We’ve got some exciting news coming up this Friday. After years of searching, we’ve finally teamed up with local legends Moor Beer who have agreed to brew us our own Kellerbier lager, a light refreshing 3.8% ABV with our name on it. Yes, that’s right, we now have a Grapes Lager.
Pop along to see Matt Owens and the Delusional Vanity Project this Friday and there will be some free pints to give away as part of the official launch but don’t tell too many people or you might not get any for yourself. In the meantime, we’ve had a chat with Tom Scrancher, head brewer for Moor to tell us what so special about their brews……what he doesn’t mention is that Moor Beer are one of the few last truly independent breweries left in the South West. A bit like us. We were bound to get along!
Name
Tom Scrancher
How old are you?
I’m 38
Do you have any pets?
Two Springerdors – they bring joy and food-finding innovation wherever they go.
Introduce yourself
I’m the brewery manager at Moor Beer. I wrangle the yeast, massage the hops and brew the beers, while supporting my world-class team AND all to the highest possible standards of quality.
How long have you been doing this job
14 years this month. Moor Beer started on a small goat farm in deep Somerset, which is where I joined Justin and Maryann. We brewed traditional and modern hop-forward beers the German way (using only malt, hops, yeast and water) and started winning awards. Many brews and awards later we have a considerably larger brewery in Bristol (along with our Vaults at London Bridge) and are lucky enough to deliver our beer around the UK and Europe.
Tell us a bit more about the product
It’s cracking. At Moor, we have the only horizontal lagering tanks in Bristol, (which most people have no reason to care about, but absolutely does impact the beer – it means the yeast is under less pressure in the tanks and better spread through the brew – happy yeast = happy beer!) Basically it means that what you are drinking is, by our reckoning, the most authentically German, fresh-tasting Lager you can get in the UK. Every beer we brew is researched and developed in-house. We try beer styles we like and aim to brew the best versions of them – many of our beers are top-rated for style.
The best thing about working in this industry
The best thing is the brewing community. Going to beer festivals, brewing collaborations, and hanging out with other like-minded beer lovers is a beautiful thing. There’s wonderful camaraderie to be found in the industry, especially now with so many external challenges facing it. Plus winning an award for the Champion Beer of Britain is also quite gratifying.
Worst thing about the business
The hangovers.
Funniest thing
It’s funny now, but getting covered head to toe in yeast slurry, courtesy of an incorrectly opened valve, won’t rank in my top-ten brewing moments.
Hobbies
I like surfing, smoking meats and succulents.
What do you do to gel together as a team?
Obviously it’s quite a social environment anyway, which is partly why it’s so great to work in beer, but we have a great relationship with our suppliers. We’ve been on hop walks with Charles Faram, renowned hop growers, where we get to look at the newest hops available for future brews, (which with a changing climate is important and fascinating stuff). Plus I had a beer bath with Justin the owner in Czechia. They were separate baths.
Words of wisdom.
You need an unshakeable passion for beer.
Have you got any products on your website you might like to highlight or any offers to entice them your way?
We have a simple philosophy at Moor – our beers are always live, always natural and always vegan friendly. Natural fermentation and carbonation with live yeast is at the heart of everything we brew. We have an extensive core range and a cracking specials range, which we plan a year in advance. Our Lager. Rustic & full of character. Properly brewed, properly lagered in horizontal tanks, naturally carbonated. Unequalled in flavour & integrity. Resonance 4.1% Citra Golden Pale. Rated 100/100 by style. Vibrant Citra hops complement British malts to perfect effect. One of the top rated beers of its style in the world. This beer does not disappoint in cask, keg and can! Cheers
