Copyright 2006: B. United International Inc., All rights reserved.
The liquid which runs off from the mash tun is called wort (rhymes with shirt) and is transferred to the copper where it is brought to the boil and hops are added. The primary function of hops is to impart a bitter flavour to the beer. The wort is boiled vigorously for 90 minutes and is then cast into the hop back where a second amount of hops are added to give aroma or hop character.
Picture: Head Brewer Jimmy Swan assesses the viability of the yeast.
The hopped wort is then transferred via a chiller to the fermenting vessels where yeast is added (called pitching the yeast). Yeast is a microscopic single-cell organism which converts sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide gas.
The fermentation takes approximately 3 days, during which time the yeast increases in mass by a factor of 5. The beer is then chilled and the excess yeast floating on top of the beer is selectively harvested for re-use.
Picture: Kegging and racking.
Now the beer is ready to be racked into casks where isinglass finings are added to allow any remaining yeast to settle out. At this stage, the yeast is still alive and still fermenting slowly – this is the secondary fermentation or cask conditioning phase.
Our beer has not been filtered or pasteurised, it is a natural product made from the finest ingredients, and we wholeheartedly believe that cask conditioned beer is the best drink in the world.
The Wye Valley brewery has two licensed public houses: The Barrels and the Rose and Lion.
