SAVE THE DATE! Chertsey St George's Beer Challenge - THE FINAL - Sunday 25 April

Save the date and be there for the epic Chertsey St George's Beer Challenge Final. We're currently looking at a 2pm kick off for the event, so no need for babysitters. Kids, friends, relatives, random people pulled in off the street, ALL WELCOME.

We currently have 20 competitors in the brewing comp, so we're more than double the size of last year. Great effort by all concerned!

In addition to the three Beer Challenge titles - Best Beer, Best Label, Best Name - there will be some additional on-the-day challenges which everyone can get involved in. Nothing heavy - just fun stuff.

More details as we have them!


Any idiot can drink a beer. It takes a legend to make one.

WARNING: Brewing deadline fast approaching!!!

A friendly warning, mind. If you want to have a beer ready for 25 April, you pretty much have to have to get it under way this weekend (27, 28 March) latest. You need a week for your initial fermentation and probably 3 weeks in the bottle to ensure it clears in time.

That said, last year's winner (Willingale's Willing Ale) was brewed super-late and delivered to the judge still cloudy, so you never can tell!

Bottles!

Right, next up is bottles. Rather than spend a bleedin' fortune on these, I've negotiated with the landlords of local hostelries, chiefly the Crown, to go rummaging in their bins and recycle suitable glassware for your awesome brews. Let me know if you'd like any. First come, first served. (Likely to be 500ml rather than pints, but it shouldn't affect the flavour ;)

FINAL RUN for beer stuff - get your orders in today, 12 March!!!

I'll be making a FINAL run down to the Art of Brewing store this weekend. I'm picking up starter beer kits, ingredients, crown caps and bottles for a range of likely suspects. I've negotiated discounts, so were looking at the following prices:

If you'd like me to pick up stuff for you, let me know by close of play today, Friday 12 March, by giving me a buzz or emailing: chertseyotter@googlemail.com.

• Complete ingredients for Chertsey Otter Ale = £30 (makes 40 pints)
• Full starter brew kit (includes 5g fermenting bin, syphon, airlock, beer paddle, beer finings and sterilising solution) = £20
• Crown caps (available in gold, blue, red, green) = £1.50 for 40
• Standard 500ml glass bottles = £1 each (these are slightly less than a pint so you'll need 44 of them. If you can be bothered, it's cheaper to use recycled.)

I'm going to bag a crown capper as well, which anyone is free to borrow.

Thanks!

Buying ingredients, kits - get your orders in before Friday 5 March

I'll be making a run down to the Art of Brewing store this weekend. If you'd like me to pick up ingredients or kit, please let me know (and let me have payment) before Friday 5 March by emailing: chertseyotter@googlemail.com.

• Complete ingredients for Chertsey Otter Ale = £35 (makes 40 pints)

• Full starter brew kit (includes 5g fermenting bin, syphon, airlock, beer paddle, beer finings and sterilising solution = £20
  

Thanks!