Beer and Cheese, Totally

A new beer has been fermented in Leicestershire, England and you could make a pig of yourself drinking it. The Belvoir Brewery in Old Dalby, Leicestershire has developed a beer made with whey. Not just any old whey but the whey from the making of Stilton cheese. Whey is a by-product in cheese making and has been used to make a perfume and a milkshake. It is also fed to pigs. Stilton is only produced at dairies in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The brewery, in the East Midlands, obtains their whey from the Long Clawson Dairy in Leicestershire. They make unfermented wort and add the whey to it before fermentation. A chestnut-colored ale of 4.2% is the outcome. Said to be creamy and not cheesy. Brewers tend to boil the wort and then ferment after a cooling down to prevent infection. Adding whey un-boiled is a bit risky but as it is part of the food making process it should work out well. I don’t see a mad rush on Whole Food in trying to get whey but yes home brewer’s, you can try this at home. This beer may not come to Pittsburgh unless somebody brings it back but one of our breweries could give it a go. I see this fitting in well in Scott Smith’s recipe book at East End Brewery. Just naming the beer could make for a nice quiz night at the pub.