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Autumn 2016  3
CONTENTS

inside...
Autumn 2016

16
FEATURES HOMEBREWER
16 Style Notes – Wheat 46 Welcome
Wheat, wit, weisse or weizen? No
matter which name they go by, these 47 Letters
are some of the most characterful
and refreshing beers in the world.
48 Q&A “I used to think lager
was the hardest beer
John Palmer looks at equipment for
Jeremy Sambrooks delves into the
all grain brewing
history of wheat beer

24 Brewing Ingredients
50 Recipes
American wheat, dark lager and a
to make…now I’ve
changed my mind;
It takes four ingredients to make
double IPA
beer, but within those boundaries
54 Homebrewer Profile
wheat beers are the
new things are always happening.
Nick Connellan peers beyond the We drop in on a homebrewer who’s

hardest to brew as you

horizon to see what’s next for notched up his 800th brew
water, hops, malt and yeast
56 Randy Mosher
32 How to Taste Beer
International beer judge, Ian
 omebrewer technical editor Jake
H
Brandish chats with international
really have to coax out
Kingham, explains how to taste
beer like a pro, what beer faults to
homebrew legend Randy Mosher
the flavours you want”
58 Collaboration Brew
look out for and benchmark beers
to know  omebrewer editor Chris Thomas
H
– Brennan Fielding,
40 101 Beers – Part 2
teams up with the guys at NZ’s Burleigh Brewing Co.
Choice Bros for an Easter-themed
The final 51 to tick off in our list of collaboration beer

24
101 Beers To Try Before You Die
60 Beer Education
64 Travel – Cantillon Homebrewer technical editor Jake
Brewery, Belgium Brandish looks at how to get a
We take you into the world of beerducation
Brussels’ famous Cantillon Brewery,
the Belgian master of lambic beer 62 Homebrew Club
We check out the CQ Homebrewers
68 Entertaining – Food and get a Queensland lager recipe
We have three meaty dishes to boot!
from chef, author and television
presenter, Ben O’Donoghue’s latest
book Ben’s Meat Bible sure to
please the carnivore in each of us

4  www.beerandbrewer.com
 64
REGULARS
3 Editor’s Letter
6 The Brew
What’s happening and things to do

9 News
The latest in Aus/NZ beer industry

12 Bits & Bobs

14 New Venue
72 Tasting Notes
Ambers, reds, ciders and
new releases

78 Directory
82 A Pint With…
Cicerone founder, Ray Daniels

Go inside
Brussels’
famous Cantil on
Brewery
68 32

Autumn 2016  5
THE BREW
How to…
craft a beer menu
GREG SANDERSON FROM MELBOURNE’S BOILERMAKER HOUSE EXPLAINS HOW HE CRAFTS HIS BEER LIST
TO APPEAL TO THE GEEKS AND MAINSTREAM DRINKERS ALIKE
T
he bar scene can be so niche with regards to what
is on offer in individual venues. Consumers can
easily find a local that focuses on specific wants,
needs and desires and have them met with surgical-
like precision. These haunts are part of our small
bar community, which means they can rely on a
smaller customer base to enjoy their specific offerings and be very
successful in doing so without having to bend to the drinking trends
of the masses. In Melbourne alone, we have places devoted to rum,
gin, European beer, American beer and venues serving exclusively
Australian products.
So how do you create a beer menu that will not only rile the
passions of the beer doyens, cater to mainstream drinkers but also
embrace the current beer trends and stay true to the venue’s vision?
Mission Statement
Firstly; you must have a very clear mission statement and vision of how
you would like your venue to be perceived, in turn this will dictate the
type of clientele that are attracted to your bar. You need to rally the
troops and have the staff on board to help communicate your vision and
passion to the consumer. In a lot of venues, you will also see a small
blurb in the front of the menu to help reiterate this perception.
Flavour
Secondly; it is important to make sure the menu is not only something
you are proud of, but also designed to work with the venue and its
guests. In my 17 years behind the bar, I have come to realise there is
one key factor when it comes to talking to guests about what they would
like to drink. You can discuss hop varieties, ferment times and yeast
strains, but when selling beer, the one language that is understood by
the novice and expert alike, is flavour. The beer list we have created
at Boilermaker House is broken into flavour camps so you won’t see
6  www.beerandbrewer.com
The taps at Boilermaker House
a ‘dark beer’ or ‘wheat beer’ section on our list per se. With so many
fantastic brews crossing over, you are seeing new categories being
created like black IPAs and super hopped wheat beers. This means
that menus have to evolve and by doing so, streamline the guests’
experience to ensure you get the right beer for the right person. This
approach works for us at Boilermaker House, as we have many guests
wanting to try something new and experimental and conversely, we
have drinkers new to the craft beer scene wanting to imbibe on a beer
with a flavour profile reminiscent to what they would usually drink.
Size Matters
Thirdly; didn’t think size matters? Well it does. At Boilermaker
House, we have 12 taps and a broad selection of packaged beers. Upon
opening, our packaged range was double what is is now, however
down the road we realised this wasn’t necessarily working. We have
since modified our list and feel that keeping less product on hand and
rotating through different beers more often is a better option for us.
This keeps our customers happy with a constant flow of new brews to
try, allows us to stay flexible and change our list efficiently to not only
meet our customers’ desires but also jump on any trends that pop up
over night. To give you an idea, recently Feral Brewing Company took
out Champion Craft Beer with its Watermelon Warhead. With the
press that was generated by this, the mainstream drinkers flocked in
over the following weeks wanting to try sour beers. By having a small
beer list, which is rotated regularly, we were able to stay on top of
this trend and also meet the demand with a number of sour options
available for the guests to explore during this time.
At the end of the day our guests want a great experience by
having a choice of beers both experimental and sessional all whilst
seeing individuality from venue-to-venue. To create the ultimate
list; find what is the right fit for you and always be open to listening
to what the customers want.
There’s a grain
of truth in
every beer
www.cryermalt.co.nz www.cryermalt.com.au
sales@cryermalt.co.nz sales@cryermalt.com.au Only the finest malt and
ph 0800 625833 ph 1800 119622 brewing ingredients
THE BREW
WHAT’S ON
Things to Do This Season
(2) HIGH COUNTRY
GABS 2016 is expected to HOPS FESTIVAL
draw more than 30,000 Victoria: 19 March, 2016
people across three cities The second annual High Country
Hops festival, a celebration of
Victoria’s High Country Brewers
and the 2016 hop harvest, will be
held on 19 March in the grounds
of Bridge Road Brewers. The
festival brings together local
hop growers and like-minded
craft brewers, including the four
brewers of the High Country
Brewery Trail; Black Dog Brewery,
Bridge Road Brewers, Bright
Brewery and Sweetwater Brewing
Company. Rutherglen Brewery
(1) GABS 2016 BEER CIDER will also have its beer on offer.
FOOD FEST This family-friendly festival
is a celebration of hops, but also
features local food producers,
Melbourne: 20-22 May, 2016
Sydney: 27-28 May, 2016 musicians, performers, children’s
Auckland: 18 June, 2016 activities and even a chance to try
The GABS 2016 Beer Cider Food Fest is heading to New your hand at some archery.
Zealand for the first time, with the organisers hoping to get To find more information,
30,000 attendees across Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland. email ben@bridgeroadbrewers.
GABS will be held in Melbourne 20-22 May, Sydney will have com.au.
an extra day with the harbour city hosting the festival 27-28
May and the inaugural Auckland event taking place on 18 June (3) CANBERRA CRAFT
at the ASB Showgrounds. BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL
“The reason we used ‘Australasian’ in our name in the Canberra: 19 March, 2016
first place is because we always wanted to have a strong The 9th annual Canberra Craft
Kiwi contingent at the festival,” said GABS co-founder Guy
Beer & Cider Festival will be held
Greenstone. “And after many trips to Beervana and NZ brewers
also making their way over to GABS we’ve developed some on 19 March between 11am-6pm
great relationships and it just feels like the right next step.” at the Mercure Canberra. This
year, guests can enjoy more
GABS will feature hundreds of beers including 120 exclusive
‘Festival Beers’ brewed specifically for the event, brewery than 80 beers and ciders, live
stands, food vendors, beer and food experiences, educational entertainment, beer and cider
seminars, fun activities and entertainment. food matching sessions, guest
“As always there’ll be some new surprise elements,” speakers and a chance to meet
Greenstone said of what to expect from GABS this year. the brewers. Tickets are $15
“There’ll be more delicious food, over 120 Festival Beers pre-purchase (via Moshtix) or
across the three cities (including a whole bunch that will only
$22 at the door (plus booking
be in NZ) plus dozens of brewery and industry stands where
people get to meet the real people behind their great beers fee). For more information, go to
and ciders. More and new amazing entertainment which we’re Canberrabeerfest.com.au.
ramping up a little plus cooking demonstrations, educational
‘Q&Ales’ panel discussions and just a whole heap of fun.” (4) THE GREAT KIWI
GABS Melbourne will again be held at the Royal Exhibition BEER FESTIVAL
Building and GABS Sydney at the Australian Technology Park. Christchurch: 2 April, 2016
For more information or to buy tickets, go to The Great Kiwi Beer Festival
Gabsfestival.com. returns to Hagley Park in
Christchurch on 2 April for
8  www.beerandbrewer.com
its fifth year, with about 30
craft breweries and cider
producers taking part in the
day-long celebrations. The
festival will feature more
than 300 local, national
and international brews,
live performances, cooking
demonstrations, seminars,
brand experience areas, beer and
food matching and much more.
For more information, go to
Greatkiwibeerfestival.co.nz.
(5) 2016 AUSTRALIAN
INTERNATIONAL BEER
AWARDS (AIBA)
Melbourne: Judging – 12-14 May
Presentation Dinner – 19 May
Exhibitor Tasting - 20 May
The AIBA is conducted by The
Royal Agricultural Society
of Victoria and is the largest
annual beer competition in the
world assessing both packaged
and draught beer across 18
categories. This year the awards
will also feature a New World
Pale Ale Trophy, recognising
brews distinguished by the
prominent use of New World
hops predominantly from
New Zealand and Australia, in
response to increased entries of
the style over the last few years.
The winners will be announced
at the presentation dinner on 19
May, followed by the Exhibitor
Tasting on 20 May. Rasv.com.au
(6) GOOD BEER WEEK
Victoria: 13-22 May, 2016
Good Beer Week returns to
Melbourne for the sixth year for
a celebration of the local and
international craft beer scene.
The launch of the 2016 Official
Good Beer Week Program will
be held 18-19 March at a Gala
Showcase at Fitzroy Town Hall,
Fitzroy. For more information, go
to Goodbeerweek.com.au.
 Check out page 82
for our full interview with
Cicerone founder Ray Daniels

(l-r) Institute of Beer (IOB) managing

director Peter Fullbrook, Cicerone founder
Ray Daniels, Australian Brewery’s Neal
Cameron and Dave Phillips from Dave’s
EDUCATION Brewery Tours at IOB headquarters

NEW BEER EDUCATION

INITIATIVE LAUNCHES
Australian craft beer industry heavyweights have joined forces to launch the Institute of Beer
(IOB), a new initiative that will focus on formal and informal beer education and consultancy.
The team behind IOB includes; managing director Peter Fullbrook who has a background
in business education; Neal Cameron who is master brewer at the Australian Brewery and
judges at major beer and cider shows; Dave Phillips who runs Dave’s Brewery Tours and has
excellent knowledge of the brewing industry and Ian Kingham who was previously in charge
of beer and spirits strategy at Woolworths and is also a prominent beer judge.
“So what that brings together is a range of expertise,” Fullbrook said.
“The way we’ve positioned the Institute of Beer is that we have three business streams,
the first one is education and there are two parts to education.
“One part is customised education so very specifically for the beer market here in
Australia. So for instance say a brewery comes to us and says their reps need to be trained
to be more effective in the market, they need to know their beers and their competitor
beers, we would customise an education program to suit. Cicerone will form part of that.
So we have customised education and we also have certification and exams and classic
education through Cicerone.
“So that’s the first stream of education, the second stream is education through
consultancy. Anything from deciding you’re going to make beer and set-up a brewery right
through to the sellers and marketers of a brewery. So in other words, anything from I want
to make beer, through to I’m now making money selling beer, is the consultancy offering.
“The third area is learning about beer through less formal education, which would be
things like beer events and beer evenings.
“So those are the three streams of Institute of Beer; formal education, consultancy and
less formal education through events.”
For part of the formal education, IOB has formed an agreement with Cicerone, the most
highly-recognised beer training programme in the world, certifying and educating beer
professionals in order to elevate the beer experience for consumers.
Based in the US, Cicerone founder Ray Daniels was in Australia last month finalising the
agreement with the IOB team and holding the first Certified Cicerone exams in Melbourne
and Sydney.
“These guys were sort of the first to call us and say, ‘Hey we would like to do this’. So
initially I came down last September to explore that, get to know them and I found a group
that I really liked. I think they have the right attitude and approach, good background and
experience, and they like what we do and want to work with our programme,” Daniels said.
The training programmes will be adapted slightly to suit the Australian beer landscape
so that things like beer style examples will be Australian not American. The IOB training
programmes have been divided into three distinct areas from beginner through to expert
level. For more information on IOB, call 02 8987 1908 or email info@theinstituteofbeer.com.
 Turn to page 73
for our tasting note of Modus
Operandi Former Tenant Red IPA
NEWS

LIQUOR
LICENSING
CRAFT BEER
INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATION (CBIA)
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
CHRIS MCNAMARA
DISCUSSES LIQUOR
LICENSING FOR
CRAFT BREWERS

It should not need repeating that Australia’s craft brewers operate The new-look 500ml cans
within a heavily-regulated environment. Taxation, liquor licensing and from Modus Operandi
local government regulations are as much a part of a brewer’s week CANNED BEER

MODUS OPERANDI’S
as hops, water, malt and yeast.
A focus of the advocacy work carried out by the Craft Beer

Industry Association (CBIA) on behalf of the industry has been around
best practice liquor licensing for craft brewers. It should be of no
surprise that in a country where we can’t even agree on the name of
beer glasses from state-to-state there is little consistency in the style
of licence available to craft brewers.
While no system is perfect, Victoria’s wine and beer producer’s
licence is widely-regarded as Australia’s best. The licence allows for
wholesale sales, off-premise sales from a cellar door, on-premise sales
of both the producer’s products and those of other alcohol producers
and, via a promotional event authorisation, the ability to sell beer at
events such as farmers markets and festivals.
The CBIA believes strongly that these conditions should be a part
of similar licences across Australia and has been advocating for
them. We were successful in New South Wales in 2014 when the Baird
Government amended the producer/wholesaler licence to allow for a
‘drink on-premise’ authorisation and sales at markets. These changes
brought New South Wales’ licence in-line with Victoria’s.
In recent weeks you may have read of the legislation passed in
Queensland, which will allow craft brewers to attend and sell beer
at events such as farmers markets. The CBIA advocated for and
welcomes these changes but recognises that more can be done to
improve the Queensland licence conditions. For example, Queensland
brewers are not allowed to sell a glass of beer for consumption on-
premise to visitors at their cellar door unless they are having a meal.
There is work to be done in all states to improve the position of
craft brewers. Tasmania does not have a dedicated licence type
for producers and instead has a special licence that has different
conditions placed on it for each applicant. In South Australia
producers’ event endorsements are required for each and every event
attended and Western Australia also has restrictions on what events
a brewer can attend. The CBIA will be working with brewers in these
states to lobby for change.
As an industry we accept that regulation will always be a part of
doing business in an advanced economy but that regulation must
balance the needs of society with those of small businesses looking
to grow, employ more people and positively develop Australia’s
drinking culture.
CAN-DO ATTITUDE
Australian craft beer wonderkids, Modus Operandi from Sydney’s
Northern Beaches, are set to roll out new 500ml cans in late April,
courtesy of the team’s shiny new canning line. Famous for their
946ml CANimals, the team at Modus always planned on installing a
canning line but wanted to take their time and ensure beer quality
and consistency.
“For us the CANimals were never a mass distribution option, so
a canning line has always been on the cards but we resisted the
contract or ‘beer buyer’ route as we wanted to make sure that our
beer was solid, consistent and the way we wanted it and we could
make it in our own brewery to ensure consistency and quality,”
said co-founder Jaz Wearin. “And to be honest we were initially
very happy with the brewpub holy grail: kegs only. However, we had
always planned on distributing in cans due to their much kinder
touch on beer, the environment and distribution and we wanted to
do it our way: brewing and canning ourselves on the best canning
equipment we could afford and using our own in-house expertise.”
Keeping with the big can theme, the retail cans are 500ml and
adorned with the new MO logo.
“Four x 500ml cans gives you the full 2L per four-pack, old-school
style and doesn’t short change the savvy consumer in terms of
quantity to fit in with the ‘price point’ argument,” explained Wearin.
“I guess we said if we want to be crafty let’s not only play with the
design of the can but also release a sized can that we want to drink
from. Big cans baby…!”
Adding to its swag of awards, Modus Operandi was recently named
Australia’s Top New Brewer for 2015 by popular beer review website,
RateBeer, which tallied nearly one million reviews from 2015 to form
its RateBeer Best Awards.

10  www.beerandbrewer.com
COLLABORATION BEER

AWARD-WINNING BREWERS COMBINE

TALENTS FOR AIBA BEER
The Australian International Beer Awards Chris Willcock, chief brewer at 4 Pines, which
(AIBA) collaborative beer for 2016 is underway, won Champion Large Australian Brewery in
with brewers from 4 Pines Brewing Company, 2015, added the brew would have a nice and
Thunder Road Brewing Company and Boatrocker balanced flavour to it, with the use of tangerine
Brewing Company beginning the process earlier peel and herbs bringing sweetness and texture
this month at Boatrocker’s Braeside brewery. to the palate.
The collaboration, in its fifth year, sees “With the attributes of sweeter layering,
brewers from 2015’s Champion Large, Medium spiciness and unique fruit tones with the use of
and Small Australian Breweries combine their tangerine, the brew will be a dessert beer,” he said.
knowledge, skills and experience to create a Marcus Cox, who is part of the collaborative
limited-edition beer, to be unveiled at the AIBA brew team for the second year running, after
Presentation Dinner in Melbourne on 19 May. Thunder Road’s successive wins of Champion
Caption: (l-r) Thunder Road’s Marcus Cox,
Speaking at the brew day, Matt Houghton, 4 Pines’ Chris Willcock and Boatrocker’s Medium Australian Brewery in 2014 and 2015,
head brewer and founder at Boatrocker said Matt Houghton at Boatrocker Brewery said the brew did however alter slightly from
about 1,600 litres of the yet-to-be-named amber the original style.
saison-style beer will be made available. “The collaborative brew is darker than a normal variety saison,
“The 2016 collaboration brew will use both French and which is traditionally a pale ale,” said Cox at the mash-in.
Belgian-style yeasts, malt from Cryermalt and HPA hops,” said The beer will be bottled in three weeks allowing for bottle
Houghton, last year’s recipient of the Champion Small Australian fermentation, with the naming of the ale and packaging design also
Brewery Trophy. still to come.

WINNER: WINNER: TROPHY

BRONZE 2015 & GOLD 2015

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Autumn 2016  11
PRODUCTS

1
1. FRIDAY BEERS NEVER
LOOKED BETTER 2. GIANT BEAST FIST
STUBBY HOLDER

BITS
Friday Beers delivers a different six-pack
Luke warm beer getting you down? Not to fear,
of craft beer and cider to your desk every
the Giant Beast will hold your beer! Extra big for
Friday. There are no lock-in contracts
extra insulation, with a handy hole for your own

BOBS
or hidden fees, you can start and stop
hand the Giant Beast holds standard-sized cans
whenever you want. Each week the team
and stubbies. Makes ordinary stubby coolers look
at Friday Beers will pick a range of craft
weak and unmanly. A great gag gift for any beer
beers to try, delivered free with tasting
lover, the Giant Beast is made of foam and is
notes for the Beer of the Week. Currently
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12  www.beerandbrewer.com
 Speciality beer
venue and want to
sing about it?
TO A READERSHIP OF
PART 32 OF
OF OUR
OUR LAUNCH
101 BEERS TO TRY BEFORE YOU
A MICROBREWERY DIE
FEATURE seeseepage
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THE DNA OF IPA
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DRINKERS? HOW TO
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S t o n e s Co r n e r Ho t e l
Sunday Spit Roasts in the Beer Garden
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Live music 5 nights a week
TO JOIN OUR CRAFT BEER & CIDER CLUB
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XXXXXXX
NEW VENUE
NEW BREWERY
FOR WOLLONGONG
Five Barrel Brewing officially opened in
Wollongong, NSW last month, with owner
and brewer Phillip O’Shea taking his love of
homebrewing to the next level.
“I’ve been homebrewing for a few years, and
treated it like a job,” O’Shea told Beer & Brewer.
“I brewed batches weekly and refined a
few recipes and experimented a lot with
different techniques. I love all sorts of beer,
from clean ales to stouts and sours, and
that’s what I love brewing.”
After six months searching for the right
location and about nine months tackling
the paperwork, regulations and fit-out, Five
Barrel Brewing is now open for business.
“I started thinking about a brewery a few
years ago after travelling around Europe
and seeing just how awesome the beer
culture was. I wanted to bring that back to
Wollongong and share an experience that is
still developing here,” O’Shea explained.
The core range covers a good spectrum of
styles with a Golden Ale, Pale Ale, ESB (Extra
Special Bitter) and a Hoppy Amber.
“I’ll aim to keep these on year-round and
have a few single keg batches that will only
14  www.beerandbrewer.com
Inside the
brewery at
Five Barrel
Brewing
Five Barrel Brewing owner
and brewer Phillip O’Shea
CM
MY
CY
CMY
be available in our taproom at the brewery,”
O’Shea said.
“My favourite session beer is the ESB, but
if I’m having one or two, it’ll be the Hoppy
Amber.
“The Golden and the Hoppy Amber are
definitely the most popular of the core range.
I’ve done a small batch of IPA and Oyster Stout,
which have proved to be really popular as well.”
O’Shea plans to keep pushing his
knowledge and experience with different
styles and ingredients, with the Oyster Stout
a good example of a fun and unique style that
he’ll tackle.
“I’ve acquired my first 2x 500L barrels (ex-
shiraz from the Hunter) and I’m sure I’ll add
to the collection over time,” he said.
“The first is for an Imperial Stout and the
second is for a Flemish Red, both of which I
hope to extract a bit of that rich fruit flavour
from the barrel.”
The brewery is restricted from preparing food
onsite but they have plenty of snacks like jerky Five Barrel Brewing
to help soak up the brews and for special events 318 Keira Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
they will get food trucks in to feed the masses. Open: Mon-Fri 12-6pm and Sat-Sun 12-4pm
Growler fills are welcomed in the taproom.
Wheat,
wit, weisse
or weizen?
NO MATTER WHICH NAME THEY GO BY, THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST
CHARACTERFUL AND REFRESHING BEERS IN THE WORLD. JEREMY
SAMBROOKS DELVES INTO THE TURBULENT HISTORY OF WHEAT BEER

16  www.beerandbrewer.com
 WHEAT

T
he year is 2010 and I’m sitting in the Brennan Fielding from Burleigh
beer garden of the oldest brewery Brewing Co. believes wheat beers
are the most difficult to brew
in the world, Weihenstephan. The
autumn sun is shining, there’s a
cool breeze and in my hand is a tall,
curvy glass of the brewery’s most
popular product – a wheat beer called Weihenstephaner
Hefeweissbier – which while a pain to spell or
pronounce is an absolute joy to drink. Hazy, yellow
and topped with a mountain of soft-serve-like foam,
this unfiltered Bavarian-style wheat beer tastes of
soft, bready malt and cloves, with subtle notes of
sweet banana, vanilla and mixed spice. No fruit or
spices are added to the beer – its complexity comes
from the esters and phenols produced by the classic
Weihenstephan yeast strain.
Although beer can be brewed from almost any malted
grain, only barley has a structure that is ideal for
malting, mashing and brewing. Unlike barley, wheat
does not have a husk to provide a natural filter bed
for lautering and running off the sweet wort. For this
reason, most commercial wheat beers contain about
30 to 50 per cent malted barley. Wheat is also higher in
protein than barley, which contributes to foam stability
and increases a beer’s perceived body and mouthfeel.
The higher protein content of malted wheat also results
in haziness, which while unwanted in most beers, is
actually a desirable attribute in wheat beers.
Before we go any further, a line needs to be drawn to
determine when a beer is a wheat beer and when it is
just a beer that contains wheat. Many commercial beers
of various styles contain small amounts (often less
than five per cent) of wheat malt for head retention
“I USED TO THINK LAGER WAS THE HARDEST BEER TO MAKE
rather than any flavour contribution. For the purpose of BECAUSE LAGERS ARE COMPLETELY NAKED AND THERE IS
this article, we will only consider beers typically made
with at least 30 per cent wheat and fermented using NOWHERE TO HIDE. NOW I’VE CHANGED MY MIND; WHEAT
BEERS ARE THE HARDEST TO BREW AS YOU REALLY HAVE TO
cultured wheat yeast strains to be true wheat beers.
This eliminates a few ‘wheatish’ beer styles, including
Berliner weisse, Gose and Belgian lambic beers.
With this distinction made, there are 14 wheat beer
COAX OUT THE FLAVOURS YOU WANT” – BRENNAN FIELDING,
styles recognised by the Brewers Association (BA)
guidelines. Discussing all of these styles would be a
BURLEIGH BREWING CO.
repetitive affair, as many are simply stronger, lighter,
darker or filtered versions of the same thing. After IF YOU LIKE WHEAT BEERS
trimming the fluff, we are left with six distinct wheat
beer styles; two from Germany, two from USA and one You might also like these beers:
each from Belgium and Poland.

WEISSE OR WEIZEN?
German-style wheat beers are generally referred to as
either weissbier or weizenbier. Weissbier (pronounced
vice-beer) means ‘white beer’ in German and the name Belgian blond ale: Belgian dubbel: Blonde ale: A fairly Saison: A medium
derives from the whitish tinge imparted by pale malted A slightly sweet, A deep reddish, clean, easy-drinking to strong ale with
relatively strong moderately strong, and slightly malty a spicy, yeast-
wheat and suspended yeast particles in the beer.
golden ale with a complex and malty beer, sometimes derived flavour and
Weizenbier (pronounced veye-tssen-beer) is German for
subtle ester profile. Belgian ale. called golden ale. a very dry finish.
wheat beer, although English-speaking countries often

Autumn 2016  17
WHEAT

use the name hefeweizen (literally yeast wheat) due to

the beer’s cloudy, unfiltered appearance. Clear, filtered
POUR IT OUT
A pint glass, or a tall half-litre mug will do in a pinch, but nothing
examples of the beer use the name kristallweizen. beats a wheat beer served in an authentic weizen glass, like
According to German law, all beer labelled weissbier Spiegelau’s. These tall, thin-walled glasses showcase the beer’s
or weizenbier must be made with at least 50 per cent colour, while the curvy shape balloons at the top provide enough
malted wheat, although most Bavarian weizens contain room for the voluminous, fluffy head produced by most wheat
beers. Whether or not to add a slice of lemon to a weizenbier
60 to 70 per cent, the rest being malted barley.
(or orange to a witbier) is a personal choice, but purists should
Burleigh HEF is a great Australian interpretation of
go without – these beers are tasty enough on their own and the
the hefeweizen style. Brennan Fielding, brewmaster addition of citrus has a negative effect on head retention.
at Burleigh Brewing Co., shared, “I used to think
lager was the hardest beer to make because lagers are
Widmer Bros head
completely naked and there is nowhere to hide. Now brewer Ben Dobler
I’ve changed my mind; wheat beers are the hardest to
brew as you really have to coax out the flavours you
want. It’s a far more complex process than simply
balancing esters and phenols, there are many factors –
such as oxygen, yeast cell count, temperature and time
– that can influence the flavours you are left with.”
Wearing a distinctive moustache on its bottle,
Burleigh HEF boasts a fine balance of the classic
hefeweizen flavours of banana and clove and has a
smooth, creamy mouthfeel.
Dunkelweizen is a dark version of the regular golden
yellow weissbier. It combines the banana, clove, vanilla
and spice notes of a pale hefeweizen, with greater malt
complexity, coming from the use of caramelised and
dark malts. Weizenbock is the name given to wheat
beers of bock strength – generally in excess of seven
per cent. These beers are most often brewed as a
“WE SHIP ALL OF OUR DRAFT KEGS UPSIDE DOWN SO WHEN
stronger dunkelweizen, although paler examples exist.
The higher alcohol content of weizenbock typically
THEY GET TO THE RETAILER, THEY WILL STAND THE KEG
results in increased body, sweetness and a gentle UPRIGHT, ALLOWING THE YEAST TO EVENLY DISPERSE”
warming character.
Mash Brewing in Western Australia’s Swan Valley – BEN DOBLER, WIDMER BROTHERS
brews a weizenbock, which goes by the name Invisible.
“We decided on the name because I left the wheat
malt out of it when I designed the beer,” says Charlie
Hodgson, head brewer at Mash. “I got so caught up in FIVE WICKED WEIZENBIER FACTS
layering malts for complexity and plain and simple 1. Weizenbier was created by Bavarian brewmasters, who first made the beer in the
forgot to throw some in! Thankfully we made two tanks early 16th century in the Bavarian Forest, next to what is now the Czech Republic.
of the beer and used wheat in the second.” 2. According to the Reinheitsgebot – commonly known as the German Beer
Hodgson put his signature on the Invisible Purity Law of 1516 – the only ingredients that could be used in the making of
Weizenbock with a couple of very non-traditional
beer were water, barley and hops. While yeast had yet to be discovered, wheat
was deliberately omitted to prevent competition with bakers, ensuring the
touches, the beer contains a small percentage of peat
affordability of bread.
smoked malt and is aged on oak chips.
3. From 1520-1872, weizenbier could only legally be brewed at breweries owned by
the Bavarian royal family. In 1872, King Ludwig II discontinued brewing wheat
FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION beer and sold the exclusive right to brew weissbier to Georg Schneider, whose
Grodziskie is a rare and unique pale wheat beer style descendants today run the highly-successful Schneider Weisse brewery.
hailing from Poland and is brewed from 100 per cent 4. Most commercial German weizenbiers are bottle conditioned, although in
oak smoked malt. Until recently, Grodziskie was an keeping with the Reinheitsgebot, brewers don’t add sugar. Instead, actively
extinct beer style after the last brewery producing the fermenting wheat beer wort is added to the beer to provide the sugars required
for secondary fermentation in a process called krausening.
beer was shut down in 1993. In recent times, a number
5. The popularity of pale lager beers such as Pilsner and Munich helles resulted in
of craft breweries have begun producing a Grodziskie,
a steep decline in demand for weissbier. Fortunately, consumer tastes shifted
including Cheeky Monkey in Margaret River, which put
and by 1994, weizenbier overtook helles as the most popular beer style in
one on as a seasonal release in 2015. Bavaria, a position it has held ever since.
Witbier (white beer in Flemish) is yet another wheat

18  www.beerandbrewer.com
Autumn 2016  19
WHEAT

beer style that has made a comeback from the U-S-A, U-S-A!

brink of extinction. After enjoying popularity in
its home country of Belgium up until the 18th
century, the last witbier brewery in Hoegaarden
stopped brewing the beer in 1960. The fact that
witbier is quite popular today is largely thanks
to the efforts of a Belgian milkman-turned-
brewer by the name of Pierre Celis. Lamenting
the loss of his cherished witbier, Celis decided
to make his own, opening a brewery in 1966. The
popularity of Celis’ witbier sparked a revival of
the style in Belgium, which subsequently spread
throughout the beer drinking world. Unlike
German-style wheat beers, witbiers are spiced,
usually with coriander seed and orange peel.
Grand Ridge is one of Australia’s longest-
running craft breweries and its beer Natural
Blonde is an Australian-take on the Belgian
witbier style. Grand Ridge’s managing director,
Eric Walters, was happy to talk about the beer.
“We made this Belgian wheat very
specifically for the Australian palate,” says
Walters. “By backing off the spice a little it
becomes much more thirst-quenching and yet
still has tonnes of flavour to please the most
avid wheat beer enthusiast – perfect as the
first beer on a hot day. When we first started
creating a recipe for the Blonde in the 90s it was
a very unusual style in Australia. None of the
commercial witbiers you see today existed in
the Australian market. It’s great to see the style
has really taken off all over the world and is
now being appreciated by craft beer lovers and
everyday consumers alike.”
DRINK LOCAL
While American-style wheat beers haven’t really
taken off in Australia, a small number of beers
are looking to buck the trend. One of these is
Widmer Brothers Hefe – an American import Try these eight local
that sits somewhere between the American wheat beers:
wheat and hefeweizen styles. 1. Matilda Bay Redback
“Widmer Brothers Hefe is an American-style A kristalweizen
wheat beer with yeast,” says Ben Dobler, head and arguably Australia’s
brewer at Widmer Brothers. “The yeast our first craft beer
Hefe uses produces a cleaner ester profile than 2. Billabong Bavarian Wheat
traditional Bavarian hefeweizens, with hints of An award-winning, classic
bread, citrus and very subtle banana. We also Bavarian weizen filtered clear
leave the beer unfiltered and rather cloudy. We
3. Burleigh HEF
ship all of our draft kegs upside down so when A traditionally-brewed
they get to the retailer, they will stand the keg hefeweizen that sports a
upright, allowing the yeast to evenly disperse.” moustache on its bottle
A Belgian-style ale from the US is Blue Moon
4. Moo Brew Hefeweizen
Belgian White, which is brewed with white A cloudy hefeweizen with
wheat and oats for a crisp, wheat finish that’s the classic banana/clove
complemented by a combination of orange peel yeast character
and coriander. Distributed in Australia by Coca-
5. Feral White
Cola Amatil, the brewery launched its seasonal A true Belgian-style witbier,
Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat earlier this spiced with coriander
year. The filtered wheat ale (5.2% ABV) has seed and orange peel
flavours of orange blossom honey and orange peel 6. Grand Ridge Natural Blonde
and has won a swag of awards in the US. This lightly spiced witbier
Another American craft brewing creation is a great thirst quencher
is wheat wine – a beer style that can be best
7. White Rabbit White Ale
described as wheat’s answer to barley wine. A spicy witbier with added
Generally clear and gold to light brown in colour, juniper berries for extra
these sweet, malty ales are also very strong, complexity
described by the BA as being typically 8.5 to 12.2
8. Mash Invisible
per cent alcohol-by-volume. A big, sweet weizenbock with
notes of banana and soft,
chocolaty malt

SUGGESTED FOOD PAIRINGS

With their low bitterness, malty sweetness, fruity esters and spicy phenols, it
seems as though wheat beers were made to be paired with food. While they cover
a wide spectrum of colours and flavours, one thing nearly all wheat beers have in
common is lively carbonation, which makes them wonderful palate cleansers.
The lightest of the wheat beer styles, American wheat beers go well with fresh
summer salads as they won’t overpower the delicate flavours of leafy greens and
sprouts, yet can stand up to sharp vinaigrettes and creamy dressings.
For a Belgian witbier, the classic pairing is a dish of moules frites – mussels and
fries. Take things up a notch by cooking the mussels in the beer, along with leeks,
shallots, parsley and butter and serving with fresh lemon.
German-style wheat beers tend to be more robustly flavoured, enabling them to
be served with heartier fare. It is a Bavarian specialty to serve hefeweizen with
weisswurst (a white, finely textured veal and pork sausage) but they work just as
well with shellfish due to their low bitterness and soft malt flavour. Darker, richer
and sweeter, dunkelweizen and weizenbock can be matched with veal schnitzel,
smoked gouda or for the daring, with sweet pancakes for breakfast!

20  www.beerandbrewer.com
Following in the footsteps of their hugely
successful IPA glass collaboration, Spiegelau
partnered with two of the leading Stout
brewers in the United States, Left Hand
Brewing Company from Colorado and
Rogue Ales from Oregon, to create the
ultimate glass for enjoying Stout.

This is our STOUT glass.

After months of design and tasting workshops, during
which hundreds of glass shapes were considered, the
brewers ultimately and unanimously chose this glass
as their favourite for the variety.
Expertly crafted, tested, and approved, the Spiegelau
Stout glass accentuates the roasted malt, rich
coffee and chocolate notes that define the Stout
beer style, whilst maintaining the functional design
characteristics for which Spiegelau beer glassware
has become known.

The Beer Classics are available at David Jones, Myer and selected
homewares stores or online at www.spiegelau.com.au
1. König Ludwig
Weissbier
A traditional German wheat beer
brewed in Bavaria in accordance
with the purity law of 1516, König
Ludwig Weissbier depicts the
style well. The customary clove
and banana aroma is evident
although somewhat restrained
with some nice bready notes
also present. The palate is rich
and full, with good malt layering
and some banana and tropical
fruit character. Rich on the finish,
with good residual maltiness and
less dry than other conventional
styles of hefeweizen.
FOOD MATCH
Beetroot and goats cheese salad
ABV: 5.5%
RRP: $5 per bottle (330ml)
Bidbeer.com
Wheat
22  www.beerandbrewer.com
2. Blue Moon Belgian
White
A Belgian-style ale, Blue Moon
Belgian White is brewed with
white wheat and oats for a crisp,
wheat finish that’s perfectly
complemented by a combination
of orange peel and coriander. It’s
best served in a weiss glass with
an orange slice garnish to bring
out the subtle citrus aroma
and finish.
FOOD MATCH
The beer’s light, spicy, citrus
flavours pair well with seafood
such as grilled prawns and Asian
dishes like pad Thai
ABV: 5.4%
Facebook.com/bluemoonaus
1 3
3. Erdinger 4. Burleigh Brewing
Hefeweizen HEF
Erdinger is the world’s most Burleigh Brewing HEF boasts
popular wheat beer and the classic German wheat beer
one of the few wheat beer characteristics of banana and
breweries that continue to use clove, rich flavours, a bright
the ‘Champagne method’ of white head and a smooth,
secondary fermentation in the creamy texture. It is an unfiltered,
bottle/keg ensuring perfect refreshing, flavour-filled beer
carbonation and an exceptionally without being overpowering.
well-balanced beer. With a
distinctive bright golden colour FOOD MATCH
the flavour is mildly sweet Cheese, seafood or fruit chutney
up front, with a good deal of
ABV: 5%
sensation from the carbonation.
RRP: $21-$22 per six-pack
The middle of the palate offers
(330ml)
spiced citrus notes and the finish
Burleighbrewing.com.au
brings out a swirl of elegant hop
flavour.
FOOD MATCH
Delicious with chicken or
veal schnitzel
ABV: 5.3%
RRP: $6.29 per bottle
(500ml)
Baw.com.au
4
2
WITH THEIR LOW BITTERNESS, MALTY SWEETNESS,
FRUITY ESTERS, SPICY PHENOLS AND LIVELY
CARBONATION, WHEAT BEERS WERE SEEMINGLY MADE
TO BE PAIRED WITH FOOD. HERE ARE EIGHT TO TRY
THIS SEASON

5. Grand Ridge
Natural Blonde
Natural Blonde is a classic
Belgian-style wheat beer. This
beer is naturally cloudy using
Australia’s premium wheat,
malt and coriander. A touch
of orange peel lets luscious
hints of citrus seep through the
head. A real chef’s beer, Grand
Ridge uses Natural Blonde at its
restaurant for incredibly light
and flavoursome batters and also
recommends using it to steam
mussels. This beer makes any
seafood work to perfection.
FOOD MATCH
Fresh, wild barramundi fillets
ABV: 4.5%
RRP: $18-20 per six-pack
(330ml)
Grand-ridge.com.au
6
5
6. Goodieson
Wheat Beer
This German-style wheat beer
has a beautiful balance of banana
and clove aromas and flavours.
Slightly hazy with a golden colour
and a very low bitterness this
beer will leave the true wheat
beer lovers craving for another
glass. Gently shake the bottle
before opening and pour with at
least two distinctive pours. Pour
approximately three quarters of
the bottle, than swirl the bottle to
ensure the entire contents of the
bottle are poured into the glass.
FOOD MATCH
Thai, Malaysian, seafood or
just use it to make a fantastic
beer batter
ABV: 5.2%
RRP: $23 per six-pack
(330ml)
Goodiesonbrewery.com.au
7
WHEAT PROMOTION
7. Schöfferhofer
Hefeweizen
Wheat beer usually prevails from
Bavaria however the Binding
Brewery in Frankfurt has its own
take on what a wheat beer should
taste like and Schöfferhofer
is now the most successful
wheat beer brand brewed
outside of Bavaria. Brewed with
additional hops to bring extra
bitterness, Schöfferhofer has
an unmistakable bright amber
haze with tangy fruit and spice
flavours delivering ultimate
thirst-quenching refreshment and
seems to be perfectly designed
for the Australian palate.
FOOD MATCH
Skewered shrimp with rosemary
ABV: 5%
RRP: $5.50 per bottle (500ml)
Baw.com.au
8
8. Blue Moon Summer
Honey Wheat
Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat
is crafted with orange blossom
honey for a hint of sweetness and
a touch of orange peel for subtle
citrus notes. It’s a refreshing,
balanced taste that’s landed just
in time for the longer, warmer
days of the season.
FOOD MATCH
Grilled summer barbeque meats
such as marinated chicken with
honey mustard sauce
ABV: 5.2%
Facebook.com/bluemoonaus
Autumn 2016  23
BREWING INGREDIENTS
The Big Four
IT TAKES FOUR INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A BEER. BUT WITHIN THOSE BOUNDARIES, NEW THINGS ARE ALWAYS
HAPPENING. NICK CONNELLAN PEERS PAST THE HORIZON TO SEE WHAT’S NEXT FOR EACH INGREDIENT AND
WHAT YOU’LL TASTE IN 2016 AND BEYOND
I
t’s amazing what you can make with four ingredients. Apart
from obvious exceptions such as Belgian witbier or kriek
Lambic, nearly every style of beer out there consists of just
four things: water, hops, malt and yeast (and/or yeast-like
microbes).
And yet, after so many centuries of brewing, we’re still
finding ways to innovate. Hop farmers breed new varieties. Maltsters
refine their roasting techniques. Novel yeast strains are developed.
We caught up with a bunch of brewers and ingredient wholesalers to
see what’s next for drinkers.
HOPS
“In many ways, the modern craft beer movement has been built
off the back of hops,” says Josh Uljans from Moon Dog Brewing in
Melbourne.
He’s right – the world-leading American craft beer scene is almost
synonymous with India pale ale (IPA), a beer style that emphasises
hops more than any other.
Hops add two things to a beer: bitterness and aroma. Often you’ll
hear brewers talk of ‘bittering’ hops, or those which are added into
24  www.beerandbrewer.com
the boil very early, to impart bitterness. Aroma hops are added
nearer the end, to give beer that fruity, tropical or pine nose so many
newcomers associate with craft beer. Dual purpose hops can be used
for both.
Over the past decade, we’ve seen brewers get more and more
heavy-handed with aroma hops, both to distinguish themselves
from other craft brewers and traditional mega-breweries. While that
practice won’t change any time soon, the product itself will.
Across the UK, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, well-
developed breeding programs have begun replicating the big, fruity
profiles pioneered in the States.
“We’re informed by what we think brewers want,” says Owen
Johnston of Hop Products Australia (HPA).
The company developed the proprietary Galaxy hop years back,
before following up with Ella, Summer, Topaz, Vic Secret and Enigma
– varieties which mostly mimic those big American flavours. 2016
was shaping up to be the year these locals really made a splash.
That is, until a huge storm ravaged HPA’s Victorian farm just before
Christmas, destroying an estimated 40 per cent of the crop at the site.
“We don’t have firm numbers yet,” Johnston says. “When it’s in,
 BREWING INGREDIENTS

and been dried and pressed into bales, then we’ll know
what we’ve got.”
Those figures won’t arrive until late March or early
April. The company has other farms in Tasmania and
New South Wales, but Vic Secret and Topaz are grown
exclusively in Victoria. Though HPA is doing its best to
fulfil contracts, it’s a real blow for the local industry.
Brewers can’t get enough of these varieties, especially
with their American counterparts becoming harder to
get. Sydney’s 4 Pines Brewing Company recently raised
the price of its Pale Ale kegs by $10, citing the cost of
American Citra hops.
“One of the things I’m excited about is seeing so many
great locally-produced varieties starting to become
prominent,” 4 Pines’ Chris Willcock says. “We’re
hopefully going to be using a lot more of these hops as
they establish themselves and become available.”
Similar things are happening in New Zealand.
Varieties such as Motueka and the intensely tropical
Nelson Sauvin are familiar to a lot of drinkers, but new
varieties such as Kohatu, Wai-iti and Rakau will start
to make an impact as well, says Sandy Ross of Hopco, a
major player in New Zealand hops. He has the highest
hopes for a new dual-purpose hop, Brooklyn.
“From the profile alone, I can safely say that it’s going
to be popular,” he says, referring to the specification
sheet, which lists qualities such as aroma (passionfruit,
grapefruit), acid content and oil content. After the March
harvest, there should be enough Brooklyn available to
make about one million stubbies of beer.
In the UK, the grapefruit-like Jester is doing well, Chris Willcock, 4 Pines
while the Germans have just released Huell Melon
(strawberries) and Mandarina Bavaria (spicy citrus), “ONE OF THE THINGS I’M EXCITED ABOUT IS SEEING SO
two varieties bred to compete with the fruitier
American hops. MANY GREAT LOCALLY-PRODUCED VARIETIES STARTING TO
“They’re definitely more subtle than the US versions,
though,” says Phil Meddings, from major ingredient
BECOME PROMINENT” – CHRIS WILLCOCK, 4 PINES
supplier Bintani. “Over time I think people will start to The global hop shortage is a
look for more delicate flavours in their beers.” major concern for the industry

MALT
When it comes to craft beer, most of us think about
the work brewers do. Less often, we think about the
supply chain strung out behind them. A brewer can
have high standards, but without the right suppliers,
the end product will suffer. As much as there’s been
a revolution in brewing, there’s also been a supplier
revolution, albeit one lagging slightly behind.
“Malt is a really traditional part of brewing, and
it’s been refined over many, many years,” Willcock
says. “There’s not really many ways barley can
be processed that haven’t been done already and
perfected by somebody.”
Most people agree with this stance and instead
talk about the increased emphasis on quality and
consistency. The malt market is less about new barley

Autumn 2016  25
BREWING INGREDIENTS

varieties and more about refining existing specification, despite the natural variables in the
techniques with the help of technology. raw materials,” Meddings says.
To make malt, farmers harvest barley and store That means meeting numbers related to
it in a silo. Maltsters then inspect the crop for moisture content, protein content, friability

“I ALWAYS quality and insects before buying up an entire

year’s worth of grain and transferring it to their
(crumbliness), colour and more. Luckily, small-
scale craft maltings are on the way back, bringing

REFER TO own silo. When they’re ready to begin processing

a batch, they start by steeping it in water and
these exacting measures to the fore.
Kiwi outfit Gladfield Malt is one such maltster.

MALT AS THE keeping a careful watch.

A 43 per cent moisture concentration is enough
“We try and do malts that have never been done
before, to keep the edge for brewers,” says the

CANVAS THE to trick the barley into germinating, as if it had

been continually rained on. At that point, the
company’s Gabi Michael.
Gladfield makes Manuka Smoke, a wood-fired

BREWER plant’s starches begin converting to simple sugars,

which yeast will eventually feed on to create
malt used to produce local interpretations of the
smoky German rauchbier, and Shepherds Delight, a

CAN PAINT alcohol. Once the sugar concentration is right, the

maltster puts the barley in a kiln to remove the
malt developed with Mountain Goat that gives the
finished product a delightful red hue.

THEIR BEER moisture content and halt germination. Then it’s

ready for the brewer to use.
“The trend that we’re seeing in Australia is
lighter and lighter beers,” Michael says.

UPON USING “The key thing is to make sure this giant batch,
which could be anywhere from 30 tonnes to 120
Like hops, malt has two gears. The sugary base
malt is like a cake – it provides a majority of the

YEAST AND tonnes or even larger, is homogenous,” says

David Cryer, who has been selling malt since the
body and alcohol in a beer. Specialty malts such as
Shepherds Delight are like the icing – they’re used

HOPS” early ‘90s, through his company Cryermalt.

It’s this word – homogenous – that separates
– DAVID a good maltster from an exceptional one.
Germinating barley was once rotated by rake, on a
CRYER, floor. These days it’s stored in cavernous pits and
turned by huge mechanical blades to ensure every
CRYERMALT grain in the batch develops at the same rate.
But even with this help, it’s an art to produce
consistent batches when you’re up against
in low concentrations to add flavours such as coffee,
toffee, caramel and chocolate, and colours ranging
from pale gold to black. Specialty malts are most
keenly felt in malt-driven styles such as stout and
red ale. These are the exceptions, though.
“I always refer to malt as the canvas the brewer
can paint their beer upon using yeast and hops,”
Cryer says.
A talented brewer strikes the balance between

Harvesting underway at seasonal variations. the two, playing the bready, biscuity, nutty
Gladfield Malt in New Zealand “It’s about ensuring that the malt is within the sweetness of malt against the bitterness of hops

26  www.beerandbrewer.com
BREWING INGREDIENTS

“I RECKON YEAST
IS PROBABLY
THE MOST
The harvest at HPA
Image by Alastair Bett
EXCITING THING
IN BREWING, IN
and embellishing with yeast. Despite popular perception,
you can’t judge a beer by its International Bittering Unit
year, US researchers invented a new method for cross-
breeding disparate species, which could open the door
TERMS OF THE
(IBU) rating. A very high IBU can be offset by a sweeter for entirely new flavour profiles in beer. FLAVOURS YOU
malt, making the beer seem far less bitter than it really is. That’s still a pipe-dream, though. For now, everyone
Despite the focus on refinement over trends, is talking about a strain of yeast called brettanomyces CAN GET OUT
Cryer reckons heritage malt varieties such as Golden
Promise, Barke, Hana and the revered Maris Otter
(or just ‘brett’), and a bacteria named lactobacillus. The
former gives beer an incredibly distinctive taste –
OF IT” – JOSH
are on the way back. He compares them to heirloom
tomatoes, as opposed to the everyday tomatoes you
tart, funky, barnyard and old blanket are all common
descriptors – which people either seem to love or hate.
ULJANS, MOON
find at the supermarket. The latter is the same bacteria that gives fermented DOG BREWING
“When I started selling malt back in ‘94, Maris Otter sourdough and yoghurt their tang. Together, these two
was a very popular variety,” he says. “It’s coming back microbes produce sour beers styles such as lambic,
again, because people can use these varieties to craft a Gose and Berliner weisse. They’re what takes hold
great marketing story.” when a brewing vessel is left open to the air, rather
than sterilised and sealed. Thus brettanomyces is
YEAST AND OTHER MICROBES often referred to as ‘wild’ yeast, even though it
The importance of yeast is often overlooked by can be grown like
non-brewers. As a yeast converts barley sugars to
alcohol, it also produces esters and phenols – aromatic
compounds with their own distinctive flavour profiles.
“I reckon yeast is probably the most exciting thing
in brewing, in terms of the flavours you can get out of
it,” Moon Dog’s Uljans says. “Not just that, but also
the texture of the beer. A lot of very well-known beer
styles are basically driven by a specific type of yeast.”
German hefeweizen is the most common example.
Its aromas of banana, bubblegum and cloves come from
a specific yeast, rather than malt or hops. Many of the
traditional Belgian styles owe their deep, stewed fruit
character to esters and phenols.
Historically, prized yeast strains have been
maintained by keeping a living sample and
continually feeding it. These days, things are far more
scientific, with new yeasts engineered in laboratories,
propagated, then cryo-packed or freeze-dried. Late last

28  www.beerandbrewer.com
 BREWING INGREDIENTS

WHAT’S NEXT?
NO ONE CAN REALLY SAY FOR SURE WHAT THE NEXT BIG THING
IN BEER IS – BUT THERE ARE SOME STRONG INDICATIONS WHERE
WE’RE HEADED

STYLE
Clean, low-hop lagers and Pilsners are on the way back. In part, this is being driven
by intense competition in the hop market, but also by brewers’ desire to make
something new (or classic, depending on your perspective). Already we’ve seen
this with Holgate’s Norton Lager, Moon Dog’s Love Tap Double Lager and Hawkers’ Pilsner.
Expect to see a lot more of these easy-drinking styles in 2016.
The second one is sour beers – those produced with particular yeasts and bacteria to give
a ripe, sourdough or yoghurt-like taste and aroma. For a while now they’ve been tipped as
the next big thing, but not everyone is convinced.
“I think the sour thing is an emerging trend, but it’s still very niche,” says Bintani’s
Meddings. He’s a stronger believer in the universal appeal of lagers and pilsners.

HOPS
For years, big, fruity American hops such as Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra have
dominated. Recently they’ve become a victim of their own success.
“It’s a really competitive market for hops at the moment,” says 4 Pines’ Willcock. “It’s
not easy to get your hands on some of these varieties, especially in large quantities.”
Sandy Ross from Hopco says that American growers are often reluctant to export when
they know there’s a shortage at home.
This has seen some people return to older American varieties such as Cascade, Columbus
and Centennial. In Australia and New Zealand, most brewers are turning to local
interpretations of American hops. Galaxy was the earliest example of this, but it’s been
joined by Topaz, Vic Secret, Ella and Enigma. You’ll taste more of these over the coming
years, though there will be a shortage in 2016 due storm damage in Victoria.
“People really love those fruity beers, especially on a hot day,” says Michael Leslie of
homebrew shop Grain & Grape. “It’s suited to our climate.”
Although fruit-driven hop, Summer, will be phased out in 2017.
In New Zealand, Nelson Sauvin and Motueka will continue to be a force, plus newer
varieties like Kohatu, Wai-iti and Rakau. Ross is excited about a new variety called Brooklyn,
with aromas of passionfruit and grapefruit. Abroad, the UK’s Jester and Germany’s Huell
Melon and Mandarina Bavaria are three new varieties aiming to emulate American hops.
But even with all this new, targeted competition, the Americans will continue their own
breeding programs and stay on top.
“I think the new one that’s going to be a mainstay and be quite prominent in the next few
years is Mosaic,” Willcock says.

It’s featured in James Squire’s Hop Thief, among other local beers.

MALT
“I think malt is the next big frontier,” says Mazen Hajjar of Melbourne’s Hawkers. A
few people agree with this position, albeit more conservatively.
“Brewers are getting fussier and maltsters are getting better at producing high-
quality, consistent malt,” Meddings says.
Products such as Gladfield’s Shepherds Delight and Best Malz’s Red X are examples of this.
David Cryer of Cryermalt thinks heritage varieties such as Golden Promise, Barke,
Hana and Maris Otter are on the way back, mainly because they can be used to craft a
compelling marketing campaign. Very important in today’s crowded market.

Autumn 2016  29
BREWING INGREDIENTS
saccharomyces, the non-funky yeast most
brewers work with. Already, breweries such
as Tasmania’s Two Metre Tall and Victoria’s
Boatrocker have made a name with their
“I THINK
sour beers, but 2016 will see more and more
breweries enter this space.
MALT IS THE WATER
Like yeast, water is another ingredient that
deserves more attention. Historically, many
NEXT BIG breweries and styles became famous purely
because of the unique make-up of their local
water. The obscure styles Gose (German) and
FRONTIER” Grodziskie (Polish) were both invented with
the help of mildly salty water, for example.
– MAZEN
However the English town of Burton-on-
Trent (modern day population 65,000) is the
best example of famous water. When a canal
HAJJAR, was completed at the end of the 18th century,
it linked the town with the rest of the country.
The Brits promptly went mad for the local beer.
HAWKERS Why? The ancient deposits around Burton-
on-Trent have filtered through beds of gravel
and sand for aeons, picking up minerals along
the way. The water is endowed with massive
concentrations of calcium, magnesium and
sulphate, but low levels of salt and bicarbonate.
Its faint sulphurous odour is known as the
30  www.beerandbrewer.com
Many breweries and
styles have become
famous purely because
of the unique make up
of the water used
‘Burton Snatch’ and it is renowned for its
ability to make hops taste more vibrant.
A century ago, this water meant the tiny
Burton-on-Trent was home to 30 breweries.
That changed when ‘Burtonisation’, the
process of adding sulphate to water, was
invented in the late 1800s. This was just
the first step in wresting control of water
from nature. These days, most commercial
breweries purify their local supply using a
carbon filter and then adjust the mineral
content to suit their exact needs.
Of the four key minerals brewers manage,
calcium is the most desirable, as it affects all
beer styles. It controls acidity, encourages
yeast growth and generally improves the
clarity and quality of the finished beer.
Bicarbonate is the opposite. When
bicarbonate-rich water is used to brew
hoppy beers, the result is often harsh and
unpleasant. Unless they’re brewing dark
beers or stouts, most brewers remove excess
bicarbonate in their water supply.
Sulphate and chloride have less dramatic
effects, but generally work to emphasise the
bitterness and hoppiness of beers. They’re
prized for pale ales and avoided when
making dark beers.
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Autumn 2016  31

HOW TO TASTE BEER
Taste Beer Like a Pro
INTERNATIONAL BEER JUDGE, IAN KINGHAM, TELLS US WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A JUDGE AND EXPLAINS
HOW TO PROPERLY TASTE BEER
T
o be a beer judge is easy, to be a good beer judge
requires many attributes, and to be a great one,
well that requires the judgement of others. While
most beer judges come from commercial brewing
backgrounds, it is not always the case, often
experiences in media, hospitality, commercial beer
operating or judging in other categories can be the path to becoming a
beer judge.
For good judging it is advantageous to possess a good palate,
an articulate vocabulary, a knowledge of brewing and process, a
sense of and respect for beer styles, a knowledge of ingredients,
an appreciation of broad culinary flavours, a calm temperament, a
respect for others and confidence in your own ability.
If you want to be a beer judge and this sounds like you then all
you need now is opportunity. The best opportunity comes through
understanding the calendar of judging events, preparation through
levels of accreditation or certification, finding a sponsor and being
prepared to learn as you go.
While being an accredited beer judge may sound great, it is more
a vocation of passion, with an upside in comradery, connection and
candour, and little if anything in monetary compensation. Pitfalls
are few, although a beer judge is susceptible to the embarrassing
position of spontaneously being made the centre of conversation
for instant experts, and a beer judge needs to manage warily the
beleaguering or belligerent interviewer, whom seem ever present at
any informal BBQ event.
32  www.beerandbrewer.com
Image courtesy of Sydney
Royal Beer & Cider Show
While attention for those who like it is flattering, often
conversations which lean towards “How drunk do you get?”, “All
beer’s the same isn’t it?” and “How hard can it be?” seem to
dominate some people’s curiosity more than questions pertaining to
the nuances of skill, knowledge and passion, which truly inspires beer
judging as opposed to beer drinking.
HOW TO JUDGE YOUR OWN BEER
Accredited judging may not be everyone’s brew but knowing some
simple pointers can help consumers with even the most basic level of
knowledge, learn to really appreciate their beers.
Three key criteria for being a beer judge (commercially or at home)
include; 1) The judging environment, 2) The art of appraisal and 3) The
knowledge of the judge.
1) THE JUDGING ENVIRONMENT
The more serious the judging, the more conservative the environment.
It can be said that ‘judging begins when beer’s best complements are
gone’. At some shows this means judging in solitude, with a white lab
coat and no beer conferencing during the delivery of beer (flights).
At home this can involve removing clutter, turning off any music
or distractions, choosing an area which is calm and removed from the
action of the house.
Beer should be served at its recommended temperature. Note
that an ice-cold beer creates an ice-cold palate. This is great for
refreshment but adds little to flavour tasting.
 HOW TO TASTE BEER

While discussion over beers is a wonderful social

pursuit, the greater the level of silence in judging the
greater the reduction in bias. If you are serious about
beers discuss them after all your notes have been
written. Body language plays a part in expression, so
keep your calm consistency if you want to get the most
out of sharing opinions.
Food has an effect on tastebuds and as such changes
the palate with beer. This can be advantageous for many
beers if enjoying with a meal but is not conducive to
judging a beer on its own merits. Socialise with food,
judge without.
Beers have varying alcohol levels and as such the
more tasted the greater the chance of alcohol influence
on the judging. Sharing sample sizes or sacrilegiously
dumping samples is one way of managing alcohol. Water
and dry biscuits between serves is helpful in pacing
consumption and choosing a moderate number to
compare has its merit.
Brand influence on consumers is one of the largest
investment streams in modern brewing. To judge a
beer accurately it is best not to know its packaging
and appraise the beer on its stylistic merit. Blocking
perceptions and pre-conceived ideas allows for free
flowing expression. An assistant pourer or the use of
brown paper bags as a shield is suggestible.
Natural light allows a beer to be seen in its best light,
although it is important not to stand a beer for too long
in direct sunlight as it can taint the flavour.
Sample management is of great importance, not
just in judging but in getting the most out of your beer
drinking experiences. Beer which is fresh, stored away
from heat and light, and drunk from a ‘beer clean’
glass has its best chance of being enjoyed the way the
brewer intended.
Record keeping is not the most sociable of pursuits but
if you wish to be serious in your approach record keeping,
reviews and comparisons are very helpful in corroborating
and collaborating your notes with that of others and
ensuring improved consistency in your judging.

(2) THE ART OF APPRAISAL

“WHEN IT COMES TO BEER YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN FOR
A common term used in hospitality is ‘people drink
with their eyes’, meaning the better the appearance
THINKING THAT EVERYONE IS AN EXPERT. IT IS
and presentation of a drink the greater the customer IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE DRIVEN
experience. Beer is no exception, and as such beer is
judged on appearance. A LOT OF CARS, TRAVELLED MANY MILES OR SHARED AN
To best appreciate beer, pour it into a glass and
begin your review. The pour should provide a good
ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF DRIVING EXPERIENCES DOESN’T
head on the beer and should leave enough room in the
glass to successfully place and remove a nose without
MAKE YOU A BETTER MECHANIC” – IAN KINGHAM
getting it wet.
The appearance of a beer is broken into three
components: colour, carbonation and clarity. Each When appraising a beer the
appearance is broken into
distinctly covers indirect processes of brewing such as three components: colour,
quality of filtration, as well as providing a consumer carbonation and clarity

Autumn 2016  33
 HOW TO TASTE BEER
It’s important to give the beer a strong
swirl to release aromas when judging
Image courtesy of Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show
lens on the beer. Give the beer a strong swirl to release aromas by
creating a rich head.
Next begins the true joy of beer, tasting, which first emanates from
aroma. A multitude of nut, herb and fruit aroma vary in intensity
across styles, complemented by differing degrees of caramelised malt
sugars, yeast characteristics and alcohol. As you experience the first
impressions of flavour be on the lookout for faults, these are critical in
establishing the true merits of beer.
Aroma consists of attributes assigned to core ingredients of beer.
Malt character, yeast character, hop aroma and finally fermentation
characteristics. The balance, intensity, pleasantry and subtlety of
each reveal ingredients in the beer, skills of the brewer and, most
importantly, a first introduction to the beer’s character. Again faults
in beer can be detected at this point of judging, these can include
sulphury, solvent, papery and plastic notes to mention a few.
The palate of a beer delivers the beer’s true value. A balance of
flavour is important and the common receptors in beer are sweet,
sour, bitter and salty. Heat (from alcohol), malt layering and
residual flavours may also be evident. As are descriptors such as
softness, acidity, oiliness, hardness and the compactness of the beer
flavours. The judging of the beer should include an evaluation of
the contribution made by malt, yeast, hops, water and importantly
fermentation and manufacturing characteristics. Note the balance of
each is critical for a good beer.
The final measure for beer is its aftertaste and this is the residual
finish of flavour after the beer has been swallowed. The aftertaste
allows for some impressionable input from a judge but also aids in
identifying faults or more positively, appreciating characteristics such
as maltiness or hoppiness.
Good questions to ask when appraising beer include “How would I
most enjoy this beer?”, “Would I have more than one?”, “Would I be
happy to share this beer with a friend?” and most importantly “Do I
personally like this beer?”
34  www.beerandbrewer.com
3) THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE JUDGE
When it comes to beer you can be forgiven for thinking that everyone
is an expert. It is important to note that just because you’ve driven
a lot of cars, travelled many miles or shared an enormous amount of
driving experiences doesn’t make you a better mechanic.
The best skill for being a great judge is from experience. The more
beers you try, the more books you read, the more brewers you speak
to and the more you can co-ordinate this information into some
resemblance of order, the better a judge you can become. Like singing
and music, the appreciation and feeling a judge gets from the palate
varies from individual to individual, some are in tune, some are not.
Before judging it is great to have some reference for classifying beer
and the best is a copy of beer guidelines such as the BJCP, which set
out criteria and classification of styles and include flavour profiles and
characteristics, which should or shouldn’t be present.
Reading brewer’s notes or descriptors on products can help with
identifying some flavour components in beer but be wary. Notes on
packaging are often more about marketing and what someone wants
to believe is in the beer, rather than the beer’s true taste.
By sharing judging experiences with others you can pick up some
different tips for what works for you. An example of a tip once shared
with me was “Make sure when you take the beer into your mouth that
you have a moment where you hold some of the liquid in your mouth and
breathe in”, this for me can help accentuate flavour in the beer, a tip I
continue to follow today.
A good way to find the best beers is to review medal-winning beers
by searching the respective websites of the major events. The more
frequently a beer wins medals and the more widely across different
events it wins medals then the more credible the beer.
Accreditation to support judging can be gained from studies in
beer judging, food pairing, fault training and more formally through
Cicerone programs such as ‘Beer Savvy’ and ‘Beer Cicerone’ (beer’s
answer to sommeliers of wine).
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HOW TO TASTE BEER

BEER FAULTS
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BEER FAULTS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN JUDGING AND BREWING. BELOW IS A LIST
OF BEER FAULT CHARACTERISTICS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS FROM THE BJCP GUIDELINES 2015

Acetaldehyde Sour/Acidic Light-struck Solvent/Fusel Smoky

Characteristics: Fresh Characteristics: Lactic Characteristics: Skunky, Characteristics: Hot (Phenolic)
cut green apples acid, citric acid, sharp, catty burning on palate Characteristics: Smoke-
Possible solutions: clean sourness Possible solutions: Possible solutions: like, charcoal, burnt
Make sure fermentation Possible solutions: Don’t expose wort/beer Lower fermentation Possible solutions:
is vigorous using Check for infection. to sunlight after hops temperature. Pitch a Check for scorched mash
healthy yeast. Allow Check yeast strain. Don’t have been added. Don’t sufficient quantity of or boil. Check excessive
full attenuation. Leave mash for long periods of use clear or green glass healthy, active yeast. use of dark malts. Check
beer on yeast longer. time at low temperatures. bottles. Avoid use of Check for infection. Try a for infection.
Oxygenate wort fully. cluster hops in late hop different yeast strain.
Try another yeast strain. additions.
Make sure sufficient
yeast nutrients are
available. Let beer
age longer.

Vinegary Medicinal DMS (Dimethyl Sulfury Metallic

Characteristics: (chlorophenolic) Sulfide) Characteristics: Rotten Characteristics: Iron,
Acetic acid, vinegar-like Characteristics: Characteristics: eggs, burning matches copper, coins, blood
sourness Chloraseptic, medicine Cooked corn Possible solutions: Possible solutions:
Possible solutions: cabinet Possible solutions: Check for infection. Check water for metallic
Check for infection. Possible solutions: Use a long, rolling, open Check water for ions. Reduce water
Check yeast strain. Check Avoid water with chlorine boil. Reduce amount of excessive sulfates. Check salts. Check equipment
for oxidation sources or chloramines (use RO Pilsner malt. Cool quickly yeast health. Check for condition for rust. Make
(acetobacter is aerobic). water if necessary). Avoid before pitching yeast. yeast autolysis (beer sure stainless steel
bleach sanitisers. Reduce Check for infection. Make left on yeast too long at equipment is properly
astringency/grain husk sure you use a healthy, warm temperatures). Try passivated. Fully rinse
sources. Avoid excessive vigorous yeast starter. another yeast strain. sanitiser. Try using RO
whole hop use. Check water and add salts
for infection. as needed.

36  www.beerandbrewer.com

Musty Oxidised
Characteristics: Stale, Characteristics: Stale,
mouldy, cellar-like papery, cardboard
Possible solutions: Possible solutions:
Avoid oxidation (see Check for oxygen being
oxidised). Check introduced into beer
sanitation. Avoid peat- post-fermentation. Don’t
smoked malt. Check splash when racking/
water for freshness bottling. Check caps and/
and taste. Use fresh or keg seals for good fit.
ingredients (especially Purge bottles/kegs with
malt and hops). CO2 prior to filling. Store
beer cool. Drink beer
when fresh.
Spicy (Phenolic) Astringent
Characteristics: Clove, Characteristics: Mouth-
pepper, vanilla, etc. puckering, lingering
Possible solutions: harshness
Use a different yeast Possible solutions:
strain and/or hop variety. Don’t oversparge. Don’t
Adjust fermentation overcrush grain. Don’t
temperature (sometimes boil grain. Don’t sparge
higher, sometimes lower, with water above 77°C.
depending on yeast Don’t sparge with water
strain and beer style). with a high pH (over 6).
Use water with lower
sulfate content. Use less
dark grains. Use less
whole hops (especially
high-alpha hops or simply
large quantities of hops).
Avoid use of raw spices,
fruit pith and fruit skins.
HOW TO TASTE BEER
Alcoholic/Hot Estery
Characteristics: Spicy, Characteristics: Fruity
vinous, warming from Possible solutions:
ethanol and higher Lower fermentation
alcohols temperature. Try a
Possible solutions: cleaner yeast strain.
Lower fermentation Oxygenate wort
temperature. Use a less sufficiently. Reduce
attenuative yeast strain. original gravity. Check
Check yeast health. Use hop variety for fruity
less fermentables. Use characteristics. Avoid
less sugary adjuncts. carrying over excessive
Check for possible break into fermenter.
infection. Raise mash Pitch a sufficient quantity
temperature. Let beer of yeast. Bottle condition
age longer before and age beer longer at
consuming. cellar temperatures to
reduce esters.
Vegetal Diacetyl
Characteristics: Characteristics: Buttery,
Cooked, canned or rotten butterscotch, popcorn
vegetables (cabbage, Possible solutions: Try
celery, onion, asparagus, another yeast strain.
parsnip) Oxygenate wort before
Possible solutions: fermentation. Reduce
Encourage a fast, primary fermentation
vigorous fermentation temperature. Use a
(use a healthy, active warmer/longer secondary
starter to reduce lag fermentation. Use
time; this is often due to healthy yeast in sufficient
bacterial contamination quantity. Make sure
of wort before yeast sufficient yeast nutrients
becomes established). are available. Check for
Check sanitation. Check infection. Allow beer to
for aged, stale, or old rest on yeast until fully
ingredients (especially attenuated. Don’t rack,
old liquid malt extract). filter or fine too early.
Grassy
Characteristics: Fresh-
cut grass, green leaves
Possible solutions:
Lower fermentation
temperature. Try a
cleaner yeast strain.
Oxygenate wort
sufficiently. Reduce
original gravity. Check
hop variety for fruity
characteristics. Avoid
carrying over excessive
break into fermenter.
Pitch a sufficient quantity
of yeast). Bottle condition
and age beer longer at
cellar tempeatures.
Yeasty
Characteristics: Bready,
sulfury, yeast-like
Possible solutions:
Use a more flocculent
yeast strain. Allow
yeast sufficient time to
flocculate. Filter beer or
use clarifying agents.
Avoid carrying over as
much yeast. Age the
beer longer. Try another
yeast strain.
Autumn 2016  37
 Image courtesy of Sydney
Royal Beer & Cider Show

HOW TO TASTE BEER

2015 Trophy Winning Australian Beers

A GOOD WAY TO FIND THE BEST EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT BEER STYLES IS TO
REVIEW MEDAL-WINNING BEERS FROM MAJOR BEER EVENTS. BELOW IS A LIST OF SOME
2015 TROPHY WINNING AUSTRALIAN BEERS TO TRY

Beer Brewery Show Award

Simmy Minion
Napoleone Brewers American Pale
Ale
Murray’s Moon Boy
Eagle Bay Pale Ale
12 Paws
James Squire One Fifty Lashes
Pirate Life Pale Ale
Hawthorn Pale Ale
Little Creatures Pilsner
Lovedale Lager
Emu Export Lager
Mumme Returns
West End Draught
Vale Dark
Hunter Bock
4 Pines Keller Door American
Amber Ale
Smiling Samoyed Dark Ale
Sligo Extra Stout
Murray’s Wild Thing
Silent Knight Porter
Return of the Dread
Flaming Lamington
Modus Operandi Brewing Co. CBIA Craft Beer Awards Champion Pale Ale
Napoleone Brewers Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show Champion Pale/Golden Ale (Pack)
Murray’s Craft Brewing Co. Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show Champion Pale/Golden Ale
(Draught)
Eagle Bay Brewing Co. Perth Royal Beer Show Champion American Style Pale Ale
(Pack)
Smiling Samoyed Brewery Royal Adelaide Beer Show Champion Australian Style Pale Ale
Malt Shovel Brewery Perth Royal Beer Show Champion Australian Style Pale Ale
(Pack)
Pirate Life Brewing Perth Royal Beer Show Champion American Style Pale Ale
(Draught)
Hawthorn Brewing Company Royal Adelaide Beer Show Champion American Style Pale Ale
Little Creatures Brewing CBIA Craft Beer Awards Champion Light Lager
Sydney Brewery Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show Champion Beer and Champion
Lager – Pilsner Style (Draught)
Lion Nathan Perth Royal Beer Show Champion Australian Style Lager
(Pack)
Indian Ocean Brewing Co. Perth Royal Beer Show Champion Lager Draught – Other
Lion Nathan Royal Adelaide Beer Show Champion Australian Style Lager
Vale Brewing Royal Adelaide Beer Show Champion Amber/Dark Lager
Hunter Beer Co. CBIA Craft Beer Awards Champion Dark Lager
4 Pines Brewing Co. CBIA Craft Beer Awards Champion Amber/Dark Ale
Smiling Samoyed Brewery Royal Adelaide Beer Show Champion Amber/Dark Ale
FogHorn Brewhouse CBIA Craft Beer Awards Champion Porter/Stout
Murray’s Craft Brewing Co. Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show Champion Porter/Stout (Pack)
Modus Operandi Brewing Co. Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show Champion Porter/Stout (Draught)
Little Creatures Brewing Perth Royal Beer Show Champion Stout (Pack)
Nail Brewing Perth Royal Beer Show Champion Stout (Draught)

38  www.beerandbrewer.com
 HOW TO TASTE BEER

“LIKE SINGING AND MUSIC, THE

APPRECIATION AND FEELING
A JUDGE GETS FROM THE PALATE
VARIES FROM INDIVIDUAL TO
INDIVIDUAL, SOME ARE IN TUNE,
SOME ARE NOT” – IAN KINGHAM
Beer Brewery Show Award
Goodieson Stout Goodieson Brewery Royal Adelaide Beer Champion Stout
Show
Pink Boots Society Two Birds Brewing CBIA Craft Beer Champion French/
Victoria Cherry Saison Awards Belgian Style
Flat Rock Brew Café Flat Rock Brew Café Sydney Royal Beer & Champion Specialty
Barrel Aged French Cider Show (Draught) C

Sour M

Watermelon Warhead Feral Brewing Co. CBIA Craft Beer Champion Beer
Awards Y

Duckstein Hefeweizen Duckstein Brewery Perth Royal Beer Champion Wheat CM

Show (Draught)
MY
Matilda Bay Redback Matilda Bay Sydney Royal Beer & Champion Bottled
Original Cider Show Beer and ChampionCY
Wheat (Pack)
CMY

Billabong Wheat Billabong Brewing Perth Royal Beer Champion Wheat

Show (Pack) K

3 Quarter Time Newstead Brewing Co. CBIA Craft Beer Champion Specialty
Awards Beer
Zoo Feeder IPA Modus Operandi CBIA Craft Beer Champion IPA
Brewing Co. Awards
Windsor IPA Beeblebrox Beverages Sydney Royal Beer & Champion Pale/Golden
Cider Show Ale (Draught)
Pirate Life IIPA Pirate Life Brewing Perth Royal Beer Champion IPA (Pack)
Show
Copy Cat Mash Brewing Perth Royal Beer Champion IPA
Show (Draught)
Prancing Pony India Prancing Pony Royal Adelaide Beer Champion IPA
Red Ale Brewery Show
Former Tenant Red Modus Operandi Sydney Royal Beer & Champion Strong Beer
IPA Brewing Co. Cider Show (Draught)
Redoak Bitter Redoak Brewery Sydney Royal Beer & Champion Reduced
Cider Show Alcohol Beer
(Draught)
Gage Roads Pils 3.5 Gage Roads Brewing Perth Royal Beer Champion Reduced
Co. Show Alcohol (Draught)
Yenda Red Australian Beer Royal Adelaide Beer Champion Reduced
Company Show Alcohol
Purple Stain Mash Brewing Perth Royal Beer Champion reduced
Show Alcohol (Pack)
3 Ravens Dark 3 Ravens Brewery Perth Royal Beer Champion Ale
Show (Draught)
Seeing Double Brewboys Royal Adelaide Beer Champion Ale - Other
Show
101 BEERS

101 Beers To
Try Before
You Die - Part 2
THE FINAL INSTALMENT TO BEER & BREWER’S ULTIMATE BEER BUCKET LIST WITH THE LAST 51 OF OUR
101 BEERS TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE

W
e hope you’ve been making your way
through the first half of our list of 101 Beers
To Try Before You Die from our Summer
Issue. With the selection of Australian and
international craft never looking healthier,
we wanted to put together a list of the
best beers you can drink. These ales and lagers range from those that
colour outside the lines to well-loved classics. We have tried to get a
good cross-section of styles and have also taken into account recent
award wins.
With so many incredible beers to choose from it was tough to whittle
it down to just 101, but here goes.

40  www.beerandbrewer.com
 101 BEERS

Wild Thing Lovedale Lager Pliny The Milk and Two Sprocket
Imperial Stout Sydney Brewery, Younger Sugars BentSpoke
Murray’s Craft Australia Russian River BrewCult, Brewing,
Brewing Co., 4.7% ABV, 330ml Brewing Co., USA Australia Australia
Australia Lager 10.25% ABV, on-tap 7.2% ABV, 500ml 6.7% ABV, on-tap
10% ABV, 330ml A traditional Munich- Imperial IPA Imperial milk stout & travellers
Imperial stout style lager, Lovedale Pliny the Younger has Winner of the Beer & India pale ale
Jet black in colour, this Lager took home triple the amount of hops Brewer People’s Choice Crafted by the genius
beer is full of intense Champion Draught Beer as a standard IPA and is at GABS last year, that is Richard Watkins,
chocolate aromas that at the 2015 Sydney Royal dry hopped a whopping Milk and Two Sugars Sprocket is packed full
lead to a full-bodied Beer & Cider Show. An four times! A very limited is crafted with 3,000 of tropical, citrus aromas
chocolate, coffee, caramel impressive, well-crafted release beer so get along espresso shots, 120 litres that do not disappoint on
extravaganza. Aggressive lager by brewer Michael to the brewery’s pub the of cold drip coffee and the palate. A wonderfully,
hop bitterness balances Capaldo. first Friday of February to vanilla beans. Make mine well-balanced IPA.
the malt sweetness. try it. a double!

Black Lung IV Weihenstephaner Hitachino Nest Chateau Sour Ann

Moon Dog Craft Korbinian White Ale Redoak Brewery, Hill Farmstead
Brewery, Australia Weihenstephan Kiuchi Brewery, Australia Brewery, USA
8.7% ABV, 330ml Brewery, Germany Japan 5% ABV, 330ml 6.5% ABV, 750ml
Imperial stout 7.4% ABV, 500ml 5.5% ABV, 330ml Flanders red ale Barrel-aged saison
Aged in American oak Dark doppelbock Witbier Winner of Champion Hill Farmstead Brewery
barrels, this peated stout A great example of a This beer with the Bottled Beer at the 2014 was named 2015 Best
has intense flavours of dark doppelbock, this characteristic cute owl Sydney Royal Beer & Brewery in the World
smoke, mocha, wood full-bodied beer has logo is great for the hot Cider Show and Supreme and Best Brewery in
and whisky. The rich, flavours of roasted nuts, Australian summer. Classic Champion at the 2014 the USA and Vermont
satisfying mouthfeel caramel and chocolate. witbier aromas lead to International Beer by RateBeer. Ann is the
will leave you gasping Brewed according to refreshing flavours of Challenge. Distinct reddish French oak wine barrel
for more. centuries-old brewing orange peel, clove, ginger colour, gentle malt, no hop aged version of Anna, the
tradition on the and coriander, with some bitterness, with a sour dry brewery’s honey saison.
Weihenstephan Hill. malt sweetness. finish.

Autumn 2016  41
101 BEERS
Armageddon
I.P.A.
Epic Brewing Co.,
New Zealand
6.66% ABV, 500ml
American IPA
This US-inspired IPA could
be to blame for the global
hop shortage. Packed full
of Cascade, Columbus,
Centennial and Simcoe
hops, this is a citrus,
grapefruit extravaganza! If
this is what Armageddon
looks like, bring it on.
Korben D IIPA
Akasha Brewing
Co., Australia
8.5% ABV, on-tap
Imperial IPA
Since leaving Riverside
last year, Dave Padden
has wasted no time
– setting up his own
brewery, Akasha, and
already carving out a cult
following for his beers like
summer seasonal Korben
D IIPA. More please!
42  www.beerandbrewer.com
Ramjet
Boatrocker
Brewery, Australia
10.6% ABV, 330ml
Whisky barrel aged
imperial stout
Named People’s Choice
Best Beer at three
consecutive Good Beer
Week Gala Showcases, this
beer is fast developing a
cult following. Released in
seriously limited numbers,
do whatever you can to
get your hands on it!
Black Tokyo*
Horizon
BrewDog, Nogne
O and Mikkeller
(collab), Scotland
15.2% ABV, 330ml
Imperial stout
A three-way collaboration
bringing together the
forces of each brewery’s
powerhouse stouts,
Mikkeller’s Black,
Brewdog’s Tokyo and
Nøgne Ø’s Dark Horizon.
Rodenbach Sunset Ale Fuller’s ESB
Grand Cru Two Birds Fuller’s
Rodenbach Brewing, Brewery, UK
Brewery, Belgium Australia 5.9% ABV, 500ml
6% ABV, 330ml 4.6% ABV, 330ml Extra special bitter
Flemish red-brown Red/amber ale As English as fish ‘n’
Crafted with a blend of A well-balanced award- chips and Her Royal
one-third young beer and winning beer, Sunset Ale Highness, Fuller’s ESB
two-thirds beer aged for has tropical notes that has a wonderful rich
two years in oak vats, intertwine brilliantly mahogany appearance,
Rodenbach Grand Cru with toffee malts to aromas of cherry,
is a complex beer full of create a very drinkable, caramel and orange,
fruity, wood and vinous flavoursome beer. and full bodied grassy,
flavours. peppery and citrus
flavours.
Hedgerow 2015 Black Malts & Day of The Dead
Van Dieman, Body Salts Garage Project,
Australia To Ol, Denmak New Zealand
6.6% ABV, 330ml 9.9% ABV, 330ml 6.7% ABV, 650ml
Barrel aged sour ale Black IIPA Fruit and spice
An interesting, complex To Øl brewers, Tobias While a beer brewed with
sour from Tasmania. Emil Jensen and Tore smoked chipotle chillis,
Aromas of citrus and Gynther, like to colour raw cocoa nibs, vanilla
malt sweetness lead to outside the lines. Infused and agave may not be
funky Christmas cake with French press coffee for everyone, this is an
flavours of port, figs, this imperial black IPA interesting example of
spices and malt. has hints of smoke, pine, the style from a world-
espresso and rich dark class brewer. Give it a go,
chocolate. it may surprise you!
 101 BEERS

Storm Trooper Rogue Chocolate Stone Beer The Abyss Pirate Life IIPA
Imperial Pilsner Stout Stone & Wood, Deschutes Pirate Life
Australian Rogue Ales, USA Australia Brewery, USA Brewing,
Brewery/Feral 5.8% ABV, 650ml 6.4% ABV, 500ml 12.2%, 650ml Australia
Brewing (collab), American stout Altbier Imperial stout 8.8% ABV, 500ml
Australia Rogue has a great range A favourite among the At 12.2% ABV this is a Imperial IPA
8.1% ABV, 355ml of beers and this is no Beer & Brewer team, monster of a beer, with Pirate Life burst onto the
Imperial Pilsner exception. Jet black Stone Beer is launched masses of depth and Australian craft brewing
Hop master Brendan in colour, this is a true in limited amounts at the complexity. Alluring scene in a haze of hop
Varis and Pilsner prodigy chocoholic’s beer. Not brewery’s annual Festival flavours of vanilla, glory last year. It takes
Neal Cameron have too sweet, it’s full of of the Stone in May. The molasses, liquorice balls to open with an
joined forces to create rich chocolate, oat and 2015 release used 11 abound. Do yourself imperial IPA but that’s
an imperial Pilsner, which hop flavours. different malts so we’re a favour and head just what brewers Red
packs a punch at 8.1% excited to see what down into the deep, and Jack did and it’s an
ABV. 2016 brings! dark Abyss. absolute cracker.

Grapefruit Two Metre Tall Green Bourbon County Moa Imperial

Sculpin Barrel Aged Sour Tree House Brand Barleywine Stout
Ballast Point Cherry Ale Brewing Co., USA Goose Island Moa Brewing Co.,
Brewing, USA Two Metre Tall, 7.5% ABV, 500ml Beer Co., USA New Zealand
7% ABV, 355ml Australia American IPA 12.1% ABV, 500ml 10.2% ABV, 500ml
India pale ale 6.4% ABV, 750ml Made with Australian Barleywine Imperial stout
World famous for its Sour/wild ale and American hops, Aged in the third-use Hopped to more than
IPAs, Ballast Point has One of Australia’s this bitter, citrus heavy barrels that were home 100IBUs, this is not
added grapefruit in this most exciting brewers, IPA showcases notes of to Kentucky bourbon and your average imperial
variety with the tartness Ashley Huntington was pineapple, tangerine and then Bourbon County stout. Aged with French
perfectly complementing experimenting with orange rind. Named after Stout, this award-winning oak, this beer displays
the citrus hop flavour. sours years before they the initial batch in which traditional English-style rich coffee, mocha and
Also check out the gained the ever-growing post boil the wort looked barleywine has flavours smoked oak flavours. A
Habanero Sculpin if you following they have green from so much hop of oak, vanilla, charcoal, great one to cellar and
like things spicy! today. particles floating around. tobacco and spice. watch it develop.

Autumn 2016  43
101 BEERS

MacBatch Parabola Leipziger Gose Old Chub Stone Ruination

Batch Brewing Firestone Walker Bayerischer Oskar Blues Double IPA 2.0
Co., Australia Brewing Co., USA Bahnhof, Germany Brewery, USA Stone Brewing
7.4% ABV, 640ml 13.1% ABV, 650ml 4.5% ABV, 330ml 8% ABV, 355ml Co., USA
Scotch ale Russian imperial stout German Gose Scotch ale 8.5% ABV, 355ml
Aged on oak for two Often ranked among the A reasonably rare style, Bit of a malt head? Well Double IPA
months, MacBatch best beers in the world, Gose is a good stepping wrap your jaws around Dubbed ‘a liquid poem
contains generous Parabola is a beer of dark stone between regular this Scottish strong ale, to the glory of the hop’,
amounts Gladfield Malt intensity. Aged for a year and mouth-puckering which is brewed with Stone Ruination IPA
creating delicious toffee in a blend of bourbon sour beers. This example masses of malted barley, was the first full-time
and caramel flavours barrels, this beast has has been brewed with the specialty grains and a brewed and bottled West
with hints of spice and flavours of rich, chewy addition of coriander, salt smidge of beechwood- Coast double IPA. The
smoke to balance. roasted malts, charred and lactic acid, making smoked malt. Packed 2.0 squeezes as much
oak and vanilla. it salty, tart and very full of smoky coffee and hop flavour and aroma
quaffable. chocolate flavours. possible into one bottle.

Beer Geek Köstritzer Boris God Jul Dinner

Breakfast Schwarzbier Feral Brewing Nogne O, Norway Maine Beer
Mikkeller, Köstritzer Co., Australia 8.5% ABV, 330ml Co., USA
Denmark Brewery, Germany 9.1% ABV, 330ml American strong ale 8.2% ABV, 500ml
7.5% ABV, 330ml 4.8% ABV, 330ml Russian imperial stout Brewed for the Double IPA
Oatmeal stout Black lager Pouring jet black with a Christmas season, this With a rating of 100
The beer that kick- The poster beer for how rich, almost gelatinous is a strong, dark, sweet by both BeerAdvocate
started Mikkeller’s looks can be deceiving. full body, Boris is beer. Complex caramel and RateBeer it is hard
international success, Germany’s number packed full of roasted flavours intertwine with to go past Maine’s first
Beer Geek Breakfast is one black lager has a malt, coffee, chocolate, notes of spice, ginger, double IPA, Dinner. Dry
an oatmeal stout crafted distinctive dark almost caramel and raisin berries, peppermint, hopped twice with more
with French press coffee. black appearance and flavours. chocolate and coffee. A than six pounds of hops
Flavours of smoke, malty flavour but is light Christmas cracker! per barrel, this is a dry,
coffee, roasted malts and and refreshing like refreshing beer packed
dark chocolate abound. a lager. full of flavour.

44  www.beerandbrewer.com
 101 BEERS

Tipopils Alaskan Smoked Double Sunshine Schneider Weisse Heady Topper

Birrificio
Italiano, Italy
5.2% ABV, 375ml
Pilsner
Citrus and grassy hop
aromas lead to flavours
of honey and cereal
topped with floral
hints of chamomile. A
clean, classic, beautiful
Pilsner that is incredibly
drinkable and perfect for
a hot Aussie summer.
Porter
Alaskan Brewing
Company, USA
6.5% ABV, 650ml
Smoked porter
Known as ‘rauchbier’
in Germany, smoke-
flavoured beers were
virtually unknown in the
US until Alaskan Smoked
Porter was developed in
1988. Dark, robust and
smoky this beer may be
aged in the bottle.
IPA
Lawson’s Finest
Liquids, USA
8% ABV, 500ml
Double IPA
This beer can only be
described as hopilicious.
Big juicy American hops
with notes of grapefruit,
tangerine and melon
are supported perfectly
by the malt. Nice hop
bitterness at the end
makes this a true classic.
TAP 6 Unser
Aventinus
Schneider Weisse,
Germany
8.2% ABV, 500ml
Wheat doppelbock
This multi award-winning
beer is often recognised
as a great example of this
style. Dark ruby in colour
this is a deep and complex
wheat doppelbock with
notes of bananas, raisins
and rich caramel.
The Alchemist,
USA
8% ABV, 500ml
American double IPA
Small, family-run
brewery, The Alchemist,
specialises in fresh,
unfiltered IPA and is
focused on brewing one
beer perfectly – Heady
Topper. Hops take centre
stage here but without
any astringent bitterness.

Taddy Porter The Pilsner Rosé de Yenda Red Windjammer Igor

Samuel Australian Gambrinus Australian IPA Red Duck,
Smith Old Brewery Cantillon, Beer Co., Green Beacon Australia
Brewery, UK 4.8% ABV, 355ml Belgium Australia Brewing Co, 10% ABV, 500ml
5% ABV, 550ml Pilsner 5% ABV, 375ml 3.5% ABV, 330ml Australia Porter
Brewed with water Crafted by Pilsner pro Lambic style – fruit Reduced alcohol ale 6% ABV, 375ml At 10% ABV this
drawn from 85 feet Neal Cameron, this A wonderful example Australia often India pale ale is a BIG beer. With
underground from a beer is brewed with of a traditional leads the way This beer is all about ingredients that
well sunk in 1758 and the palest Australian raspberry lambic when it comes to the hops. This dry are more akin to a
fermented in open malts and bags of NZ (framboise), Rosé de mid-strength beers hopped ale has chocolate brownie
top vessels known and US hops. While it Gambrinus has an due to the taxation aromas of sweet recipe – Muscovado
as ‘stone Yorkshire errs to the bitter end aroma and flavour system and this is orange, spicy citrus sugar, molasses,
squares’, this is a beer of the scale, it’s still of sour raspberries a fine example of and resinous pine coffee and chocolate
that stood the test of balanced and very with a dry, refreshing the category. Full- that lead to a sweet – this beer is rich and
time for good reason. smashable. finish. flavoured for the ABV. malt flavour. luscious.

Autumn 2016  45

HOMEBREWER
“WITH ANY BEERS THAT ARE
LOOSELY BASED ON A FOOD,
MY FIRST RESEARCH POINT IS
A COOKBOOK,” – KERRY GRAY,
CHOICE BROS
Editor’s letter
This issue we welcome back Andrew Childs, who
is back brewing at Behemoth and contributing to
our magazine after a freak brewing accident in
New Zealand last November. And as always he’s
got something interesting for us in the form of the
double IPA he was making when the kettle burst,
spraying him with boiling wort (pg52). Glad to hear
you’re on the recovery mate!
We also have a feature on Randy Mosher, the man
who introduced many around the world to radical
brewing through his beer bible of the same name.
Chris Thomas The recipe he provides hails back to when radical
Homebrewer Editor didn’t just mean open slather (pg56).
chris@beerandbrewer.com
46  Home Brewer
46 Welcome
47 Letters
48 Q&A
50 Recipes for the season
54 Homebrewer profile
56 Randy Mosher
58 Collaboration brew
60 Beer education
62 Homebrew club
Check out page 58 for the full article on our
collaboration brew with Choice Bros and more!
We’re also rapt to be back with another
collaboration – this time with Choice Bros from
New Zealand and an Easter-themed beer (pg58).
Unfortunately it will only be released in NZ so
Australian brewers help yourself to the recipe for
Hop X Bun!
We drop in to help brew with a homebrewer who
has notched up his 800th brew (pg54), get a beer
education (pg60) and get our man John Palmer to
look into HERMS and RIMS systems (pg48).
Chris
Homebrewer editor
 Letters
WRITE IN FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! TELL US WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND BY EMAILING
CHRIS@BEERANDBREWER.COM OR THROUGH OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
FACEBOOK.COM/BEERANDBREWER OR WWW.TWITTER.COM/BEERANDBREWER

EDITOR’S CHOICE LETTER
Dear Beer & Brewer,
I would like to ask if you have
considered doing an article on the
different equipment used by the
hobby brewer for all grain brews?
I attended Beervana about
three years ago and attended Stu
McKinlay’s (Yeastie Boys) class. He
had a simple 3-tier system of chilly
bins and a boiling pot.
Having brewed average to slightly
above average extract brews for 30
years, I took the plunge. I bought a
tea urn (lauter tun), chilly bin (brew
pot) and a large pot (boiling kettle).
The results have been stunning and
my man cave is now visited by a
couple of neighbours regularly for
Both letters have won a copy of the Beer Buyer’s
their favourite brew. I even won a first Guide Australia & New Zealand, valued
in class at the national competition at $24.99.
last month.
The Editor’s Choice Letter has won an Ss Brewing
My next question is where to from
Technologies 26.3 litre stainless fermenter. What sets the
here? I just love the Farra system, but Brew Bucket apart are features such as stacking during
with the advent of the Grainmaster ferment, the rotatable racking arm and ball valve spigot
and other single pot systems, should I assembly. The Brew Bucket’s conical bottom allows trub to
go there? Then of course we have the settle out nicely in a
master of them all – Blichmann. more concentrated
I look forward to your reply, space and has the
hopefully in your magazine (yes I effect of minimising
have every issue). the surface area of
Thank you, your beer that is in
Nigel contact with the trub
Thanks for your query Nigel – I handed during ferment, which
your query to John Palmer who has then minimises off
addressed it in his Q&A on page 48. flavours in your beer!
Check it out. And enjoy your prize! RRP $269

DEAR BEER & BREWER,

Your last few magazines have come at a
great time for me as I’ve been transitioning
from extract brewing to all grain brew in a
bag (BIAB). From your Autumn Issue (and
with the help of a mate) I’ve constructed a
counter-flow wort chiller (great time saver),
Winter Issue gave good information on the
all grain process and the Spring Issue has
encouraged me to do my first yeast starter in
a pale ale I brewed over the weekend.
As I was extract brewing previously,
my gear is very basic, consisting of a
modified 30L pot (I’ve added a ball valve for
recirculation purposes), which I use for both
mashing and boiling, the bag, a second 20L
pot where I carry out a rudimentary ‘dunk’
sparge and a gas burner.
I have some questions in relation to
brewhouse efficiency. With some help from
my local home brew guy and some trial and
error, I know that due to the basic nature of
my gear and the limitations that places on my
method, I can reasonably expect to achieve
around 65 per cent efficiency, albeit at the
sacrifice of a few litres on occasion (my last
brew hit the desired OG of 1.048 in a 25 litre
brew with my final volume at 21 litres).
Whilst I plan to eventually upgrade my
gear, it’s just not in the budget in the short
term. Without dropping big dollars on better
gear, are there any tricks/techniques that I
could try to improve my efficiency? Secondly,
I love looking through your recipes however
most don’t appear to give an efficiency
rating. Are they assumed to be at 100 per cent
(is that even achievable?) and by using some
brewing software can I adjust accordingly?
Cheers,
Scott Fraser
Hey Scott,
Glad to hear the articles are useful and you are
making the most of the mag!
Most recipes will have an assumed approximate
brewhouse efficiency of around 75 per cent
unless otherwise stated. Brewhouse efficiency is
the percentage or amount of extract that can be
expected from a given malt from your brewery
equipment and process. And no, 100 per cent is
not possible as there will always be some residual
sugars in the spent grain. An efficiency which is
too high will also mean higher levels of unwanted
astringency and tannins from the grain husk.
Whilst it is an important piece of information to
know when formulating and brewing recipes,
don’t get too hung up on this figure. A good way
to increase efficiency is to look at the size of grain
particle you are getting from the mill – and a
smaller particle will produce a better yield or
efficiency. Also look at the water to grain ratio
and aim for about 2.5 to 3 parts water to 1 part
grain. 65 per cent isn’t too bad for brew in a bag.
Look at your grain crush and amount of brewing
liquor. You can also give the bag a gentle squeeze
to get more wort but do not wring it dry! Software
programs are not expensive and will help you with
all these areas too. Get onto Brewsmith2 or similar.
Jake Brandish
Homebrewer technical editor

Autumn 2016  47
 Q&A

RIMS, HERMS
& Wheat
JOHN PALMER LOOKS AT HOW
TO TAKE HOBBY BREWING TO
THE NEXT LEVEL

Q: DEAR BEER & BREWER,

I would like to ask if you have considered doing an article on the different
equipment used by the hobby brewer for all grain brews?
I attended Beervana about three years ago and attended Stu McKinlay’s (Yeastie
Boys) class. He had a simple 3-tier system of chilly bins and a boiling pot.
Having brewed average to slightly above average extract brews for 30 years, I
took the plunge. I bought a tea urn (lauter tun), chilly bin (brew pot) and a large
pot (boiling kettle). The results have been stunning and my man cave is now
visited by a couple of neighbours regularly for their favourite brew. I even won a
first in class at the national competition last month.
My next question is where to from here? I just love the Farra system, but with the
advent of the Grainmaster and other single pot systems, should I go there? Then of
HERMS
course we have the master of them all – Blichmann. coil in
I look forward to your reply, hopefully in your magazine (yes I have every issue). place  
in HLT
Thank you,
Nigel HERMS HLT
set to 70°C
A: This is a question that many brewers ask themselves after several years
in the hobby, “How can I take this obsession to the next level?” For many
in the States, myself included, it is to be able to push a button and have the
mash be at our target temperature. The secret to unlimited brewing power is
control and for this we need to look into RIMS and HERMS set ups.
RIMS stands for Recirculating Infusion Mashing System and HERMS
stands for Heat Exchanger Recirculating Mash System. Notice that
recirculation is a key part of both of them. These methods both use a
wort pump to take the wort from the bottom of the mash through a heat
source and return it to the top of the mash. The pumped wort is heated
and gradually brings the entire mash to the set temperature as the wort
continually circulates.
A RIMS heater is typically a direct heat source, either an electric water
heater element, or a gas-fired burner. A HERMS uses a heat exchanger, The HERMS
which is typically a copper coil that is placed in the hot water tank and the set up

wort is pumped through that. Both are very nifty systems, especially if you
buy fancy digital controllers that allow you to set a specific temperature,
which gives you documented evidence to show your mates that you planned
the whole thing.
Googling these acronyms will show you many sources for building or
buying RIMS and HERMS equipment. A word of warning, it can cost just
as much to build your own as it does to buy one, due to mistakes and time
spent; just saying.
As I mentioned earlier, there are three essential elements to one of these
systems: a pump, the heat source and the controller. The electric RIMS was
the original and it pumped the wort through a separate chamber containing
the 220V, high density water heater element. Later versions used water heater
gas valve assemblies to control gas flow to a burner under the mash tun. Both

48  Home Brewer

 RIMS element in
its manifold
Image courtesy of Keg King
RIMS element 
with manifold
complete with  4kg Pale Ale Malt
tri-clover fittings
Image courtesy of Keg King
types required a controller to monitor the temperature of the wort exiting
the heat chamber and to control the electricity or gas flow accordingly. Gas
systems use electric igniters or pilot lights to ignite the burner.
HERMS systems are a little different in that the hot water tank
is heated/controlled to the mash temperature, such that the wort
running through the coil and back to the mash tun is raised to the set
temperature in a non-scorchable way (which can happen in poorly
designed RIMS). The drawback to HERMS is that there can be a bit of
overshoot because of the thermal mass of the water in the hot liquor
tun (HLT). But, there are many ways to design these systems that can
alleviate that problem.
The most important consideration is: measure the wort temperature and
control the heating of the system at the point where the wort exits the heat
source. The reason is that you do not want the heated wort to rise above the
set temperature and denature the enzymes you intend to use! For example,
if you were controlling the heat supplied to the wort by sticking the
temperature probe in the middle of the mash, or worse yet in front of the
heat source, the controller can heat the wort well above the set temperature
as it attempts to bring the mash/cold wort to the set temperature.
Controlling the heat source by the wort exit temperature assures that the
wort is heated to the set temperature only and the constant recirculation
does the job of taking the grainbed to that temperature.
With a bit of internet research, time, and money (proportions may vary)
you can build a temperature control system for your mash that will result
in more consistent brewing of your favourite beers. Have fun!
Wheaties® Brown Ale
Wheaties® is a popular breakfast cereal in the States, reputedly
eaten by many star athletes. I’ve always enjoyed its hearty crisp
flavour. I really like using a significant portion of wheat in pale
ales, lagers and IPAs. Wheat doesn’t have as much residual
sweetness as barley, so it makes the beer a bit drier and more
refreshing while maintaining body and foam, which brewing with
adjuncts like rice and corn can impact. The wheat and biscuit
malt in this American brown ale recipe create a rich dry malt
character without the burnt toast astringency that can plague
some brown ales due to too much roast malt.
Expected Brew Figures
OG: 1.065
FG: 1.016
ABV: 6.3%
IBU: 50
Volume: 23 litres
Ingredients
1.5kg Wheat Malt
500g Caramel 40L
250g Biscuit Malt
250g Chocolate Malt
25g Vic Secret (16%)
40g Willamette (5.2%)
40g Cascade (5.9%)
Safale US-05 or Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Method
Mashing Schedule: We are using a step mash with this recipe, so
get your RIMS or HERMS system ready. Increase in steps should
be carried out over no more than 5 minutes per step. Don’t
rush the steps, but conversely don’t take too long as you may
produce the wrong type of wort. The benefit of step mashing is
that the different temperature rests favour different enzymes,
which will produce a particular type of enzyme activity and
therefore sugar in the wort, rather than a single temperature
infusion mash where a single temperature mash attempts to
keep all the enzymes happy.
1. Water to grist ratio of 4 liters per kg (26 litres for this recipe)
2. Strike temperature of 54°C
3. First temperature rest at 50°C for 15 minutes (protein rest)
4. Raise temperature over 5 minutes to reach 65°C and do
second temperature rest for 15 minutes (starch conversion)
5. Raise temperature over 5 minutes to reach 70°C and do third
temperature rest for 15 minutes (mash out)
6. Sparge until SG is 1.056 and 26.5L
7. Add Vic Secret hops at beginning of boil
8. Add Willamette and Cascade at flame out and allow 10
minutes for whirlpool or rest to let hot break drop out
9. Chill to 19°C and pitch yeast
10. Bottle or keg as normal and enjoy!
Autumn 2016  49
 RECIPES

No Rulz Does Wheat

HOT WEATHER HERALDS THE ARRIVAL OF WHEAT BEER. THERE ARE TRADITIONAL WITS,
HEFEWEIZEN OR WEISSBIER BUT LET’S ALLOW MARTIN POTTER TO APPLY HIS NO RULZ TO THE
NEW WORLD OF AMERICAN WHEATS

I
n recent years, we’ve seen an increase in demand for the post-modern era American-style wheat beers, which bring bolder flavours from
hops on an unmistakable wheat beer base. For grain brewers, you can make life easier at the mash tun by reducing the wheat to 25-30 per
cent and still have it sing to your tastebuds.
Hopping is a personal thing, but most American wheat beers are about enjoying the refreshing flavour rather than a one-hit session,
so I keep most of mine around the 20-30 IBU for the paler versions and up around the 40-50 IBU for darker versions.

Hop Your Wheat – An American Wheat Beer

All Grain Concentrate
Expected Brew Figures Expected Brew
OG: 1.048 Figures
FG: 1.008 OG: 1.044
ABV: 4.8% FG: 1.008
IBU: 28 ABV: 4.4%
Volume: 23 litres IBU: 27
Volume: 23 litres
Ingredients
3.75kg Briess 2-Row Brewers Malt Ingredients
Mangrove Jack’s Traditional
1.25kg Barrett Burston Wheat Malt
Series Blonde Lager Pouch
350g Rice Hulls (not needed for BIAB)
1.5kg Briess CBW Bavarian
14g Warrior Hops
Wheat
40g Cascade Hops
Safale US-05
40g Riwaka Hops
Mangrove Jack’s M44 US West Coast Yeast at 18°C under 45g Azacca Hops
45g Cascade Hops
temperature control
Finings Method
1. Steep 20g Azacca hops
Method
and 20g Cascade hops in
1. Mash in for beta glucanase rest 10 minutes at 45°C
500ml of boiling water,
2. Raise to 66°C for 40 minutes
cover and stand for 10
3. Raise to 72°C for 30 minutes minutes
4. Mash out at 76°C for 10 minutes, then sparge 2. Add to the fermenter,
5. Boil for 60 minutes, adding 14g of Warrior at the beginning along with the malt
6. With 10 minutes left in the boil add 20g Cascade and extract from the kit and
20g Riwaka hops the extract. Add 5L of cold
7. Whirlpool, then chill (or use a no-chill cube) and water and stir well. Keep
transfer to the fermenter adding cold tap water and
8. Pitch yeast and ferment at 18°C for seven days, before dry stir well up to 23L
hopping with 20g Riwaka and 20g Cascade for four days 3. Pitch the yeast and
9. Rapidly chill to 2°C, add finings (as per product ferment at 18-20°C
instructions) and hold for two days before transferring 4. On day seven, add a
to kegs or bottling further 25g Azacca and
Note: Adding 150g Roasted Wheat and 150g Midnight 25g Casacde into the
Wheat will make a dark American wheat, which lends itself fermenter and allow to sit
to higher bitterness (30-35 IBU) along with a larger dry hop at 18°C for a further four-
(Riwaka and Citra make a great combination). five days
5. Chill the beer for two-three
Keep an eye on the Mash pH as it can get low quickly and days, then transfer to your
you may need to buffer with some carbonate if using larger
bottles or keg as usual
amounts of dark roasted malts.
Extract
Expected Brew Figures
OG: 1.044
FG: 1.008
ABV: 4.2%
IBU: 27.3
Volume: 23 litres
Ingredients
1.5kg Wheat Malt Extract
1.7kg Light Dry Malt extract
10g Dr Rudi Hops
50g Amarillo Hops
50g Cascade Hops
½ Whirlfloc Tablet
2 Mangrove Jack’s M44 US West Coast Yeast
Method
1. In a 20L stock pot, heat up 15L of water,
add the light dry malt extract and bring
to the boil
2. Start the 60 minute timer and add the
Dr Rudi bittering hops
3. 10 minutes from end of boil add 30g
Cascade and 30g Amarillo hops, as well
as ½ whirlfloc tablet
4. At the 60 minute mark, add a further
10g each of Cascade and Amarillo Hops
and remove from the heat source
5. Chill the beer as quickly as possible
either with a drop in wort chiller or by
putting the pot in a sink full of ice and
water
6. Transfer to the fermenter, pitch both
packs of yeast and ferment at 18-22°C
for seven days
7. Add a further dry hop addition with 10g
of both Cascade and Amarillo, and then
allow to sit at 18°C for four-five days
8. Chill the beer to 2°C for two-three days
then bottle or keg as normal

50  Home Brewer

 RECIPES

Expected Brew Figures

OG: 1.042
FG: 1.008
ABV: 5%
IBU: 33
Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients
1.7kg Coopers Real Ale Brew Can
1.5kg Thomas Coopers Amber Malt
Extract
200g Caramunich Grains
50g Spalt Hop Pellets
11g Lallemand Nottingham Dry Yeast
Method
1. The day before: line a pot (at least
4 litres) with a mesh cleaning cloth
(pulled straight from the pack), then
add the cracked grain and 2 litres of
cold water. Fit the lid and sit in the
fridge for 24 hours
2. The following day, remove from the
fridge then gather up the corners of
the mesh cloth and lift, allowing the
liquid to drain from the grains back
into the pot
3. Place the strained liquid onto the
stovetop and bring to the boil. Add
25g of Spalt hop pellets and allow to
boil for 10 minutes
4. Remove from the heat and cool the
liquid by placing the pot in a bath of
cold water for about 15 minutes
5. Strain the liquid into your fermenter
and add the brew can as well as the
can of extract, then stir to dissolve
6. Top up with cold tap water to the 20
litre mark and stir thoroughly
7. Check the temperature and top

Dass Alto
up to the 23 litre mark with warm
or cool water (refrigerated if
necessary) to start the brew at
16-18°C
8. Sprinkle the dry yeast (including
yeast from the brew can), fit the lid
and aim to ferment at 16°C
9. At around day six of fermentation,
IT’S NOT JUST THE LEAVES THAT CHANGE COLOUR IN AUTUMN – IT’S add the remaining 25g of Spalt hop
ALSO A TIME WHEN OUR BEERS CAN GO FROM GOLDEN TO DARK. THIS pellets in a hop bag
SIPPER FOR THE COOLER MONTHS IS ACCESSIBLE, BUT CHALLENGES A 10. This brew may take longer to
LITTLE MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE SUMMER QUAFFER reach final gravity than a typical
ale due to the lower fermentation

D
temperature, but fermentation is
finished once the specific gravity is
ass Alto is a refreshing quasi dark lager, displaying a rocky off white head. It stable over two days. It should finish
presents like a cleaner version of an amber ale due to the low temperature around the 1.006-1.010 mark
fermentation, but with noble hop character. It is at the dark end of the 11. Bottle the brew as normal and
northern German altbier-style (category 7.A. of the BJCP guidelines). Expect enjoy! It will benefit from two-three
biscuit and caramel aromas with subtle flowery, fruity and spicy hop notes. In months in the bottle
the glass it will have a medium bitterness, with smooth, sweet malt notes and
a clean hop finish.

Autumn 2016  51
 RECIPES

In Ya Face Double IPA Clone

ANDREW CHILDS OF BEHEMOTH BREWING COMPANY TALKS ABOUT THE BREWING ACCIDENT THAT LEFT
HIM WITH BURNS TO 40 PER CENT OF HIS BODY AND HOW HE’S DETERMINED TO KEEPING BREWING THE BIG
BEERS HE LOVES

T
his beer brings new
meaning to suffering for
your art. On 10 September, Extract All Grain
2015 I was brewing this beer
Expected Brew Figures Expected Brew Figures
with Jason Bathgate at 8 OG: 1.079 OG: 1.078
Wired Brewing. We were FG: 1.012 FG: 1.010
adding a Columbus hop addition when the ABV: Approx. 9% ABV: 9%
kettle exploded and 1,500L of 101°C wort flew IBU: 120 IBU: 120
Volume: 23 litres Volume: 23 litres
out at us. We both received burns to around
40 per cent of our bodies. I was in hospital Ingredients Ingredients
for five weeks and Jason for seven weeks. We 5.5kg of Pale Malt Extract of your choice 5.75kg Weyermann Pale Malt
(use one that is light and very fermentable) 750g Weyermann Vienna Malt
both have to have about two years of everyday
400g Dextrose Sugar 400g Dextrose Sugar
scar management. Burns suck and we want
50g Pacific Jade Hops 50g Pacific Jade Hops
to thank the craft beer scene from both New
100g Columbus Hops 100g Columbus Hops
Zealand and Australia. You all rock!
100g Simcoe Hops 100g Simcoe Hops
Quite the opposite from putting me off
100g Citra Hops 100g Citra Hops
brewing, I am now even more determined to
100g Amarillo Hops 100g Amarillo Hops
make the flavourful beers that I love. In Ya
100g Mosaic Hops 100g Mosaic Hops
Face Double IPA is 9 per cent ABV and around
0.3g Copperfloc 0.3g Copperfloc
120 IBU. This beer is full of big bitter, fruity,
4 Packets of Mangrove Jack’s M44 West 4 Packets of Mangrove Jack’s M44 West
tropical and piny hops. But once you get over Coast Ale Yeast Coast Ale Yeast
the initial shock to the senses, it is a very
Method Method
drinkable big beer. If you think it uses a lot
1. Boil 8-10 litres of water in a large pot 1. Mash all malts at 65°C
of hops then imagine how much we use on
2. Add all malt extracts and dextrose 2. Sparge and bring to a boil
4,800L. Someone once told me that with the and stir 3. Boil for 90 minutes – add NZ Pacific
amount of dry hopping I use it is clear I used 3. Boil for 90 minutes – add NZ Pacific Jade and dextrose sugar at the
to be a lawyer and not an accountant. I guess Jade at the beginning of the boil beginning of the boil
they’re right! 4. Add 50g of Columbus with 20 minutes 4. Add 50g of Columbus with 20 minutes
left in the boil left in the boil
5. Add 50g of Columbus and 0.3g of 5. Add 50g of Columbus and 0.3g of
Copperfloc with 10 minutes to go Copperfloc with 10 minutes to go
6. Add 50g of each Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo 6. Add 50g of each Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo
and Simcoe at flameout and whirlpool and Simcoe at flameout and whirlpool
for 15 minutes for 15 minutes
7. Strain wort into the fermenter and top 7. Cool to 20°C and pitch four packets of
up to 23 litres with very chilled sterile Mangrove Jack’s Yeast
water to bring the temperature down 8. Ferment at 19°C
to 20°C, than pitch four packets of
9. Do a diacetyl rest at 22°C towards the
Mangrove Jack’s Yeast
end of fermentation
8. Ferment at 19°C
10. Dry hop for five days at 20°C with 50g
9. Do a diacetyl rest at 22°C towards end each of Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo and
of the fermentation Simcoe
10. Dry hop for five days at 20°C with 50g 11. Bottle or keg as usual than enjoy with
each of Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo and mates…and for Christ’s sake don’t burn
Simcoe yourself it really sucks!
11. Bottle or keg as usual than enjoy with
mates…and for Christ’s sake don’t burn
yourself it really sucks!

Andrew Childs
recovering in hospital

52  Home Brewer

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Find us on
 HOMEBREWER PROFILE
800 Brews
HOMEBREWER EDITOR CHRIS THOMAS CAUGHT UP WITH AVID HOME BREWER GREG WARD TO HELP HIM
CELEBRATE HIS IMPRESSIVE 800TH BREW MILESTONE
8
00 brews is a lot in anyone’s language. Think about it
for a moment. That’s one brew every week for more
than 15 years. It’s a phenomenal achievement for any
hobbyist brewer. In fact, most professional brewers
take several years to hit the milestone.
Greg Ward, from Portland in south-west Victoria,
has spent most weekends throughout the past 22 years brewing his
way towards 800. Over the journey, he’s progressed from basic cans of
concentrate, to extract and now brew in a bag (BIAB). In the early days
Ward was prolific with the cans.
“I started out with kits at the insistence of my father after returning
broke from my honeymoon in the ‘90s,” explains Ward.
“I was up in the Mallee then and it was expensive to buy beer. The
heat meant that you could do two brews in a week.
“Storage and fermenting were always problem areas as up there you
could be in the mid-40s in summer and as low as minus seven in the
morning during winter. I used to just put the fermenter in a tin shed.
Now I know about temperature control, I can see why some of my
beers weren’t so great!”
54  Home Brewer
Greg Ward
His set up was uncomplicated then and it still is largely. Aside from
the Grainfather and urn, there’s no unnecessary bling in the shed.
There’s the basic homebrewing necessities, a couple of fridges (one
for fermenting and one for keeping the beers and hops cool), several
shelves for storing the many longnecks, a hand grain mill, an old mutt
and an overenthusiastic puppy. Understandably, Ward has ‘slowed’
his brewing since going BIAB.
“At present, I aim at one every week in winter but slow down over
summer as I only have one temp controlled area. Winter is a very
comfortable brewing time in my shed as the thick concrete slab
keeps the temp remarkably consistent and the coastal temp hardly
varies from min to max. Most of the time it sits at a perfect 18-
20°C!” he explains.
But how does one work out what to brew week-in, week-out, when
you’ve already made hundreds of different beers? Ward has a few go-
to recipes, including English ales (Old Speckled Hen, Fuller’s ESB) and
American pale ales and IPAs, but he also loves experimenting.
“I have a couple of base recipes, Australian Bitter and Californian
Common, which I use to brew back-to-back with different hops and
temperatures to see what the effects are,”
Ward says.
“Basically, I build up a ‘library’ of known
easy-drinking beers and a varied selection
of experimental ‘tasters’ – some of which The 800th Brew
are more memorable than others!” For Greg Ward’s 800th brew
When needing some influence, Ward we discussed the style and
seeks his recipes from a variety of sources. flavours he was interested in
“Your mag has been a great inspiration and then sourced this recipe
for the occasion. The Manuka
as I moved from the basic kit & kilo, into
Smoked Malt makes up a
steeping grains in mini mashes, then fair piece of the malt bill and
went into all-grain mode,” says Ward. ensures a seriously smoky
“Otherwise, Zymurgy website has been and delightful red ale
an excellent site for clone recipes of well-
Red Smoke Ale
known US beers.”
Estimated Brew Figures
This has led him to make a number OG: 1.055
of ambitious brews, using cranberry, Estimated FG: 1.012
Ward’s home
pomegranate, coffee and fig, as well as tea. brewing system ABV: 5.6%
“The Jasmine Dragon Saison (Issue 23) IBU: 36
Volume: 25 litres
from your mag would have to rate up there Ward brewing his
with the most experimental – otherwise, 800th beer Ingredients
trying an 11kg Russian imperial stout on 2.79kg American Ale Malt
the Grainfather system in a re-iterated 1.55kg Manuka Smoked Malt
mash was a big challenge,” he adds. 1.12kg Aurora Malt
This leaves us with perhaps the biggest
0.37kg Red Back Malt
question of all – what does he do with all
of that booze?!
0.37kg Shepherds Delight
Malt
“I drink my share of it, but I also have
some mates who I share it with. This is a 36g Pacific Gem Hops
never-ending circle as they also brew and Wyeast 1084 Irish Red or
share theirs back!” he explained. Safale S-04 Yeast
And I can attest to his generosity, Method
leaving our brewing session with several 1. Mash at 69°C
longnecks from the shelves to sample. 2. Sparge and bring to a boil
3. Boil for 60 minutes,
“I BUILD UP A ‘LIBRARY’ OF adding 18g of Pacific Gem
hops at the beginning of
KNOWN EASY-DRINKING BEERS the boil
4. With 10 minutes remaining
AND A VARIED SELECTION OF in the boil add the
remaining 18g of Pacific
EXPERIMENTAL ‘TASTERS’ – SOME Gem hops
5. Whirlpool for 15 minutes
OF WHICH ARE MORE MEMORABLE 6. Cool and pitch yeast, then
THAN OTHERS!” – GREG WARD ferment at 18°C
7. Bottle or keg once FG is
about 1.012 and consistent

Greg Ward’s Top Four

for consecutive days

1. Pliny The Elder clone from Vinnie Cilurzo’s recipe – AG hop monster
Recipe courtesy of Gladfield
2. Fuller’s ESB – AG (very drinkable!) Malts
3. Mick Morrow’s Doppelbock (extract/grain) – a wonderful beer!
4. Chilli beer – some loved it/many hated it! No head, highly carbonated, 40 chillies in the fermenter and a chilli
in each bottle. Tabasco with bubbles – used the last bottle to share with my son on his 21st.

Autumn 2016  55
 RADICAL BEERS
Randy Mosher
Randy
Mosher
BREWERS ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE
ADVENTUROUS THESE DAYS. SOME START THEIR
FIRST BREWS WITH A TOASTED PEACH, BARREL-
AGED SAISON FOR SACCHAROMYCES SAKE! WHEN
THINKING ABOUT THESE ‘RADICAL’ BEERS, ONE
NAME SPRINGS TO MIND – RANDY MOSHER. JAKE
BRANDISH CATCHES UP WITH THE GREAT MAN FOR
THE FIRST OF THIS TWO-PART PIECE
56  Home Brewer
I
f you haven’t heard of Mosher, do yourself a favour and
head to your favourite source of reading material and invest
in his work. Most serious beer geeks with a few books in
their brewing library will more than likely have one of
his publications as he has written such classics as Radical
Brewing, The Brewer’s Companion and an absolute must for
any serious home brewer, Tasting Beer.
Recently, I had the honour of chatting with Mosher. I wanted to talk
to him regarding the current wave of radical brewers like Moon Dog
and Garage Project and get his take on where he sees brewing headed.
We also discussed the US craft beer scene and where he draws his
inspiration for certain brewing adjuncts.
Q WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO SINCE ANHC IN 2010?
An awful lot. Since then, I’ve written two more books, Mastering
Homebrew and Beer For All Seasons, both of which came out early last
year. I did include a lot of international ideas and recipes based on my
travels, including that visit to Australia.
The other major change for me has been my involvement as a
partner in two brewing ventures in Chicago. One is called 5 Rabbit
Cerveceria, and is Latin in its thinking and presentation. The idea
for the project started when my partner had a revelation about how
vibrant and full of life everything else in Latin culture is, and how dull
and lifeless the commercial beers are.
The other brewery is called Forbidden Root. We call ourselves
‘botanic brewers’ and we try to incorporate lots of non-standard
ingredients. The project started as a mission to formulate a beer with
root beer flavour characteristics, and that led to a ginger beer and a
discussion of what the bigger idea was, and that ended up being the
botanic thing. We really focus on the ideas and flavours and then try
to build the rest of the beer around those rather than starting with a
style and warping it – although we do that sometimes as well.
Q YOU’RE MOST FAMOUS FOR YOUR
BOOK RADICAL BREWING, WHAT IS YOUR
DEFINITION OF ‘RADICAL BREWING’?
You could just as easily call it ‘creative brewing’. The idea is not to
be radical for the shock value or just to push limits, but to make a
deeply creative and meaningful artistic product that in some way
tells a story. It also means brewing with an eye to tradition without
being limited by it.
Q WHERE DO YOU GET INSPIRATION
TO TRY SOMETHING IN A BEER?
Everywhere. Sometimes it’s just discovering a particular ingredient,
sometimes it’s from old brewing books or from formularies for
things like bitters and liqueurs. Sometimes it’s from cuisine or a
particular dish. I like to go to ethnic markets and just grab anything
that looks unfamiliar.
Q WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A BREWER
WHO WANTS TO TRY A FLAVOURING OR ADJUNCT
AND DOESN’T KNOW WHERE TO START?
Start with a big idea: a food, a culture, a historical era. If you’re
starting with an ingredient, think about how it is used outside of the
world of beer. Are there roasty or toasty elements common with it,
 Wattle Itbee?
Roasted Wattleseed
Brown Ale
All grain

Wattleseed comes from various

species of the acacia tree. When
roasted, it develops an intense,
nutty aroma a little like dark-roasted
Mosher likes to peanut butter. The base beer is a
experiement with a creamy brown ale that shows off
range of adjuncts the wattleseed nicely and enhances
its nutty character. For a variation,
Randy Mosher add 500gm of macadamia honey to
picking bog spice or sweetness? Beer is easy to base on the fermenter once the primary is
myrtle food recipes because there are so many food winding down. The Fuller’s (London
flavours in beer. Once you have an idea, stick 1968) yeast accentuates the malt.
to it and make all your decisions based on how
well it serves the concept. Expected Brew Figures
OG: 1.050
If you’re really focused on an ingredient,
FG: 1.013
but have no idea what goes well with it, just ABV: 6%
make up a tincture – I usually do either 1:5 or IBU: 18
1:10 by weight of ingredient to vodka. Let it Volume: 19L
sit for a day or two and strain through a coffee
filter. Carry a little squeeze bottle around with Ingredients
3.9kg Vienna Malt
you and add it to every beer and see where the
magic happens. You’ll make all your friends 910g Amber/Biscuit Malt
crazy, but what the hell. 340g Caramel Malt (80L)
150g Black Malt
Q HAVE YOU BREWED WITH
20g Galaxy Hops
ANY AUSSIE INGREDIENTS
14g Roasted Wattleseed
LIKE WATTLE SEED, LEMON
MYRTLE OR RIVER MINT? Wyeast 1968 London ESB Ale or
I’ve done some homebrews with wattle seed
Safale 04 Yeast

and really love its peanut buttery flavour

in a brown beer, but we’ve not yet used it
commercially. I’ve used pepperberries, but
we also use lemon myrtle for our ginger beer,
where it adds a super-clean lemon drop
top-note that supports the key lime that is
the secondary flavour in the beer after the
ginger. Just a side note: some of these exotic
ingredients are crazy expensive. Haven’t heard
of river mint. Tell me more.
Q WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE
AUSSIE BREWING SCENE?
It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Australia,
and I know the scene is evolving rapidly, as it
is everywhere. Of course, we only see mass-
produced beers like Foster’s over here, so I’m
not really in a position to comment.
Mosher believes in
making a deeply
We will continue our chat with Mosher in the
creative product
next issue.
Method
1. Complete infusion mash for 60
minutes at 68°C then mash out
2. Bring to boil and add 12g Galaxy
hops for the 60 minute boil
3. Add 8g Galaxy with 30 minutes
left in the boil
4. Add 14g roasted wattleseed (in a
hop sock) with 2 minutes left in
the boil
5. Whirlpool then chill to 18°C
before transferring to the
fermenter
6. Ferment at 18-20°C until the
gravity reading is stable at
1.013 or thereabouts for
consecutive days
7. Bottle or keg as normal, then
enjoy the roasted wattleseed
character of this brown ale!

Autumn 2016  57
 Brewing underway for
Hop X Bun Amber Ale

COLLAB BREW

Hop X Bun
Amber Ale
IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE HOMEBREWER HAS MADE A COLLABORATIVE BREW, SO WE THOUGHT IN THE
LEAD UP TO EASTER IT WAS TIME TO GET BACK INTO IT. CHOCOLATE STOUTS AND PORTERS ARE AWESOME,
BUT GIVEN WE ARE TEAMING UP WITH CHOICE BROS FROM NEW ZEALAND, THEY ARE PROBABLY A LITTLE
MAINSTREAM, WRITES CHRIS THOMAS

W
ith a core range that includes a peanut
butter and raspberry English pale ale and an
imperial stout with spiced rum and cacao,
Choice Bros is one of New Zealand’s more
ambitious new breweries. Teaming up with
them to design an Easter-themed beer
meant we had to get creative. The Choice Bros boys were keen to do
pretty much anything, aside from sticking the Easter Bunny himself
in the brew! After a few emails back and forth we decided on a Hop X
Bun Amber Ale.
With the other collaborative brews we’ve done, we’ve been
physically involved in the brew day, however given Choice Bros are in
New Zealand we had to settle for a collaboratively developed recipe, Choice Bros head
which was brewed by Choice Bros head bro and brewer, Kerry Gray. bro and brewer,
Kerry Gray

ABOUT CHOICE BROS

Like more and more breweries hitting the scene, Choice Bros gypsy
brew at a number of different venues.
“Choice Bros focuses on brewing interesting and balanced beers
that are usually a bit different than your standard offering,” says Gray.
While Gray is a self-confessed lover of hops, he likes the focus to be
on the other basic and more experimental ingredients such as yeast,
bacteria, malt, fruit and wood. This is one of the key factors that attracted
Homebrewer to seek out Choice Bros in the first place. A desire to
experiment and push the envelope. And the enthusiasm from Gray was
infectious. He’s a fun bloke to work with who is open to unique ideas.
“I was keen as!” says Gray. “Spices are very difficult to use in a beer
while maintaining balance and drinkability. It sounded like a
fun challenge!”
Pushing the Boundaries
“Possibly the craziest beer we made was for a Halloween homebrew
competition,” Gray explained.
“Mike Pullin (head Bro and sales) suggested we use the Hannibal
Lector quote ‘I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti’
as the idea for the beer.
“We brewed a rich porter and added a reduction of liver, blood
sausage, fava beans, Chianti and spices. It smelt amazing – rich,
meaty with red wine notes and spice.
“Trick or treat? Most definitely treat, but it still managed to scare
the shit out of a few people.”

58  www.beerandbrewer.com
 COLLAB BREW

COLLABORATING ON THE RECIPE

“With any beers that are loosely based on a
food, my first research point is a cookbook,” Hop X Bun Amber Ale Hop X Bun Amber Ale
says Gray of the process.
All Grain Extract with Specialty Grains
After looking at the ingredients used
Expected Brew Figures Expected Brew Figures
in various hot cross bun recipes we had to
OG: 1.057 OG: 1.057
consider which of these ingredients would FG: 1.012 FG: 1.012
work effectively in the beer. Spices are a ABV: 5.8% ABV: 5.8%
great ingredient to use in specialty beers IBU: 46 IBU: 46
Volume: 19 litres Volume: 19 litres
but they need to be used sparingly – once
they’re in, they’re in. The flavours won’t Ingredients Ingredients
mellow or dissipate over time. 3.6kg American Ale Malt 1.7kg Light Liquid Extract
We focused on a number of specialty 500g Vienna Malt 1.7kg Light Amber Extract
malts which have fruit and berry 250g Gladfield Aurora 250g Gladfield Aurora
characteristics, similar to fruit contained in 250g Gladfield Redback 250g Gladfield Redback
the buns. The hops selected add more fruit 250g Gladfield Rye 250g Gladfield Rye
character, while the yeast also complements
170g Gladfield Shepherds Delight 170g Gladfield Shepherds Delight
this. We did initially consider going with a
20g Pacific Gem Hops 20g Pacific Gem Hops
Belgian yeast but this might have added too
30g Centennial Hops 30g Centennial Hops
much complexity.
40g Simcoe Hops 40g Simcoe Hops
While it’s still in the fermenter at time of
publishing, hopes are high for something 40g Citra Hops 40g Citra Hops
pretty special. 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
“Judging by the bag of fruit and spices 1/4 tsp Allspice 1/4 tsp Allspice
and the aroma coming off the wort, I believe 1 tsp Cinnamon 1 tsp Cinnamon
it will have a lovely spicy, fruity medley of 2 Cloves 2 Cloves
flavours in a solid amber ale,” predicts Gray. 25g of Sultanas or Raisins 25g of Sultanas or Raisins
While this beer will only be available in 1-2 Packets of US-05 Dry Yeast 1-2 Packets of US-05 Dry Yeast
New Zealand (aside from a few which I hope
make their way to my doorstep!), the recipe *These are suggested amounts to start with; *These are suggested amounts to start with;
is here for all of us to brew. spices are potent and can easily be overused spices are potent and can easily be overused

Method
The beer is
already displaying 1. Mash at 67°C for 60 minutes
lots of fruit and
2. Sparge and bring to a boil
spice aromas
3. Boil for 60 minutes, adding 20g Pacific
Gem hops at the beginning of the boil
4. With 20 minutes remaining in the boil add
30g Centennial hops as well as the fruit
and spices (in a hop bag for ease of use)
5. With 10 minutes left in the boil add 40g
Simcoe hops
6. If possible bring wort temperature below
70°C during whirlpool, before adding 40g
Some of the hops, Citra for 15 minutes; if not possible add
fruits and spices in the 40g Citra at flameout (preferably
Hop X Bun Amber Ale when temperature is less than 90°C)*
7. Cool and pitch yeast, then ferment at
18°C for approximately seven days
8. Bottle or keg once FG is about 1.012 and
consistent for consecutive days
* Aroma oils in hops are volatile above
about 68°C; adding hops below 90°C reduces
additional bitterness
Method
1. Steep grains for at least 20 minutes in
about 6 litres of water at 67°C
2. Add to pot and stir in both liquid
extracts, then bring to the boil
3. Boil for 60 minutes, adding 20g Pacific
Gem hops at the beginning of the boil
4. With 20 minutes remaining in the boil
add 30g Centennial hops as well as the
fruit and spices (in a hop bag for ease
of use)
5. With 10 minutes left in the boil at 40g
Simcoe hops
6. Add 40g Citra hops at flameout and let
rest for 10-15 minutes
7. Transfer to fermenter and top up to 19
litres using chilled sterilised water to
bring down the temperature, aiming for
18-20°C
8. Pitch yeast, than ferment at 18°C for
approximately seven days
9. Bottle or keg once FG is about 1.012 and
consistent for consecutive days

Autumn 2016  59
 EDUCATION
Getting a
Beerducation
HOMEBREWER TECHNICAL EDITOR JAKE BRANDISH, WHO RECENTLY COMPLETED HIS POSTGRADUATE
DIPLOMA OF BREWING, REFLECTS ON HIS TIME STUDYING BEER
L
et’s face it…as a home brewer at some point most of
us have asked, ‘should I actually study my hobby on a
professional level?’ But first you should ask yourself
one very serious question, ‘Why?’
Why do you want to study brewing for two or four
years? Do you want to improve your home brewing to
uber geek levels or get into professional brewing? Do you want to start
your own brewing business?
When I first looked at getting formal brewing qualifications, there
were quite a few options and my choice was heavily dependent on
my time availability and the method of delivering the information to
me. I reduced my working hours so I could concentrate on my studies
with University of Ballarat (now Federation University) and have just
completed the four-year Postgraduate Diploma of Brewing.
Here is what I found the most appealing of the brew courses, but look
at ALL of them to decide which one best suits your needs. Don’t be afraid
to ask for help from local brewers or other victims…I mean people who
have studied brewing. Decide what your motivation is and what you are
willing to take on as once you have started you have to finish it!
BREW COURSES
Federation University (VIC) offer a two-year Postgraduate Certificate
of Brewing and once completed a further two-year Postgraduate
60  Home Brewer
Fluid dynamics in the physics laboratory
Diploma of Brewing. The course is primarily online with a few
workshops, lab sessions and exams on campus at Ballarat, along with
quite a bit of ‘critical analysis’, at The Mallow Hotel. Under the very
knowledgeable and respected wing of associate professor Peter Aldred,
you will be taken through all areas of brewing from raw materials to
physics and engineering. Federation University also run week-long
short courses. The short course is basically a condensed version of
the four-year Diploma, so a lot of information in a short time and
obviously nowhere near as much detail.
TAFE SA (SA) offer four-week short courses (with a two-week
break in between). This course will give you a Certificate III in Food
Processing. TAFE SA also offer a preparation short course for the IBD
GCB (see below) so rather than being left to your own devices and
study at your own pace this two-week course will prepare you to sit
your IBD exams. Courses are on campus in Adelaide.
Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) based in London, offer
a General Certificate in Brewing (GCB) and a General Certificate in
Packaging (GCP). The IBD offer advanced courses depending on your
level of experience or how far you want to take your studies, right up
to Brewmaster level. These courses leave you to study at your own
pace and then apply to sit the exam when you are ready.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth has archived all Post
Graduate courses for the time being. ECU has a fully-functioning
600L DME gas-fired brewery, which is now primarily being used for
research and test batches by local breweries. We will keep you posted
with any change to its program.
Siebel Institute based in Chicago Illinois, USA, offer online brewing
courses ranging from Advanced Homebrewing courses to the full
Master Brewer program. The Siebel Institute also provide analytical
services to the brewing industry.
UC Davis also offer online courses from short courses through
to the Professional Brewers Certificate Program. If you are lucky
enough to be accepted into UC Davis, you may even rub shoulders
with legendary professors Charlie Bamforth and Michael Lewis, both
of whom are industry legends and published authors on brewing
whose texts are used worldwide in beer courses. Charlie Bamforth’s
knowledge in the bio-chemistry of brewing and beer is unsurpassed,
leading to his nickname as The Pope of Foam.
Having just completed the four-year Post Graduate Diploma of
Brewing through the University of Ballarat (Federation Uni), I have
obviously gone through a brewing transformation from an average
home brewer to a commercial brewer. I thoroughly recommend
furthering your knowledge by doing one of these courses. Inside every
home brewer there is a massive beer nerd waiting to come out, so why
not introduce yourselves today! Good luck and happy studying!
 CQ Homebrewers Josh and
Gary on the first brew day

CLUB PROFILE

CQ Homebrewers
HAILING FROM TOWNS AROUND THE CENTRAL QUEENSLAND COAST, THE CQ HOMEBREWERS ARE A NEW
AND ENGAGING HOMEBREW CLUB. LINKING IN WITH NEIGHBOURING CLUBS AND RUNNING THEIR OWN
EVENTS, THE CQ HOMEBREWERS HAVE AN EXCITING FUTURE, WRITES DAMIAN RIGBY

C
Q Homebrewers was started in April 2015 after inquiries at the local Getting the
homebrew shop and online forums revealed no local club and there brew underway
seemed to be very few all grain brewers in the region. After testing
the waters to see if anyone was interested through forum posts, the
club was launched as a Facebook group. We have slowly grown and
so far we have 34 members in the group. Our members hail from all
over Central Queensland including Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Moura and Gladstone.
As our club covers such a wide area the Facebook group page is where a lot of the
discussion happens, but we also aim to have monthly club brew days. We rotate
brewing duties between our members so we get to witness brewing on a different
system with its different processes; so far we have had extract, one vessel (1V), two
vessel (2V), brew in a bag (BIAB) and Grainfather brew days. Everyone who comes
along is encouraged to bring samples of their own homebrews for tasting and a great
day is the end result. Amazingly, before joining the club some of our members had
never had any other homebrewed beers except their own!
In October just gone, we held our first Oktoberfest. The majority of active club
members brewed German beers for the event and we drank a decocted dunkel, which
we brewed on our first club brew day. Even the non-home brewers who attended
left impressed with the selection and quality. Proving that brewing isn’t our only
speciality, we enjoyed smoked bratwurst, sauerkraut and fresh pretzels to round out
the German theme.
We have developed close relationships with other brew clubs in the wider Central
Queensland region such as Mackay and Districts (MAD) Homebrewers, the Emerald
Home Brewers and Fraser Coast Bayside Brewers. A club road trip to attend a
meeting in Emerald was one of the highlights this year and there are plans in place
to continue to attend other clubs’ events. Part of this alliance has been starting a
club war competition, with the first competition being an ‘All Aussie Ale (or Lager)’
where 100 per cent of the ingredients had to be Australian-grown/made. Judging has
yet to take place, but after the success of Emerald and Fraser Coast at the QHBC club
wars, we’re up against some strong competition! That’s one of the most enjoyable
aspects of being in a club though.

62  Home Brewer

 QLD Lager
This is a simple, easy drinking
summer beer that tastes great
on a hot afternoon. Even though
I love drinking many different
styles of beer, I usually come
back to this one every three
or four brews. It’s also good to
give to mates who don’t drink
‘homebrew’!

Expected Brew Figures

OG: 1.045
FG: 1.010
ABV: 4.6% (4.9% if bottling)
IBU: 21.1 Nick Kelly

Nick
Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients
3.8kg Ale Malt
100g Crystal Malt (60L)

Kelly
300g White Sugar
40g Cluster Hops (5.7%AA)
½ Whirlfloc Tablet
Saflager S-189 Lager Yeast
5g Gelatine

Method STARTING BREWING DURING UNI DAYS

1. Preceding brew day, make up
a 2L yeast starter
2. Mash grain at 66°C for 60
minutes
3. Bring wort to a boil for 60
minutes. Stir in the sugar,
and then add 25g Cluster
hops
4. With 10 minutes remaining,
add Whirlfloc and remaining
15g Cluster hops
5. Chill wort to 12°C and pitch
decanted yeast starter
6. When beer has dropped
to around 1.020, raise the
temperature of the fermenter
to 18°C and hold until
fermentation is complete to
remove any diacetyl
7. Chill beer to as close to 1-2°C
as possible and hold for at
least one week (the beer will
improve the longer you leave
it). Add fining with gelatine
when it reaches its coldest
temperature
8. Bottle or keg and enjoy!
FOR FINANCIAL REASONS IS A WELL-
TRODDEN PATH, BUT INHERITING YOUR
GRANDMOTHER’S HOMEBREW KIT IS
SOMETHING ELSE! NICK KELLY SHARES
HIS BREWING JOURNEY AND A FAVOURITE
RECIPE WITH HOMEBREWER
You could say home brewing is in my genes. I inherited my
grandmother’s homebrew kit and started making kit and kilo
in first year Uni back in ‘95. Back then, it was all about bang
for your buck, with the cheapest supermarket tin and 2kg of
sugar my preferred recipe. Once I had a steady job, Coopers
kits became my go-to and then I began experimenting with
hop additions.
In 2011 I had a 6-month deployment with the Army and with
my spare time I began researching how to brew all grain. On
return, I was lucky enough to find both my local home brew
shop and club (Righteous Brewers of Townsville) were there
to answer my every question. I was always a fan of easy-
drinking beer, but the club members opened my eyes to all
sorts of styles that I now brew.
After changing jobs, I moved to Yeppoon and continued to
brew, but really missed being in a club. I was contacted by
Damian when he was starting CQ Homebrewers and jumped
at the chance to join. We had the first club brew day at my
place where we decocted a dunkel that we enjoyed at our
inaugural Oktoberfest. The recipes I write are loosely based
on style guidelines, but I mainly brew to my own taste.

Autumn 2016  63
TRAVEL – BELGIUM

Inside Cantillon
TIM CHARODY, AKA THE BEER PILGRIM, TAKES US INTO THE WORLD OF BRUSSELS’ FAMOUS CANTILLON
BREWERY, THE BELGIAN MASTERS OF LAMBIC BEER

64  www.beerandbrewer.com A wall of Cantillon Kreik at the brewery

“It can only be made ‘ere. Simple as that! I tell you
why…look at this glass of lambic ‘ere. Inside are over
one hundred and twenty different strains of bacteria
and yeast, most only to be found ‘ere in the precious
air of le Senne Valley. You cannot make true lambic
anywhere else on earth!”
I was being schooled on the ancient style of Belgian
lambic deep in the cobweb-strewn belly of the Cantillon
Brewery in Brussels, and I have to say I was impressed.
As soon as I walked into this magnificent brewery
my brain started tingling with excitement…this is what
I have been searching for, this is what my pilgrimage
is all about! Most of the equipment around me was
more than one century old and is still used today
to brew the same style of beer as it did in 1900. The
brewery smelt musky and sour, undoubtedly from
the billions of microscopic residents clinging to every
object and riding on every waft of air, decades upon
decades of wild bacteria and yeast that would make
any conventional modern day brewer run and jump in
a pool of disinfectant. Here, however, it is an aroma
savoured with pride in an ancient style that has taken
the beer world by storm in recent years.
Just the name ‘Cantillon’ holds an almost god-like
air of respect amongst circles of beer-lovers around
The wort is spread out on a large shallow
the world. Top notch craft beer bars will boast bottles copper tub surrounded with open windows
to achieve spontaneous fermentation
of Cantillon on their top shelves and any true beer
lover worth his weight in malt will have at least one
empty bottle of Cantillon sitting proudly somewhere
prominent in their beer den (I even met one hard-core
“FROM START TO END, A
Italian beer geek who had the logo tattooed on his
arm!). But why? Why all this international commotion
BOTTLE OF CANTILLON
and obsession over one very small, musky old brewery
tucked away in a strange little backstreet of Brussels? I
GUEUZE WILL TAKE MORE
was here to find out... THAN FOUR YEARS TO
A STEP BACK IN TIME PRODUCE!” – TIM CHARODY,
And it didn’t take me long at all…I feel like I
understood as soon as I walked through the brewery AKA THE BEER PILGRIM
door. Very little, if anything, has changed in this
brewery for more than one century. It is brimming with Little has changed in the cobweb-strewn
brewery for more than a century
living, breathing, moving history that is compounded
in the delicious beers that emerge on the other side.
There are no modern shortcuts, each brew is aged
between one and three years and bottled by hand then
cellared for even longer. The hops are aged for three
years, the wooden barrels are still cleaned using an
old chain being tumbled around inside and like the
brewery, the final product really hasn’t changed at all
for more than one hundred years.
My awe-struck, jaw-dragging walk through Cantillon
started in the brewhouse where I was met by an almost
Leonardo da Vinci-esque room of wheels, cogs and
leather strapping linking up a web of mechanisms that
meandered above some old copper brewing kettles.
It is here where the wort (unfermented beer mixture)

Autumn 2016  65
TRAVEL – BELGIUM

The front of Cantillon Brewery

is brewed using a mixture of water, organically grown

wheat and barley malts. An addition of three-year- “VERY LITTLE, IF ANYTHING, HAS CHANGED IN THIS
aged hop flowers to the boil provides the natural
preservative quality of the hops without imparting
BREWERY FOR MORE THAN ONE CENTURY. IT IS BRIMMING
bitterness or hop flavour to the beer.
WITH LIVING, BREATHING, MOVING HISTORY THAT IS
FERMENTATION COMPOUNDED IN THE DELICIOUS BEERS THAT EMERGE ON
The next step in the journey was the fermentation
room where the wort is spread out on a large shallow THE OTHER SIDE” – TIM CHARODY, AKA THE BEER PILGRIM
copper tub surrounded with open windows. This is
the key to achieving spontaneous fermentation; by
allowing as much air to flow over the wort as possible,
the brewers are allowing the wort to be infected by a
huge variety of naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria
that live in the air of the Senne Valley. This is when the
magic occurs, the spontaneous, wild fermentation that
gives lambic beer its signature sour, funky flavour.

AGEING
After the beer has undergone a successful
fermentation, it is then barrelled for up to three years
in old oak or chestnut wood barrels that are themselves
sometimes more than one century old. Cantillon has
barrels crammed into literally every spare corner of the
brewery, some looking brand new while some look like
they have (and probably did) go through the wars!

THE BEERS
Between one and three years later, the beer is
transferred from the barrels into bottles. Straight
from the barrel we have beers such as the Grand Cru
Bruocsella, an unblended lambic beer aged for three One Italian beer geek likes Cantillon beers so
much he got the logo tattooed onto his arm
years in oak wood barrels, which has a dry, slightly

66  www.beerandbrewer.com
 TRAVEL – BELGIUM

acidic flavour and an aroma of apple, roast bread

and honey.
The crown jewel of Cantillon however is its Gueuze,
which is essentially a blend of old (two-three years)
and young (one year) lambic beers. Once blended
by a team of master blenders, the Gueuze is bottled
and then cellared for another year while a secondary
fermentation takes place in the bottle. From start to
end, a bottle of Cantillon Gueuze will take more than
four years to produce!
At the end of my tour, I got to sample this
magnificent brew and it really did blow me away! The
Cantillon Gueuze is an incredibly multifaceted brew
that lends a medley of sour, zesty and floral notes
overlaying an amazing earthy funk. It is extremely
refreshing with an almost ‘squeaky’ tartness and
complexity that is hard to put your finger on. A
true masterpiece!
Aside from the Gueuze and Grand Cru lambics,
An old beer filter from  
Cantillon also prides itself on producing seasonal 1900 still in use at Cantillon
fruit beers such as Kriek (cherry lambic), Framboise
(raspberry lambic), Vigneronne (grape lambic), Fou’
Fonne (apricot lambic) and Faro beers. GETTING THERE
I walked out of Cantillon having felt as though I had SWISS International Airlines fly return from Sydney-Brussels from
$1,790
truly experienced and savoured something special,
a place that has completely avoided the temptations www.swiss.com
of modernisation and the short-cuts that come with
GETTING AROUND
it. Instead of holding profit and efficiency as its most
My Tip: Get a Eurail Pass – it will give you complete freedom to jump
important objective, for the family-run Cantillon on and off trains at your own leisure so you can let the good
Brewery, it is still all about culture, dedication, art and times roll!
quality.
www.raileurope.com.au

Barrels being cleaned by the old chain-tumbling technique

Photography by Tim Charody

Autumn 2016  67
ENTERTAINING – FOOD

Ben’s
Meat
Bible
WE HAVE THREE MEATY DISHES FROM
CHEF, AUTHOR AND TELEVISION
PRESENTER, BEN O’DONOGHUE’S LATEST
BOOK BEN’S MEAT BIBLE SURE TO PLEASE
THE CARNIVORE IN EACH OF US

T
aking his inspiration from around the
world, O’Donoghue brings together 130
recipes to appeal to meat lovers who
want unfussy, easy food that’s fresh,
seasonal and tastes great. Barbecue
enthusiasts are spoilt for choice,
but there are also lots of recipes for people who like to
experiment with other cooking methods.
With everything from comfort food greats like pulled
beef burgers and Southern fried chicken, to international
favourites like tonkotsu miso ramen and beef rendang,
Ben’s Meat Bible takes you way beyond the boring old ‘meat
and three veg’.

This is an edited extract

from Ben’s Meat Bible by
Ben O’Donoghue published
by Hardie Grant Books RRP
$39.95 and is available in
stores nationally.

68  www.beerandbrewer.com
 ENTERTAINING – FOOD
AN EASY
MATCH
Match with an American red
ale like Grand Ridge
JAPANESE BRAISED WAGYU SHORT RIBS
Mirboo Madness Serves 4
(pg73)
Ingredients
4 x 300g (10½ oz) wagyu beef
short ribs
100ml (3½ fl oz) light soy sauce
3 spring onions (scallions),
white parts only, chopped
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
500ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) veal
or beef stock
100g (3½ oz) unsalted butter,
cubed
Ají Panca Sauce
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fermented Korean chilli
paste (available from Asian
supermarkets)
60ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) rice
vinegar
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp finely cracked black
pepper
1 tbsp finely grated garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp sunflower oil
To Serve
Cooked short-grain rice
Togarashi salt (see recipe
below)
Shiso cress or watercress
Method
1. Place the beef and soy
sauce in a large zip-lock
bag. Transfer to the
refrigerator to marinate
for at least three hours or,
ideally, overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 110°C
(225°F). Remove the
ribs from the marinade
and place them in a
flameproof casserole dish
with the spring onion
whites, mushrooms, garlic
and stock. Cover with a
sheet of baking paper,
Note then with aluminium foil
Wagyu short ribs are available and finally seal with the
from specialty butchers, but if
lid. Place in the oven and
you can’t find them, use the more allow to cook for four-five
affordable alternative of grass-fed hours, or until the beef is
beef short ribs. If you have time, very tender.
marinate the beef the night before
3. Meanwhile, make the ají
you want to cook it for maximum
panca sauce. Blend the
flavour. Any left-over ají panca
sauce is also excellent served with
chargrilled steak.
sauce ingredients together
in a food processor and
set aside.
4. Carefully remove the
beef to a plate. Strain
the cooking liquid into a
small saucepan and skim
as much fat as possible
from the surface. Place
the pan with the cooking
liquid over a medium heat
and simmer, uncovered,
to reduce the liquid by
about half. Transfer
the beef back into the
casserole dish, along with
the reduced liquor, and
heat to a simmer on the
stove top. Add the butter
and use a spoon to baste
the sauce continuously
over the beef. The sauce
should be thick and evenly
glaze the ribs. Stir in the
ají panca sauce and check
the seasoning. Continue
to simmer for a further 10
minutes, basting with the
glaze frequently.
5. Serve with steamed rice
sprinkled with togarashi
salt and shiso cress or
watercress.
TOGARASHI SALT
Makes about 200g (7oz)
Ingredients
130g (4½ oz/1 cup) sea salt
flakes
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 sheet nori seaweed, toasted
1 large piece of dried tangerine
peel (see note below)
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
Method
Combine all of the ingredients
in a food processor and
blend well, then transfer to a
refillable salt grinder, where it
will keep for up to one month.
Note: dried tangerine peel
adds a unique fruity and floral
note to this salt. It is available
from Asian supermarkets
or specialist stores.
Autumn 2016  69
ENTERTAINING – FOOD

MEAT SALT
Makes about 200g (7oz)

Ingredients
130g (4½ oz/1 cup) sea salt flakes
1 tbsp celery salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
1 tsp finely chopped sage
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground cumin
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 60°C
(140°F).
2. Combine the salts, pepper and
herbs in a mortar and pestle
and grind until you have a fine
powder. Add the onion and
garlic powders, paprika and
cumin, and grind some more
until completely combined.
3. Tip the mixture out onto a
baking tray lined with baking
paper and dry out in the oven
for about six hours, or until the
AN EASY salt is completely dry. Remove
from the oven and allow to
MATCH cool on the tray. Transfer to an
airtight container where it will
keep for up to a month, or store
Match with a cider like in a refillable salt grinder.
Thatchers Gold
English Cider
(pg74)

CLASSIC ROAST PORK

Serves 6
This method of cooking is a little different and is more Asian in concept,
as the pork is poached before it is roasted. Once roasted, the pork can be
accompanied by a variety of flavours. For a traditional meal, roast your
choice of veg in the same tray as the pork and serve with a great apple
sauce, or jazz it up with Asian accompaniments or Mexican sides.
Ingredients
1 x 2.5kg (5½ lb) pork belly
2 tbsp sea salt or flavoured salt (see recipe above)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Use a sharp knife to score the surface of the pork skin in a cross-
hatch pattern. Rub 1 tablespoon of the salt all over the pork,
especially the skin and scoring. Place in a roasting tin and pour over
enough water to submerge the pork fully. Cover with a snug-fitting
piece of baking paper and a large piece of aluminium foil.
3. Bake in the oven for 1½ hours, until tender and soft. Carefully drain
the water from the tin and set the pork aside to dry out and cool.
Once cooled, generously season the skin with the remaining salt,
rubbing it into the scoring well. Crank the oven up to 240°C (480°F),
as you need to blast the pork with heat to start off the crackling.
4. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until the skin starts to bubble, then
reduce the heat to 180°C (350°F) and continue to roast for a further
30 minutes, or until the skin turns golden brown and crispy. Remove
from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

70  www.beerandbrewer.com
 ENTERTAINING – FOOD

JAMAICAN BARBECUED
GOAT LEG
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 tbsp allspice berries
2 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
4 garlic cloves, crushed
8cm (3¼ in) piece ginger, peeled and
chopped
2 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
90g (3¼ oz/¾ cup) finely chopped
spring onions (scallions)
60ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) honey
2 tsp salt
Drizzle of olive oil
Zest of 1 lime
1 x 2kg (4 lb 6 oz) boneless young
goat leg

Method
1. Blitz all the ingredients except the
goat in a food processor to make
the marinade.
2. Place the goat leg into a large
bowl, pour over the marinade and
toss to coat completely.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap
and refrigerate for two hours or
preferably overnight.
4. Remove from the refrigerator one
hour before cooking.
5. Crank up the barbecue (or heat a
chargrill pan). Remove the goat
from the bowl, reserving the
marinade, and cook for about
15 minutes over medium-high
heat, until nicely browned. Move
the goat onto the resting rack of
the barbecue, close the lid and
cook for 35-40 minutes, basting
occasionally with the reserved
marinade. This will give you
medium-rare meat – ideal for goat.
Alternatively, if using a chargrill
AN EASY pan, transfer the browned goat

MATCH
to an oven preheated to 180°C
(350°F) and bake for 30-40
minutes, or until cooked to
your liking.
Match with Two Birds
Sunset Ale 6. Transfer the goat to a platter
(pg73) and rest, covered with foil, for 10
minutes before serving.

Autumn 2016  71
THIS EDITION OUR TASTING PANEL FOCUSED ON
AMBER AND RED ALES, AS WELL AS THE LATEST

TASTING
RELEASES. HERE ARE THE RESULTS

the panel

Stef Collins Tina Bill Taylor Neal Cameron Brian Watson Graham Ian Kingham
Stefanie is the Panoutsos Head brewer for Coming from Brian is currently Wright Ian has judged
previous editor Tina started Lion Nathan, Bill starting William brewmaster at the Graham has had a at the Australian
of Beer & Brewer working for CUB Taylor has more Bull Brewery for Island Brewing full and varied life Craft Beer
and has gone in 1989 as a than 30 years’ De Bortoli Wines, Co. (Fiji Islands), that has generally Awards, Royal
on to work with Quality Assurance experience in Neal Cameron working with revolved around Perth Beer Show
a variety of Chemist. She brewing and the is currently DME Brewing alcohol. With a and Sydney Royal
Australian craft currently holds beer industry. head brewer at Services in the background in Beer Competition.
breweries and the position of An international The Australian Asia Pacific, and retailing, he’s He has also
organise a beer CUB’s sensory beer judge, Bill is Brewery. He is founder and currently an completed
festival. When manager. Her a past president is a beer and director at Good auctioneer at courses in beer
she isn’t working focus is to of the Institute cider judge, George Brewing, Oddbins Wine and food pairing
with beer, she improve all of Brewing and a committee in Hamilton (NZ). Auctions and and studied food
is writing about aspects of Distilling and a member for NSW Past chief judge is a director of science at UWS
it, drinking it, or beer and cider founding member Brewers Guild at the NZ Beer The Odd Whisky (with a major
hoarding it in her education as well of the NSW and a regular Awards, current Coy, Australia’s focus on brewing).
three dedicated as support CUB Brewers Guild. contributor to judge at the World only specialist
beer fridges. brewing sites Beer & Brewer. Beer Cup (USA) importer of fine,
through improved and AIBA. rare and hard-to-
sensory data. find whiskies.

72  www.beerandbrewer.com
Two Birds Sunset Ale
4.6% ABV, 330ml
We have to accept that liking a
beer is easily influenced by the
brand and the story as well as
the actual beer itself so with Two
Birds we’re kind of happy before
the beer is even poured. A delight
therefore that they’re producing
some absolute cracking beers. The
Sunset Ale is a celebration of malt
with a rich melanoidin hit in aroma
and palate, balanced, smooth and
moreish with a complex reddish
hue worthy of an Olsen painting. If
the object of beer is to make you
happy, this one’s a little pink pill
for sure.
Style: Red ale
Glass: Schooner
Food Match: Something meaty
and seared
Twobirdsbrewing.com.au
Endeavour Reserve
Amber Ale
4.5% ABV, 330ml
The deep amber colour of the
beer is accentuated by the rich
creamy foam. Aromas of milk and
dark chocolate, almost malted
caramel milk notes provide a good
backdrop for the subtle spicy hop
notes. The palate realigns to an
initial hoppy character supported
by the toasted malt sweetness
providing a rich balance and finish.
Style: Amber ale
Glass: Large tulip
Food Match: Grilled chicken
burgers with melted Gruyère
Endeavourbeer.com
Clare Valley
Monkey’s Uncle
4.5% ABV, 330ml
Well, I’ll be…this was quite
pleasant. A good balance
of toasted malt and subtle
hop notes to provide enough
definition without being
overpowering. The nutty notes
are reminiscent of walnut shells
and the bitterness is moderate
(lower than expected) and
rounded. A clean beer, which
overall is a good example of
the style.
Style: American amber/ red ale
Glass: Large tulip
Food Match: Honey soy chicken
on a bed of red rice
Clarevalleybrewing.com.au
Hawthorn Amber Ale
4.7% ABV, 330ml
A deep amber colour provides a
hint of the flavours to come. The
aroma is a blend of chocolaty
caramel and toasted malt notes.
The earthiness of the hops blend
well with the malt flavours on
the palate and complement the
burnt caramel-like bitterness
in the finish. Dry hop character
is evident but not dominant
allowing the malt
to shine.
Style: English amber ale
Glass: Large tulip
Food Match: Warmed figs
with creamy goats cheese and
prosciutto
Hawthornbrewing.com.au
Grand Ridge
Mirboo Madness
6% ABV, 330ml
Great presentation and colour,
this is immediately appealing.
It is assertively hoppy, where
the complexity continues on
the palate, balanced by the
rich toasted malt notes. The
firm bitterness and dry hop
characteristics linger and build
with each mouthful but is well-
harmonised by the toffee like malt
sweetness.
Style: American red ale
Glass: Large tulip
Food Match: Juicy, sticky, fall-off-
the-bone barbecue ribs
Grand-ridge.com.au
Harrington’s Breweries
The Classy Red
Session Red IPA
4.8% ABV, 330ml
More copper than red, this session
IPA is a good example of the
style. Toasted, caramelised toffee
notes rise above the new world
hops to provide a balanced aroma
and similar transition of flavours
into the palate. The bitterness
is assertive and lingering with
each mouthful, accentuated by a
slightly thin palate overall.
Style: Session red IPA
Glass: Spiegelau IPA
Food Match: Warmed pita bread
with Middle Eastern dips
Harringtons.nz
Bootleg One Offs The
Oaked Amber One
4.5% ABV, 330ml
One to try while you can. An
outstanding balance of flavours,
texture, mouthfeel and finish. It
pours well, and the aroma entices
quickly with its subtle charred
oaky notes and hint of resinous
hop. A few seconds in and the
vanilla aroma surfaces and is
complemented by toasted malts.
Following through to the palate,
moderate bitterness to provide
balance. The finish is rounded and
smooth, making this a surprisingly
moreish beer.
Style: Amber ale
Glass: Large tulip
Food Match: Quicke’s Clothbound
Cheddar with oatmeal crackers
Bootlegbrewery.com.au
Modus Operandi
Former Tenant Red IPA
7.8% ABV, 946ml can
Imported head brewer DJ
McReady came from being the
development brewer for Oskar
Blues and importing this kind of
skill has ensured a rapid rise to
stardom for this still relatively
young brewery. DJ is not
scared of adding hops as this
intimidatingly-hopped IPA will
attest – his real skill however is
in making the rest of the beer a
happy place such that the hops
are brilliantly showcased and
are allowed to exude their spicy
and aromatic charm.
Style: American IPA
Glass: Half-pint
Food Match: Texas ribs and
buttered corn
Mobrewing.com.au
Autumn 2016  73
TASTING
Thomas Cooper’s
Selection
Celebration Ale
5.2% ABV, 355ml
A rich copper red colour and
beautifully thick beige foam
provide an enticing beer to
explore. The aroma was a complex
blend of tropical and stone fruit
hop notes, a citrus, grapefruit
note and subtle resinous hop
character. The fruit-driven hop
hit is balanced by a rich, nutty
malt character that complements
rather than stands out. The palate
is biscuity and rich, rounding out
the firm bitterness that although
lingers it is well-rounded and
harmonious.
Style: Hoppy ale
Glass: Large tulip
Food Match: Slow-cooked lamb
roast with twice-cooked potatoes
Coopers.com.au
Wilde Gluten
Free Pale Ale
4.5% ABV, 330ml
Gluten free beers are not made of
barley so one should never expect
them to taste the same. Once
that hurdle has been jumped this
beer can be properly appreciated.
Wilde is super pale with a distinct
sweet malt extract nose and a
delicate and spicy hop aroma.
You may need a little genetic
encouragement to pick up this
beer but it comes in neck and
neck with many other day-to-day
quaffers.
Style: Gluten free pale ale
Glass: Schooner
Food Match: Chicken laksa
Wildebeer.com.au
74  www.beerandbrewer.com
Moa Cherry Sour
2013 Vintage
5.9% ABV, 375ml
The souring process in beer is
often a highly complex one and
to do it well takes great skill and
experience – many current sours
show this to be true. But then
there’s Moa. A beguiling simplicity
in what they do; good beer + fruit
+ time and let nature take its
course. In the 2013 the fruit has
diminished but a lightening, clean
acidity and a structurally perfect
beer make for an experience that
puts many others to shame.
Style: Kriek
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Welsh rarebit made
with Brie
Moabeer.com
Wilde Gluten Free
Raspberry Pale Ale
3% ABV, 330ml
Whilst it’s a little hard to imagine
many occasions when a gluten
free raspberry flavoured pale
ale is going to be the exact thing
that really hits the spot, this is
a surprisingly well-constructed
beer. Fresh raspberry aroma, clean
slightly bitter palate and heaps
of delicate acidity to balance the
malt sweetness instead of relying
on just the hops. A niche beer for
sure, but bravo for executing it
so well.
Style: Gluten free fruit beer
Glass: Wine glass
Food Match: Smashed avocado
on sourdough toast
Wildebeer.com.au
Blue Moon Summer
Honey Wheat
5.2% ABV, 330ml
Good beer is made by happy
yeast. Unfortunately the natural
antiseptic properties of honey
have a tendency to put said yeast
in a bad mood. The more you add,
the more likely you are to bring
out some weirdness. Happily in
this instance a fair balance has
been struck, the thick sweet
honey character rests well with a
light summery ale and only a bare
hint of some sulphury stress notes
that blows off quickly.
Style: Honey wheat beer
Glass: Wheat beer
Food Match: Honey-drizzled
waffles
Facebook.com/bluemoonaus
Little Creatures
Original Pilsner
4.6% ABV, 330ml
If ever there was a beer
overshadowed by its massively
popular big brother, this is it. The
Little Creatures brewers clearly
know their job and whilst it will
never hit the popularity of the
Pale Ale, the Pilsner is arguably
nowadays the better beer. Delicate
fruity/spicy hop aroma as befits
a Pilsner and a wonderfully dry
palate that gives a gloriously high
drinkability. Rumour has it there’s
been some genuine German
influence at play lately in the LC
camp and it’s very easy to believe.
Style: German Pilsner
Glass: Pilsner flute
Food Match: Tempura prawns and
hand-cut chips
Littlecreatures.com.au
Thatchers Gold
English Cider
4.8% ABV, 330ml
There’s been a big play in recent
times on producing extremely
pale, almost white ciders;
considered an indication of
purity and delicacy. Delicacy,
schmellacacy we say. Great ciders
around the world have a golden
hue as micro-oxidation helps to
break down tannins and acidity
in the apples to give flavour and
complexity. So there’s a clue in the
name of this cider and a delicate
oxidative colour is present with a
corresponding rich, cidery, warm
apple note.
Style: English cider
Glass: Half-pint
Food Match: Pork schnitzel with
apple coleslaw
Thatcherscider.co.uk
Riders Brewing Easy
Rider Golden Ale
4.6% ABV, 330ml
A curious style the golden ale,
it’s not really defined anywhere
and so is entirely open to
interpretation. The Easy Rider
version is firmly leaning towards
a maltier summer ale. Whilst
there are US and Australian hops
listed, it’s the latter hop that
comes across straight away with
melon and pear very notable.
A dry, slightly coarse palate is
certainly refreshing but there’s a
bit of structure missing that might
elevate the whole thing.
Style: Golden ale
Glass: Schooner
Food Match: Honey-seared
salmon
Ridersbrewing.com.au
4 Pines Indian
Summer Pale Ale
4.2% ABV, 375ml
4 Pines is second only to Coopers
now in volume produced for
the Australian market, hard to
believe for a company that has
only been around eight years and
started from a little brewery in
Manly. But it’s got there by doing
things in a quietly competent
manner. No surprises therefore
that this canned summer ale
does exactly what it says on the
label. A delicate pale ale, a good
hit of fruity hops and a very
pretty can that will be distributed
everywhere.
Style: Australian pale ale
Glass: Straight-sided half pint
Food Match: Chicken burger with
herb mayonnaise
4pinesbeer.com.au
Lord Nelson Seasonal
Ale Double Nelson IPA
5.4% ABV, 500ml
Deep amber colour, with a lightly
beige foam and fairly good
cling, this is a boldly hoppy beer.
Evident resinous hop notes of
pine and sandalwood pipe up
early followed by burnt caramel
in the background. The palate
is assertive on both bitterness
and bitter caramel/toffee
characteristics but well-balanced
for the intensity. It’s rounded and
quite moreish. A good beer to kick
back with.
Style: American pale ale
Glass: Spiegelau IPA
Food Match: Succulent pork
Lordnelsonbrewery.com
Matso’s Rare Release
Ginger Barley Wine
11% ABV, 500ml
Sweeter than Willy Wonka’s late
night sugar rush highway but
there’s rum and spices and a
decent hit of ginger, although
more would be welcome to bite
through the intense sweetness. If
there’s a style of beer that holds
onto barrel-ageing well it’s a
barley wine although again, more
astringency and vanillin would be
welcome in this example. There’s
some of the complexity and silky
smoothness one would expect but
much of it is hidden by sugar
and spice and all things...well
you decide.
Style: Barrel-aged barley wine
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Tarte tatin
Matsos.com.au
Bridge Road Bling
Bling Imperial IPA
8.5% ABV, 330ml
Did they say hop bomb? Got that
right! Packed full of wet hop cone
notes, freshly cut grass, resinous
almost sandalwood aromas that
transition into the palate and
supported by rich malt flavours
that round out and integrate
the emphatic hop flavours.
The higher alcohol notes in the
aroma are evident after a little
while and together with the full
malt sweetness on the palate,
provide a warming, soothing and
balancing effect to the excessive
bitterness. A surprisingly moreish
beer that lingers beautifully.
Style: Imperial IPA
Glass: Spiegelau IPA
Food Match: Sticky beef cheek
burgers with melted Jarlsberg
Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au
Endeavour Growers
Pale Ale
4.5% ABV, 330ml
A definite nod to the growers they
pay tribute to. A fine example of
the style, with evident tropical
fruit and sweet stone fruit notes
on the aroma that transition to
the palate. Supported by the
slight toffee notes on the palate, it
finishes with an assertive, mildly
lingering bitterness. A clean beer
that drinks well.
Style: Pale ale
Glass: Stemmed tulip
Food Match: Wood-fired pizza
topped with prosciutto, buffalo
mozzarella and baby basil leaves
Endeavourbeer.com
Two Metre Tall Derwent
Aromatic Spelt Ale
5.9% ABV, 500ml
An even, dense yeast suspension
provides depth to the dark
straw colour and thick white
foam but also a mouthfeel
supported by the sour notes on
the palate. The spicy hop and
phenolic characteristics provide
a complex aroma that varies with
temperature and almost every
sip, hints of anise, bergamot and
a little sandalwood. The palate is
grippy and sharp to begin with
but evolves into a mouth-watering
sensation of flavours and a well-
integrated bitterness.
Style: Farmhouse sour ale
Glass: Large tulip
Food Match: St Agur blue cheese
or a creamy Fromager d’Affinois
2mt.com.au
Sierra Nevada
Nooner Pilsner
5.2% ABV, 355ml
Appealing, enticing and it delivers
as promised. A very easy-drinking
Pilsner, kicking off with obvious
spicy hop notes and followed
through by a herbal, earthy hop
character. The palate is malty
and full, balanced by an assertive
yet rounded bitterness that
provides a cleansing, crisp finish.
A pleasingly easy Pilsner to drink
and sessionable with our without
food.
Style: German-style Pilsner
Glass: Pilsner
Food Match: Reuben on rye
Sierranevada.com
Moa Festive IPA
(Belgian Edition)
6% ABV, 500ml
If it’s hops you’re after, then this
will provide! An appealing burnt
orange colour, good dense foam
and cling, this beer opens up to a
plethora of spice, floral and citrus
hop notes evident as the liquorice,
musk and grapefruit aromas come
through. The palate is assertively
bitter, firm and a slightly resinous
astringency across the mid-palate
with a peppery hop note lingering
warmly across the back. A full and
complex beer to savour.
Style: American-style IPA
Glass: Spiegelau IPA
Food Match: Rich, slow-cooked
beef ragu with fresh pasta
Moabeer.com
Autumn 2016  75
TASTING
Moa St Josephs
Belgian Tripel
9.5% ABV, 500ml
This is dessert for the big
boys and girls. Full of banana
and pineapple esters, toffee,
caramelised butterscotch and
sweet candied fruit on the aroma.
The palate is warming, smooth
and luscious. Rich and malty, the
bitterness provides balance and
restores the sessionability of this
beer. A spicy character slowly
evolves to shift the interest as it
warms. An interesting, complex
yet harmonised beer.
Style: Belgian tripel
Glass: Large tulip
Food Match: Platter of cheese,
dried muscatels and quince paste
Moabeer.com
Grand Ridge Pale Ale
4.7% ABV, 330ml
Hailing from Mirboo North in
Victoria, Grand Ridge is one of
Australia’s longest-running craft
breweries. If you like Ella hops this
American-style pale ale is the beer
for you. Good weight on the palate
but you have to dig for the malt
over the perfumed hops. A nice
lingering, dry bitterness.
Style: Pale ale
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Duck pancakes
Grand-ridge.com.au
76  www.beerandbrewer.com
Bridge Road
Hefeweizen
5% ABV, 330ml
Clean, fresh if a little simple, just
hits the nail on the head when it is
a warm summer’s day. Good head
retention, slight turbidity, subtle
flowery flavours ,with a hint of
sourness and the crunch of wheat.
Style: Hefeweizen
Glass: Spiegelau wheat
Food Match: Moules and frites
Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au
Bridge Road Little Bling
3.4% ABV, 330ml
Ah! Those famous blings and this
is their little sibling. Very cloudy,
almost opaque. Big hop lift on
the nose, medium weight on
the palate but very narrow and
long and the hops dominate the
flavours. You have to dig a bit for
the malt but overall a great beer
with lots of flavour for its ABV.
Style: Mid-strength IPA
Glass: Spiegelau IPA
Food Match: Spicy Mexican tacos
Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au
Grand Ridge
Golden Ale
4.3% ABV, 330ml
A wheat and malt combo that
was supposed to be full of
galaxy hops. If it was there, I
couldn’t find it. Otherwise a
sweet malty entry then ends in
a very drying bitterness and the
colour is certainly golden with
a hint of cloudiness. The malt
comes across as duty but it is the
bitterness that lingers.
Style: Golden ale
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Spicy chicken wings
Grand-ridge.com.au
Golden Road
Hefeweizen
4.6% ABV, 355ml
Golden Road Brewing in
California has a distinct range
of canned craft beers. This
hefeweizen presents deep gold
in colour and has a snowy white
head. The aroma offers a hint of
clove and banana, at the lower
end for style, blending nicely
with some citrus notes. Medium
bodied, Golden Road, has some
good malt layering and is a
refreshing take on the traditional
German variety. Slightly tart
on the finish with a signature
dryness derived from wheat.
Style: Hefeweizen
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Pork medallions
Goldenroad.la
Napoleone American
Pale Ale
4.5% ABV, 330ml
Light copper in colour, good head
retention smelling of fresh hops.
Clean tasting but a tad light in
texture for an American IPA for
me. Loads of bitterness that was
a little out of whack with the dirty
malt flavours.
Style: Pale ale
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Roasted quail with
quinoa salad
Napoleone.com.au
Bridge Road Chevalier
Bier de Garde
7.5% ABV, 750mL
The biggest in the Chevalier range,
the Biere De Garde is loosely-
based on traditional Belgian and
French farmhouse ales. Rich
caramel in colour with a creamy
off-white head, the beer has
aromas of star anise, clove, dried
fruits and yeast-driven esters.
The palate has a full spectrum of
malty flavours with some residual
sweetness.
Style: Bière de Garde
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Roast quail with
potato gratin
Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

BEER & BREWER CONSULTING EDITOR
IAN KINGHAM SHARES HIS NOTES ON
EIGHT BEERS HE’S TASTED LATELY
Big Job
7.2% ABV, 500ml
Hailing from St Austell Brewery,
this double IPA is chock full of
hops. Golden in appearance with
a light lacy head. Spicy, herbal
aroma with great sensory layering
on the nose unveils a beer with
some surprise. The alcohol is
exceptionally well-concealed
and the excessive hopping adds
flavour without astringency. The
malt carry is good and the finish is
impressively light.
Style: Cornish double IPA
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Cornish pasty
Staustellbrewery.co.uk
Mountain Goat
In-Breed The Naz
6.5% ABV, 640ml
Mountain Goat has a solid
reputation in brewing seasonal
styles and experimental beers as
well as a good stable of regular
brews. The dark red-brown
appearance suggests rich malt
beneath a fawn head. An aroma of
stewed fruit complemented with
nut and biscuit malt. For style,
‘The Naz’ is more of an entry level
scotch ale, with the characteristics
of the style, light and sessionable,
without the deep richness akin to
many other scotch ales. Good malt
layering is evident and the alcohol
is well-held. A malty finish with
good nuttiness.
Style: Scotch ale
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Beef wellington
Goatbeer.com.au
Hoegaarden
Wit Blanche
4.9% ABV, 330ml
A global beer, which strongly
optimises the style of a Belgian
wit. A cloudy lemon appearance
topped by a thick white head. The
citrusy lemon and orange aroma,
with coriander and a hint of white
pepper gives way to a refreshing
easy-drinking palate. Soft wheat
malt infused with citrus blends
well. The finish is clean and dry
with a light residual tartness.
Style: Wheat beer
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Barramundi
Hoegaarden.com
Two to the Valley IPA
5.9% ABV, 330ml
Newstead Brewing Co. is a recent
revelation in Brisbane, with a short
history but a big reputation. Two
to the Valley IPA appears copper
in colour adorned with a creamy
tan head. The aroma has some
resinous pine notes and citrus
underpinned by biscuit maltiness.
The palate reflects the aroma,
with good hops leading from
a well-rounded malt base. It is
evident that balance, flavour and
style have had more consideration
than gratuitous hop bombing,
which gives excellent appeal and
drinkability. The moderate hop
finish rounds the beer nicely.
Style: IPA
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Duck pancakes
Newsteadbrewing.com.au
The Fox Hop &
Rye Lager
4.8% ABV, 500ml
Rabbit & Spaghetti is the wine
brand of Adam Barton and now
an intriguing beer, a lager with a
real difference. The appearance
is deep gold with a firm white
head. Grassy aroma combining
bready rye and malt notes with
hop floral and spice additions.
Distinctly fresh, the beer is clean
and offers a well-made lager base
blended with a layering of nettle,
spicy hops and biscuit malt. The
finish is full and well-balanced with
lingering malt. A technically well-
made, excellent beer.
Style: Lager
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Spare ribs
Rabbitandspghettibrewing.com
La Goudale
7.2% ABV, 500ml
La Goudale heralds from Les
Brasseurs de Gayant in France, a
significant commercial brewing
operation with broad global
distribution. The appearance is
a soft, golden honey, with light
lacy foam. On aroma there is a
pleasant yeasty note synonymous
with the style, coupled with some
grainy malt and light peppery
hop notes. The palate hides the
alcohol well and offers a blend of
herbaceous hops, honey-like malt
and soft stone fruit peachiness.
The finish is dry and has lingering
fruity tones.
Style: Bière de Garde
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Gorgonzola
Lagoudale.com
TASTING
4 Pines Keller Door
West Coast Red Rye IPA
7.3% ABV, 500ml
4 Pines Brewing Co. has been
operating since 2008 and its
seasonal and experimental beers
are released under its Keller Door
brand. This brew was released in
September 2015. As expected,
it pours a deep red and has a
medium foam. Aromatically, it
offers some rich malt and caramel
integrated with bready character
and high hop notes. The palate
offers good malt layering and
grapefruit, gooseberry flavour is
evident. Well-balanced, the beer
finishes full and gruff, with some
nice alcohol warmth.
Style: IPA
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Braised lamb shanks
4pinesbeer.com.au
Proper Job
5.5% ABV, 500ml
St Austell Brewery is based in
Cornwall, England and remains
an independent family business,
which dates back to 1851. Proper
Job unashamedly calls out
‘powerfully hopped’ on the label
and for an English-style beer
it is. Pouring bright gold in the
glass with low foam, the aroma
is peppery and herbal, with
clean malt character and a hint
of lychee. The taste of nettle
and hops is well-cushioned by
layered malt leaving a clean, soft
bitter finish.
Style: IPA
Glass: Tulip
Food Match: Roast lamb
Staustellbrewery.co.uk
Distributor: World Brands
Autumn 2016  77
AUSTRALIA & NZ DIRECTORY
Australia & NZ Directory
Breweries
ACT
BENTSPOKE BREWING CO.
38 Mort Street, Braddon ACT 2612
(02) 6257 5220
www.bentspokebrewing.com.au
Open 11am to midnight every day
NSW
AUSTRALIAN BEER COMPANY
1 Wakley Road, Yenda NSW 2681
1800 112 337
(8am-7pm EST, Mon-Fri)
Follow us to find out more and
share our passion for beer
Facebook, Instagram:
australianbeerco,
Twitter: ausbeerco
AUSTRALIAN BREWERY
350 Annangrove Road,
Rouse Hill NSW 2155
(02) 9679 4555
brewer@australianbrewery.com.au
www.australianbrewery.com.au
Cellar door open 10am-10pm daily
78  www.beerandbrewer.com
BURLEIGH BREWING COMPANY
2 Ern Harley Drive, Burleigh Heads
QLD 4220
www.burleighbrewing.com.au
Opening hours at Burleigh Brewing
Brewery and Tap House are Wed
Restaurant and Microbrewery and Thurs 3-6pm, Fri 3-8.30pm,
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Craft Beer. Sun 2-6pm. Join the crew for
117-119 Princes Hwy, Sylvania, NSW tastings and takeaways, tours,
www.blackrockbrasserie.com.au live music, special events and
02 9522-5558
other opportunities for spending
time with the Burleigh Brewing
crew – and their beer – in their
new brewery. More information
including events and tours,
available on the website.
REDOAK BOUTIQUE BEER CAFÉ
201 Clarence Street,
VIC
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9262 3303
info@redoak.com.au
www.redoak.com.au
Fremantle & Geelong
Open: Mon-Sat 11am until late Breweries.
(lunch & dinner)
littlecreatures.com.au
ST PETERS BREWERY
15 May Street, St Peters NSW 2044
(02) 9519 0191
info@stpetersbrewerysydney.com.au
www.stpetersbrewerysydney.com.au
Beer: Green Star Lager, Killagh LCR0016-B&B-DIR-0103 109.5x41.5 v5.indd 2/03/2016
1 4:19 pm
Stout, Cinnamon Girl & Ugly
American Pale Ale
SOUTHERN BAY BREWING CO.
80 Point Henry Road,
QLD HOLGATE BREWHOUSE Moolap VIC 3224
79 High Street, Woodend VIC 3442 (03) 5248 5710
(03) 5427 2510 info@SouthernBay.com.au
www.holgatebrewhouse.com www.SouthernBay.com.au
Open 7 Days from 12noon to late
TWO BIRDS BREWING –
ARCHIVE BEER BOUTIQUE BREWERY AND TASTING ROOM
BISTRO 136 Hall Street, Spotswood VIC
100 Boundary Street, 3015
West End Brisbane QLD 4101 For current food and drink
07 3844 3419 NAPOLEONE BREWERY & menu, opening hours and to
info@archivebeerboutique.com.au CIDERHOUSE book a brewery tour
www.archivebeerboutique.com.au 12 St Huberts Road, www.twobirdsbrewing.com.au
Open Monday to Sunday Coldstream VIC 3770
11am till late (03) 9739 0666
brewery@napoleone.com.au
www.napoleone.com.au
Open 7 days from 10am
SA Cider Education

COOPERS
461 South Road, COSTANZO BREWING
AUSTRALIAN BREWERY
Regency Park SA 5010 350 Annangrove Road, CONSULTANTS
(08) 8440 1800 Rouse Hill NSW 2155 Mobile +61 (0)408 104 176
www.coopers.com.au (02) 9679 4555 vince@costanzobrewing.com
Tours available 1pm brewer@australianbrewery.com.au www.costanzobrewing.com
Tuesday to Friday www.australianbrewery.com.au www.precisionbrewingsystems.com
Cellar door open 10am-10pm daily Brewing School & Craft Brewery
Services
WA Proven how to brew consistent
Distributors beer courses in Melbourne,
Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Proud agents for
Wellington and Singapore
Start your microbrewery with a Meheen Manufacturing
Masterbrewer Filling & Carbonating Technologies
www.meheen.com
COWARAMUP BREWING CO. We help you with accurate
North Treeton Road,
BEER IMPORTERS & knowledge, getting started, design, News Flash
Cowaramup WA 6284 DISTRIBUTORS procure, install & commission Meheen now builds a
(08) 9755 5822 Unit 5/20-28 Ricketty Street, bespoke breweries, & provide lab, pressure sensitive labeller
Mascot NSW 2020 QC training www.breowan.com
www.cowaramupbrewing.com.au
Tours available by appointment (02) 9667 3755
Australia +61 427 007 800
Open 7 days a week 11am – 6pm info@bidbeer.com New Zealand +64 274 874 783
www.bidbeer.com andrew@breowan.com
www.facebook.com/
BeerImportersDistributors
Beers: Abita, Warsteiner, Greene
THE MONK BREWERY King, Chimay, Duvel
& KITCHEN
33 South Terrace,
Fremantle WA 6160 FB*PROPAK
(08) 9336 7666 24-26 National Boulevard,
beer@themonk.com.au Campbellfield VIC 3061
Open every day 11:30am until late
NORTHDOWN
(03) 9924 4050
+61 432 829 921
info@fbpropak.com
Adam@northdown.com.au RTO Code: 41026
www.fbpropak.com
www.northdown.com.au
NZ Amager, Baird, Beer Here, Bone
Twitter: @FB_PROPAK
Specialised team has more
Yard, Croucher, Dainton, Dugges,
than 40 years of experience
Edge, Evil Twin, Golden Axe Cider,
in providing various brewing
Kaiju!, Mikkeller, Moylans, Omnipollo,
equipment solutions, including
Red Duck, Stillwater Artisanal

MOA BREWING COMPANY

Jacksons Road, RD3 Blenheim
Marlborough
Tel: +64 3 572 5146 THE BEVERAGE FOOD GROUP
www.moabeer.com 24-26 National Boulevard,
Visitors welcome Campbellfield VIC 3061
Open 11am – 5pm or late, 7 days (03) 9924 4000
info@thebeveragefoodgroup.com
www.thebeveragefoodgroup.com
Importer and distributor for
all food and beverage making
equipment and supplies, including
nano/home/pilot brewing products
Equipment turnkey breweries, bottling/
canning lines, filtration, tanks,
labellers, pilot/custom breweries,
refrigeration and much more
DME BREWING SERVICES
Canada
dejongm@dme.pe.ca
Aus/NZ Agent: Brian Watson
www.contractbrewing.com
www.facebook.com/dmebrewing

Autumn 2016  79
AUSTRALIA & NZ DIRECTORY

Ingredients Keg Leasing Port Macquarie

2/12 Jindalee Road, Port
VIC
and Sales Macquarie NSW 2444
ph: 02 6581 0481

Prospect
4/22 Rowood Road,
Prospect NSW 2148
HOME MAKE IT
BINTANI AUSTRALIA ph: 02 9896 1366
4/158 Wellington Road, Clayton
+61 3 9580 3566 VIC 3168
Richmond
sales@bintani.com.au 265 Spring Street, Reservoir VIC
KEG LEASE BINTANI AUSTRALIA Shop 13 ‘Orange Grove Mall’
www.bintani.com.au 3073
+61 3 9580 3566 296 Windsor Street
Malt: Simpsons, Joe White, Global (03) 9924-4030
kegs@bintani.com.au Richmond NSW 2753
Malt, Best Malz, Briess info@homemakeit.com.au
www.bintani.com.au ph: 02 4578 8345
Yeast: Fermentis www.homemakeit.com.au
Hops: Hop Products Australia, Thornleigh Twitter: @HomeMakeIt
Charles Faram European Hops, 1/10 Chilvers Road, Specialists in home brew, beverage
Hop Union US Hops Enzymes and Thornleigh NSW 2120 and food making equipment and
brewing aids ph: 02 9980 1399 supplies. Shop in-store or online
Toormina
READY KEG
BINTANI AUSTRALIA
8/1 Hi Tech Drive,
Toormina NSW 2452
SA
+61 3 9580 3566 ph: 02 6658 8397
kegs@bintani.com.au
CRYER MALT Toukley
www.bintani.com.au
Aus: 1800-119-622 356b Main Road,
sales@cryermalt.com.au Toukley NSW 2263

Insurance
www.cryermalt.co.nz ph: 02 4396 6887 COUNTRY BREWER
Malt: Weyermann, Barrett Burston, Clovelly Park
Young
Bairds, Thomas Fawcett, and 8/1240 –1242 South Road, Clovelly
45 Cloete St, Young NSW 2494
Dingemans. Belgian Dark Candi Park SA 5042
ph: 02 6382 3648
Syrup ph: 08 8177 1110
Also suppliers of kegs, cleaners, MATTY’S BREWING SUPPLIES
sanitisers and brewing enzymes 16 Mortimer Place, Kilburn
INSURANCE HOUSE Shop 7, 543 Churchill Road,
Tailored solutions for Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
0422 184 898 Kilburn SA 5084
microbrewers ph: 08 8260 2271
1300 305 834 mattysbrewingsupplies@hotmail.com
www.insurancehouse.com.au www. mattysbrewingsupplies.com.au
Beer, wine, spirits & ciders, Monthly
HOPCO PTY LTD Braumeister brewing demos WA
+61 03 62435960
hopco@bigpond.net.au
Homebrew QLD
www.hopco.com.au
Supply of hops and hop products Directory BAYSIDE BREWING & HOME
Agents for Handtmann filtration
GOURMET SUPPLIES
and beer stabilisation equipment
NSW 8 Fifth Avenue, Sandgate Qld BREWMART HOMEBREW
07 3269 6797 SUPPLIES
www.baysidebrewing.com.au 32 Railway Parade,
For all your DIY food and drink Bayswater WA 6053
supplies and equipment Phone (08) 9370 2484
NZ HOPS info@brewmart.com.au
+64 3 544 8989 www.brewmart.com.au
nzhops@nzhops.co.nz COUNTRY BREWER Facebook, Twitter
www.nzhops.co.nz Bathurst
231 Russell Street,
Bathurst NSW 2795
ph: 02 6332 1422

Kingswood
218 Great Western HWY,
Kingswood NSW 2747
ph: 02 4731 5444

Maitland
1/128 Melbourne Street,
East Maitland NSW 2323
ph: 02 4933 0058

80  www.beerandbrewer.com
 WHEAT PROMOTION

1. König Ludwig
Weissbier
A traditional German wheat beer
brewed in Bavaria in accordance
with the purity law of 1516, König
Ludwig Weissbier depicts the
style well. The customary clove
and banana aroma is evident
although somewhat restrained
with some nice bready notes
also present. The palate is rich
and full, with good malt layering
and some banana and tropical
fruit character. Rich on the finish,
with good residual maltiness and
less dry than other conventional
styles of hefeweizen.
FOOD MATCH
Beetroot and goats cheese salad
ABV: 5.5%
RRP: $5 per bottle (330ml)
Bidbeer.com
2. Blue Moon Belgian
White
A Belgian-style ale, Blue Moon
Belgian White is brewed with
white wheat and oats for a crisp,
wheat finish that’s perfectly
complemented by a combination
of orange peel and coriander. It’s
best served in a weiss glass with
an orange slice garnish to bring
out the subtle citrus aroma
and finish.
FOOD MATCH
The beer’s light, spicy, citrus
flavours pair well with seafood
such as grilled prawns and Asian
dishes like pad Thai
ABV: 5.4%
Facebook.com/bluemoonaus
3. Erdinger
Hefeweizen
Erdinger is the world’s most
popular wheat beer and
one of the few wheat beer
breweries that continue to use
the ‘Champagne method’ of
secondary fermentation in the
bottle/keg ensuring perfect
carbonation and an exceptionally
well-balanced beer. With a
distinctive bright golden colour
the flavour is mildly sweet
up front, with a good deal of
sensation from the carbonation.
The middle of the palate offers
spiced citrus notes and the finish
brings out a swirl of elegant hop
flavour.
FOOD MATCH
Delicious with chicken or
veal schnitzel
ABV: 5.3%
RRP: $6.29 per bottle
(500ml)
Baw.com.au
4. Burleigh Brewing
HEF
Burleigh Brewing HEF boasts
the classic German wheat beer
characteristics of banana and
clove, rich flavours, a bright
white head and a smooth,
creamy texture. It is an unfiltered,
refreshing, flavour-filled beer
without being overpowering.
FOOD MATCH
Cheese, seafood or fruit chutney
ABV: 5%
RRP: $21-$22 per six-pack
(330ml)
Burleighbrewing.com.au
5. Grand Ridge
Natural Blonde
Natural Blonde is a classic
Belgian-style wheat beer. This
beer is naturally cloudy using
Australia’s premium wheat,
malt and coriander. A touch
of orange peel lets luscious
hints of citrus seep through the
head. A real chef’s beer, Grand
Ridge uses Natural Blonde at its
restaurant for incredibly light
and flavoursome batters and also
recommends using it to steam
mussels. This beer makes any
seafood work to perfection.
FOOD MATCH
Fresh, wild barramundi fillets
ABV: 4.5%
RRP: $18-20 per six-pack
(330ml)
Grand-ridge.com.au
6. Goodieson
Wheat Beer
This German-style wheat beer
has a beautiful balance of banana
and clove aromas and flavours.
Slightly hazy with a golden colour
and a very low bitterness this
beer will leave the true wheat
beer lovers craving for another
glass. Gently shake the bottle
before opening and pour with at
least two distinctive pours. Pour
approximately three quarters of
the bottle, than swirl the bottle to
ensure the entire contents of the
bottle are poured into the glass.
FOOD MATCH
Thai, Malaysian, seafood or
just use it to make a fantastic
beer batter
ABV: 5.2%
RRP: $23 per six-pack
(330ml)
Goodiesonbrewery.com.au
7. Schöfferhofer
Hefeweizen
Wheat beer usually prevails from
Bavaria however the Binding
Brewery in Frankfurt has its own
take on what a wheat beer should
taste like and Schöfferhofer
is now the most successful
wheat beer brand brewed
outside of Bavaria. Brewed with
additional hops to bring extra
bitterness, Schöfferhofer has
an unmistakable bright amber
haze with tangy fruit and spice
flavours delivering ultimate
thirst-quenching refreshment and
seems to be perfectly designed
for the Australian palate.
FOOD MATCH
Skewered shrimp with rosemary
ABV: 5%
RRP: $5.50 per bottle (500ml)
Baw.com.au
8. Blue Moon Summer
Honey Wheat
Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat
is crafted with orange blossom
honey for a hint of sweetness and
a touch of orange peel for subtle
citrus notes. It’s a refreshing,
balanced taste that’s landed just
in time for the longer, warmer
days of the season.
FOOD MATCH
Grilled summer barbeque meats
such as marinated chicken with
honey mustard sauce
ABV: 5.2%
Facebook.com/bluemoonaus

1 3
6
7
4
8
2 5

PART 2 OF OUR 101 BEERS TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE see page 40
INCLUDING

ISSUE 36 AUTUMN 2016

PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)
WITH THEIR LOW BITTERNESS, MALTY SWEETNESS,

Wonderful
Wheat
PART 2 OF OUR 101 BEERS TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE see page 40 FRUITY ESTERS, SPICY PHENOLS AND LIVELY
INCLUDING CARBONATION, WHEAT BEERS WERE SEEMINGLY MADE

wheats
TO BE PAIRED WITH FOOD. HERE ARE EIGHT TO TRY
THIS SEASON

HOWAutumn
TO2016
22 www.beerandbrewer.com
ISSUE 36 AUTUMN 2016
TASTE
23
How to make them,
where to buy them
PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)

Wonderful BEER
wheats LIKE A THE BIG FOUR…
HOW TO
TASTE
BEER
LIKE A
How to make them,
where to buy them PRO HOPS, MALT, YEAST & WATER
- What you need to know
THE BIG FOUR…
PRO HOPS, MALT, YEAST & WATER
- What you need to know

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A PINT WITH…
Ray
Daniels
BEER & BREWER
CAUGHT UP WITH
CICERONE FOUNDER
RAY DANIELS
WHEN HE WAS IN
THE COUNTRY FOR
THE LAUNCH OF
NEW AUSTRALIAN
BEER EDUCATION
INITIATIVE THE
INSTITUTE OF BEER
Q WHY DID YOU CHOOSE
TO TEAM UP WITH THE
INSTITUTE OF BEER TO BRING
CICERONE TO AUSTRALIA?
We have been promoting the program and
running exams in Canada for about three or
four years now and the UK for three years.
Canada obviously is very easy for us to travel
to, the UK is not too bad but coming down
here is obviously a much bigger commitment.
So from the beginning, I thought it would be
best to have a partner to work with down here.
These guys were sort of the first to call us and
say, ‘hey we would like to do this’. So initially I
came down last September to explore that, get
to know them and I found a group that I really
liked. I think they have the right attitude and
approach, good background and experience,
and they like what we do and want to work
with our program.
Q WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE
CICERONE PROGRAM?
Certainly the goal of the program is not to
make beer snobby. Cicerone should be guides
not gods. That’s what the word means; the
word means ‘guides’. So you’re not there to
impress people with your knowledge, you’re
not there to develop a fan club, you’re there
to help people understand and appreciate
beer, and understand and appreciate the beer
that they like to drink. So if you’re going to
introduce them to something new and they
82  www.beerandbrewer.com
enjoy it that’s great, but if you’re forcing new
things on them that they don’t care for then
that’s not acceptable.
Q TELL US ABOUT THE
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
CICERONE IN AUSTRALIA
The first level of Certified Beer Server is
done online. We will get it adapted for the
Australian market both the exam and the
training materials. That will be available
soon, within the next few months.
The next level is Certified Cicerone [the
exams were held for the first time in Australia
in February] and we had five and five in both
Melbourne and Sydney sitting the exam.
That’s a very small exam for us these days
but that’s how we started out in the States
as well.
Q IS IT MOSTLY PEOPLE FROM
BREWERIES AND CRAFT BEER
BARS SITTING THE EXAMS?
In the States we find people from all sectors
of the industry; breweries; wholesalers; sales
organisations; and retailers, both bars and
restaurants and off-premise as well.
Q IF YOU’RE A CONSUMER CAN
YOU DO THE PROGRAM?
Sure, we don’t discourage consumers from
doing it. We make clear to them that it’s a
professional credential so we’re going to
test on things that are not necessarily super
interesting. Unless you’re really a beer geek and
want to understand how draught systems work
and how beer can be ruined and all that stuff.
I think the Institute of Beer guys are going to
do some more consumer-orientated training
as well. Not so much as part of the Cicerone
curriculum but part of their overall offerings of
services and education around beer.
Q WHAT SORT OF TRENDS ARE
YOU SEEING IN THE US AND
HAVE YOU HAD TO ADAPT THE
PROGRAM TO SUIT THESE?
We haven’t reached the point yet where the
beer world has changed enough that we feel
the need to modify the program, but I expect
we probably will at some point. I may feel a
little sad when that happens mostly because
I think the program is fairly broad right
now and what I fear in the States is a sort of
narrowing of our interests in beer.
For me, as someone who got into beer
as a brewer and was all about discovering a
full range of different styles and tasting all
these different kinds of beers and flavours,
to see a beer culture that’s tending towards
a less adventurous, less broad expression of
flavour that’s a discouraging thing.
We haven’t gone all the way down that
road yet, but there is this sense, I mean
there are a lot of brewers in the States that
will tell you, ‘I have to make an IPA because
if I walk into a bar the first thing they say
is we’ll put your IPA on and if people like
it then maybe we’ll look at your other
beers’. So everyone has to make an IPA and
sometimes you walk into a bar, there are 12
taps and eight of them will be IPAs. So that’s
a bit depressing but hopefully we’ll shake
that off at some point.
Sours are emerging as a separate interest
and separate evolution. Part of sours is
barrel-aged beers in general. Actually lagers
are starting to emerge a bit as well, even
some of the big hop-driven powerhouse
breweries are making lagers, sometimes
hoppy lagers like Pilsners, but in other cases
nice malty middle-of-the-road lagers.
So there is that chink in the armour, that
move towards more drinkable beers and
I think a lot of the more senior members
of the craft beer industry in the States are
starting to feel like, ‘I can only drink so
many IPAs and can we get back to something
that’s a little more drinkable’.
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