Lucky Ed

Amongst the language I learnt as a kid was the phrase 'scabby git' which, if directed at you, meant only one thing, that you'd been lucky. Perhaps you'd pulled off that tabletop without getting hurt, passed a French test or been given some tickets for the Pleasure Beach. Either way, you were a 'scabby git' in our book and we'd let you know, just in case you thought personal skill or charm played any part in your good fortune.

Well, in 1994, 6 months after starting my brewing apprenticeship, I was one scabby git. A great, big, fat, hairy one with nobs on: I won a bronze medal at the International Brewing Industry Awards. A cask of 'Firkin Dogbolter' I brewed at the Ferret in Lotts Road, Chelsea, was judged to be the third best strong cask ale in the World. Well, not including the many that didn't enter, but including the 62 that did.

Obviously I was pretty pleased with myself, and thankfully there were no Blackpudlians to point out that it was luck, not skill, what won it. But a couple of years later the senior brewer, Nick the Hat, confessed that he'd doctored my beer - he'd opened up the cask, didn't think much of the contents so put a handful of Styrian Goldings (hops) in for good measure. So afraid was he that I'd blame him for only getting a bronze (silver and gold were both taken by Shepherd Neame with Bishop's Finger and Spitfire respectively, incidentally) that he kept quiet about his genius little tinkering for two years, until, twisted by a guilty conscience and 8 pints of Dogbolter, he 'fessed up one night, spewing his adulterous little tale to me between sobs.

Now I know only too well that it was his intervention that stunned the judges and forced them, for the first time in the competition's then 109 year history, to award an award to a micro-brewery. And that forced our director to put his hand in his pocket and pay for a table of us to attend the awards ceremony, where beer and food were free and Firkin brewers made the most of them. I duly presented myself on stage at the appointed moment to rapturous applause and cheering from an audience that really, really loved seeing a little guy win.

Now I've lost the medal they gave me, and the certificate, but I'll never ever forget being one scabby git.

The IBIA is back this year and we're entering West Coast IPA. Fingers crossed for a gold this time.

Bock!

As you all gear up to celebrate the passing of another year we brewers are busy crafting beer for drinking in 2011. One of those will be a German style Dunkel Bock, brewed right here by me and Mark (if he can get through the snow) tomorrow.

This dark, strong lager is commonly bereft of a noticeable hop influence, but we're not common, so we're breaking with that tradition and lugging a bale of Hallertau's finest spicy Saaz hops in the copper (and, knowing Mark, I'd hazard a guess that he will feel the beer needs more than that, so who knows what pungent variety he'll turn up with).

Fermentation will be long and cool with an eight week lagering period at -1° C on another bed of hops. Then I think we'll keg most, cask some and bottle the rest ready for supping in the spring.

Fantastically expensive, imported German speciality malts will provide some wonderful aroma and flavour.

Taste of Kent Awards 2010

Forget X Factor, that's over, now it's the Taste of Kent Awards voting time. Click here to vote for your favourite producers and retailers of Kentish food and drink.

You'll remember back in 2007 when we won Best Kent Brewery? And you'll also remember 2008 when, after the organisers changed the category title, we won Best Kentish Beer with GADDS' Number 3 Premium Kent Pale Ale? We won it in 2009 too, for the same beer.

Well, this year the organisers appear to have reverted to the "Best Kentish Brewery" category. Perhaps, kind reader, if I shut up you'll have time to follow the link and vote for your favourite Kentish Brewery (please, pick one that uses predominately Kent grown hops). The top three, according t0 public opinion, go forward to a judging panel where the real battle commences.

There's a lot of new breweries in Kent these days so I imagine the battle could be bloody, and fierce.