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Farm Brewery

Update

Sunday 13 November 2011

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Long time no blog! Have been keeping busy with the brewery as well as a full-time job, admittedly it has been difficult to keep up with the brewery in this mode. I’ve been looking at various spaces for expansion, with the plan to transition from the full-time job to the brewery in 2012.

Our first choice was to find some farmland, as my wife Regina is an organic grower leasing a few small parcels here and there (hither and yon?). Since she has been making good use of the brewery’s spent grains (mulch, compost, feed for her friend Jen’s chickens), and since we have been using the brewery’s waste water here at home on her gardens, the concept of a farm brewery was our goal for the next move.

The farm would ideally be in western Suffolk, rather than the east end, as we also want to help preserve what little farmland that still exists in these parts.

It seems that it will take more time to secure and establish such an operation, in the meantime, something needs to give. Either the brewery or the full-time job. Have been operating in this mode for a number of years now.

So, while our search for land continues, a building will likely be the next step -- either leased or purchased. There are a number of candidates that we’ve narrowed down to, am hoping to decide on one soon. Regina will continue to take the spent grains for her farming, and the brewery will continue to use some things she grows for use in the brewery. This has so far included potatoes for the Long Island Potato Stout, coriander for a number of beers, and basil for the Honey & Basil Ale. We’ve only made limited use of home-grown hops thus far, but there will be more hops planted and used in the future.

Looking forward to some positive changes for the Blind Bat Brewery in 2012.

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