Brakspear - The Oxfordshire Beer

Following the closure of Brakspear Brewery in Henley in 2002, a £1million redevelopment of the Wychwood Brewery site was undertaken to move the brewing of Brakspear beers. This included moving and re-installing at Wychwood much of the original Brakspear brewing equipment, including the original Brakspear Copper, dating from 1774, and the famous Brakspear ‘Double Drop’ fermentation vessels, used to brew Brakspear Bitter & Brakspear Triple.

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The Brakspear Fermenting Room, at Wychwood Brewery houses six original Brakspear square wooded fermenters lined up along the room, and two circular vessels, situated above these up in the roof eves. This arrangement of vessels is called the “double drop” system and gives Brakspear beers their unique character. Cooled beer coming from the brewhouse starts fermentation in the top-fermenting vessel.

After 16 hours the beer is then allowed to fall naturally or ‘dropped’ into the vessel below. In this process any protein or solid material is left behind in the top-fermenting vessel. In addition the beer is gently aerated. The fermentation then continues in the bottom vessel for a further 24-48 hours. The temperature of the fermentation is controlled and the beers regularly checked. When we judge that the fermentation has reached the right point, the brew is cooled down to stop fermentation at the desired strength and gravity. This cooling and maturation process takes a further 3-4 days.

Brakspear Beers are one of the very few beers in the UK to continue to use the ‘Double Drop’.