THIS week I swerve the pub review in preference for a peek inside one of the locality’s breweries.

I was fortunate enough to have been asked to go along to the Thwaites “Crafty Dan” brewery in the centre of Blackburn for a special beery mission.

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The Blackburn brewer had asked me to brew a special beer for them for the town’s beer festival at the beginning of next month at Blackburn Rugby Club in aid of Blackburn Youth Zone. Thwaites are the main sponsor of the event and also patrons of the youth zone.

It was a 7.30am start, as I was met by gatekeeper, Harry Spedding, a most cheerful and affable character who kindly gave me guidance towards reception. There, Craig Hall, one of the brewing team, was waiting to greet me and soon had me brewery bound, to undertake my duties.

Thwaites roll out some excellent award-winning ales at this brewery. And I was hoping the beer I would be creating for them was going to be up to their usual high standards.

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I was certainly in experienced hands, as brewer of over 25 years, Glynn Bennett was going to guide me through the brewing procedure.

I had decided on a golden-coloured ale, one that was going to be crisp, refreshing and fruity.

So, the first job was to put the Maris Otter and Amber malts into the grist hopper, for onwards delivery into the mash tun, a vessel that produces a sugary solution from a slurry type mix of hot water and the grain.

Glynn was proving a master of his art. All the timings and temperatures had to be spot on, as he transferred the sugary solution (wort), into a large copper vessel, after 75 minutes. This container is like a giant kettle, and where we added the hops.

I had chosen Chinook and galaxy hops to hopefully produce a soft tropical fruit, and light bitter flavour and aroma.

The boiling of the hops takes over an hour. So head brewer, Dave Goodwin suggested we go down to the Thwaites ‘sampling room’ and try a couple of their newly-brewed beers. Well, it would have been rude not to!

Back in the brew room, my beer was ready to be transferred to the fermentation tank.

Here, Glynn added the yeast, in order to convert the fermentable sugars into alcohol. The cooled ale will stay here for three or four days. Then, when the required strength is reached, it’s conditioned for a further three days.This period killing off the yeast. After that, it’s ready to be tasted.

And so my brew day ended. A most enlightening and educating experience.

All that is left now, is to taste the finished product.

It will be called ‘Magoo’s Brew’ – the name refers to the creator’s very poor eyesight. It will be the festival ale, at the Blackburn Beer Festival and available soon, in Thwaites pubs.

Hope you will enjoy my ‘Magoo’s Brew’. I’m sure it will be a belting beverage but I’ll have to cast my critical eye on that at a later date.

n Blackburn Beer festival runs from 6pm to 11pm on Friday, May 1 and noon to 11pm on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. Over 60 real ales will be available. Tickets, priced £5, are now on sale from 01254 292000.