Loading...

Your cart

Your basket is empty.
Total:£0
Back to shop
Proceed to checkout

Subscriptions

Make it easy to brew better beer, more often!
And be part of our awesome homebrewing community.

Online

£20
Annual subscription

WORLDWIDE

Online homebrewing tips + current & all past issues of MASHED Magazine + recipes.

Get this plan now

Magazine

£30
Annual subscription

UK ONLY

Quarterly subscription of MASHED Homebrewing Magazine (print) + full online access.

Get this plan now

Hop Club

£20
Quarterly subscription

UK ONLY

Quarterly hops + MASHED Magazine (print) + exclusive offers + full online access.

Get this plan now

Brew Club

£35
Quarterly subscription

UK ONLY

Quarterly all grain brew kit + MASHED Mag (print) + exclusive offers + full online access.

Get this plan now
Brew Tank & Uni Tank | Brewing & Fermenting | Homebrewing Equipment

The juice from Manchester Craft Beer Festival

By:Yohanna Best
Share post:
MASHED ISSUE 13

In July, we packed up a hire van and took the twisty road from our seaside home in Aberystwyth, through stunning Snowdonia and on to Manchester. Our destination: Depot Mayfield and the Craft Beer Festival. Both Dark Farm and MASHED! are based 100% online and are quite young so we hadn’t had the opportunity before now to show off our gear in real life.   

We’ve wanted to do one of these for ages, but that little, itchy annoyance of a global pandemic kind of got in the way. MASHED! contributor and Dark Farm Brew Crew member Michael Watson had volunteered to help out on the stall (thank you, Michael!) and we knew some of the other Brew Crew would be there so we were really excited to meet them and speak to people, you know, in person. Mark Baker who won tickets to the festival in last issue’s giveaway popped by the stall too.

Also, over 40 breweries were going to be serving. And our tickets included all the beer we wanted so, yeah, we were pumped to be taking part! One of our favourites was Manchester-based Alphabet Brewing Co. We also made repeat visits to Fierce Beer’s stall. And because 12 hour shifts with free beer has the potential for awkward outcomes, we were grateful for Drop Bear Beer Co’s impressive alcohol-free brews. Check them out - I can see why they’re award-winning!

SHOWING OFF BREW TANK

We had so many great conversations about the Brew Tank over the two days. It certainly was a bit of eye candy which loads of people snapped for their social media. Being there was a great opportunity to take a proper look and appreciate how solid a build it is. We’ve sold a few to microbreweries recently for pilot brews, so it’s not just us homebrewers who are loving it!

Steve Horsfall (right), who has also contributed some great articles to MASHED!, (for his latest, see pg 26) kindly brought us a bottle of his Dusseldorf Alt, which won him silver at Leeds Homebrew Club, German Beer Competition in July. More on that in our next issue (out in Dec)!

Related articles

A Pint with… Andy N., Homebrewer

I live in Cardiff but I’m originally from Lancashire. I am retired and started brewing when my children bought me a BrewDog 1 gallon brew-in-a-bag kit just after lockdown in 2020. The results were successful so I started looking at other kits and equipment, and came across the Dark Farm (MASHED) kits and eventually tried them all.

Mastering Final Gravity

Brewers often obsess over the beginning - grain bills, mash schedules, yeast selection - but it’s the end of fermentation, the final (or ‘finishing’) gravity (FG), that speaks loudest in the glass. Final gravity represents the residual sugar left after yeast has done its work, and it’s the metric most responsible for a beer’s mouthfeel, sweetness, and balance. From plush imperial stouts to bone-dry saisons, it’s the number that tells the story of fermentation.

Grain + Grape Does it Mix?

October 5th of this year marked the first International Italian Grape Ale (IGA) Day. Ever tried one? If not, then you might be asking: Italian grape ale? Is that a wine or a beer? Well, IGA is most definitely a beer. But it’s like a beer and wine got very friendly and had a baby. Made with up to 40% grapes or grape must, IGAs are based on pils malt, or pale malt.

YEASTS TO EXPLORE WITH WHC

Embrace the convenience, versatility and excellence of WHC Lab’s Blitz lager yeast, and embark on a journey to craft exceptional lagers that delight the senses while optimising brewing processes!

A guide to Shandies and Radlers

In the haze of a lazy afternoon, or at the tail end of a long beery evening, few drinks offer the same effortless refreshment as a shandy or a radler. These beer-based blends have long been the go-to for drinkers seeking something light, bright and sessionable. But while they may seem interchangeable, their histories and cultural footprints tell two distinct stories.

The Global History of Rice Beer

Long before barley became the dominant grain in brewing, rice was quietly shaping its own legacy in the world of fermented beverages. From the misty valleys of ancient China to the ceremonial fires of India and the sleek breweries of modern Japan, rice beer has evolved from a sacred ritual drink to global refreshment. Its story is as varied and nuanced as the cultures that brew it.

The Benefits of Brewing with Rice

Rice may be one of the world’s most ancient grains, but in brewing it’s still revealing new dimensions. Once dismissed as a bland adjunct for mass-market lagers, rice is now enjoying a renaissance among craft brewers who see it not as a filler, but as a tool for precision, texture and subtlety. From jasmine to black rice, puffed to flaked, the diversity of rice offers brewers a palette of possibilities.
IPA History

Tall Tales: The IPA Myth

The story of India Pale Ale (IPA) has long been wrapped in legend, often simplified into a neat narrative: faced with the challenge of shipping beer to India, British brewers supposedly crafted a stronger, hoppier ale specifically designed to withstand the long, hot voyage across the sea. Alongside this narrative runs the often-told story that Burton-on-Trent played the most influential role in the development of this beer. While this all makes for a great tale, the truth is far more nuanced.

A Pint with Homebrewer Phil Battersby

It was my long-term friend Steve who casually announced to me he had started brewing all these wonderful IPAs from beer kits. That was back in 2017 and, though I had dabbled in homebrewing many years ago with basic kits, it just triggered something inside of me that took me on this self-navigated adventure.

Delivery

Free and fast UK delivery for all orders over £150. Hassle free delivery to mainland European and other global locations.

Money Back Guarantee

If you not happy with our products you can return them within 30 days for a full refund.

Responsive Customer Support

Have a question? Please get in touch. Call, email or message us directly here or on WhatsApp. Our office hours are usually Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm. Click here to get in touch or email gareth@darkfarm.co.uk

Secure Online Payment

Feel safe and confident with your online payments - our system uses Stripe, one of the world’s leading payment gateways.