printed. I believe Melissa Cole still wears hers (#CricketWars) occasionally….. Mine may have reflected Virgin Media effectiveness….
(Those Heroes events take me back…..)
Almost took my mind off the digging out of a ton of wet grain…..
And - for the record - Stu's left hand was way more efficient digging than my two. But I tried…..
Beer being transferred to the boil, there were a few bits and bobs to be sorted, invert sugars and stuff, prior to the important stuff…..
There are traditions to be observed!
Getting the wort to the boil takes time, but, sugars added, we were on our way….
Ahhhhhh…..darkness.
Brewdays are bursts of intense activity interspersed with….. Filling time.
We were left with transfer, adding the yeast - almost at the start of transfer - then we're done!
But not quite…… we loaded up the truck. To drop the grain at a farm on the way back.
I may have met a kindred spirit…
Grain delivered, we were done.
So. What did we brew for you?
A beautiful, rich Export Stout. Likely about 6.5%. This - my friends - is gonna be a reyt banger!
And where will you get it first over here?
Silly question!
Brewing with Stu is always a joy and we're hugely grateful that he took his Saturday out to fit us in. A fabulous brewer, even better human.
Massive thanks to the lovely Karen too. A star. And one of the great beer custodian. You'll struggle to find better cask conditioned beer.
A lovely human too.
Thank you both (can't wait to see you on the 8th).
Got your tickets yet? Just 18 left for Thursday Evening Session and only 26 for Saturday Evening.
That's it. Go grab yours. Here…..
Back soon.
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
Oh. One more thing. I may have been ambushed on the drive back…
