In early August, brewers from Gloucester Brewery, Hillside Brewery, Prescott Ales and Velvet Owl Brewery joined Favourite Beers at Cheltenham’s DEYA Brewery to brew two very unique beers for Cheltenham and Gloucester Beer Week.
Beer Week organiser, Leigh Norwood, said: “We plan to donate the profits from these two beers to National Star College.
“National Star College do great work, helping people with disabilities realise their potential as equal and active citizens in control of their lives. But rather than just give money to the college, we involved the students and staff in the whole process.
“The students provided the design artwork for the cans and beer badges, college head chef Joe Parke helped out on the brew days, and he will also host one of the Beer Week events at the college in September.”
The first collaboration beer was a triple IPA with a target ABV of 11%. This will be pale, full-bodied and guaranteed to be super-hoppy after extensive dry hopping.
Dark beer yeast
The 7% ABV export stout will be English hopped (Bramling Cross) and enriched with cacao nibs. Velvet Owl Brewery supplied its Scottish dark beer yeast for this beer.
The first two brew days needed three separate mashes to produce enough wort for the triple IPA. On Friday, two further mashes were required for the cacao nib-infused export stout.
“It was great to see all the brewers get together, share ideas, co-operate and have fun whilst creating two great beers,” said Leigh Norwood. “It’s what ‘Beer Week’ is all about, working together to showcase the talents and quality of all those involved in the Cheltenham and Gloucester beer scene”.
Both beers will be unfiltered and unfined. They will only be available at Beer Week venues during the week itself, in keg and can packaging. Both beers will be launched at DEYA Brewery and Favourite Beers on Friday, September 14.
• See www.cgbw.beer for more information and event listings.
