General News

Mallinsons / Pictish Collaboration!

As some may have seen on Twitter already, YES! I have collaborated with Mallinsons and we have created a beer which will be available at Manchester Beer and Cider Festival for everyone to try.

Obviously, there was some sort of a decision process we had to endure.

Where to brew? Huddersfield – my kit is far too tiny!

What to brew? Tara and Elaine obviously must share the rebellious streak I have in my nature, because within about 10 seconds it was decided that we were definitely not brewing a pale, single hopped ale. So we went with dark, brown, multi-hop. Exactly what everyone would expect. Not.

ABV? What the hell! 6.0%

Brew day was great, I was made to feel so welcome by Tara, Elaine, Nick and Sandy (who brewed up a couple of times – good lad!). I confess I was struggling at times to work out where the hell all the pipework went etc. It’s amazing how many completely different ways there are of doing exactly the same thing!

It was interesting that they have the same lack of lunch break thing going on as I do – luckily I was early (I did have a lie in after all ha ha) and got a butty from the shop next door to the Star Inn. Too early to knock on and say hello to Sam though. Anyway, lunch is for wimps.

I like to think I’m pretty good at digging out the mash tun but I got fed up 3/4 of the way through and handed over to Nick. My average brew has 180kg of malt – there was nearly 500 in this one!

Anyway, brewing is brewing, I was bitten by the copper (steam burn) blah blah blah. We did it it and I am looking forward to having a try myself – as I was back on the other side of the Pennines I didn’t get the pleasure before it was racked!

See you at Manchester Central!

Design a Pump Clip!

Next week I’ll be brewing another single hopped ale using EQUINOX, a sought after hop I only managed to get hold of via my friends at All Gates Brewery in Wigan. Times are hard hop-wise so we have to be creative.

Here is the challenge. Anyone who can be arsed to do it can submit a pump clip design to me for EQUINOX, and the winning design will be used this time and at any time in the future when it becomes available again.

Guidelines – You can all see our clips on the website, it needs to fit into that space on the top. Try not to be too obvious about ripping off other peoples artwork (I can do without a law suit). Anything else I can filter out myself. I will put a credit on the clip for the winner if they want. I will incorporate it into the Pictish template and will liaise with the winner regarding border colours etc.

The prize – Bragging rights, feel good factor, a deep sense of self satisfaction, maybe a tee shirt, badge, a life long friend, you know that sort of thing.

Entries need to be in by Friday 5 February (not long) and the choice will be made on Saturday, printed on Sunday and distributed on Monday with the beer.

Not open to commercial design companies, please don’t phone me for God’s sake.

Looking forward to seeing some creativity! Submit to paul@pictish-brewing.co.uk

Pictish Bar at MBCF 2016

A date for your diary (if it isn’t already in it) – we will have our very own bar!

http://mancbeerfest.uk/home/brewery-bars/

Looking forward to this! Better go and buy some wood and other related bar building stuff 🙂

Superfast Mash Digging

Yeah I know, got a new gadget, nothing on the telly.

The Warrior is Back

Saying as it’s 4 years since this one time regular has been brewed, I thought for a change I’d give him another outing 🙂

New Pictish Website Live!

Following hours and hours of trudging through a load of jpegs and information we are finally ready! Thanks to the guys at Cultivate in St Helens for their advice and hard work creating the site.

Pictish T-Shirt Giveaway

FREE OF CHARGE!!! To those of you who love (I mean love, not just like) our beer, and who drink in our regular outlets I have had some 15th Anniversary T-shirts done. You can get you hands one one of these, expertly modelled by myself (silver print on light graphite Fruit of the Loom) by messaging me on here with your name, size (S, M, L, XL, XXL) and which pub you drink in. I will then get them to you somehow.

I am giving away 70 T-shirts this way, so it’s first come, first served. I will send up to 20 of them further afield by post. Feel free to share.

Eight hours of brewing condensed into 4 minutes

Now then, here’s something for you. Brewers Gold from start to finish in 4 minutes – for those that are interested but have a short attention span.

Brewing for the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival

Some more pictures of our collaboration brew day with Caroline O’Donnell from Manchester Beer and Cider Festival. As you can see, Caroline did most of the hard work! The fruits of our labour – TANDEM abv. 4.2%, brewed with a couple of our favourite hops, Cascade (USA) and Pacific Gem (New Zealand). Style? Do you really have to ask?

January 21st – 24th at Manchester Velodrome COME ON DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!