Hop Forward: Getting You Ahead in the Brewing and Beer Business

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, we ask the question, 'Can British Hops Really Create an Incredible IPA?' to Will Rogers, technical director for hop merchant, Charles Faram.
To answer this question, we partnered with Charles Faram to brew one for ourselves using hops from Charles Faram's hop breeding programme, making use of hops such as Harlequin, Jester, Olicana, Godiva, Mystic and their most recent edition Most, I attempted to push the boundaries of what hops to our native soil can really do in a modern IPA.

The result...? England’s Green and Pleasant Land is an all British Hopped IPA (6.1%), brewed in collaboration with Charles Faram and Emmanuales, which showcases how beautifully divine and delightfully hoppy IPAs can come out of England’s Green and Pleasant Land.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BEER
Download the recipe | Buy the beer | Follow Emmanuales
TODAY'S EPISODE OF THE HOP FORWARD PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY:
Bespoke Brewing Solutions designs and manufactures equipment that allows breweries to produce high-quality craft beverages with increased cost-effectiveness and faster turnaround times.
The BBS team has 8 years of solid teamwork together and 10+ years of experience in manufacturing brewing equipment. BBS now has representatives around the world in America, Australia, New Zealand, and, of course, China.
Having a team in China that speaks the local language allows BBS to oversee all aspects of their client's projects, from initial layout designs all the way through to equipment testing before shipping.
BBS has equipment represented in 16 countries, which means they’ve sourced equipment and designed brewhouse configurations for every type of brewery you can imagine, in every situation.
BBS also offers consulting services, from brewery commissioning, recipe formulation, and equipment training on brew day, to the packaging of your finished product.
If you’ve never started a brewery before, they are here to help. If you’re an experienced brewer, they speak your language.

Visit bespokebrewingsolutions.com to get in touch with one of the team to discuss your project ideas and show you the bespoke way.
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On the podcast this week, we're joined by Nelion Ridley, family brewer and owner of Essex based brewery, Bishop Nick.

With a rich heritage of traditional brewing as part of the Ridley brewing family that dates back to 1842, Nelion briefly moved out of the industry after the family brewery was sold to Greene King in 2005.

However, it wasn't long before he was persuaded to give it another go, buying a small kit installed in the back of a pub. Since then, Bishop Nick brewery has scooped numerous leading industry awards including the highly coveted Campion Beer of Britain (SILVER overall) for their leading brand Ridley's Rite in 2017.

In this episode, Nick talks to Nelion about some of the challenges the brewery has faced, discussing everything from the pandemic's impact on the business, to canning and the increasing consumer demand for cans, all over a few Bishop Nick beers.

In addition to the discuss, Nick references and reads from the SIBA Independent Brewer Magazine article on 'Influencers', which can be found here.

Since 1870, Crisp Malt has been producing the finest malt at Great Ryburgh in Norfolk. With 5 maltings located in the best barley growing areas in the UK, they produce a wide range of malts and non-malted cereals in 25kg sacks for craft brewers and distillers all over the world.

They still work one of the last remaining floor maltings in England and use it to make their pioneering heritage malts. They also craft roasted and crystal malts of unprecedented consistency on their vertical, all electric tower roasting plant, the only one of its kind in the UK. Check out their website for more information about their range of malts and also their educational blogs and webinars too.

Find out more from Hop Forward and our partners...

• Follow is on Social Media: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / LinkedIn


• Visit hopforward.beer for more insights and a range of branding, marketing and business development services to help you and your beer business get ahead.


• Join our Facebook Community to connect with other industry professionals from across the globe


• Check out brewing-jobs.com for all the latest jobs and careers across the brewing and beverage industry

Sustainability and ethics are not only becoming a part of brewery life but are starting to come to the forefront for the modern beer business.

One brewery who are serious about working out their CO2 emissions and make a real life difference is Cheltenham’s DEYA Brewing Company.

DEYA have become synonymous with their flagship beer, Steady Rolling Man: a soft, opaque New England style Pale Ale that is like drinking a cloud made of tropical fruits.

Theo Frayne, a brewer who studied a Masters of Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt and then completed internships at both Odell Brewing Co. in Colorado and Cotswold Brewery, closer to home, took a leaf out of breweries such as Sierra Nevada's book and focused on perfecting one beer, dialing in the recipe until it was perfect.

And it is perfect: a modern classic on every level.

It’s little wonder why DEYA have attracted so much attention and affection in the world of beer through that beer alone, not to mention the other fantastic DIPAs, IPAs and other styles to come from their 40HL brewery.

For anyone who has conversed with Theo himself, you’ll understand how and why DEYA have achieved the success they have in a relatively short space of time. He is a switched on, intelligent guy who has a deep understanding of both the brewing process and the practical aspects of running a business.

Support for this episode proudly comes from Muntons plc.

Muntons is a UK manufacturer and global supplier of world class malts and malted ingredients.

As the greenest maltster in the world, sustainability lies at the heart of Muntons and is proud to boast the claim of manufacturing 100% sustainable malt. Muntons trustworthy data can support its customers’ raw material credentials by helping to map their carbon impact and look at potential mitigation options.

Over the past 10 years, Muntons has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 24% per tonne of produce and has become the only maltster in the world to sign up to have set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2010 to 2025.

In 2020 Muntons completed the installation of a Bio Mass plant at its Bridlington Maltings and is currently building one at the Stowmarket Maltings in Suffolk.

Sustainable brewing begins with Muntons. For more information, contact the Muntons team by emailing [email protected] or visit www.muntons.com

Find out more from Hop Forward and our partners...

• 
  Follow is on Social Media: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / LinkedIn
  


• Visit hopforward.beer for more insights and a range of branding, marketing and business development services to help you and your beer business get ahead.


• Join our Facebook Community to connect with other industry professionals from across the globe

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to attend the Thursday trade session of BrewLDN - a festival and trade show in The Old Truman Brewery; a welcoming emporium of game changing beers, high quality street food, good-time DJs and general festivities.

Although COVID-19 was making headline news here in the UK, edging its way ever closer from far distant lands such as China and the-not-so-far-flung-Italy, talks of the novel virus in conversations were fleeting at best, usually sandwiched in-between casual chit-chat about the beers and atmosphere.

I’d attended the festival with several hats on - my networking hat, to hook up with business owners I’d arranged to meet; my podcasters hat - to record episodes I’d previously lined up (you can go back and listen to those if you wish); and my party hat on - to sample some of the finest beers London had to offer.

Having a young family means I don’t always get out to the latest beer festivals, trade shows, or even down the pub on a regular basis. So whenever I do get the opportunity, I saviour the experience even more so than I do the drinks.

On this particular occasion, I went with my good friend Darren from the Industry Tap in Sheffield. Darren’s a quality bloke and can definitely give me a run for my money as far as beer consumption is concerned.

(I have to confess, it was quite funny... having spent a couple of hours podcasting I’d probably had around a pint in total. But by the time I bumped into Darren around 3pm - baring in mind doors only opened at 1 - he was already slurring his speech and reminding me (yet again) to go and visit Round Corner Brewing’s stand. This was to become a common theme of the day, as we’ll soon see).

I ran into lots friendly faces from the industry, many of whom I’ve had the good pleasure to podcast with. And yet, it seemed, that in between every social interaction, Darren popped up asking the same question: ‘Has tha’ been to Round Corner Brewing yet?’.

After a while, it was difficult to elude the question. And, with my defences being down on account of a beautifully smooth yet 14.4% whisky barrel aged scotch ale (courtesy of Glen Affric), I finally succumbed and followed Darren into the throng of bodies all packed like sardines in a can... not a sentence I’ll be using to describe a bar or any other social event this side of COVID any time soon!

Darren introduced me to Combie Cryan, a larger than life Northern Irelander who - as his first gesture of kindness - offered me a beer and, as his second, a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie.

Not only were the Round Corner team very accommodating, but they were also highly entertaining. I don’t know whether the market town showmanship has rubbed off on them, but it seemed to be attracting a lot of people to their bar.

If their reputation precedes them, then - on account of their beers - I could see why. I was poured a plantation rum oak barrel aged dark lager pretty much instantly upon being introduced to them by Darren.

And I can tell you... the sheer flavour of this thing, I wish I could describe to you - magnificent! Deep, rummy, warming, and yet crisp, smooth and rich.

As we parted ways, Combie invited us to visit the brewery - a trip me and Darren intended to take this Spring until, lo and behold, we spent the warmest month of the year so far firmly not going anywhere.

But I was still keen to get Round Corner on the podcast, albeit virtually. They’d struck a chord with me and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.

Not until the days that followed the recent death of my father-in-law.

On the evening he died, Combie and I were due to record the following episode you’re about to hear. However, with 25 minutes to spare, I had to postpone the recording last minute until after the funeral.

Within a couple of days, the landlord of my former office called me to say that a package had arrived from Round Corner Brewing... ‘That’s funny’, I thought, ‘I haven’t ordered anything from Round Corner Brewing... and the episode beers Combie had sent ahead of time for us to chat about had long been in my fridge tempting me every time I opened the door!’

After some wrangling with the courier to get the package redirected to my home address, my wife and I opened the box to discover the same plantation rum oak barrel aged dark lager in a 750ml waxed topped bottle, accompanied a note of condolence from the team, suggesting we use the beer to raise a toast to my late father-in-law’s life.

(Needless to say, it is being saved until the family can be safely reunited to crack it open and do so).

We were both extraordinarily touched by this gesture of k...