#ISBF9 Brewday 9 Pt 3 - A Brew With Mr Smith

At ISBF, we don't go making beer for the sake of it. It's not - never has been - Collab for Collab sake.

We go make beer with people who make great beer. But what's more important is that they are lovely humans.

Like James & Jen Smith. Just lovely, unassuming people who do the good stuff.

For many, Brewsmith will be “under the radar”, they certainly don't get the flowers they deserve.

Because James brews simply excellent cask conditioned beer.

James & I have a few things in common. A love of great beer is a given. We both started in 2014. We both know a certain talented young Gentleman called Andy, who has designed for both of us since 2014.

And - really importantly - we both have a love of great music, having been to a few gigs together.

Like I said, good people.

Brewsmith might have been my first “Kit Crush”. Designed with James Campbell (now of Sureshot), I've always loved the logical, simple layout. As well as great raw materials and talent, this helps to produce consistently excellent beer.

We'd talked about the beer (with Andy - who unfortunately was unable to make the Brewday) over a few weeks and settled on a US Porter. A style I love. Dark, delicious, hoppy.

Mashing in was straightforward, the brewery design helps massively with that. Then after an hour or so to let the hot water draw out those beautiful sugars, it was time to transfer to the boil.

I do love the smell of porridge in the morning!

The colour was bang on. The smell was like chocolatey Ready Brek, rich and lovely. Making me feel peckish!

We talked hops. James - being the one who knows - made some excellent choices, with a rather large amount of aromatic Calypso and Chinook going into the boil near the end, for flavour and a little aroma.

This is where I messed up put all 6 kg in one bucket - had to be careful to get them all in! James took over….

As you might expect, the place was smelling amazing with the hops hitting a vigorously boiling cauldron of Dark Deliciousness.

I may have drooled. Slightly.

With my favourite job - digging out the grain - in the rear view, we were soon transferring to the fermentation vessel (FV) and my day was nigh on done, with James's assistant, Tom, was on hand to clear out the Copper (Boil Vessel).

I just wish I could be there to deploy the lashings Calypso & Chinook into the FV in a few days…..

Huge thanks to James for putting up with my foibles.

He's making excellent beer up here in Rammy, if you haven't tried some, you really ought to.

He's a fabulous brewer. Better human.

Like I said, my day was nigh on done…..