Hi From France!

[Mr Majik]

Hello HBF

Im a brit who has lived in France for the past 7 years.

There are many fine breweries and heaps of great beers over here but for many reasons i now want to brew my own ale.

Over the next few month if my first couple of batches turn out reasonably well i'd even like to grow my own hops and (most likely from bought grain) attempt to make make my own malt (the key word here would be attempt!)

I look forward to reading through your threads and learning more about this new (to me) hobby.

Mr Majik

 

[Dieseljockey]

Hi Mr Majik.....welcome to the forum, where about in France are you???

 

[Mr Majik]

Hello Dieseljockey

Thanks for the welcome.

I live in a small town called Bavent in Calvados.

That photo of the "Outhouse Brewery" is fantastic, very inspiring shape.

 

[Loetz]

I'm very curious about the French beer scene. Which of their beers do you like? It seems as though they have something going on there, but it seems a bit young. A year or so ago I was at a beer bar in Lyon and was surprised to see that they had an ok menu but it was mostly imports from Belgium. I've tried a number of biere de gardes from France, but I've never been impressed. Is there something I'm missing?

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/country/france/72/
Does any of this look familiar?

 

[Loetz]

Oh, and you may find this podcast interesting:

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/534

EDIT: Oh, and as always with their podcasts, the first like 20 minutes is a worthless waste of time and you might as well skip until after the first advert break. This one is especially annoying.

 

[Dieseljockey]

We lived south of Saumur for 4 years....and there are a lot of French beers that are worth taking a look at.. :thumb: my favorite is Pelforth Brune. :drunk:

 

[Mr Majik]

To be honest i dont belive i've tried any on the list, though now i'd be obliged to work my way through it!

My usual buy is Pelforth Brun, a commercial brown ale. It not to everyones taste but i enjoy it (also i keep their flip top bottles)

Im quite new to the world of beer tasing and have started looking in to brewing to understand more about beer (as well as for a chance to have english style ale... Maybe)

What would be some beers you recomend? Your personal top 5 perhaps??

 

[Mr Majik]

If you like pelforth brun too you should try a restaurant called Trois Brasseurs, they brew their own beer on site, iv found a similarity between one of their dark beers and the pelforth.

Thanks for the links, i'll check out that pod cast.

Where abouts is Saumur? I only know it as a wine (i think)

 

[Dieseljockey]

South of La Mans to Angers and hang a left... :lol:

 

[Loetz]

Thanks for the links, i'll check out that pod cast.

I've been listening to it for the past hour or so and it's mostly just annoying really. It's not the episode that I was thinking of. On one of their podcasts they had an american living in France and he talked about his experiences getting equipment and materials for homebrewing there. I can't find that episode now.

I've had Pelforth brune before but, yeah, it's not to my taste. I suppose its ok and I'd take it over most of the other macrolagers when at a bar, but it's not something i'd seek out.

You're up close to cider country, so I imagine that you have plenty of good things to drink. I'd like to do a bike/cider tour up there someday, but who knows when that will be.

 

[GrumpyBunny]

Welcome aboard :

 

[Mr Majik]

Yes, lots of cider where we are, seems like everyone makes it. There is even appears to be a rather lucrative business in mobile cider presses! Most the people round my way have their own cider brew on the go (a few cheeky types even distill their own calvados) but im not the greatest fan of cider, dont mind a bit but given the choice..

I'l have a hunt through those pod casts, the episode you mentioned sound very intersting!

Thanks for the welcome GrumpyBunny, are you a rabbit owner? I only ask as we breed dwarf Hotôts and one of our bucks we often call Grumpy Bunny (his real name is Echo)

 

[Phil Aberaman]

Welcome :