#ISBF8 #Brewday7 : Making Waves With Neptune

“I'd like to dream
My troubles all away
On a bed of California stars
Jump up from my starbed
Make another day
Underneath my California stars
They hang like grapes
On vines that shine
And warm the lovers' glass
Like a friendly wine
So I'd give this world
Just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California stars…”

“California Stars” - Wilco

Way back in 2014 - at the first ISBF back at St Sebastian’s Community Centre - the event was a little more intimate. Via Social Media or physically, I knew the vast majority of the attendees.

As Jock is fond of reminding everybody, he was the first person across the threshold of the very first ISBF session.

But he didn’t buy the first ticket. Oh no. That distinction goes to Julie & Les O’Grady, who, at that point, didn’t own a brewery. At that point, Neptune Brewery was in the planning stages.

Les & Julie were incredibly easy to talk with - I am (you may be stunned to learn) quite shy - and I just got on with them both from the get go. They were sat with Karl Marshall - who went on to brew at both Twisted Barrel & Salopian - something they repeated the very next year. Same session, same seats, same company. The only difference being that they now owned a brewery. And we had a cask. And Black Percula (Choc Orange Stout) was rather lovely.

They have been on every ISBF bar since. Because they are that good.

Their Mosaic Single Hop Pale is an absolute prime representation of the hop. Abyss is one of - if not the - the best Stouts in the UK, Ezili is a simply fabulous easy drinking Session Pale.

You get the picture…..

A picture….

Whilst ISBF exists, there will be beer from Neptune. Les & Julie are part of the history of our little event.

So. “Let's make a beer” said Les. So, here we are. On a 3 hour mission. To get to the new location in Aintree (we'd previously collabed at the former location in Maghull)

Met at the station by Julie, we were soon at the new brewery with my jaw dropping. The new brewery is HUGE compared with Maghull, with plenty of space for events and expansion when (not if) needed.

Les getting his mash on

We were soon mashing in a predominantly Pale malt bill of 225kgs mostly Low Colour Golden Promise, with a substantial chunk of Lager Malt and some wheat.

Have I mentioned before, my love of the smells at mashing in? Rich porridge and fresh bread aromas make me drool and feel like needing a second breakfast…

Grabbing a coffee, with the malted barley porridge giving up its delicious sugars, it was time to think of Hops. An arduous task, obviously, but I took one for the team.

With Challenger being Les's bittering hop of choice, for flavour and aroma, we wanted punch, sticky resinous piney stuff with plenty of citrus and tropical notes.

Amarillo, Ekuanot and Citra fit the bill nicely!

Sensory OVERLOAD! (Smell-o-Vision version pending)

Chatting, prior to transfer to the copper, despite the challenges that face most breweries, I got the distinct feeling that Neptune is in a good place, with their recently opened bar, in Maghull, doing really well, sales doing well and with an expanded brew team, they were looking forward.

These Collab days are almost as much about catching up as about brewing delicious beer. Something that we soon were back getting on with.

THIS IS ONE PALE BEER.

Challenger added for bittering, I got my hands all sticky and aromatic by weighing out those precious hops.

With Alice casking a beautiful batch of Abyss, I was understandably distracted by beautiful Stouty smells. Also distracted by a “QC” tasting of a beautiful “Morpheus Bramble” (it was bloody gorgeous) it was soon time to flood the brewery with the fruity aromatics of the late hop additions.

The Misty Mountain of Hops….. gets coat

Oh. Wow.

Just wow.

My favourite part of the day was upon us. DIGGING OUT TIME!!! Simply ❤️ a dig out!

Transfer to the FV was almost complete, but my travel arrangements didn't allow for deploying the US05 yeast, I had to skip off to Aintree station.

An uplifting day. With friends like Les & Julie, it's always a pleasure. They've got a great team…. Gav, Alice & Andy were all so kind and lovely with their time and knowledge. Thank you all!

So. What have we got?

Secret Beach - a Cali/San Diego Pale. Expect WC vibes. But with a paler outlook!

And it's gonna be SO tasty. (And - typical Les & Julie - this beer will also be canned, with a QR Code on the can linking you to START Inspiring Minds website. A lovely touch)

Want some? Tickets here. Let’s have some fun, whilst raising bucket loads for charity!

Be kind to yourselves & one another. Jx