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Black Sheep Article

A ‘Ewe-nique’ experience

A brand new cask-racking line at Black Sheep

 In the 1980s, after well publicised spats between members of the Theakston family over the sale of the brewery ï¬�rst to Matthew Brown and then the subsequent takeover by Scottish & Newcastle, MD Paul Theakston voted with his feet. Paul is a member of the ï¬�fth generation of the family which started brewing in North Yorkshire’s Masham (pronounced mas -ham) back in 1827. Paul set up the Black Sheep Brewery in the same village in 1992 with second hand kit, just enough money but a lot of good will.

The limestone built brewery on a lane called Wellgarth was originally Lightfoot Brewery's maltings and was acquired by discovered the deck volume was too Theakstons in the 1920s. Local small and to avoid fobbing over welegend has it that the take over was can only ferment the lower gravity essential as Lightfoots had a far beers in them. Six more at 100 barrel superior cricket team and you know capacity were shop built again by what Yorkshiremen and cricket are Shobwood followed by ï¬�ve more like! The buildings were later used larger vessels at Bibbys of Halifax by the North of England Malt Roasting Company and were the home of Dixon’s Enzymic and the Trooper range of home-brew kits. It ceased trading in the late 1980s and I’ansons, a local agricultural merchant moved in and used it as a grain store. Theakston took overdust, decaying machinery and several thousands of rats!

 Paul was joined by Paul Ambler as Head Brewer from McMullens (and before that Allied at Alloa and Burton) and the pair set aboutputting Black Sheep on the map.Much help was given by David Robinson, who sold him the old Hartley’s brewhouse from Ulverston and Patrick Helps who donated some trad Yorkshire squares from Hardys and Hansons at Kimberley. By 1994 the Pauls knew they would survive into a successful business and appreciated that breakeven charts

 really did work! A regular large order from Bass into its Caskmaster range of factored guestbeers took as much as Black Sheep could produce in those early days.

All fermentation takes place inYorkshire squares. More slate vessels arrived from Darleys at Thorne and then they had to buy some new ones.

“The only round Yorkshire squares in captivity,” quipped Paul Ambler, “The ï¬�rst two were built in originally Lightfoot Brewery’s situ by Shobwood but we soon discovered the deck volume was too small and to avoid fobbing over we can only ferment the lower gravity beers in them. Six more at 100 barrel capacity were shop built again by Shobwood followed by five more larger vessels at Bibbys of Halifax so that the FV capacity now totals 1900brl."

After a new boiler, attention turned to supplementing work capability as the 100-brl twice a day over ï¬�ve days from the Hartley’s plant was being challenged frequently. Production jumped the1,000bpw hurdle with a second mash tun and 100-brl copper from Grange Engineering designed byJohn Parker. This also included a new 200-brl hop-back so both streams feed into that and wort can only be mixed if they are the same brand. The new plant was commissioned in 2004 and at the same time Caddick Construction built a view of the new plant into theVisitor Centre and guided tours are available twice a day.

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