Very latest updates

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Feb 2021 - Cracking on

Virus aside, all is well, if a little slow, here. I hope the same (or even better) is true for you.

I've made good progress on clump counting for those flocculent strains. Still welcoming new testers. Don't hesitate to ask.

May 2020 - Back to work

After a few months on hiatus, I'm hoping we have an end to the virus crisis in sight, so I'm back to developing and testing. So far, I've had success in a brewing environment, counting cropped S05 and I'm very keen to get out to more users and more cells.

I'm currently working on improving the "best efforts" estimations for clumps of cells.

June 2019 - Ready for testing

The app ready and waiting for testers! Windows and Mac versions available. (Linux ought to be workable too.)

If you're interested, don't hesitate to ping me a message via the contact page.

Monday 08/10/18 - Almost there...

I have a broadly functioning product; and even the second iteration of a website - apparently the first draft was too "nineties". Hopefully, we're somewhere around 2006 now.

I'm now looking for the first guinea pigs to help finish the last 5-or-so percent of the product, version 1.0. Shout if you're interested.

March 2018 - Escape from Canary Wharf

Counting circles was a little more difficult than I anticipated a year and a half ago. It's been a fair amount of effort. I spent a lot of time on mathsisfun.com - I recommend it. Some weeks I could spend 10 or 20 hours working on it, but often the number was closer to zero. A full day's work in the bank, then a few beers in The Rake doesn't leave that much time or inclination to count circles. My best guess at the average might be 7 hours/week. I'll have to ask the missus.

But, I'm there or thereabouts now. The nice thing about frequenting The Rake is that I can stay pretty close to the brewing scene. I've shown most anyone who will listen what I'm doing, and there's some interest in the project. Hence, the decision to get serious, quit the bank and join the yeast counting pro-circuit. Not being in Canary Wharf - it's a soulless purgatory; take my word for it - is an absolute treat.

As for my designs to build a brewery; it will have to wait. I hope I can contribute more to beer through this than I could have done otherwise.

December 2016 - Let it snow

Despite my start in beer, I quickly sold out and returned to the bank where I ply my trade as an "Excel Monkey". The bank's alright - good money, good people, the work is ok, mostly. But it's not where I picture myself in five years. Building a brewery is expensive. It makes sense to suck some money out of the bank before I have a go at the brewery game.

Come mid-December, the bank usually turfs out the contractors en masse, on the principle that there's not enough work to do. That gives me 3 weeks at a loose end and the missus is overseas with her family. Having failed miserably at my first home brew attempt - I think I killed the whole stock of yeast during hydration - and having since been schooled in the art of brewing, I'm determined to perfect my process. I can't bear a second failure.

I've already near-mastered keeping a fermentation at the desired temperature over a full cycle with an Arduino, fridge and heater. The next step is to count yeast. There's a hobby microscope going for ~£80. It also includes a camera insert. I could easily count manually and get on with brewing, but the code monkey in me won't have it. It can't be that difficult to get teach the computer to perform this remedial task.

Autumn 2013 - Brewing 101

This year, I completed the Institute of Brewing & Distilling's General Certificate in Brewing (GCB). Maybe thirty students, with about twenty-five already brewing, and the balance, including myself, largely novices. Through that course, I found the opportunity to spend some time with my new friends at the East London Brewing Co. I'd wholly recommend the GCB, not to mention spending some time in a small brewery.

One issue with the GCB is that, having gained an understanding of the process behind the beer and the potential mishaps, I'll never be able to enjoy beer as I did before. In no small part, it ruined beer for me. I'm drinking as much or more than ever, but now I'm banging on at my drinking buddies about diacetyl and pediococcus, whether they like it or not - they don't.