The Brewery

When we were searching for companies to make our brewhouse we continuously came up against people who said we didn't need a decoction mash brewery.

It's a harder brew house to make and it's more costly but this is the way some of central Europe's best breweries make lager and the only way our head brewer wanted to make lager to deliver the unique flavour profile we want.

After looking all over the world in Czech Rep, Hungary, China and Canada we found someone in Bury of all places who not only builds large and top spec brew houses but with enough engineering curiosity to want to engage with us.

The technique (decoction mashing) involves moving a proportion of the mash which is basically like a hot porridge at this stage, from tank to tank using really powerful pumps and heating this up to 100 degrees. The normal way is to step mash which just sees the temperature range from 50 to 65 degrees.

What this extra step does is release melanoidin due to the Maillard reaction which is the same reaction you get when browning meat or toasting bread. It also releases a small but pleasing amount of tannins which cannot be replicated through substitute methods.

What this all does is gives the beer a big body and silky mouthfeel without it being too sweet.