Home beer brewing

After a 4 year gap I've resumed homebrewing.

Why the gap?

I use a full-mash method with 4 Kg. of crushed barley grain as the main ingredient. The process is quite time consuming and fraught with hazards.

What hazards?

The main one is risk of infection, and consequently producing a fowl-tasting, vinegary concoction. After about 7 hours hard labour: mashing, boiling, bottling and finally about 6 weeks of waiting to find that you've got a disaster on your hands is a nashing of teeth and tearing out of hair situation. Hence nowadays I'm nearly toothless and follickly challenged.

Oops, must go downstairs now and attend to the brew. I'll finish this later. Meanwhile enjoy the photo above of the surface of a frothing brew. Please don't tell me it looks like vomit.

jazz steps

Last night I went to the Bonington Theatre, Arnold, Nottingham to see 'The Angelo Debarre Quartet'. Thursday evening jazz sessions at this venue have been a regular feature of the local jazz scene for a number of years (see www.jazzsteps.co.uk). The Bonington gives mainly local people the chance to choose from an unending stream of highly talented jazz style performances. I like jazz, but I'm no jazz anorak, so don't expect a technical analysis of the event.

The flyer 'forecast' the following line up: Angelo Debarre and Dave Kelbie (guitar), Andy Crowdy (bass) and Christian Garrick (violin). Before the band emerged our master of ceremonies informed us that Mr. Garrick was not available, and the violinist would be Andy Aitchison. A full house of 170 eagerly awaited for the band to take the stage. They were led on by an elegant, slim, black shirt and trousered, pointy shiny black shoed, italian/gypsy violinist. Then came a couple of typical 'jazz-music clad' down-and-outs. Last to emerge was another simmering Italian type who turned out to be Angelo DB.

Within a few seconds Angelo had made a massive impact with an explosive start of high volume, complex gypsy-jazz rhythms supported by the other three, all feverishly plucking or stroking their instruments. Think Django Rheinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. The audience was also twitching away enthustically and even the occassional 'Yeh!' could be heard. Andy Aitchison was at the forefront of the performance delivering a string(!) of vibrant solos with the aplomb of a true, suave, romano geezer.

After three or four numbers the seated Dave Kelbie introduced the players and explained that the violinist had been drafted in less than 24 hours previously because he was 'available and cheap'. Not only that, he mentioned that Andy Aitchison comes from Lincolnshire. I think Spalding was named. Maybe I should have spotted the clue to his non-romany background in his first name. Dave also explained his own discomfort at playing so far North as he is from London. How we all laughed. I did enjoy Andy's occasional repartee between numbers. After all, showmanship does matter. Dave and Andy Crowdy on bass provided a sparkling, animated accompanyment to the two main players.

Angelo is a brilliant musician and I will certainly seize any opportunity to see him again. He is an intense, focussed performer. It would have been nice if he could also have engaged more with his audience.

Thanks to the organisers and to the Angelo Debarre Quartet for a great night out.

Deutsch lernen

I go to a German conversation group most Wednesday evenings. There's only up to 4 of us in the group plus the German leader. We usually watch the German news on Satellite TV for the first 15 minutes and that gets the conversation going. Obviously, our standard and confidence varies from person to person and funnily enough also from week to week. I get the feeling that sometimes we are staggering through a German chit-chat, more or less understanding each other, whilst the leader is more confused than us.

There's a plan to watch and discuss a film about 'das Sudetenland' soon. Anyone out there got any comments/info about this topic?