Traquair House Brewery

Traquair House brewery founded in 1965 by Peter Maxwell Stuart, 20th Laird of Traquair. Since his death in 1990 the brewery has been managed by his daughter Catherine Maxwell Stuart. In 1997, the brewery was formed into a limited company.  A video has recently come to light showing the two at work in the 1970’s.

Origin

The brewery was originally an 18th century domestic brewery producing beer for the house and estate workers. It was disused some time after 1800 but the vessels and equipment remained untouched until it was rediscovered in 1965.

Production

The brewery currently produces around 600 – 700 barrels per annum. (200,000 bottles and the remainder draught) Brewing takes place all year round with the exception of August. The brewery expanded its premises in 1993 but continues to ferment its total production in the original oak vessels. At present there is room to increase production by a further 20% but there are no plans to expand beyond this as it is intended to retain brewing in the original style and premises.

Ingredients

Traquair House Ale is made from malted barley, hops, yeast and pure spring water. We do not use any preservatives or enzyme stabilisation in our products. The Malt is purchased from Muntons in Suffolk. Hops used are East Kent Goldings and water from an underground spring on the hills of Traquair Estate.

Method Of Production

The traditional brewing process used in the production of Traquair House Ale consists of the following; 1. Traditional infusion mashing process. The wort is then drawn off and boiled during which process the hops are added. 2. The wort is now cooled and pitched with top fermenting yeast under controlled temperature. It is then fermented in oak over a period of seven days. The beer is then transferred into cold storage tanks or barrels and matured over a period of weeks. After maturation the beer is filtered prior to packing.