Hops, Barley, Weeds and the Weather

I spent most of yesterday setting up part of a makeshift trellis for our 200 Hop plants. We have only just planted them so we are not expecting anything this year. At the moment we are just trying to get some mulch down and keeping them well watered. The trellis we have built is small, only 7feet high. We hope this will only affect our harvest slightly, and that this will be out weighed by the money saved doing lots of the work ourselves, including picking.

Yesterday also gave me the opportunity to investigate how are barley is getting on. Weeds are a bit of a problem but the grain looks healthy. Hopefully we will be able to malt it once it’s been harvested. However if we have to much rain around harvest it will not be suitable for malting and it will all go to feed some cows. For now though those hops could do with some water.

I’m of on holiday to Dorset tomorrow (in a tent) so I, unlike those cone producing vines would like unbroken sunshine.

Hops and Curry

This weekend was spent at the in-laws (well, not yet). Having looked at some of my very old posts, it would seem that I spend most of my time in Hampshire. This is not true, what is true though is that when I’m down there I try and visit some of the very nice pubs in the surrounding towns and villages.

As always I had to make a return to Triple fffs’ Railway Arms in Alton. I have talked about this place before and I still feel the same about this place; it’s fantastic, if not a little cramped. The only real draw back it this pub id getting served. The staff are quick and efficient but the always occupied bar stools get in the way. In a pub where you know the locals and might have to squeeze past them, have a chat and maybe even buy one another a drink on the way to the bar is nice and adds to the experience. However in a less well known pub having to barge past, or stand in the middle of a bunch of regulars who are having a conversation can be awkward. Still this is a great pub and if you happen to be in Alton (why?) give it a visit. The champion beer of Britain, Alton Pride was in good form as was the Pressed Rat and Warthog. There new beer Apache Peacock went down well, it’s a fruity blond beer with a good earthy base and a slightly citrus tang. A good mix of English and American Hops me thinks.

While in Alton I popped in to Waterstones and bought Pete Browns new book Hops and Glory. I’m only 70 pages in at the moment, but its a great read so far, packed with facts and building up to his [Pete Brown] adventure across the seas to deliver a pin of IPA from its birth place Burton-on-Trent to India. All this reading made me hungry (and thirsty). When we arrived back in Suffolk I ordered a curry to accompany the Goose Island IPA I has bought at the Hogs Back Brewery shop earlier in the day. A great combination inspired by the book. With the weekends eating and drinking now over its back to some good old hard graft to burn all those calories.

It's all in the planning

This morning the whole family were at Babergh District Council offices at a planning committee meeting.

When we first wanted to build a micro brewery we went though the proper channels. The site, at the time, was an old stable block that had been all but blown down in the 87 storm. The stable was rebuilt using bits of ply and corrugated iron; it didn’t look good. So we planed to build using what there was left of the original structure and then add to it. Local planners saw this as a change of use and extension rather than a new build, so we applied for planning permission and it was granted.

During the building progress we made some minor alterations, these included solar panels, velux windows and moving the staircase outside. When, however, we applied to make these minor amendments the planning offices realised that we should have applied for a new build rather than a change of use. We where informed we must reapply.

On the whole the village is in full support in what we are trying to do. Our main aim is of cause to keep the pub open as well as selling a good selection of local ales and local home cooked food. But there is one or two who feel a busy pub will affect their house price, so will go to great lengths to cause problems for us.

This morning that minority didn’t even bother turning up at the committee meeting. After a few hours watching local politics in action (rather slow action) a decision was to be made. In the end the planning offices recommended planning permission was granted and all council members agreed. Yippee! This whole sager had been going on for to long; we were building when Jeff/Stonch visited for Eddyfest 2 years ago. At last we can stop worrying about a few nimbys and start brewing some more beer!