The brewer

After years of selling beer, Giles Meadows decided to learn the brewing side of the business. Now, Wincle Beer Company is one of the most picturesque British microbreweries. Here, Giles talks about his working day

- Bethan Andrews

06:30

MORNING THOUGHTS

I give myself 20 minutes in the morning to have a cup of tea, listen to the radio and see what’s going on in the world before walking my dog down to the brewery. She’s called Lola and is a collie-springercross, so she’s quite lively. One of the best things for me is that I can walk to work – it gives me a chance to formulate what’s going to happen in the day, so when I get there, I’m ready to go.

08:00

RECIPE DISCUSSIONS

Our brewer, Grant Leah, will be ready to start brewing and will be mashing in, which involves mixing the grains with water. We’ll sit down over a cuppa, check that he’s happy with the recipe and how he’s set up for the day’s brew. We’ll have worked out a recipe beforehand, but this is our time to discuss what techniques we might use to brew this particular beer, or the hopping techniques. Hops are produced in two ways, you see. You get whole leaf hops, which is a traditional way of having hops, where they are dried and vacuum-packed. Pelleted hops are the same, but they are macerated and produced into pellets, which might be used for a more contemporary brew. As we’re brewing so many different types of beer, it’s important to make sure we’re clear on the technique so we get the best quality.

09:00

SALES MEETINGS