Brewing Up A Storm? Maybe!

[aleandhearty]

Picked Mrs a&h up from work on Thursday evening and as it was a lovely sunny evening decided to hit a pub with a nice beer garden. Imagine my surprise when I saw Green Mill Old Git on the pumps at The Kings Arms, Heath. At first I was a bity hazy about it being the beer you were involved with, but then it gradually came back to me. I thought it was OK, if slightly underwhelming, but as you said back in 2011 it lost some character when the Chinook was replaced. I'd liked to have tried your original version. Having waited three years to find it, it was also on at The Puzzle Hall Inn, Sowerby Bridge, on Saturday!

[ROBCamra]

I was chatting to Anthony & John from Oates brewery in Halifax on Tuesday.

I've blagged a visit to the brewery to brew a beer with them.

In exchange they'll come and do a "Meet The Brewer" at the Baum.

No timeframe yet, but hopefully soon.

[ROBCamra]

I was chatting to Anthony & John from Oates brewery in Halifax on Tuesday.

I've blagged a visit to the brewery to brew a beer with them.

In exchange they'll come and do a "Meet The Brewer" at the Baum.

No timeframe yet, but hopefully soon.

The timeframe has been arranged, it's today.

Setting off for Halifax in about 10 minutes.

Hopefully it will go as well as last time at Green Mill.

[ROBCamra]

Well the brew is now in the fermenter for the next 7 days after that it will be transferred to a conditioning tank for about 3 more.

Last time Simon and I brewed a light, hoppy beer at 4.2%.

For a change this time we've brewed a light, hoppy beer at 4%.

Complete change on the hops front though.

We also added Jamie, the Baum's bar manager to the team.

Oates is a 6 BB plant. A little bigger then the Green Mill plant and a bit more automated.

To Pearl Malt and Torrified Wheat (for head retention) we added Kohatu and Pacific Jade to the copper during the boil.

Part way through we added 200g of Citra.

At the end of the boil a further 500g of Citra and another 250g of Kohatu were added.

This was then transferred to a fermenter. It smelt great in the fermenting room!

The beer will be dry hopped in the cask with Nelson Sauvin as it is put into the barrels.

We then "designed" the pump clip.

The beer is being brewed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Rochdale, Oldham & Bury CAMRA.

So the pump clip has the crest of each of the towns on it with a background of some wallpaper from The Baum.

The beer is called R.O.B. and will be available from 13th March at The Baum if all goes to plan.

It's also likely to be served in a few of the regions free houses.

About a dozen 9's will be made available to the free trade in Yorkshire as well. Keep an eye out a&h and OB!

The Bridge at Ripponden have told us that they'll take one as we called in there for a post brewing pint on the way home.

Many thanks to Anthony the brewer (ex Hogsback) for all his advice and good humour during the day.

Also thanks to Mark (Oates) and John (Sales Director) for your help and the butties.

Oates will be doing a Meet The Brewer at The Baum on 17th March, see you all then guys.

http://www.oatesbrewing.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/oatesbrewing

[ROBCamra]

Well our beer Oates R.O.B. is on the bar in The Baum & The Healey at the moment and will soon be on at the Regal Moon
all in Rochdale.

We'll be meeting Anthony & John tomorrow, so Ill find out where else it's gone to.

It's not turned out quite as we imagined this time.

It is hoppy and bitter and fairly dry, but it's a slow grower rather than a major hop hit from the start.

It's also a little bit maltier than we'd expected.

Still people seem to like it and a 9 sold out in The Healey in just over 24 hours which isn't bad at all for a foody pub.

We want Oates to brew it again for the 1st ever Rochdale CAMRA Beer Festival (watch this space, I'm on the organising committee)

So we might have to get some advice from the guys on a tweak.

[ROBCamra]

On a bar near you soon?

[Bucking Fastard]

On a bar near you soon?

Now I understand the origins of your nom de plume,always wondered about that.

[ROBCamra]

Off to Green Mill brewery in Broadbottom tomorrow morning to help brew a Special festival brew
for Rochdale Beer Festival 2016.

It's going to be a Black IPA, so none of the light, hoppy nonsense we've brewed before.

This time it's going to be dark, hoppy nonsense.

[ROBCamra]

The jobs done.

It's a Black IPA called Black Ops.

It's got shedloads of hops in it Citra, Chinook, Waimea, Cascade, Bravo & Nelson Sauvin.

Hope it turns out as good as it smelt in the fermenter.

[ROBCamra]

The Beer Of The Festival at Rochdale was a 3 way tie between:-

Vibrant Forest Kick Start

Serious Moonlight Stout the Champion Beer at Oldham Beer Festival earlier this year AND

Greenmill Black Ops

Joint first out of 89, not bad at all.

Interesting that all the first three were dark beers though.