Some stuff on dispensing KeyKegs via either regular keg fonts, handpull, but most importantly, how to reduce excess condition in a KeyKeg.
KeyKeg Dispense from Hardknott Brewery on Vimeo.
Not the best video I've done from a production point of view, but I have spent ages on it, have a heart.........
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Kegs Without Extraneous CO2
We quite like KeyKegs. We wish they cost a little less, or at least that we could find a more cost effective way of getting them transported from Germany. But still, the bag-in-a-ball type of thing is handy and the non-returnable nature cuts costs in other areas.
We can put the beer into KeyKeg with minimal filtering, after carbonating by secondary fermentation in our tanks. It's difficult to find a reason, from this brewers point of view, why the beer in KeyKegs is any different from that in cask. The only disadvantage I can see is that it is difficult to vent off a KeyKeg if the beer is more fizzy than desired1.
In just about 2 weeks from today we'll be pitching up at Leeds to serve beer from KeyKeg. I hope, if I get it all sorted, I may, just for the novelty, seve some of it through handpull.
Meanwhile, here is Jules and I messing around with various human powered compressed air generators.
KeyKeg dispense using foot-pump from Hardknott Brewery on Vimeo.
------------
1However, it is not impossible to reduce carbonation levels by venting. I'm planning a tutorial video on dealing with Craft Keg when it gets too carbonated.
We can put the beer into KeyKeg with minimal filtering, after carbonating by secondary fermentation in our tanks. It's difficult to find a reason, from this brewers point of view, why the beer in KeyKegs is any different from that in cask. The only disadvantage I can see is that it is difficult to vent off a KeyKeg if the beer is more fizzy than desired1.
In just about 2 weeks from today we'll be pitching up at Leeds to serve beer from KeyKeg. I hope, if I get it all sorted, I may, just for the novelty, seve some of it through handpull.
Meanwhile, here is Jules and I messing around with various human powered compressed air generators.
KeyKeg dispense using foot-pump from Hardknott Brewery on Vimeo.
------------
1However, it is not impossible to reduce carbonation levels by venting. I'm planning a tutorial video on dealing with Craft Keg when it gets too carbonated.
Friday, 10 August 2012
Azimuth
Of course, Hardknott like to be different. We brew Infra Red as our 6.2% IPA despite complaints that it's got too much Crystal malt in it. I like it, and it seems quite a few other people are reasonably happy with it too. We know it has a fairly narrow appeal, and tends to be a bit of a marmite beer. Drinkers who like it tend to really like it. Anyone who isn't keen, really isn't keen. It's a niche beer and therefore has a narrow market. We like it the way it is, so we aren't changing it.
However, everyone else is making proper IPAs at that strength. You know the type, nice and pale, plenty of West Cost American or NZ contemporary hops. Nice balance of malt sweetness to give a very satisfying fruity Indian Pale Ale. Our recent collaboration with John Keeling of Fullers has been incredibly successful. The English Experiment has enjoyed a good reception from quite a few people whose opinions I respect.
The English Experiment also sells well, which is a very important point. You may have heard that we are expanding a little. That means we want to ensure people have no excuse for not buying our beer.
We1 brewed the first ever batch of our new 5.8% IPA yesterday. It builds on everything we have already done, copies ideas from other people where needed, and then we added a very healthy dose of our own Hardknott stamp of authority. We think you'll like it. We really hope you'll like it.
Today we named it. Alex used to mess around on ships in a previous employ, which links nicely to the IPA theme. I have always had a fascination with maps, navigation, astronomy and geographic learning. Azimuth seems a name that fits the occasion, so that's what we'll call it. It's a beer with direction, you see.
We'll be serving it, assuming nothing goes terribly wrong, at the Leeds International Beer Festival. You can come along, try it, tell us what you think and then we'll go away and try and improved the recipe based on what you've told us. A month later we'll be at the Independent Manchester Beer Convention with the new improved version. We will again listen, take in everything you tell us, go away and have another go.
It's not really possible to involve the beer drinker any closer than this without actually getting them to brew the beer.
--------
1Actually, Alex brewed it whilst we were out delivering. We had a few email exchanges discussing hopping regimes, which was tricky when I was on the M1, having to pull off into the services to make replies.
It was the first time Alex brewed when I was outside Cumbria. It has to happen occasionally as I'd like to have a holiday sometime.
However, everyone else is making proper IPAs at that strength. You know the type, nice and pale, plenty of West Cost American or NZ contemporary hops. Nice balance of malt sweetness to give a very satisfying fruity Indian Pale Ale. Our recent collaboration with John Keeling of Fullers has been incredibly successful. The English Experiment has enjoyed a good reception from quite a few people whose opinions I respect.The English Experiment also sells well, which is a very important point. You may have heard that we are expanding a little. That means we want to ensure people have no excuse for not buying our beer.
We1 brewed the first ever batch of our new 5.8% IPA yesterday. It builds on everything we have already done, copies ideas from other people where needed, and then we added a very healthy dose of our own Hardknott stamp of authority. We think you'll like it. We really hope you'll like it.
Today we named it. Alex used to mess around on ships in a previous employ, which links nicely to the IPA theme. I have always had a fascination with maps, navigation, astronomy and geographic learning. Azimuth seems a name that fits the occasion, so that's what we'll call it. It's a beer with direction, you see.
We'll be serving it, assuming nothing goes terribly wrong, at the Leeds International Beer Festival. You can come along, try it, tell us what you think and then we'll go away and try and improved the recipe based on what you've told us. A month later we'll be at the Independent Manchester Beer Convention with the new improved version. We will again listen, take in everything you tell us, go away and have another go.
It's not really possible to involve the beer drinker any closer than this without actually getting them to brew the beer.
--------
1Actually, Alex brewed it whilst we were out delivering. We had a few email exchanges discussing hopping regimes, which was tricky when I was on the M1, having to pull off into the services to make replies.
It was the first time Alex brewed when I was outside Cumbria. It has to happen occasionally as I'd like to have a holiday sometime.
Thursday, 2 August 2012
A great leap forward
The blame for the country's woes are firmly placed at the door of the banks. The political parties try to blame each other, and although I have my own views on that, by and large I feel that their squabbling is pointless irritation that detracts from the truth. The only conclusion I can therefore reach is that the banks have indeed been responsible for our downfall.
Our recent experience with the banks would bear this out. Despite the fact that several years ago they were happy to lend to any hair-brained scheme, now it seems an overreaction has occurred resulting in them not lending to anything but an absolute cast-iron certain project.
For the last 12 months we've been investigating various modest expansion options. This is based on the fact that we have managed to grow a demand that we found difficult to meet. So, cap in hand, all togged up all neat and that, to meetings with several banks. Mostly they went like this;
"We can't make enough beer because we haven't got enough shiny stainless steel" we would say, probably with more eloquence "Please may we borrow some money so we can expand?"
"No, you didn't make a profit yet"
"Ah, yes, we know, it's part of the plan. We've been developing markets and products and investing in the brand" We would patiently explain "Now we've done that, if you would care to look at our business plan, into which we've put a lot of effort, you will see that with the economies of scale, we project a profit in the future. But we do need to borrow some money to realise this"
"We're not lending you any more, you haven't made a profit"
And so the discussion would go around in circles. Apparently we could have lied to them, which is a tactic that works. We are not liars I'm afraid. We have many faults, and we try our best to improve, but we are not liars.
One day, around the time we were wasting our valuable efforts talking to ineffectual banks, we got told that there was a scheme giving out grant money. It's called the Rural Development Program for England, part of DEFRA. This is in turn funded out of Europe.
I've had experience of grants before, and generally it's a mixed bag. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes the money you get is not worth the red tape. This, it turned out, is probably going to be worth it.
We put in an expression of interest for funding for more tanks and a bottling machine. It seemed we were eligible because our town is rural. A rural town? I try not to think too hard about the contradiction.
We tried to keep the overall costs down because, even with the grant, it would be stretching our finances. We budgeted the investment for around £74k, which anyone who knows anything about decent brewery equipment will know doesn't buy much, especially if part of that is to include an automated bottling machine. We were hoping to get 40% grant aid on this.
I could bore you silly with the details of the complexities of putting together a grant application, but suffice to say you don't get the grant up front. Oh no, you have to spend the money first, including the VAT element, and then claim it all back. In the mean time hoping the cash flow works out OK.
Luckily there is another Government backed organisation called Enterprise Answers. They lend money to people who have been told to get lost by the banks. They are, by their nature, an expensive way to borrow money, but at least they do lend, and offset against the benefits of grant aid, it looked like we might actually get to expand and create a few jobs.
When we got the answer back we were somewhat surprised with the great news that we were authorised to spend a little bit more on the project. Thus allowing us to buy a slightly better bottling machine. Additionally, rather then us gaining a 40% grant they gave us 50%. The total grant funding rising from about £30k to around £42k. Delighted? Bloody estatic.
I was hoping to hold off telling this story until we had some proper stuff to show you, but I let it slip to a local reporter and he's been desperate to get it into his paper. It happened yesterday, so it's out there now, you lot should have known first, to be honest.
Anyway, the future looks good for us, we will soon be able to make more Hardknott beer. It's all a little bit scary because we are effectivly spending taxpayers money. There is stuff I have to worry about which involves audit trails and the like. Splendid, not. But we'll manage, one way or another.
We only need you guys to do one thing; drink our beer, whereever you find it, cask, keg or bottle we don't care, just get it drunk, then we can make more of it.
Simple, eh?
Our recent experience with the banks would bear this out. Despite the fact that several years ago they were happy to lend to any hair-brained scheme, now it seems an overreaction has occurred resulting in them not lending to anything but an absolute cast-iron certain project.For the last 12 months we've been investigating various modest expansion options. This is based on the fact that we have managed to grow a demand that we found difficult to meet. So, cap in hand, all togged up all neat and that, to meetings with several banks. Mostly they went like this;
"We can't make enough beer because we haven't got enough shiny stainless steel" we would say, probably with more eloquence "Please may we borrow some money so we can expand?""No, you didn't make a profit yet"
"Ah, yes, we know, it's part of the plan. We've been developing markets and products and investing in the brand" We would patiently explain "Now we've done that, if you would care to look at our business plan, into which we've put a lot of effort, you will see that with the economies of scale, we project a profit in the future. But we do need to borrow some money to realise this"
"We're not lending you any more, you haven't made a profit"
And so the discussion would go around in circles. Apparently we could have lied to them, which is a tactic that works. We are not liars I'm afraid. We have many faults, and we try our best to improve, but we are not liars.
I've had experience of grants before, and generally it's a mixed bag. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes the money you get is not worth the red tape. This, it turned out, is probably going to be worth it.
We put in an expression of interest for funding for more tanks and a bottling machine. It seemed we were eligible because our town is rural. A rural town? I try not to think too hard about the contradiction.
We tried to keep the overall costs down because, even with the grant, it would be stretching our finances. We budgeted the investment for around £74k, which anyone who knows anything about decent brewery equipment will know doesn't buy much, especially if part of that is to include an automated bottling machine. We were hoping to get 40% grant aid on this.
I could bore you silly with the details of the complexities of putting together a grant application, but suffice to say you don't get the grant up front. Oh no, you have to spend the money first, including the VAT element, and then claim it all back. In the mean time hoping the cash flow works out OK.
Luckily there is another Government backed organisation called Enterprise Answers. They lend money to people who have been told to get lost by the banks. They are, by their nature, an expensive way to borrow money, but at least they do lend, and offset against the benefits of grant aid, it looked like we might actually get to expand and create a few jobs.When we got the answer back we were somewhat surprised with the great news that we were authorised to spend a little bit more on the project. Thus allowing us to buy a slightly better bottling machine. Additionally, rather then us gaining a 40% grant they gave us 50%. The total grant funding rising from about £30k to around £42k. Delighted? Bloody estatic.
I was hoping to hold off telling this story until we had some proper stuff to show you, but I let it slip to a local reporter and he's been desperate to get it into his paper. It happened yesterday, so it's out there now, you lot should have known first, to be honest.
Anyway, the future looks good for us, we will soon be able to make more Hardknott beer. It's all a little bit scary because we are effectivly spending taxpayers money. There is stuff I have to worry about which involves audit trails and the like. Splendid, not. But we'll manage, one way or another.
We only need you guys to do one thing; drink our beer, whereever you find it, cask, keg or bottle we don't care, just get it drunk, then we can make more of it.
Simple, eh?
Monday, 30 July 2012
Olympic Doubt
I think The Olympics are great. I really enjoyed watching the opening ceremony in our local. I was a little apprehensive about the brand new big screen, but actually, it works and the bar is long and narrow enough to be able to escape its intrusiveness. I'm sure it'll help drive customers to the pub, especially as places without any TV often suffer during major sporting events.
I'm digressing from my main point. Although the Olympics are great, and I understand the need for both acceptance of some inconvenience and the need for big business sponsors, I am concerned that in reality there is little payback and much inconvenience for small business.
I've been told that there is a strict ban on any use of the Olympics by businesses for promotion unless they are directly sponsoring the games. I have heard some horror stories about various small concerns being forcibly told not to support the Olympics. I haven't got direct corroboration of this, but my information is from a reliable source. Update: Found the story. One story is about a small shop that got raided simply for putting up a few balloons (and, it turns out, banners, flags and stuff). The shop thought they was just joining in with the spirit of the thing.
I do know that some places in central London have found that their businesses have been disrupted by The Games. In particular, deliveries have been made more difficult by insisting deliveries are made at night. I'm sure London in general will benefit from the event, and perhaps most small businesses will also see an increased footfall negating the disadvantages. However, there seems to be an indication that the extra people in London have been countered by people staying away due to the fear of it being busy, I wonder if the overall effect is positive.
We have been indirectly impacted in various ways. We do sell some beer to places in London. We have seen disruption to ordering patterns that we are told is a result of The Games. We decided not to do anything Olympic orientated for fear of reprisals. We could have been bold and provoked controversy, of course, but that seems to be the wrong thing to do.
So, in summary, the little guy is told to put up with the disruption because it's good for the country, but we are prevented by law from taking advantage of the publicity because the big sponsors have insisted.
I'd love to know if this is just a jaded view, an overly biased conspiracy theory about big multinationals stamping on small business under the name of a common good. Perhaps I am paranoid. Or perhaps small business has been shit on again.
I'm digressing from my main point. Although the Olympics are great, and I understand the need for both acceptance of some inconvenience and the need for big business sponsors, I am concerned that in reality there is little payback and much inconvenience for small business.
I've been told that there is a strict ban on any use of the Olympics by businesses for promotion unless they are directly sponsoring the games. I have heard some horror stories about various small concerns being forcibly told not to support the Olympics. I do know that some places in central London have found that their businesses have been disrupted by The Games. In particular, deliveries have been made more difficult by insisting deliveries are made at night. I'm sure London in general will benefit from the event, and perhaps most small businesses will also see an increased footfall negating the disadvantages. However, there seems to be an indication that the extra people in London have been countered by people staying away due to the fear of it being busy, I wonder if the overall effect is positive.
We have been indirectly impacted in various ways. We do sell some beer to places in London. We have seen disruption to ordering patterns that we are told is a result of The Games. We decided not to do anything Olympic orientated for fear of reprisals. We could have been bold and provoked controversy, of course, but that seems to be the wrong thing to do.
So, in summary, the little guy is told to put up with the disruption because it's good for the country, but we are prevented by law from taking advantage of the publicity because the big sponsors have insisted.
I'd love to know if this is just a jaded view, an overly biased conspiracy theory about big multinationals stamping on small business under the name of a common good. Perhaps I am paranoid. Or perhaps small business has been shit on again.
Friday, 20 July 2012
Progressive Beer Festivals
It has been an increasing irritation for some time that there has yet to be a really great, all embracing beer festival in this country. Beer enthusiasts and progressive brewers alike have been frustrated that there is yet to be non-constraining festival where beers can be shown off irrespective of dispense method.
It was only a matter of time, of course, but it seems that the chit-chat about it has finally turned into real action.
There are to be at least two events happening this autumn which will include beer dispensed in a variety of ways. One is the Leeds International Beer Festival. We will be there.
This event is taking place in the Leeds Town Hall1 6th-9th September 2012.
We have agreed to take part in this great event. The organisers are allowing breweries to pitch up with whatever format of beer they wish. For logistical reasons we have taken the decision to serve only keg and bottled beers. As it is, with our small team, it will be something of a challenge, so we feel that the extra problems of cask would make it impossible.
There is also a second event we have heard about, which will be great fun, but as yet news is sketchy. This is the Independent Manchester Beer Convention, which will be held on 5th and 6th October 2012. We've been invited to this too. Watch this space for more news.
We're all full of nervous anticipation about these great events. 2012 is turning out to be a fantastic year for all sorts of reasons.
---------------------
1I'm sure Leeds is a city, surely it should be a city hall?
There are to be at least two events happening this autumn which will include beer dispensed in a variety of ways. One is the Leeds International Beer Festival. We will be there.
This event is taking place in the Leeds Town Hall1 6th-9th September 2012.
We have agreed to take part in this great event. The organisers are allowing breweries to pitch up with whatever format of beer they wish. For logistical reasons we have taken the decision to serve only keg and bottled beers. As it is, with our small team, it will be something of a challenge, so we feel that the extra problems of cask would make it impossible.There is also a second event we have heard about, which will be great fun, but as yet news is sketchy. This is the Independent Manchester Beer Convention, which will be held on 5th and 6th October 2012. We've been invited to this too. Watch this space for more news.
We're all full of nervous anticipation about these great events. 2012 is turning out to be a fantastic year for all sorts of reasons.
---------------------
1I'm sure Leeds is a city, surely it should be a city hall?
Friday, 13 July 2012
Busy pubs and bars
I was in one of my favourite pubs last night. They had a beer festival last weekend. We went on Friday night, which was nice, it was busy enough, a bit of live, acoustic music and a selection of beers. They had some Hardknott beer on the temporary bar in the marquee. A lot of work had been put in by the manager and his staff and I was a little worried, with the weather and everything, that the event might not have been a success. Friday night, after all, was quiet enough for me, and really not the roaringly busy thing that was needed to shift beer and make all the effort worthwhile.
Last night I returned, being Thursday, it was quiet. I was enjoying a couple of quiet pints and a nice chat with the guys in the pub. One chap I was chatting to, who was helping out at the beer festival at the weekend, was asked if it was busy on Saturday. "Rammed" he assured me "Needed shoehorns to get more people in" he continued, with obvious glee "Great" I was also really pleased, if for no other reason than I want the pub to do well so that they buy more beer off me.
"I prefer mid-week nights in here, to be honest" I confessed "It gets too busy in here on a Saturday, even when there isn't a beer festival" This particular pub has just had a makeover which has made it a little more contemporary. Most of the carpet has been removed and the walls re-plastered and re-painted making the whole place a little more sterile and echoey. Quite a few folk don't really like it as much, and complain there should be more pictures to break it up. It can easily get noisy and difficult to be understood by other people, or hear what they are saying to you. When there is live music it gets to be impossible to hold a conversation.
But the pub is doing very well. Often busy and getting busier. It is most often full of younger people and has a real buzz about it. I wish they would have some craft keg. I wish they would buy more Hardknott. I suspect that will come with time.
Pete Brown is now complaining that the new age, contemporary craft beer bar scene is full of boxy, echoey and sterile establishments. No soft furnishings, and nothing to break up the noisiness of the place. I understand Pete, I do, I'm getting old as well. It's crap, having to say "eh" all the time, but it's what happens. Though really, do we think that velvet drapes would be cool, or hip, or funky?
Craft beer bars are successful because of what they are; modern and trendy. I'm also not convinced that sound proofing is what would help. Generally, busy bars are noisy because they are busy. Indeed, I'd even argue that people are in themselves sound absorbers. If you have ever tried to set up a sound system in an empty room and then noticed how much it needs to be turned up when the room is full, you'd know.
Pete does have a point. Some places could be less sterile, they could break up the lines a little and perhaps just a little bit of softness. Just don't make it velvet, for goodness sake, that isn't cool at all.
There are pubs that span the gap and provide a little of both. The White Horse at Parson Green for instance is, in my view, providing a balance. My way of thinking is that the craft beer bar growth will be followed by less trendy places moving in a copy-cat fashion. I think it's happening, a fusion of ideas where some of Pete's wishes are being implemented. The surviving businesses will be the ones that are popular, whatever they do.
Still, I do worry that Pete is coming across a little like the old man who has his peace and quiet ruined by the youngsters in the pub. I've so many times heard people complain about a place being OK, but it does seem to get a little too busy sometimes. All that noise and people, you can't hear what people say.
I think the future of pubs, beer and nearly everything else is in the youngsters. Success is in being busy and thriving and having a little bit of a buzz. Yes, some of us old fogeys might not like it, but that's fact.
----------------------
Footnote:
Sorry, I had to Google Keira Knightley, but then did go "phoar"
Last night I returned, being Thursday, it was quiet. I was enjoying a couple of quiet pints and a nice chat with the guys in the pub. One chap I was chatting to, who was helping out at the beer festival at the weekend, was asked if it was busy on Saturday. "Rammed" he assured me "Needed shoehorns to get more people in" he continued, with obvious glee "Great" I was also really pleased, if for no other reason than I want the pub to do well so that they buy more beer off me.
"I prefer mid-week nights in here, to be honest" I confessed "It gets too busy in here on a Saturday, even when there isn't a beer festival" This particular pub has just had a makeover which has made it a little more contemporary. Most of the carpet has been removed and the walls re-plastered and re-painted making the whole place a little more sterile and echoey. Quite a few folk don't really like it as much, and complain there should be more pictures to break it up. It can easily get noisy and difficult to be understood by other people, or hear what they are saying to you. When there is live music it gets to be impossible to hold a conversation.
But the pub is doing very well. Often busy and getting busier. It is most often full of younger people and has a real buzz about it. I wish they would have some craft keg. I wish they would buy more Hardknott. I suspect that will come with time.
 |
| Port Street Beer House a cool contemporary velvet-less paradise |
Craft beer bars are successful because of what they are; modern and trendy. I'm also not convinced that sound proofing is what would help. Generally, busy bars are noisy because they are busy. Indeed, I'd even argue that people are in themselves sound absorbers. If you have ever tried to set up a sound system in an empty room and then noticed how much it needs to be turned up when the room is full, you'd know.
Pete does have a point. Some places could be less sterile, they could break up the lines a little and perhaps just a little bit of softness. Just don't make it velvet, for goodness sake, that isn't cool at all.
There are pubs that span the gap and provide a little of both. The White Horse at Parson Green for instance is, in my view, providing a balance. My way of thinking is that the craft beer bar growth will be followed by less trendy places moving in a copy-cat fashion. I think it's happening, a fusion of ideas where some of Pete's wishes are being implemented. The surviving businesses will be the ones that are popular, whatever they do.
Still, I do worry that Pete is coming across a little like the old man who has his peace and quiet ruined by the youngsters in the pub. I've so many times heard people complain about a place being OK, but it does seem to get a little too busy sometimes. All that noise and people, you can't hear what people say.
I think the future of pubs, beer and nearly everything else is in the youngsters. Success is in being busy and thriving and having a little bit of a buzz. Yes, some of us old fogeys might not like it, but that's fact.
----------------------
Footnote:
Sorry, I had to Google Keira Knightley, but then did go "phoar"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)