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I grow First Gold (Prima Donna). It's quite compact and grows to about 10 or 12 feet. The side shoots are also shorter than many other varieties. It's a great hop to grow in a smaller garden as it's very easy to manage. It's a very versatile hop that can be used in a variety of beer styles. It's...

You'd need a very powerful stirer. Most will only stir a few pints effectively. Highly floculant yeasts do that. Some yeasts need rousing but I don't normally bother as long as it's bubbling well. The secret is to keep measuring the SG. If it continues to go down the yeast is doing it's job...

WLP028 and WY1728 are supposedly the same strain (McEwans). I've used WLP028 to make bitters, IPA and stout and it's good in all of them. I made a beer similar to Deuchars IPA using it recently and it turned out better than I expected. It didn't last long. It's a good, versatile strain.

I sometimes make pea pod wine. I have a friend who grows lots of peas and he gives me bags full of empty pods. It's easy to make and has a definate vegetal aftertaste. It's an acquired taste. I've made it medium but I prefer it dry. It's much better if you throw in some fruit. I usually add a...

Try using Progress and WGV. Keep the recipe simple and let the ingredients do the work. Use Maris Otter and about 5% medium crystal. Keep the ABV to about 4.5%. Add just under one ounce each of Progress and WGV to the boil and just over half an ounce of WGV in the last 10 minutes. Use a dry...

Does this mean I'll have to start calling my bell end something else?

If you speak proper English like what I do then you know the proper pronounciation is trub.

It's pathetic.

I've broken about five over the years because I'm really clumsy. I often forget to measure the OG. It doesn't bother me. When I'm using a familiar recipe I know what the OG is going to be within a point or two. I could be a bit further out when making something different but I'm never more...

I soak and clean my kettle using sodium percarbonate and rinse thoroughly after every brew. I just rinse it out with warm water before using. I use a stainless steel fermentor which I clean after use in the same way as I do my kettle. I rinse and sanitise with starsan before use. I did once...

I make a simple golden ale using 5kgs Maris Otter and 250g of light crystal. I use Northern Brewer at 60 minutes, Goldings at 15 minutes and Styrian Goldings at flameout. I aim for an IBU of around 40. It's easy to make, easy to drink and most people like it. Sometimes I use Challenger instead...

That's interesting. I reckon that would work well with a good, dark mild ale such as Orfy's.

In England we have only one law restricting alcohol in the home. It's illegal to serve alcohol to a person under 5 years old.

Challenger is a very good bittering hop that works very well with Willamette. It gives a smooth, clean bitterness with a bit of spice. I use Challenger for bittering, Wilamette at 15 minutes and Syrian Goldings at flameout to make an excellent IPA.

I have some Keyworth's Early and some Bishop hops in the freezer but I haven't used them yet. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on some Jester as soon as they become available. They sound very interesting.

I've made a lot of beers with Progress and WGV which is a great combination. Use Progress with about a third WGV at 60 minutes and WGV at 10 minutes.

That's made me feel hungry. I like eating black pudding with pears and blue cheese. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the black pudding on both sides until it's crisp. Peel and core the pears, slice thinly, add to the pan and fry until golden brown. Remove from the pan and add some...

+1 on the Crisp amber malt. 4% is fine. I like Crisp pale ale malt and use it a lot. I'd go with Crisp or Fawcett crystal malt if you want an authentic flavour. It makes a difference. It looks a good recipe. I make a very similar session bitter using Crisp pale, amber and crystal malts with...

I'll leave it another week to see what happens.

I've got 5 gallons of IPL in the fermenter. I pitched two packets of M84 Bohemian Lager yeast. It took nearly a week to start and it's been sitting at 12C for three weeks now. It's dropped from 1060 to 1022 so it's still got some way to go. It's certainly the slowest yeast I've ever used but I...