Full steam ahead for Brakspear!

Brakspear’s original brewing equipment from Henley is now on stream in its new home at the Wychwood Brewery in Witney, Oxfordshire.

The Mash Tun, Copper, and Brakspear’s legendary Double-Drop fermentation system have been installed in their sturdy Cotswold stone surroundings to ensure that Oxfordshire’s classic 3.4% abv Brakspear Bitter will continue to be regarded as one of Britain’s finest beers.

In addition to using the original Brakspear brewing equipment, Jeremy Moss, Brakspear’s Head Brewer, will be sourcing the same malt and hop varieties as used in Henley and, vitally, the original Brakspear yeast. It signals the start of an intensive period of brew-matching trials with the aim of having Oxfordshire-brewed Brakspear Bitter back on sale in pubs by the end of June.

Jeremy Moss comments:

“Considering that all of the original Brakspear equipment has been in storage for 16 months and has now been re-assembled in a new place, our first trial brew of Brakspear Bitter went ahead with surprisingly few hitches. Peter Scholey, Brakspear’s former head brewer, will be joining me for the continuing trials and we are both very excited at the prospect of bringing Brakspear back to Oxfordshire.”

For further information or if you are interested in visiting the brewery, please contact: Rupert Ponsonby at R&R Teamwork on 020 7384 1333

or visit www.brakspear-beers.co.uk for Jeremy Moss’s regular update.

Glossary:

Mash Tun: Vessel where malted grains steep in hot water to make their sweet ‘wort’

Copper: Vessel to boil the wort with hops

Double Drop: Exceedingly rare Brakspear system for fermenting the wort into beer