TOPIC:

Neil's Father: Well I agree with the spotty twerps on that one. Felicity Kendal is sweetly pretty, just what a real girly should be. I mean, speaking as a Feminist myself I can safely say this; that Felicity Kendal is a wonderful woman, and I want to protect her.
Vyvyan: Well it's the first time I've ever heard it called that![/url:1u5gakdo]

Being somewhat bed-ridden yesterday (our home was like a small hospital) I took the opportunity to watch the first two episodes on Channel 4's website.

It's a good, light entertaining watch. As with the instructions above, if you're watching it to find out how to open a microbrewery (or make homebrew) then you've come to the wrong place, but it does show two blokes having a laugh trying to make, but mainly drinking, beer.

Over on Jim's they're disecting and criticising the way the homebrew was made, and questioning whether they actually made it, but as we all know you can't believe anything that happens on TV land. Plus, if you're going to get upset over editing inconsistencies you're best not to watch it.

If I was to criticise I would say they revamped an old traditional pub into something more cold looking and less cosy.
They also seem to be spending money like it's going out of fashion. The original budget was £250k. I was trying to do a mental tally:
Pub lease: £130K
Pub fitout: £125K (from a £75K budget)
Photo shoot: £5K (possibly including branding)
Brewery: er, none yet.
Homebrew equipment: £184
Contract brewing and bottling: Not mentioned.
Being a pub landlord, serving your own cask ale, even though you're a quarter of a million in the red: Priceless.

It's an entertaining program. Like most tv it's edited to make it exciting. If they just focused on the whole brewing process it'd be pretty boring.

I do think they have a consultant formulating recipes for them. When they made their first beer it looked like they just followed the recipe that came with the mash tun. I doubt you could turn such a beer into a successful brand. Although maybe they did which means people will buy anything that's backed by a celebrity...

Gah! I can't watch it on the C4 website. Have to be in the UK or Ireland <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( -->

&amp;quot;noby&amp;quot;:3ap8r7tc wrote: It's a good, light entertaining watch. As with the instructions above, if you're watching it to find out how to open a microbrewery (or make homebrew) then you've come to the wrong place, but it does show two blokes having a laugh trying to make, but mainly drinking, beer.[/quote:3ap8r7tc]

I could only imagine an instructive programme on how to open a microbrewery would be dull and boring to all but a handful of people. "Then you fill out form 23SC and send it to the Alcohol Department of the local council making sure to tick boxes 4A, 4B and fill in subsection 32..." Seems foolish to get worked up about it.

They really focused on the "two pissed-up idiots bumbling about with this brewery lark" aspect of it, which I suppose is inevitable considering it's for the telly box. My impression was that it was edited in such a way to make the whole errand seem a bit like they were tilting at windmills, from the early messing about with the homebrew to the various professional advice telling them they were on a fool's errand.

I reckon they'll take the tack that the lads will gradually get their act together and will probably show up in suits talking to stern looking corporate types sooner rather than later.

&amp;quot;Bog_Myrtle&amp;quot;:1lfo3ox7 wrote: I do think they have a consultant formulating recipes for them. When they made their first beer it looked like they just followed the recipe that came with the mash tun. I doubt you could turn such a beer into a successful brand. Although maybe they did which means people will buy anything that's backed by a celebrity...[/quote:1lfo3ox7]

This is a stretch, I know, but the guy Fox is a chef, and seemed to be asking about specific floral/fruity hops in the homebrew shop, and they had specific characteristics in mind. That said, to go commercial with your one and only attempt at homebrewing seems unlikely, and there probably was a little 'tweaking' going on.