Oakham Ales - 20 June 2007
Oakham Ales, Peterborough - Photographs taken by Roger Putman - 20 June 2007
Oakham Ales was founded at Oakham in 1993 by John Wood. The business passed to Paul Hook in 1995.
The current premises to the west of Peterborough were commissioned in 2006.
The Brewery Tap in the centre of Peterborough, it was the old labour exchange. A 35brl brewplant was in use from 1998.
3.8%ABV JHB is by far the biggest seller, late hops are all Mount Hood; Bishops Farewell is 4.6%ABV with aroma from Cascade while Dwarf is a 4.3%ABV wheat beer
The steam boiler with a rather larger burner device from Hamworthy
Malt silos not commissioned during my visit
Malt from Fawcetts is pre-crushed and tipped into the hopper and conveyed to a conical grist case
The grist case, mash tun with some 100brl FVs behind
The masher is new from Industrial Techniques
The 2,500kg mash tun came from Redruth Brewery Co. Ltd with new graining arms
A Seepex pump removes the spent grains
The copper came from Buckley's Brewery Ltd
Mount Hood hops in the hopback waiting for a cast of JHB wort. The hopback was originally Redruth Brewery Co. Ltd's whirlpool!
This vessel above the hopback makes a hop tea, there is a 70 minute infusion at 90oC
27 dish bottomed 100brl vessels were bought from Mansfield. Ten are in use as FVs, 12 as CTS and the rest as various tanks
Two stage wort heat exchange
Hop seed strainers came from a dairy
A swing bend changeover station
A pump is used to remove the yeast with a lance through the vessel door.
The view from the brewers office with the wort heat exchangers in front of the FVs with CTs behind hiding the racking plant. The ale stores is over to the right
Yeast storage vessels
I think this may be a finings mixing tank!
After sixteen years I cannot remember what this is!
Three head racking range
Another view of the racking stations
Finished beer in a 10oC store
Co owner and Head Brewer John Bryan bought into the firm in 1997
