The process of creating our great ale has been 5000 years in the making. We can’t share it all with you, but here’s a quick guide.
First, we select the finest grains of malted British barley, which is crushed in a mill to break apart the kernels. Now known as grist, the crushed malt is dropped into the hopper, where it’s mixed with fresh, pure Orcadian water.
It’s heated in a tun to create the mash. The resulting liquid, or wort, is separated from the grist and drawn off to the copper and boiled. Hops are added at various stages of the boiling – the first to give essential resins for bittering, the last to give aroma. Then the used mash has to be cleared out of the tun – and that’s hot work!
Now full of fermentable sugars, the wort goes to the fermentation room, where we add our secret strain of yeast. The liquid is then aerated to boost fermentation. Once that’s complete, we fill the casks, ready to distribute nationwide — provided the weather and ferries co-operate. All part of island life!
The final product is eventually delivered into the care of local publicans, who present it in tip top condition for customers to enjoy.
