How the beer is brewed

1. Malted barley is mixed or "sparged" with boiling water in the mash tun. In the old brewery at Traquair water was originally drawn up from the well. The brewery continues to use water drawn from a natural spring. The wort is drawn off into the Underback below.

Finishing the mashing in – Ian with original stirring paddle

2. The wort is pumped up to the copper (purchased in 1738) and heated from below. Originally by means of a wood fire, now gas flame is employed. At this point the leaf hops is added and the boil lasts approx 2 hours.

Adding the hops

3. The liquor is now transferred to the open coolers and cooled to the required temperature.

4. The next stage is for the liquor to be transferred from the coolers into the old oak tuns in the Tun Room next door.
Some of these tuns are original and over 200 years old. Traquair is the only UK brewery left fermenting its beer in unlined oak vessels.

Checking the gravity

5. The yeast is now added and the ale is left to ferment for 3-5 days.

The finished product

6. The finished product is now ready to be racked into casks for draught ale or stored in tanks for up to 6 weeks before bottling. The bottling process is completed in Robinsons Brewery in Stockport.