Well, we are delighted to start the new year with the installation of a new shiny fermentation vessel.
Thanks to all of you who sent in suggestions of the name for our new toy – with over 25 suggestions we are busily deliberating over names such as Tobi Tank, Hopollo 7, Tanky McTankface and Beer Monster to name but a few. The deliberations continue but will be announced shortly.
However, on a practical note the introduction of the new vessel will allow us to brew up to 4,500 more pints of our core Moon Gazer ales each week.
However, it will also mean that we can use our other existing tanks to keep our ranges of special beers going, and also look to increasing the amount of collaborations we do with other brewers.
Before more news on new brews we must give a big shout out to the team at New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership which helped to fund and support our investment through their Small Grant Scheme, without which we would not have been able to make the investment. This scheme helps small businesses like team Moon Gazer at The Norfolk Brewhouse to plan and invest in sustainable growth, so if you fit that bill it is well worth checking them out and chatting to them – they are there to help businesses like us. Find our more here.
So, what will the tank with no name mean for us?
For starters it will mean that we can brew larger batches of your favourite Moon Gazer ales, and then free up our smaller, existing vessels for our seasonal specials and collaborations.
Up until now it has always been a juggling act of making sure we never run out of the likes of Pintail, Jigfoot, Jumper et al – but satisfying the appetite of pubs and beer lovers for new brews. Happily, to date, we’ve managed to juggle all the balls as it were, and keep all camps smiling.
However, we could see a point where something would have to give, and that we didn’t want!
So, look out for an increasing number of new brews, with our spring line up currently consisting of the return of; Moon Gazer Ostara (last year’s favourite guest), Moon Gazer Belly White Belgian IPA and Moon Gazer Scoundrel – a new addition to our Gluten Free offering – this time an amber red ale. Moon Gazer Lightfoot will also be joining our family of hares, lower in abv at 3.4% but packed with flavour this table session IPA will satisfy the growing demand for flavour packed lower abv brews.
Collaborations will also continue with a planned tie up with innovative Belgian farmhouse brewery Hof Ten Dormaal which will aim to highlight the brewing and farming credentials of both regions in harmony. The first brew will also celebrate Norfolk apple growers as we are creating an apple saison beer which will use Whin Hill apple juice along with Norfolk Maris Otter barley.
We are also working with our brewing friends in Norfolk USA on a couple of ideas, after the success of the Norfolk Day PondHopper IPA last year. So, watch this space as they say, as we look to bring over some of the latest beer styles from East Coast USA.
We are also brewing more one-off bespoke beers for customers – the likes of Galton Blackiston’s lager and ale and Jarrold Heritage Ale have been very well received and this is an area that we love working with other Norfolk foodies on, creating their unique recipes and crafting the beers together. The next one on the way is a cracking IPA which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Beers of Europe – more news on this to follow.
All that from installing one vessel – exciting times.
Cheers
Team Moon Gazer