Up early, having a coffee with Miss Lulu Furball 🐈 for a change. Bob and Sid 🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛ still in bed. She's asking to be brushed, which has nothing to do with the fact that she gets a sweetie stick afterwards. Made a rod for my own back with that bribe 🙄 Lazy day ahead. Rain forecast. Have a good day 🙂

My Ham & Mushroom pasta bake is coming along nicely for a late lunch. To be accompanied by a rather nice bottle of The Wine Society Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2024. 😋🍷

Very enjoyable Saturday Session here in Chelmsford. Started off at The Railway Tavern with a couple of pints of Fuller's ESB. Nice selection of Cask Ales on the board. Next stop The Ship for a pint of Abbot and some loaded skins 😋 Good day out 🍻

Very sad to learn of the passing of Brendan Moore of Iceni Brewery, Suffolk. He had worked many years in the microbrewing sector and helped many small brewers over the years. He also spent a number of years as Chair of SIBA National East Region. RIP

Just over a week to go before set off to The Oval to judge this year's IBC, my 12th year doing this. Once again I'm honoured to be a Table Captain. This means I get more cream crackers than regular judges 😉 Hoping to find those beers over and above the usual 🍻

Bob 🐈‍⬛ Miss Lulu Furball 🐈 and Sid 🐈‍⬛ aka the Terrible Trio catching the last rays of the Sun before it passes over the top the house 🙂 In other news, I went to the hospital for my 6 month check up, all went well, sort of and I'm good for another 6 months. Opened a Broadside to celebrate. Cheers 🍻

New food and wine venue opening in Writtle, Nr. Chelmsford, this Saturday 🙂🧀🥖🍷🥂🥐

Hoping to stay awake for the match tonight and best of luck to the England team 🤞⚽🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. However, in the likely event that I nod off at 9.36pm and wake again at 2am, I got my old anti aircraft gun spotter scope out to look at the Moon and stars. 7x magnification on a roll ball mount 🙂🌙🔭

Finishing the Saturday Session on King Goblin. Admiring the garden. Been a hard couple of weeks work here at the cottage; 600 year old buildings are a commitment and a labour of love but it goes on the market next year sadly 😞. I shall miss it greatly, 17 years of happiness 😊

Beer O'Clock. Today's lot is a bit eclectic. Been through my stocks here at the cottage: Unlabelled home brew bottle of very nice English strong ale; a friend's Broadside clone IIRC. Next a 2015 Impy Barley Wine 10%ABV from Ridgeway but brewed at Hepworth's. Plus a decent Nigerian FES. Cheers 🍻

Made it through to 4am, a reasonable night's kip. Now in the garden with a nice crescent Moon, coffee and cats for company. Hoping today will be the last hot day and it cools for the weekend. Need a break from the heat 🥵

Another hot night here in Suffolk. Decided to get up early and sit in the cool garden with a coffee and the cats. Grabbed the Seestar S50 for a couple of Moon shots 🌗🔭

Getting set up for tonight's full Moon aka Strawberry Moon, which is usually more yellowish than red to me. SeestarS50 on charge. TBH I think it'll be a cloudy night here in Essex, UK but we'll see. Good luck to others also having a go at it🤞🔭

Saturday Beer O'Clock. Jobs done including taking the duvet to the dry cleaners which I had forgotten about. Now enjoying a chilled Broadside in the shade and revising my pole fishing techniques 🎣 Cheers 🍻

Yep it's still up there 🌓🔭

Delighted that my copy of Randy Mosher's new book has arrived, after a slight 1 week delay. Looking forward to reading this in due course & getting an update on various sensory topics. Early influences in my sensory development were Prof. Charles Spence, Hervé This, Gordon Shepherd and Harold McGee.

Nice selection in our Spoons today and two Porters kept me happy for a couple of hours. Kicked off with the Hanlons Port Stout. Slightly sweeter than I remember the original O'Hanlons version, as it was, back in the day. The Honey Porter was equally pleasant. Recommend them both 🍻

Friday's arrived. Hoping for a dry and warmer day here in Chelmsford. Off into town later for some shopping and lunchtime pints with a friend. In other news, the two boys 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛ are actually side by side on the bed with paws touching. Never thought I'd see them this close 18 months ago 😊 #Adoptdontshop

Beer O'Clock in the sunshine 😎☀️ In and out of Tescos by 7am, had the lawn cut by 9.30am then went on to wash the car for extra Brownie points 😁 Couple of well deserved Leffe Blondes today for me. And in other news Miss Lulu Furball is flirting with Sid but he's asleep. Cheers 🍻

Wet miserable day ahead here in Suffolk according to the forecast 😕 However, we did have rather a nice day out in Bury St Edmunds yesterday with visits to The Nutshell for a couple of pints of Abbot, then to Vespers Belgian Beer Bar ending up in Oakes Barn for lunch and Oakham's fine Midnight Mild 😊

Beer O'Clock. Indoors today as it's pouring outside 🌧️ Starting off with a Broadside and then something a little special that I found in my stash here at the cottage; Straffe Hendrik Quad 11%ABV from Halve Maan Brewery based in Bruges. Cheers 🍻

The Maltsters have published their approved malting barley varieties for harvest 2027 🍻

Enjoyable day in Sudbury. Spot of shopping and had my hair done. Went to The White Horse and raised a glass of Abbot to Martyn Cornell who left us this time last year. Followed by Skate and chips in the Codfather. That piece of fish was good enough for Jehovah 😁

Very enjoyable session here at The Maypole, Cambbridge with the home brew guys. Lots of interesting chat about all things beer and brewing. Finished on a Rochefort 10. Cheers 🍻

Saturday Session at The Maypole, Cambridge with the Craft Brewers group and a pint of Shortts Brewery 2 Tone Mild. I met Matt Hammond, the Head Brewer, a few years ago. Very nice beer and CAMRA award winner on a number of occasions. Cheers 🍻

Very nice guy, his book 'The Malt-stars of Warminster' was also a really interesting read.

Getting organised for tomorrow's Cambridge Craft Brewers Meeting at The Maypole, Camb at 11.30am. New members are always welcome, kit or full mash 🙂. I'm particularly interested in post fermentation pH adjustment using phosphoric acid. This first appeared on home brew forums about 2015 IIRC. 🍻

Sid's back! ☺️ Returned home at 2.30am, rather hungry but none the worse for his 2 day disappearance. Big relief to us all. Bit more painting today then a pub lunch at The Hare in Long Melford is on the agenda.

Lovely sunny day here in Suffolk. Sad to say our adopted stray cat, Sid, bolted yesterday morning after getting himself caught up in a draw string bag and hasn't been seen since. We've been doing regular patrols searching and calling him but to no avail so far. We're keeping our fingers crossed 🤞

Beer O'Clock. Time for a Broadside. Bob's back in his washing up bowl in disgrace. He snitched a piece of my pork pie off the plate when I went back to the kitchen to get my beer 🙄 Feral feline! Cheers 🍻