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ISSUE 51 SUMMER 2019 PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)
SUMMER SUNSHINE:
Lagers CRAFT BREWING’S MISUNDERSTOOD MASTERPIECE
WHY CRAFT BEER LOVERS SHOULD HEAD TO THE SUNSHINE COAST
l l i W a s ’ e r e h t e r e h W VAN DIEMAN BREWING’S WILL TATCHELL SCOOPS OUR BEST BREWER AWARD
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CONTENTS
76
inside... Summer 2019
FEATURES 22 Lager: Luke Robertson turns to lagers, an ancient style that is hard to master but easy to love
28 The Beer & Brewer Awards: The 2020 Beer & Brewer Awards are here, featuring in-depth interviews with our 14 winners
38 Day in the Life: We walk a mile in the shoes of a craft beer sales rep
40 Cask Ale: Britain is one of the homelands of brewing and there is no style more uniquely British than cask ale
46 Contract and Gypsy Brewing: Beer & Brewer examines how contract and gypsy brewers are helping each other to thrive and survive in a competitive craft beer marketplace
56 Regional Brewery Series: It’s summer, so what better time to head to the Sunshine Coast to check out a bustling brewing scene
76 The Business of Brewing: Making beer is one thing, but you’ve got to make money too. Beer & Brewer investigates what it takes to run a sustainable brewing business
4 www.beerandbrewer.com
HOMEBREWER 60 Welcome 61 Letters 62 Q&A: John Palmer answers the burning question about how to avoid brewing a bad beer
64 Jake’s Brew Log: Jake Brandish gets into lagers
66 Coopers Masters of the Brewniverse: Chris Thomas sat in on Coopers’ new quest to find Australia’s best DIY brewer
68 Hops Again! After Homebrewer chatted to hop producers in the last issue, Chris Thomas now talks to brewers about how they use those hops
72 Recipes: Andrew Childs brings us up to speed with the recipe for Behemoth Brewing Company’s Giraffe and a Half IPL
74 Level Up: Software: Homebrewer gets technical as it uncovers apps and platforms to help you record your creations
“If you can run great beer in parallel to good business practice, you’ve got a better chance of sustainable success than many others.” – Ben Kooyman, Endeavour Brewing
22
28
REGULARS 6 The Brew: The best beer events of the coming summer
8 News: A round-up of what’s been happening in craft brewing
14 World News 16 Bits and Bobs 18 New Venues 82 Entertaining Food: The Whole Fish Book
86 Tasting Panel: Our ‘formally informal’ tasting panel is back to taste 72 beers, with a focus on IPAs
96 Directory 98 A Pint With… Pete Brown
“There’s simply no other industry that’s as welcoming, hospitable and nurturing than ours.” – Will Tatchell, Van Dieman Brewing
56
52
Summer 2019 5
LAGERS
Lager:
POPULAR BUT NOT EASY LUKE ROBERTSON INVESTIGATES THIS A BEER STYLE THAT HAS PERHAPS SUFFERED IN THE CRAFT WORLD DUE TO ITS ENORMOUS MAINSTREAM APPEAL, BUT THAT DESERVES OUTRIGHT ADMIRATION AND LOVE.
22  www.beerandbrewer.com
LAGERS
L
ager is by far the most
Vienna-style but the label just says “Lager”
consumed beer style in the
on the front. Vienna Lager has a red-to-
country. According to research
amber colour from the darker kilned malt
company IRi, 13 of the top
traditionally used.
15 beer brands in Australia, from a profit perspective, are
“We didn’t want to scare people off.” says head brewer Michael Stanzel. “Vienna lager
all lagers, (one of the exceptions is Furphy,
is completely different to what most people
which is often marketed as “The Ale that
expect. In the brewpub we can communicate
drinks like a Lager”).
what it is and why it is, and why this might be
That doesn’t mean lager is easy to sell, and
different to your Heineken or whatever.”
when it’s made with expensive ingredients, it gets even harder. Brendan O’Sullivan, production director
PALE LAGER IS KING The standard “pale lager” is the easiest
at Melbourne’s 3 Ravens, finds the market
sell. It’s what most mainstream beers call
finicky when it comes to lager. In 2018,
themselves, and while it has its roots in
3 Ravens rebranded its Thornbury Lager
pilsner, which was the first successful pale
to Thornbury Pilsner in an attempt to
lager style, these days it’s a thing unto its
communicate the difference between that
own. It’s what most people think of when
and the standard mainstream lager. Recently,
they think lager.
it also released a beer called Party Lager. Brendan explains the name: “I wanted to find a way to sell what
Balter Brewing on the Gold Coast recently retired its Pilsner from the core range, replacing it with a beer simply called “Lager”.
essentially was a Festbier, and find a way to
Head brewer Scott Hargrave calls it basically a
market it,” he says. “I’ve seen historically
“mini-Helles” style. Helles is a pale, slightly
calling something an Octoberfest, or a
sweet lager, identifiable as a lager to most
Munich lager, or something along those lines
punters who aren’t up with the intricacies of
has been a curse for a lot of breweries.”
beer. The beer wasn’t dreamed up to be a big
A Festbier is basically a malty lager designed to be drunk at Octoberfest. They have a bit more character than most Australian commercial
seller to replace the Pilsner, which was holding its own in the market, Hargrave says. However, once it was made, it was
lagers, and O’Sullivan wanted to make sure he
immediately obvious that it would be a
was doing the style justice. The problem? To do
success. The first batch was a small run
it justice means using expensive ingredients.
for the taproom last summer designed for
It uses a specialty German malt, alongside two
holiday makers and revelers that don’t want
other premium malts from Australia and New
hazy IPAs or strong pale ales.
Zealand. It was hopped generously and has
“They are just looking for a straightforward
a large dose of a Pilsner yeast strain ordered
beer, and Pilsner has confused a lot of
specifically. Sales, Brendan says, haven’t quite
people. They may not identify Pilsner as a
gone as smoothly as he wanted.
lager,” he says. “It just went fucking crazy. It
“I thought the price point was pretty attractive, but it’s still really hard to communicate value to most Australian
became the second biggest selling beer in the taproom really quickly.” From there, the lager was taken to
drinkers in a premium lager. It’s really sad. I
Victorian crowds, GABS and the Great
was hoping to make this a regular thing. I was
Australian Beer Fest, and the continued
hoping it would work really well [but] paying
demand was too great to ignore.
craft beer prices for a lager is challenging for some people.” Also in Melbourne is Burnley Brewing.
What is lager? The word ‘lager’ is German and can be used to describe a place for sleeping, a camp, or a storage or cellar space. What that means in the beer world is conditioning a beer in a cool place for a long period – typically three to six weeks. Lager styles also use bottom fermenting yeast at cooler temperatures, while ale styles use top fermenting. However, in Germany top fermenting styles, such as kölsch, are fermented cool and lagered for a long period. These beers are ales in our part of the world, but in Germany they may be referred to as lagers.
“Once I saw the numbers, and I love pilsner, but the evidence was compelling and you kind of ignore that at your peril. It wasn’t
Its brewer trained in Germany and loves
about making a dumbed down beer with sugar
brewing lagers. Their core range lager is a
adjuncts or anything like that. For me it was
3 Ravens released Party Lager
Summer 2019 23
CONTRACT AND GYPSY BREWING
A pause for a beer at Edge Brewing
Brewing with friends
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BREWERIES WITHOUT ENOUGH BREWING CAPACITY OR EQUIPMENT TO BREW AND THOSE WITH MORE CAPACITY THAN DEMAND HAS MADE FOR A LARGELY UNDISCUSSED SYMBIOTIC ECOSYSTEM THAT CHARLIE WHITTING EXPLORES.
J
ust as drinking beer is an activity
up a gear from one-off limited releases to
BREWING SOMEONE ELSE’S BEER
best enjoyed communally, so too
functioning, long-term business models
In order for gypsy brewers to brew their beer,
is brewing beer. The craft scene
for both parties. As we have discussed in
there need to be breweries with the capacity
has seen plenty of collaboration
previous issues, the cost and logistics of
to accommodate them. Handily, there
between brewers regardless of
setting up or growing one’s brewery can be
are plenty of brewers out there that have
size and location.
out of reach for many aspiring craft brewers.
specifically enlarged their own businesses
What does one do when one’s ambitions
with contracting in mind and plenty of others
cannot be realised in cold steel fermenters
that have expanded beyond their immediate
is one of the most open industries out there,
in a warehouse with newly concreted floors?
demand. Growing a brewery is an expensive
with all participants keen to work and learn
One asks to use someone else’s equipment.
enterprise, so while you wait for demand for
together. We couldn’t come close to counting
For a price of course.
your own beer to grow, there’s no need for
It can be easy to forget (although
it is important not to) that craft brewing
the number of beers that have been brewed
This is the core concept behind contract
the equipment to stand idle if you could be
collaboratively between breweries – as they
and gypsy brewing, the main difference
share expertise, ingredients and equipment to
between the two simply being that contract
create something unique and special.
brewing tends to be a long-term agreement
Geelong for 30 years and has always dedicated
between two breweries, while gypsy brewers
part of its capacity to contract.
In the world of contract and gypsy brewing, however, this process is shifted
46 www.beerandbrewer.com
move nomadically from brewery to brewery.
brewing someone else’s beer instead. Southern Bay Brewery has been brewing in
“We are a relatively large brewery so one of
CoConspirators are defined by their gypsy approach
Hairyman Brewery relies on contract brewing
the key advantages about contract brewing
but we are always present for any brewing
is maintaining volume through the business
to ensure maximum efficiencies and
and it is very rewarding delivering a product
quality control.”
that exceeds customers’ expectations,” says
That nicely brings up the question of
Peter Clark, sales manager at Southern Bay
control – as a contract brewer, are you
Brewery. “The only challenge can be around
happy to let someone have the run of your
forward planning to ensure we do not exceed
brewery? Conversely, as a gypsy brewer,
capacity, especially in peak periods. We have
would you be happy to entrust the brewing
a very experienced brew team and once we
of your recipes into the hands of someone
receive a recipe, we can brew nearly any type
else? It is important for both parties to try
of product to meet the set specifications.
out the recipes a few times before beginning
Furthermore we can work with clients to
in earnest, since every brewhouse has its
help establish a recipe and encourage them
own quirks and foibles that can affect the
to be part of the brewing process.”
finished product. Cordial relationships
There are certainly plenty of questions
between brewers are essential in these
that need to be asked before one decides to
matters, but the seriousness of what’s at
get into contract brewing. From a logistical
stake must also not be forgotten.
perspective, a contract brewery will
“Every brewer is proud and protective
now need to be balancing the demands,
of their recipe, so the biggest challenge
priorities and brewing timetables or more
is earning the trust of the brewer that
than one brewer, meaning that your set-up
we can brew their beer to meet their
needs to be incredibly accurate.
expectations,” explains Jason Lees, head
“Managing expectation is especially
of sales at Tribe Breweries in Goulburn.
poignant for the initial period of
“Once we have earned the trust of the
transitioning to a commercial scale,”
brewer, there are often some subtle
explains Andy Orrell, head brewer and owner
differences between one brewhouse to the
of Hairyman, which aims for approximately
next. Regular and open dialogue between
50% of the beer it brews to be under contract.
our brewers and our partner brewer
“The transition needs to be commercially
ensures any necessary tweaks to recipe or
viable for both parties to ensure a beer or
process are agreed. We are happy to have
beverage is delivered to market that has
discussions and partner with any brewer
quality and flavoursome characteristics. We
who can meet some basic requirements
encourage active participation throughout a
including minimum volume run sizes,
contract brew day, some contractors/gyspies
format and packaging specifications, and
are more hands-on or involved than others,
alignment around required timelines.”
Summer 2019 47
REGIONAL BREWERIES
Let the Sunshine in! THE SUNSHINE COAST HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF QUEENSLAND’S CRAFT BEER BOOM, WITH 14 BREWERIES APPEARING IN THE AREA WHERE ONCE THERE WERE NONE. IN OUR FINAL REGIONAL BREWERIES SERIES OF 2019, BEER & BREWER FINDS OUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE ON THE SUNSHINE COAST.
T
he past few years have seen
Our final Regional Brewery Series of 2019
Glass House Brewery with Paul Sanders nine
Queensland accelerate its
visits the Sunshine Coast and its fantastic
months ago. “The growth in breweries across
craft beer obsession as
collection of brewpubs and breweries. Craft
SE Queensland has meant major suppliers
it seeks to catch up with
beer might not have taken over here as early
have set up local distribution, which has
its fellows further south
as in Melbourne or Sydney, but the Sunshine
made access to raw materials, packaging and
and west. Consequently,
Coast has nevertheless been a longstanding
other supplies quite straightforward.”
Queensland has seen greater growth in new
supporter of independent brewing and is now
breweries than other states and its brewers
reaping the benefits.
have fought for and are now receiving
“On a per capita basis we probably
LIFE’S A BEACH Australia’s global reputation is largely
support from the state government. While
have more breweries on the coast than in
focused around its beaches and it’s no
Brisbane has, as state capital, clearly been
Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney – which is
surprise to anyone that the Sunshine Coast
one of the principal drivers of craft beer in
a challenge but also an opportunity to really
has a strong beach culture. As such, one
Queensland, a trip further up the coast also
drive education and market growth around
might expect that the tastes in beer here
provides the regional brewery enthusiast with
the benefits of local, independent beer,”
would err towards the lighter – both in colour
a cornucopia of great brews to try.
says Simon Michelangeli, who founded
and in ABV. Heads of Noosa Brewery, for
56 www.beerandbrewer.com
REGIONAL BREWERIES
The view from Moffat Brewing Glass House brewer Simon Michelangeli
Brewing in the sun As you would expect, the Sunshine Coast gets a fair amount of solar rays and breweries like Your Mates Brewing intend to make the most of this as they attempt to reduce their carbon footprint and look after their home on the beach. “We would love to see Your Mates grow with the Sunshine Coast in a sustainable way,” says Christen McGarry, production manager and director of Your Mates Brewing. “We want to make sure our impact on the environment is as low as possible; we are about to throw some solar panels on our roof and have plans for a community garden out the front of the brewery. We are also actively engaged in going out and cleaning our local beaches so they can be enjoyed in pristine condition for years to come.”
Your Mates Brewing are keen to reduce their carbon footprint
Summer 2019 57
FEATURE
68  Home Brewer
More Hops! LAST ISSUE, WE LOOKED AT HOPS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TWO OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST HOP DISTRIBUTORS. NOW IT IS TIME TO CONSIDER HOPS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TWO OF AUSTRALIA’S FINEST PROPONENTS OF THE GREAT PRODUCT.
A
ll brewers use hops differently.
Creatures in WA. I first worked on the bar there but
Some use noble hops for a subtle
spent my spare time hanging out in the brewery with
character in traditional English
the guys and helping out on my days off. One day, one
ales, European pilseners and
of the boys burnt his foot quite severely and had to take
saisons. Others create new world
eight weeks off. There were only two brewers there at
inspired pales, IPAs and beyond.
that stage and they didn’t have time to train anyone up
Generally, these new world hops hail from Australia,
New Zealand and of course America.
or get anyone in. So, they called me up and asked me to help out.
Amongst the best and most accessible users of new
is the brewery known as Behemoth (NZ), which you will
LET’S TALK HOPS - HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON THE HOP PROFILE FOR YOUR HOPDRIVEN BEERS LIKE XPA AND IPA?
find as Chur in Australia.
SF: Most of my beers are about hop flavour and
world hops in Australia are Balter and Philter. In New Zealand, as many of us homebrewers are already aware,
Let us first meet Sam Fuss from Philter and the Scott
aromas rather than bitterness. The bittering
Hargrave from Balter, before looking at a Behemoth
component is there but the alpha acids are usually
(NZ)/Chur (Aus) recipe for a smashing summer India
derived from the whirlpool additions, which I find
Pale Lager.
give a more balanced, less harsh bitterness and also great hop flavour.
SAM FUSS: PHILTER
developed a range of beers which perfectly showcase
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR AUSTRALIAN, NEW ZEALAND OR AMERICAN HOPS?
how to use new world hops effectively. She gives us
SF: Aussie and US are my most favoured hops, but
some hints and tips for homebrewers to consider.
some of the NZ hops are cracking! I also really like
Sam Fuss, head brewer at Philter brewery, is a champion of new world hops. At Philter, she has
using noble hops in beers styles that call for it. I would
LET’S PUT IT OUT THERE FROM THE START, YOUR HOMEBREWING EXPERIENCE IS LIMITED… Sam Fuss (SF): Yes, limited to the point that I’ve never homebrewed before!
definitely say I’m a bit of a new world hop user.
HOW DO YOU WORK OUT YOUR QUANTITIES WHEN DESIGNING A NEW BEER? SF: When I design a beer, I have a pretty good idea of
HOW DID YOU GET INTO COMMERCIAL BREWING FROM HERE?
what profile I’m after already, then it’s just a point
SF: I started brewing over 18 years ago at Little
above what I’m after if it’s a single batch.
of fine-tuning and tweaking. I generally shoot a little
Summer 2019 69
FINANCIALS
76 www.beerandbrewer.com
Black Hops Brewing has raised money in myriad ways
FINANCIALS
s s e n i s u b The g n i w e r b f o IT MIGHT NOT FIT WITH THE DREAM IMAGE OF CRAFT BREWING, BUT AS CHARLIE WHITTING DISCOVERS, BREWERIES NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT CASHFLOW AS WELL AS BEERFLOW.
B
reweries are founded by
actually be greater than the money received
passionate people making a
from the buyer, so a brewery loses money
career doing what they love.
with every can or bottle sold. She called
The principal focus in those
on breweries to take costings seriously,
early days is on the creative
especially since any ambitions of growth will
process, the recipes you’re
necessitate periods of significant debt for the
going to perfect, the branding, the name, the identity. Introducing suits and business-
brewers, what she called ‘Valleys of Death’. Maria Pearman, principal at Perkins and Co.,
talk into proceedings isn’t necessarily what
an American accounting firm that specialises in
most of us got into brewing for. We relish the
craft breweries, also gave a financially themed
irreverence and the camaraderie, saving the
talk that echoed this advice.
seriousness for another day. Unfortunately,
“My recommendation is: hire a professional
the craft brewing landscape has changed
leadership team as early as possible,”
and continues to change, and brewers need
Pearman told Beer & Brewer. “You can
to adopt a business-like approach – or
outsource if needed, but it’s important to have
employ someone to adopt it for them – if
someone who’s looking after your company’s
they are to maintain or grow their business,
financial health. I think it’s important for
because unless you have another form of
business owners to realise they don’t have
employment, your brewery is your career and
to have all the answers and to realise that if
it needs to be making you money.
they did have all the answers, they probably wouldn’t be very good at what they do.
THINKING BUSINESS
“Second: invest in clean data in timely
This year’s BrewCon featured speakers
financial data,” adds Pearman. “It needs to
talking about the business of brewing rather
be reviewed at a detailed level – looking at the
than the actual brewing itself. And that’s
performance by brand. It’s not a sexy thing
because the craft beer industry operates in a
to do, but it’s critically important because it
competitive market with tight margins. The
helps you see where you’ve missed the mark
many costs associated with the production
and it’s important to understand why. Are
and sale of craft beer must all be accounted
you missing it because of a variance in the
for and rigorously assessed if a brewery is to
number of units sold or is it a variance in the
make money.
sales price? If your costs are out of line, is it
Corinna Steeb, co-founder of Prancing
because you’re using more raw materials than
Pony, explained in her talk that if you’re
you expected or did they cost more on a per
not on top of your outgoings, the cost of
unit basis? Review it, understand it and make
producing and delivering a carton of beer can
changes based on that review.”
Summer 2019 77
BREWING EQUIPMENT
BREWING EQUIPMENT
Treat it right BUYING BREWING EQUIPMENT IS A MAJOR INVESTMENT, BUT THE WAY YOU LOOK AFTER IT AND USE IT WILL HAVE A MASSIVE IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF BEER YOU PRODUCE AND THE LIFESPAN OF THAT KIT
M
y father was a sheep farmer in south Wales for a time and one of the things that drove him mad was the habit some farmers had of leaving their machinery – tractors, spreaders, bailers – outside in all weathers at the mercy of the elements. Farming equipment will set you back a pretty penny, but if it’s left out to rust in the Rhondda rain it will cost you even more in time
and money. The same rules apply to brewing equipment. Any piece of kit will give you better results and for longer if you use and care for it correctly. In our Brewing Equipment Part 1 feature (issue 45) we explored what to look for when purchasing brewery equipment and setting up your brewery. In this second part, we will examine what it takes to get the most out of that kit in the subsequent years.
GETTING STARTED
ALL THE BEST BITS FROM THE ANHC (see page 74) >>> * Additional costs apply for New Zealand.
INCLUDING
Looking after your equipment begins before it has even arrived at your brewery. You might be eagerly waiting for that fully laden truck to arrive laden, but you need to
have a plan in place right from the get-go, or you will be tinkering even more than usual. Preparation is key, especially before your first brew. Your primary aim should be to get to know your brewery, and that means learning to walk before you start running or making your craziest batch. “Good results come from continuous improvement – the process of commissioning, test brewing and production brewing can be undertaken with this mindset,” says Julian Sanders, founder of Spark Breweries and Distilleries. “Small adjustments should never finish. Although you should be prepared to dump your first batch, there is no reason that you should need to with an appropriate setup, cleaning and commissioning process. Plan for your first batch to be good, and the worst batch that you’ll ever brew.” It is more than likely that this won’t be the first brewing equipment that you
ISSUE 47 SUMMER 2018
have used, but it is important to remember that this is the first$9.95 time (NZ you’ve PRICE $11.95) used this particular system, with all its idiosyncrasies and different requirements. It is
ALL THE BEST BITS FROM THE ANHC (see page 74) >>>
unlikely that you’ll be able to simply replicate exactly what you’ve been doing on
* Additional costs apply for New Zealand.
FRESH BLOOD
previous systems. You need to take things slowly, test them out, and work out what
INCLUDING
the equipment is telling you.
“We still don’t know if 67°C on our mash tun is 67°C, but we know the attenuation
Australia’s it will give us at the end, so it doesn’t really matter,” saysDiscover Rhys Lopez, brewer at newest breweries Otherside Brewing. “It takes a couple of batches of the same beer to really figure 36
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ISSUE 47 SUMMER 2018 PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)
St Andrews Brewery with FBPROPAK
SESSION BEERS
SUMMER 2018
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Why less is more
FRESH BLOOD
BALTER’S
Discover Australia’s newest breweries
SESSION BEERS
BEST
Why less is more
BALTER’S
BEST
Scott Hargrave soars in 2019 Beer & Brewer Awards
Scott Hargrave soars in 2019 Beer & Brewer Awards ISSN 1834-5115
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