Mashed

The book says it takes about three hours. Hah! Maybe that's ideal circumstances when you're boiling water in a warm house. I was out the brew shed - a reclaimed semi-derelict lean-to sort of a structure attached to the back of the house. Home to the central heating boiler, christmas decorations and mice. Not any more. Now it is a small brewery. A small, cold brewery where it takes nearly 90 minutes to get 25 litres of water to 85 degrees.

But first I had to sort out small matters such as drainage, a source of water and some electrickery. I finally got started at 1pm and was still there at 10pm. Let's call it an introductory lesson. A way of finding out what needs to be changed for next time. Like that tubing from B&Q that seemed solid enough but just collapsed as soon as any warm water went near it. Some insulation for the boiler. And some other refinements.

Still, the first batch is bubbling away. 20 litres of IPA.

The flower is one of Ellen's sunflowers. They're holding on. Looking a wee bit rough around the edges. Grabbed on one of the many walks between the brew shed and the garage.