Gas dig started

Ironically, too soon - had been told they would start on Friday. Not quite a pleasant surprise, as they had been asked to dig only on Friday to avoid disrupting traffic. Fortunately this has not been a problem - yet - and the landlord has been very accommodating. Watch this space...

What a mezz!

Ha! I should write headlines for The Sun...

Anyway, last major construction work underway - the mezzanine floor is going up. The area with the smart red floor will be the grain room, and adjacent will be lab & kitchen. We needed to level the floor in the grain room to avoid 1-tonne pallets rolling downhill, and the mezzanine pillars had to be adjusted to compensate. Fortunately Alf was on site with his cutter and welding kit to save the day.

Ugly Duckling : a magical transformation

Well, we cheated. We were recommended to talk to JBJ Insulations, and their quote to custom build a cold room was not much more than it would have cost us to clean up and insulate the Ugly Duckling. Not to hurt her feelings, but this is more handsome and much better insulated,. so she is now unwanted, available to a good home - well, any home, so if anyone wants a tatty, weatherproof lockable 20 ft. container, do get in touch.

Loaded for shipping

The brewhouse has been loaded and is on its way; all fits rather neatly in a 40 ft. container. Now we have to start on the logistics of unloading it. I doubt our fork lift is up to it; anybody have a telescopic crane truck we can borrow for a day?

From paper to reality

Just-about-final versions of the brewhouse drawings....

 

 

...and the real thing starts to take shape.

Excuse the brevity of recent postings, but I am starting to experience the reality of the old cliché "not enough hours in the day" - and as the other old cliché has it, a picture paints a thousand words, so complaints on a postcard to Anyone But Me.

First plant on the new floor

Used the forklift to move a couple of the fermenters onto the brewhouse floor. A little tricky but completed without incident - apart from the nasty rubber tyre marks all over the lovely new tiles. Still, should only be a few days work to cut out the marked tiles and replace with new ones - fortunately we have some in reserve. Somebody suggested just cleaning them, but I hate half-hearted bodges.

Photographic note : The flash is reflecting off dust particles in the air in some of these photo's; a good illustration of why the beer vessels should not be opened after being sanitised.

 

Managed to have a little fun this weekend also - in what we hope is the last snowfall this winter.
 The picture shows our snow sculpture designer and resident brewery graphics artist astride her lastest creation - the snow caterpillar. It was kicked down by some little yobs shortly thereafter; we managed to catch them and bury them under the caterpillar remains, but unfortunately the snow melted and it looks like they got away before expiring. Hanging's too good for 'em.

A Paper Molehill...

...is the reason for the hiatus in blog posts. I have been ploughing through our accounts, diligently entering all our invoices into the accounting system. A lot of invoices, but fortunately, the expenditure is pretty close to budget - we have pinned down most of the costs and have avoided or covered most opportunities for nasty surprises, and are only about 3% over budget, well within our contingency. This is a pleasant surprise, and one I take no pride in, as we all know what comes before a fall.

This is all happening on our dining table, so no food for about a week or so. The little ones are taking this reasonably well, and for us biggies - well, I am thinking of writing "The Book-keepers Diet" - should be a nice little earner on the side.