Foeder Beer

Foeder Beer – Citra Sabro, 5.8%: 

Malt – Maris Otter, Wheat, Oats
Hops – Citra, Sabro
Yeast – house mixed culture, Belgian Pale Ale strain

Our Foeder Beer is a co-fermentation in one of our Foeders (5000 litre oak barrels, ex Bordeaux red wine) of our house mixed culture alongside a Belgian pale ale strain.

For this beer we add hops judiciously to suppress the lactic acid producing bacteria (lactococcus and pediococcus), which prevents the beer from developing the tartness that characterises our usual mixed fermentation beers (namely our Bieres de Saison). The wild yeast / brettanomyces which are part of our house mixed culture however are not adversely affected by hops, indeed the opposite: they actively play with them, taking hop compounds and catalysing them into intensely fruit forward flavours. This wild side is the joy of fermenting on wood: the denizens of our foeders making their mark on each beer that is carried within, the various strains of brettanomyces that surge, adding their inimitable fruity funk to the base beer.  

This version, with Citra and Sabro, has managed to hit a lovely balance on the rounder and softer end of the spectrum of our Foeder Beers: the nose is dank from the brett and the hops, but still also has some of the spice of the belgian yeast characteristics and lashings of lemon curd and pineapple. The body is light and pillowy and soft, a roundly gentle carbonation. The flavour tends towards a lemonade pina colada, with Sabro bringing the coconut and the brett action creating pineapple edges. The texture provided by the fermentation in wood is felt around the edges of the body, giving support and heft.  This has huge amounts of intrigue and depth while still being light, approachable, delicious and fun.