Ben Richards has been doing a project where he has decided to grow all of the ingredients for a single batch of beer. I mean all of the ingredients. Water, hops, barley, and yeast are all grown on a small plot of land, and then he has chronicled his experience. Ben also recruited experts to help along the way. Today I had Ben on the show to discuss this project and how he is doing another project where he not only grows the ingredients but forages for them as well.
When I got back into brewing I bought a dudes small batch operation off of let-go app for a killer price. He was kind enough to let me come dig up his rhizomes for free. Waiting to replant them
I came very close to doing something like this a few years ago. I have hops vines already and I grew malting barley with the intention of malting it and making a batch of beer with my own barley and hops. I had decided not to use wild yeast for fear of ruining a batch after al that work.
The barley did very well and I harvested more than enough. Unfortunately, when it was drying in a shed rodents got to it. I was pissed.
I will try again, this time I will dry it in my cellar.
