Our express coach arrives at the Dolphin Free House & Brewery
If you compare with other photos of the Dolphin that can be found on the Web, you'll agree that it's now looking its most spic and span.
No, not the queue for the gents, it, it's the tiny brewhouse built around the back of the pub by the previous licensee.
Only a handful of visitors can get a look-in at any one time.
Guess you could call this shelf, where the ingredients are displayed for us, the brewery's laboratory.
Inside the copper are five electric elements, the most that Mark Osmond can run on an electricity supply that is standard mains, not three phase. Microbrewers find they are replacing such elements all the time, but they're bog-standard and not too dear. Capacity is roughly 4½ barrels but Mark's brew length is normally 2½.
Three brewing vessels insulated with bubble plastic.
This rubber floor-covering seems an excellent idea.
Mark Osmond, owner of the Dolphin, and thereby catapulted to the position of Head Brewer, receives a commemorative certificate (and a Merrie City Beer festival tankard) from Wakefield CAMRA Chairman, Mark Goodair.
Mark relates how when he bought the pub he found it had had a microbrewery which opened Christmas 2000 using a 2¼ barrel plant. During the summer of 2001 this was upgraded to a 4½ barrel plant. Brewing was to say the least, spasmodic and eventually the plant was mothballed. The pub and brewery were taken over by him in 2006 and brewing rerestarted on a regular basis.
The popular golden session bitter Dizzy Lizzy is named after Lizzy, wife of Mark Osmond. If any visitors to this web album would care to add any Dolphin beer details below it would be much appreciated.
Hard work but really satisfying, Mark confides to his pet elephant.
Don't know what Mark Osmond has just said to Worm, but he looks determined to go forth (photo by Bob Whitehead).
