“There's indifference on the wind
But a faint gust of hope
At a club nobody goes to
With a musty velvet rope
Guys in Motörhead jackets
Who knew him way back when
Haven't raised a drink in years
But now meet up again
To remember how it was
When they all thought they'd move away
And ride in Lotus 7s
Through the London streets one day.
Nobody ever gets away
Even the best of us come back some day.
To the unmarked rooms, where the dry dust breeds
Andrew Eldritch is moving back to Leeds….”
“Andrew Eldritch Is Moving Back To Leeds” - The Mountain Goats
Why this? I'd been to see The Mountain Goats the evening before with Bevis (aka The Gothlord).
The gig was fabulous. Bevis enjoyed too. Malcolm’s a Leeds fan, Andrew Eldritch - Sisters of Mercy…… the dots were there to join…..
Anyway. Beer…..
To say that Malcolm Bastow is a fundamental part of this event somewhat underestimates his place in the history of The Independent Salford Beer Festival.
Back in (I think) late 2013, he was one of the first to respond to my tweet - about just agreeing to “organise” (🤣) a beer festival, with the response “BOGOF”
He then - following the first ISBF - had the sheer audacity to borrow the “Wars of The Roses” idea to launch his own charity Beer Festival (my actual favourite beer event) the East West Fest.
A simply lovely human, he has become a true friend.
A man - who having previously worked in the NHS in the MH field - guided me through tragedy and grief (one of the few I'd confided in, when the pain was still raw), hugging me and the Boss during ISBF 3.
I'll never forget that. Never.
His family and friends have becime fundamental to the event too. Always getting in early to the busiest session - Saturday Lunch - and getting themselves a corner in the Green Room. Their own little slice of Salford.
Almost the essence of The #ISBFFamily, they even get behind the bars for a session or 2.
The fact that Malcolm has brewed 4 “Beer of the Festival” winners seems almost incidental.
An ISBF collab with Malcolm is a personal annual highlight.
Nothing to do with the exceptional (Tony's) Chippy literally next door…..
Oh no. Not at all.
Planning for this Brewday started months ago. I wanted Red. And Rye. And to take Malcolm out of his comfort zone of DIPA & Impy.
“NO MORE THAN 6%” I demanded.
I could almost feel the shudder. From across The Pennines.
Malcolm “retired” from brewing a few years back, generously passing the recipe for “Harry's Beer” (the house beer for - the magnificent - Harry's Bar in Wakefield) to his friend David at Chin Chin Brewery.
And breathed. Not missing the commute to work (all 15……yards of it). Until I asked (kind of) about recommissioning the brewkit in “The Shed of Dreams”
And there we are. Mashing in again. Like he'd never stopped.
Not having any Rye malt himself, he liberated some from North Riding during Brewday 6 in Rediness (sic) for our brew a week later.
Mashing in was simple - it's a Dave Porter kit (for those who know such things. Built for simplicity)
The colour was immediately where I wanted it. Redder than a stop sign. And smelling far better.
A simple Brewday with transfer to copper being slow, but rolling boil quickly attained.
Bittering hops were Citra. The main addition later being Malcolm's latest Catnip. Nectaron.
I had the sensory joy of breaking up the hops.
By. The. Gods. They're a bloody lovely smelling hop, so fresh and citrussy.
Time for a simply magnificent Fish & and Chips from Tony's next door.
My Lancastrian demeanour was detected. Humorous words exchanged (not by me obvs “Jimmy doesn't do ‘funnies’”) but - even though the Wars of The Roses ended almost 550 years ago -I exited this Yorkshire outpost of pescatorial perfection safe in the Lancastrian Supremacy.
You may have the best tea. And the best Fish & Chips. But we won the one that mattered 🤣
(No photos. I had to protect my grub, as Bella had detected delicious food. And silently moved into striking distance…)
Acutely conscious of the colour, a check - post sparge (rinsing the grains to extract the maximum sugars) assured me that the colour was exactly where i needed it to be.
I wanted a Red. And BY THE GODS we had a Red on our hands!
The “Porter” kit lends itself to simplicity of process. And Malcolm's brewkit was on point. Near the end of boil, the fragrant Nectaron hops were added and spread their citrussy joy into my welcoming nostrils…
Before i knew it, transfer to FV was on point with yeasts added and we were almost done. So bar the chuffing digging out.
Yes. It's a tiny kit. But Rye Malt is one absorbent swine of a grain. And it took some digging and moving. Weighing a surprising amount. It took two old men to shift one sack!
So. What joyous liquid have we made for you?
A Red Rye IPA. Rich. Citrussy, slight peppery note. I'm drooling at the thought.
And where can you……..
Obviously, the cask bar at a certain little do at Hemsley House on November 12th!
Not got your ticket yet? Are there indeed any left?
Check here!
Back soon. With a Brew Day Trilogy. All from the same day!
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
This post is dedicated to the memory of Des Fisher, whose funeral was today.
A generous soul. Absolutely a beer lover. But also an original member of the #ISBFFamily, joining us at the very first ISBF.
The turnout for his service today shows how much he will be missed.
Sleep well friend.