The Barrel Store: What's in the Barrels?

BREWED & FILLED: MONDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2023

Brewing Process

First up, we brewed 4000L of wort using a traditional lambic brewing method called 'turbid mashing'. We then created a simple grist using a mix of unmalted and malted wheat and barley. This allowed us to extract lots of starch for the wild yeast to slowly feast on over the next couple of years.This 4000L of wort was split into 4 different containers where it was diluted to different strengths. We made a high strength, medium high strength, normal strength and session strength wort to get a range of products with different ABVs out of the process.

Adding the Funk

We then inoculated each container with a complex blend of brewers yeast, wild yeasts and bacteria. These yeasts and bacteria were specifically selected to complement the sugar content.

Yeasts used:

  • Saccharomyces cerivisiae (Attic House Yeast)
  • Brettanomyces claussenii
  • Brettanomyces lambicus
  • Brettanomyces bruxellensis

Bacteria used:

  • Lactobacillus brevis
  • Lactobacillus delbrueckii
  • Lactobacillus plantarum
  • Pediococcus Damnosus

Quality Control

We split the beers across the 21 neutral red wine barrels you see here, where the microorganisms can get to work! They will slowly be creating complex and delicious beers, though it will take at least a year from the fill date for the first barrel to reach maturity.Currently, we'll be sampling and checking the quality of what's in the barrels, though as this is a wild and uncontrolled process, results can be unpredictable! There is a chance that some of the barrels won’t meet our standards, and we won't be able to use the end product in them. Fingers crossed that the majority of them produce great tasting, complex beers as we expect!

Results

The barrels that do pass our quality checks will be assessed for sensory attributes, and we will decide which barrels to blend together based on complementary flavour characteristics. The tasting notes that we're expecting the beer to take on from the process are vanilla, sherry, warm spice and oak. Depending on the results, we may also blend some of the beer with fruits to create a delicious fruited sour BA beer - now this is a beer we'd love to sip in summer..