Latest revision as of 06:26, 26 January 2022
Butcombe Brewery, Wrington, Somerset - Photographs taken by Roger Putman - 10 February 2006
One of Britain's early micros, Butcombe was founded by Simon Whitmore in 1978, it passed to Guy Newall in 2000
Butcombe village did not want a new brewery so it moved two miles down the road to a 0.6ha site in 2005
Main entrance to the 1300m2 building
Malt in tote bags from Crispmalt
The two roller malt mill is by Alan Ruddock
Grist case with mash mixer below
A Seepex positive displacement pump is used for the mashing
The brew plant was designed by Richard Shardlow of Brewing Design Services and fabricated by FEA Stainless of Wisbech. The 3.5 tonne mash tun will yield 350 brl
Underback before the two 75brl copper/whirlpools
Spent grains are cleared by another Seepex pump….
…the Seepex pump viewed from the rear..
…grains are discharged down a 75mm pipe
Each copper has a Lanemark 650kW gas burner….
..the hot gas is sucked through the ducts inside the copper.
Wort chiller and in line filters
There are five 150 brl fermenters
Capacity could be expanded to 40,000 brl with a sixth FV
The brewers complain that the roof level demands the FV valves are rather close to the floor
In case you forget how big the vessels are!
Detail of the fermenter anti vacuum valve by Fort Vale
Cask exteriors are jet cleaned and the lance is used to clear some internal residues before washing
Lawrence Wilson washes the fob off the filled cask using a watering can
The refrigerated cask storage area
Fork lift truck in operation
Stock of empty Huber 5L cans
The Huber can closures and carrying handles
Sample casks are send out daily on the furthest drop and assessed on return…
...Barry Badger checks cask clarity…
…before filling polypins for the shop.
Butcombe Bitter is the biggest seller at 4%ABV, 36IBU and 24EBC
Blond is 4.3%ABV, 23IBU and 11EBC. It was first brewed for the 25th anniversary and the move to Wrington
Brunel is a 5%ABV IPA at 40BU
Gold was added to the portfolio in 1999 at 4.7%ABV and 30IBU
5L Huber mini kegs are popular….
…sellers in the brewery shop
Butcombe beers on the bar
Guy Newell grew Beer Seller from nothing into a company turning £160m. It was sold on to Bulmers in 2000 and on to S&N. Butcombe was taken over by the Channel Islands based Liberation Group in 2014.