B&B 33 Teaser

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PART 2 OF OUR LAUNCH A MICROBREWERY FEATURE INCLUDING

ISSUE 33 WINTER 2015 PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)

BEERS & CIDERS

TASTED

Extreme Beers!

ARE YOU BRAVE ENOUGH TO TRY THEM?

PERFECT PORTERS & SEDUCTIVE STOUTS How to make them, where to buy them

GO ALL

GRAIN

and find a whole new world of flavour!

MELBOURNE

BREWERY TOUR ISSN 1834-5115

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WWW.BEERANDBREWER.COM

PLUS! COOKING WITH CIDER | 13 HOMEBREW RECIPES TO TRY | STONE BREWING CO.

CONTENTS

inside...

Winter 2015 FEATURES 18 Style Notes – Porters & Stouts Beer & Brewer investigates two often misunderstood beer styles.

History, flavour profile and some great examples to try

26 Launch a Microbrewery The second instalment of our three-part series, here we tackle education, how to find the right site and brewing equipment

HOMEBREWER 44 Welcome 45 Letters 46 Q&A John Palmer examines the difference between ‘double’ and ‘imperial’

48 Recipes Porters receive the No Rulz treatment

50 Recipes Behemoth Brewing’s Andrew Childs gives us the recipe for his 2015 GABS beer Bogan’s Breakfast

34 Extreme Beer We delve into the weird and wonderful world of extreme beer

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62 Travel – Melbourne, VIC We check out Melbourne’s craft beer scene and chat to the brewers at Moon Dog Brewing, Kooinda Boutique Brewery and Two Birds Brewing

68 Entertaining – Food Five mouth-watering cooking with cider recipes to try at home

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www.beerandbrewer.com

“I know that if I had have started a brewing company without practical experience I don’t think I would have been very successful” – Steve ‘Hendo’ Henderson, Brewcult

52 Homebrew 101 – All Grain Homebrewer technical editor Jake Brandish shows us how to take the plunge into all grain brewing

66 Meet the Maker Mazen Hajjar from Hawkers talks brewing equipment and crafting award-winning beer

Recipes Coopers’ Paul ‘PB2’ Burge shares a Belgian-inspired winter warming dark ale recipe

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Festival Beers A couple of extreme recipes from GABS and Good Beer Week brewers

60 Homebrew Club We check out the Kalgoorlie Craft Brewers

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REGULARS 6 The Brew – style profile & things to do 9

News – the latest in Aus/NZ beer industry

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World News

14

Beer Cultures

15

Bits & Bobs

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New Venues

72

Tasting Notes – brown ales, golden ales, bocks, barrel aged & new releases

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Directory

82 A Pint with…Mitch Steele, Stone Brewing Co.

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“All the beers we make have a very specific flavour profile that we look to create, whether it’s replicating something outside of the beer world or a combination of flavours we’ve seen in food or spirits” – Josh Uljans, Moon Dog brewery Winter 2015

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BEER CULTURES

BEER STYLES Blonde, pale lagers and Pilsner-styled lagers.

You will have an option of bottles/cans or ‘chope’ (pronounced ‘chop-ie’), which is the draft version usually served in a small glass and extremely cold.

ACCOMPANYING CUISINE

Brazil

Just as many Brazilian women choose beer as their tipple of choice as men

IN THIS INSTALMENT FROM OUR BEER CULTURES SERIES FROM THE BEER PILGRIM, HE TAKES US ON A JOURNEY TO CARNIVALE COUNTRY, BRAZIL

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s world-reknown party animals, it will come as no surprise to anyone to find out that Brazilians absolutely love beer! No backyard barbecue, day

on the beach, music festival or late-night party is complete for the Brazilians without an ice cold brewski.

At the centre of this beer drinking culture is one glittery, scantily-clad event we have all heard about by now. During the four main days of Carnivale alone, more than 400 million litres of beer is consumed in Brazil (that is 4 per cent of the entire yearly production!).

However having said that, after spending quite a lot of time travelling around Brazil myself, I can say that while they do love a beer, the Brazilians are in no way ‘heavy’ drinkers (it is definitely out of place to see a drunk Brazilian). On top of this, beer drinking is not seen as a masculine activity and generally speaking, just as many women will choose beer as their tipple of choice as men.

14 www.beerandbrewer.com

Churrasco (grilled meat) is often washed down with an ice cold beer in Brazil

Feijoada is a popular Brazilian meal of black beans, pork and rice. Brazilians are also avid carnivores and are proud of the way they do churrasco (barbecues). If they ask (and they will); “yes, Brazilians do barbecues MUCH better than the Argentinians” is the correct response - vice versa if you find yourself in Argentina.

A common Brazilian meal would be feijoada, farofa (toasted manioc flour), kale, salad, beans, rice, barbecued steak (‘picana’ is a favourite cut) and always washed down with a cold beer (usually a light, blonde, Pilsner style).

CULTURAL BEER TRADITIONS Don’t over-drink: Brazilians, while they will drink beer in most social occasions, aren’t big drinkers and will rarely drink more than two or three small ‘copos’ (cups – usually around 200ml) of beer in a row. Brazilians rarely, if ever get drunk. If you sit back and have more than three full-sized beers in a row, you might get some strange looks.

Always serve your beer as cold as possible.

Like it or not, I have never met a Brazilian who doesn’t like their beer temperature hovering somewhere around (or below) freezing point. In some places, patrons will turn a beer back if it doesn’t actually have ice forming on the glass, or even inside the beer itself!

Always share: Brazilians are extremely social and that includes their ways of drinking beer. Usually a group will buy a tall bottle of beer for the table and pour small glasses of beer for each person. Brazilians never drink alone and it is mandatory to offer beer and food to anyone who arrives at the party. Sharing is a big part of Brazilian culture so always offer what you have to others - what goes around comes around!

SOMETHING COOL Brazil is the world’s third biggest consumer of beer by country, but per capita, sits way down at 24th place. This means that while a huge portion of their large population drink beer, they don’t drink much of it per person – a good reflection of their moderate beer drinking culture.

HOW TO SAY CHEERS Saude! (pronounced: sa-oo-gey) or ‘chin-chin’.

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BITS BOBS

1. HOPSIDE DOWN Sometimes you might feel rude drinking beer right from the bottle - but now you won’t have to! Handblown, precisely crafted, and unexpectedly deluxe, Hopside Down is a bottle-in-a-glass as a homage to drinking out of a bottle. Perfect for occasions with good friends and good beers because it’s always bottoms up! www.isgift.com - stockists available online RRP: $19.95

2. BUSHNELL IMAGEVIEW BINOCULARS Capture each experience with Bushnell ImageView 8x30mm binoculars.

Combining eight times optical zoom with a digital camera, the ImageView binoculars offer outstanding clarity and with the push of a button, photograph or record the moment. The binoculars take photos up to 12 megapixels as well as 1280x720HD video and come with a 32GB SD card, a tripod, a remote shutter cable and USB cable. www.tasco.com.au

A unique, award winning chair, the Dutch Design Chair is made entirely from FSC cardboard and is capable of holding up to 200kg. It can be used as a stool side, bedside or coffee table and is available in four different finishes. You will never again be left standing at a BBQ when there is nowhere to sit.

Environmentally-friendly and recyclable, the chair arrives as a flat pack.

RRP: $399

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7. THE HENTY WINGMAN Who’s got your back?

7 Usually your wingman, except this is better. The Henty Wingman sports a two-in-one design with the outer shell being a dress/suit bag and the other a gym bag to hold all your gear.

Held in place with PVC ribs that run up the length of the bag, it is able to hold garments in place without creasing them. It also comes with a hi-vis waterproof rain jacket, an adjustable shoulder strap, reflective piping for added night safety, a stabilisation waist strap and a quick release buckle. www.henty.cc RRP: $199

6. CRAFT BEER SOAP Beer is great. It’s great during the day, at night, in the cold, in the heat and it brings friends 6 together. So why not wash yourself with it? Imported from Canada, Craft Beer Soap is filled with nutrients, amino acids, polyphenols and vitamin B, all which come from beer’s main ingredient, hops. Not only great for your hair and skin, but Craft Beer Soap will leave you with that two-drink feeling of self-assurance that will make you reek of self-confidence. www.itsdpms.com/ RRP: $6.00 CAD

3. DUTCH DESIGN CHAIR

www.jasperandeve.com.au

5. GPS GOLFBUDDY

RRP: $49 (Australia only)

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This handheld GPS is the ultimate accessory for the gadgetconscious golfer to help you navigate the course like never before. Ideal for golfers of all levels, the device easily determines the distance to the hole from wherever you are on the course. Once you’ve finished, the Statistics Analysis Module will help determine how to improve for next time.

Waterproof and with more than 37,000 golf courses from around the world, you’ll become a pro golfer in no time. www.drummondgolf.com.au RRP: $499

4. ZOKU ICE BALL 4

The fuss of melting ice cubes is now gone with the new Zoku Ice Ball. Designed to melt slowly and evenly, the Ice Ball will keep your drinks chilled for longer. Simply fill in the silicone mould with liquid and freeze for eight hours to create a perfectly round sphere of ice. You can even try filling it with herbs, fruit pieces or flowers for an entertaining, creative twist. www.haleimports.com.au/zoku RRP: $29.99

Winter 2015

15

Come to the

Dark Side JEREMY SAMBROOKS INVESTIGATES TWO OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD BEER STYLES AND ANSWERS THE QUESTION – WHAT CAME FIRST, THE PORTER OR THE STOUT?

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www.beerandbrewer.com

PORTER & STOUT

W

hat is the difference

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between porter and stout? This is one of the beer-related questions I am asked most often and unfortunately, there

is no satisfactory and straightforward answer.

FUN STOUT FACTS

Historically, it was porter that came first and stronger versions became known as ‘stout porter’, which later became abbreviated to stout. Over the

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years, the terms ‘porter’ and ‘stout’ have evolved to include many sub-styles, some of which have significant overlap in strength, colour and flavour.

As with any beer style there are no strict rules, but it’s fair to say that porters tend to have less roasted character than stouts. Looking at ingredients,

Malt Shovel Brewery senior brewer Rob Freshwater

porters tend to get their milder roasted character from chocolate and black patent malts, whereas

robust porter, Baltic porter, imperial porter and

stouts more commonly use roasted unmalted barley.

smoked porter.

“When a lot of people look at the dark colour

PORTER – A BEER OF LONDON

of the beer, they may at first shy away from it,

Porter’s history is firmly entrenched in London,

thinking it will be too challenging for their palate,”

where it was immensely popular in the 18th and

says Rob Freshwater, senior brewer at Malt Shovel

19th centuries, before the rise of pale ale and lager.

Brewery, which produce the James Squire beers,

The industrialisation of breweries in this period

including a brown porter named Jack of Spades.

allowed porter to become the world’s first truly mass

“However, upon tasting it, they become pleasantly

produced beer and nothing better illustrates the

surprised about how drinkable and rewarding it

enormous scale of porter brewing than the London

actually is! The challenges of brewing a porter

Beer Flood of 1814. At the Horse Shoe Brewery – one

are getting the right balance when blending the

of many porter breweries in London – a huge vat of

various malts used – having a slight roast coffee

porter ruptured, causing more than a million litres

character in marriage with dark chocolate and

of beer to burst out into the streets in an enormous

caramel flavours. Hops are there to balance the

wave, killing eight people and destroying two homes.

malt complexity and body without providing any

The brewery was taken to court over the incident, but

assertive bitterness or hop character.”

the disaster was ruled to be an ‘Act of God’.

Another great Australian-brewed porter is made

Today the Brewers Association Guidelines (BA)

at The Little Brewing Company in Port Macquarie,

separates porter into five sub-styles: brown porter,

NSW, where co-founder, Warwick Little is also the head brewer. “We set out to do an English-style

POUR IT OUT A nonic pint glass is well suited to serving most types of stout and porter; its bulge near the rim helping to capture the dark, roasted malt aromas. When it comes to Baltic porters and imperial stouts, a large brandy snifter is an ideal vessel for swirling, sipping and savouring these heady brews from.

Better yet, Spiegelau have teamed up with Left Hand Brewing Co. and Rogue Ales to create a glass specifically for stouts.

robust porter and I think we succeeded in that,” says Little. “Wicked Elf Porter is our darkest beer to date; it exhibits aromas and flavours of espresso and chocolate, has a luscious mouthfeel and a robust, earthy, dry and bitter finish from the classic English hop varieties. We just love brewing this beer, the only challenge is fitting all the malt into our 12 hectolitre mash tun – it’s the heftiest malt bill of any beer we do.”

Historically the strongest porter beers were brewed for export across the North Sea to the Baltic states and fittingly, are called Baltic porters. Often fermented cold with lager yeast, Baltic porters tend to be brown rather than black and are not as roasty or hoppy as their robust cousins, although they are significantly sweeter and more alcoholic. Imperial and smoked porters are more recent additions to

Often referred to as ‘a meal in a glass’ Guinness is actually only 4.2% ABV and contains less calories than most pale lagers, wine, orange juice or reduced fat milk.

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In 2012, Nigeria overtook the UK to become the world’s largest consumer of Guinness.

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The cocktail ‘Black Velvet’ is made by mixing equal amounts of stout and Champagne.

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Despite popular belief, there is no hard evidence that stout is good for breastfeeding mothers – the alcohol in beer actually decreases milk supply.

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Stout contains antioxidants similar to those found in fruits and vegetables. It can slow down the deposit of cholesterol on artery walls and drinking a pint a day may be as effective as a small dose of asprin for decreasing your risk of heart attack.

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4 Pines Stout is being taken into space! The beer has been tested in zero gravity flights and by the end of 2015, will be loaded into a new, highly-engineered container and ready to board the first commercial flights beyond the stratosphere.

the porter family.

Winter 2015

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1. Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout This is a delicious, robust stout from Kiuchi Brewery in Japan.

Brewed with espresso coffee beans, the Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout appears dark brown, almost black in colour with good dense lingering foam. Aromas and flavours are dominated by an intoxicating combination of rich roasted grains, dark coffee beans, bittersweet chocolate, mocha, cocoa, dark fruits and caramel.

2. Holgate Temptress Chocolate Porter Crafted by the talented team at Holgate Brewery in Victoria, this is a luscious winter warmer.

Infused with Dutch cocoa and whole vanilla beans, which together with a blend of seven malts, result in a complex palate of chocolate, coffee and caramel flavours, balanced by a hint of vanilla. Be tempted by this sultry seducer.

Mocha fondant pudding ABV: 7% RRP: $10.50 per 330ml bottle Hitachinonest.com

ABV: 6% RRP: $7 per bottle, $22.99 per 4-pack (330ml) Holgatebrewhouse.com

PERFECT DRINKING FOR THE COOLER MONTHS, WE GET THE LOWDOWN ON EIGHT PORTERS AND STOUTS TO SAVOUR THIS SEASON

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www.beerandbrewer.com

Probably the stout by which all other Australian stouts are measured, Nail Clout Stout is the stuff of legends. Jet black in colour with a high viscosity, this beer exudes rich malt and chocolate aromas as soon as it slithers into the glass. The smooth, luxurious liquid is full of rich chocolate, molasses, coffee, woody, roasted malt flavours that dance together in harmony.

FOOD MATCH Meat pie

FOOD MATCH

3. Nail Clout Stout (2014)

4. Feral Boris Russian Imperial Stout Does Feral never fail to hit the mark? Clearly not. Boris Russian Imperial Stout pours jet black with a rich, almost gelatinous full body. The aroma is packed with coffee and rich dark chocolate notes, which tease at the flavours to come. Roasted malt is prominent on the palate, interplaying with caramel, chocolate, coffee and a hint of raisins. Boris is a truly great mate to have around.

FOOD MATCH Oysters ABV: 10.8% RRP: $84.99 per 750ml Nailbrewing.com.au

FOOD MATCH Sticky date pudding ABV: 9.1% RRP: $8 per bottle, $27.99 per 4-pack (330ml) Feralbrewing.com.au

PORTER & STOUT PROMOTION

5. Return of the Dread Domestic Extra Stout For the first Little Creatures seasonal release, they couldn’t resist playing with one of their first single batches; The Dreadnought. Always ones to break the mould, the Little Creatures brewers took inspiration from the old favourite and developed the recipe into their own style of beer. With six speciality roasted malts coupled with their classic pale malt and a good dose of Fuggles hops thrown into the mix, Return of the Dread is a dark, smooth stout, balanced with a pronounced bitterness.

Aromas of chocolate, vanilla and liquorice. Taste is sweet and lightly bitter, with very long length. Palate is velvety, with a medium-to-full body.

FOOD MATCH BBQ beef brisket ABV: 7.2% RRP: $18 per 4-pack (330ml) Littlecreatures.com.au

6. Coopers Best Extra Stout Coopers Best Extra Stout is brewed using the choicest raw materials and classic brewing techniques, which produce a beer with punch. It is a beacon for lovers of a hearty brew, with a robust yet complex flavour, it’s everything a champion stout should be. A rich and complex brew with an uncompromising flavour that delivers a spiritual experience for the serious Coopers connoisseur – a Coopers tradition. Welcome to the stout that is lauded around the world for its tradition and quality.

FOOD MATCH Slow-cooked beef cheek ABV: 6.3% RRP: $18-$20 per 6-pack (375ml) Coopers.com.au

7. Bridge Road Robust Porter This rich, full and robust porter has been crafted in the foothills of the Victorian Alps. Big chocolate, roasted and mocha notes are the key to this style.

A wise country football coach once said “there’s no point half doing something”. And in making this porter, Bridge Road Brewers has taken his advice on-board, using plenty of roast barley and chocolate malt to provide a big porter that won’t leave you asking for more. Bridge Road’s Porter, like many of its beers, pulls no punches. Make no mistake, the robust porter is big and bold, yet its smooth chocolate texture makes it one to convert the non-dark drinker.

8. Wired iStout This is a big Russian imperial stout from our New Zealand friends at 8 Wired. Rich, luscious, decadent and sexy as hell are all words that spring to mind when enjoying this masterpiece. Aromas and flavours of coffee, chocolate, raisin and malt are intertwined with bitterness and hop freshness. An intense beer to sip by the fire, albeit slowly, because at 10% ABV it packs a punch!

FOOD MATCH Cheese board full of stinky blues ABV: 10% RRP: $18 per 500ml bottle 8wired.co.nz

FOOD MATCH Oysters ABV: 5.2% RRP: $22 per 6-pack (330ml) Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

Winter 2015

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EXTREME BEER

QUIRKIEST INGREDIENTS (1) CHICHA, DOGFISH HEAD BREWERY ABV: 5.7%, Style: Chicha Extreme factor: Based on the native corn beer of Central and South America, this beer is made using authentic ingredients like organic pink Peruvian pepper corns, yellow maize, Peruvian purple maize chewed by the chichamaker. In other words, this beer contains human saliva.

EXTREME BEERS

(3) HENHOUSE OYSTER STOUT, HENHOUSE BREWING COMPANY

(6) PEPPER STEAK PORTER: A VEGAN BEER EXPERIENCE, BREWCULT

ABV: 4.9%, Style: Dry stout Extreme factor: Brewed with Pacific coast oysters.

ABV: 6%, Style: Porter Extreme factor: Brewed for GABS, this is a vegan steak beer. Brewed with Cherrywood smoked malt and Sri-Lankan black peppercorns. I know what my vegan friends are getting for Christmas.

(2) BEARD BEER, ROGUE ALES ABV: 5.6%, Style: Belgian ale Extreme factor: Probably the most hipster beer available, Beard Beer is brewed with a yeast created from Rogue brewmaster John Maier’s very own beard.

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(5) ACID FREAKS, BREWCULT ABV: 7.5%, Style: Baltic porter Extreme factor: Made with balsamic vinegar.

Classic BrewCult.

www.beerandbrewer.com

ABV: 5.6%, Style: American porter Extreme factor: That name isn’t just for pun’s sake. This beer has been brewed with live lobsters and dark cocoa powder.

(9) COCONUT CURRY HEFEWEIZEN, NEW BELGIUM BREWERY

(4) DINOSMORES, OFF COLOR BREWING ABV: 10.5%, Style: American double/ imperial stout Extreme factor: Inspired by the campfire snack, this stout is made with graham flour, marshmallow fluff, vanilla and cocoa nibs. Nostalgic.

(8) CHOC LOBSTER, DOGFISH HEAD BREWERY

(7) VOODOO DOUGHNUT BACON MAPLE ALE, ROGUE ALES ABV: 6.5%, Style: Brown ale Extreme factor: There is no secret as to why this beer is extreme.

Made with, (surprise, surprise) bacon and maple syrup in a collaboration between Rogue and Voodoo Doughnuts. Good lord.

ABV: 8%, Style: Hefeweizen Extreme factor: Much like the name suggests, this is a spicy little number with an ingredients list of cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, ginger, kaffir lime and cayenne pepper.

HIGHEST ABV (10) SNAKE VENOM, BREWMEISTER

ABV: 67.5%, Style: English barleywine Extreme factor: This is deemed the world’s strongest beer. It has no carbonation due to its high ABV and heeds the warning not to be drunk in excess of 35ml in one sitting. It also comes in at $200 a bottle. This is extreme in every sense of the word.

(11) SINK THE BISMARCK!, BREWDOG ABV: 41%, Style: Quadruple IPA Extreme factor: A quadruple IPA that contains four times the hops and frozen another four times to get it to that gag-able 41% ABV.

INTERESTING BREWING TECHNIQUES (12) MELANGE A TROIS, NEBRASKA BREWING ABV: 11.3%, Style: Belgian strong pale ale Extreme factor: Aged for six months in chardonnay barrels.

(15) BIG RED (COCK ALE), BACCHUS BREWING CO. ABV: 6.1%, Style: Scottish ale Extreme factor: A Scottish recipe from the 1500s that involves brewing with a chicken carcass. I would say some things should be left in the 1500s, but I’m just one person.

(18) WHERE STRIDES THE BEHEMOTH, KAIJU! BEER ABV: 11%, Style: Black IPA Extreme factor: Lots of hops, lots of flavour, lots of alcohol and it’s inspired by a Mastedon song.

Must be drunk while head banging.

(19) LA BOUFE’S BÈTE NOIRE, ADAM BELLAMY AND HOPDOG CONCEPTUAL BEERS (13) KENTUCKY BREAKFAST STOUT, FOUNDERS BREWING ABV: 11.2%, Style: Imperial stout Extreme factor: Brewed with coffee and barrel aged in a whisky barrel that has been transported to an undisclosed cave kept at a common temperature throughout the year. Sounds a little Masonic but a damn good brew. Sign us up.

(14) BAD BOY BUBBLY, MOON DOG BREWING ABV: 13.1%, Style: Barley Champagne Extreme factor: An attempt at making a beer as close to Champagne as possible. Aged on Hungarian oak, very dry, very pale… it’s basically a beer Champagne.

(16) OLD RASPUTIN RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT, NORTH COAST BREWING ABV: 9%, Style: Russian imperial stout Extreme factor: This beer is made in the tradition of 18th century English brewers. Oh, and it’s a homage to old mate Grigori Rasputin.

(17) TACO, TWO BIRDS BREWING ABV: 5.2%, Style: Wheat ale Extreme factor: When the two birds from Two Birds went to Southern California they came back inspired to make a beer…that tasted like a taco.

Made with corn, coriander, wheat and lime, it has become one of their best sellers.

Go figure.

ABV: 7%, Style: American stock ale Extreme factor: This is a brew based on the Coen Brothers film True Grit.

I don’t think you can get much more conceptual than beer that tastes like a movie.

EXTRA HOPS (20) PURE HOPPINESS, ALPINE BEER COMPANY ABV: 8%, Style: IPA Extreme factor: So many hops. Hops in the boil, more in the giant hopback, and then dry-hopping.

You’ll never want to say the word ‘hop’ again.

No Rulz Brewz Porter MARTIN POTTER SHOWS US HOW TO GIVE PORTER THE NO RULZ TREATMENT TO DELIVER AN ENGLISH PORTER, RYE PORTER AND EVEN A BOURBON BARREL AGED RASPBERRY BALTIC PORTER

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orters of old back in the 1700s and 1800s were a fairly heavy beer, with alcohol in the range of 6-7%. It was a beer to sustain workers doing manual labour on the wharfs and streets of London. Originally, porters were brewed with brown malts, but later adapted to use paler malts as a base after the development of black malts. It is also believed to

have been a fairly heavily hopped beer. Over time, and with generations of brewers trying their hand at it, porter evolved further. By about the time of WWII, with grain shortages and financial pressures, the common porter was indeed a much less robust beer. Blame Hitler.

Today, the boundaries of what constitutes a porter are perhaps more blurred than ever. While we have brown porters, robust porters, English porters, Baltic porters and American porters, there’s also a myriad of brewers who thumb their noses at the rules. Can I get a hallelujah?

Porters, like any other beer, can be just about any combination of flavours you want and there’s no jail term for No Rulz Brewz. Heck, you can even drink them in the height of summer if you want to go all mega radical and can stand the purists’ gaze of disgust like sharks with frickin’ lasers.

Here are a few recipes to break some rules and deliver a taste sensation.

There’s one each for concentrate, extract and all-grain brewers.

As always, if you like one recipe but it’s not in the format you brew, head to your local homebrew shop and they’ll happily adapt it for you.

Further notes for success - Respect your yeast and your yeast will respect your beer. Ensure you get adequate aeration of the wort with vigorous stirring of the wort at pitching temperature (22°C). Adequate oxygenation and pitching sufficient healthy yeast are paramount to success. Ferment inside the recommended range for the yeast being used. 18°C for these examples and if you don’t quite reach the expected FG, elevate the temperature to around 20°C for a few days to get it there - Carbonation: aim for a lower carbonation. Around 1.6-2.0 volumes is enough for a porter. Age the beer for several weeks before enjoying. That means now is the time to get them on if you’re intending to enjoy them for the upcoming cooler weather

48 Home Brewer

RECIPES

Bourbon Barrel Aged Raspberry Baltic Porter All Grain Expected Brew Figures

English Porter Concentrate Expected Brew Figures

OG: 1.076 (with the jam) FG: 1.015 ABV: 8.5% IBU: 37 Volume: 23 litres

OG: 1.052 FG: 1.012 ABV: 5.2% IBU: 24 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients

Ingredients

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

•

3.98kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter 2.90kg Munich Malt 430g Wheat Malt, (Joe White) 240g Brown Malt 240g Briess Extra Special Malt 240g Crystal (Joe White) 150g Black (Patent) Malt 50g Chocolate Malt 40g Midnight Wheat 78g Saaz (4%AA) 1 Whirlfloc Tablet 150g Still Spirits Bourbon Staves 500g Raspberry Jam (you can substitute for raspberry syrup, but not conserve) 2 Packs Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast

Method 1. Mash at 67°C, then mash out at 76°C 2. Bring to the boil for 60 minutes, adding 60g of Saaz hops at the beginning of the boil 3. Add the Whirlfloc and remaining 18g of Saaz hops with 10 minutes remaining in the boil 4. Ferment at 18°C and install a blow off tube and overflow bottle of about 2L capacity – change it as it fills. Warning: fermentation will be somewhat volcanic 5. Use a good raspberry jam and add it in for secondary fermentation after about seven days and allow to stand for around seven days. The raspberry jam is free of wild yeast 6. Rack the beer into a clean and well sanitised vessel – flush it with CO² if you have the gear. Treat the Still Spirits bourbon staves by soaking in with 100ml of vodka overnight and add just the staves to the mix. Allow to stand for a further seven days before kegging or bottling

So Wrong It’s Right Rye Porter

• • • •

1.7kg Morgan’s Australian Old Concentrate 1.5kg Briess CBW Golden Light Malt Extract 15g Hallertau Hops Safale S-04 English Ale Yeast

Method 1. Clean and sanitise fermenter and other equipment 2. Steep the Hallertau hops in 400ml of boiling water for 10 minutes 3. Strain the hop liquid into the fermenter with Light Malt Extract and Australian Old Concentrate can and a kettle full of boiling water 4. Stir thoroughly, then top up to 23 litres with cold water 5. Ferment at 18°C for about 10 days, until the gravity is stable over two consecutive days 6. Bottle with a lower carbonation than normal. One carbonation drop per 750ml bottle is enough.

7. Age in the bottle for 8-12 weeks minimum * If you want warm and fuzzy, you can go all maverick on the world and substitute the CBW Golden Light for a Briess CBW Rye Malt Extract. Rye porters are just about the epitome of soul for brewers on cold miserable days when you’re stuck watching reruns on television

Extract Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.052 FG: 1.012 ABV: 5.2% IBU: 46 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •

1.5kg Briess CBW Rye Malt Extract 1.5kg Briess Traditional Dark Malt Extract 500g Dry Malt Extract 200g Briess Carapils 200g Briess Extra Special Malt 100g Brown Malt 100g Black Malt 40g Simcoe Hops 30g Columbus Hops 15g Centennial Hops 1 Whirlfloc Tablet Safale US-05 Yeast or Mangrove Jack’s M44 West Coast Ale Yeast

Method 1. In about 5 litres of water, steep the grains in a hop sock or small grain bag on the stove top for around 30 minutes while it’s heating up.

Remove the grains once the temp reaches 75°C and bring to the boil for 60 minutes 2. Add Simcoe hops at the beginning of the boil 3. Add 15g of Columbus hops with 15 minutes remaining in the boil 4. Add Whirlfloc tablet at 10 minutes 5. Add 15g of Columbus and 15g of Centennial hops as you remove the saucepan from the heat (flameout) and let sit for 10 minutes 6. Transfer to the fermenter and top up with chilled water to 23 litres 7. Ferment at 18°C for seven days, then dry hop with 15g Simcoe, 15g Centennial and 15g Columbus for a further seven days before bottling 8. Bottle with a lower carbonation than normal. One carbonation drop per 750ml bottle is enough 9. Age in the bottle for 8-12 weeks minimum

Winter 2015

49

TRAVEL

Melbourne Bitter & Twisted

A CITY SYNONYMOUS WITH GREAT COFFEE, FOOD, BARS AND AFL FANATICS, MELBOURNE IS ALSO FAST BECOMING A CRAFT BEER MECCA. NICK CONNELLAN CHECKS OUT THE BURGEONING CRAFT BEER SCENE AND CHATS TO THREE, SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT, MELBOURNE BREWERIES

62 www.beerandbrewer.com

Kooinda Boutique Brewery

Where to eat/drink Coffee Perhaps more than anything else, Melbourne is famous for its coffee, and increasingly, the top-notch brunches, which accompany it. If you’re staying in the CBD and you need a morning pick-me-up, Filter, Patricia, Market Lane, The League of Honest Coffee and Drystore Espresso are all reputable spots for a quick coffee.

Brunch

Inside Mountain Goat Brewery Image by Sarah Pannell

I

t’s early Wednesday night in

number had dwindled to one major

Melbourne, and the streets

brewery. CUB had gobbled up all its

are quiet. I’m with a couple

state rivals, along with a good deal

of mates, walking alongside

more around the country. At one

row after row of neat terrace

point, it was making more than half

houses and taking in the

the country’s packaged beer.

balmy air. We’re chatting happily, the

In spite of this tough competition,

silence around us broken only by the

or perhaps because of it, Mountain

occasional dog’s bark or child’s shout.

Goat and other small breweries

As the rose-filled, picket-fenced

have flourished in Melbourne. The

front yards give way to a series of

city hosts the Great Australian Beer

imposing brick factories, we duck into

Spectapular, the CBIA Australian

a door on our right. We’re greeted

Craft Brewers Conference, as well as

by a wave of convivial noise at odds

Good Beer Week, a 250-event festival,

with the twilight stillness outside.

which sees an increasing number of

Scores of people are standing around

international brewstars flying in each

a converted warehouse, nursing beers

May to host dinners or give talks.

and sharing pizzas next to stainless

Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver was

steel fermenters as tall as giraffes. It

one such name last year. In light of

feels secret, like accidentally stumbling

these things, it’s fair to say craft beer

onto a meeting of Fight Club.

has found its home here.

But if Mountain Goat is a secret, it’s the worst kept in the city. Founders

MOON DOG BREWING

Cam Hines and Dave Bonighton were

About 2km from Mountain Goat, you’ll

among the first brewers to challenge

find the leafy suburb of Abbotsford.

the overwhelming supremacy of Carlton

What parts of it aren’t occupied by

United Breweries (CUB), and they’re

old Greek or Vietnamese immigrants

local legends. Their initial premises in

are fast being gentrified by yuppies

Richmond – one block from where we

sweeping north from Richmond. But

are now – were secured in the late ‘90s

among all this, about a quarter of

with three surfboards, two push bikes

the suburb is still semi-industrial,

and an EH Holden as collateral.

housing panel beaters, coffee roasters,

To understand how ballsy this was,

framers, metal fabricators and

you only need to glance over the past

the occasional brothel in its quiet

125 years of history. Circa 1890, there

back streets. It’s also home to the

were about 18 breweries operating

sprawling CUB plant, whose hoppy,

in Melbourne. A century later, that

waffle cone stink blankets the area

For a pre-brewery brunch, good spots near Moon Dog include Top Paddock, Proud Mary, Three Bags Full, Industry Beans, Seven Seeds, The Vertue of the Coffee Drink and Sir Charles. The Nest is surrounded by its own swarm of great cafés, such as the Duchess of Spotswood, Common Galaxia, The Pint of Milk, Leroy’s, Le Chien, Chicco, Wee Jeanie and Cornershop.

Lunch & Dinner Moving onto lunch and dinner, the undoubted ‘it’ place in Melbourne continues to be modern Thai restaurant Chin Chin. It’s been open for several years, but diners can still wait 40 minutes for a table – something most are happy to swallow, given how good the food is.

Kong (Korean) and Baby (Italian) are owned by the same group and offer a similarly noisy atmosphere, as does Mexican restaurant Mamasita.

Some of the best pizza in town is found at Rita’s Cafeteria in Abbotsford, as well as at Kaprica in Carlton.

Burger fiends should follow their noses to Brother Burger and the Marvellous Brew, with its excellent craft selection, Grand Trailer Park Taverna in the CBD, or 8Bit, in Footscray. Belle’s Hot Chicken is also worth a visit if you like fried chicken.

For those after something truly special (with a price to match), fine-dining restaurant Moon Under Water, where the menu changes daily, is hard to go past. Ezard, Rockpool and Saint Crispin also rate a mention.

Drinks In terms of drinking, Forrester’s Hall is one of the more exciting additions to the scene of late. The pub has a whopping 32 beers on tap a number almost matched at its sister venues, The Royston and the Terminus (in Clifton Hill, not Abbotsford). Up the road from Forrester’s, the smaller Two Row curates its taps more carefully, and feels a lot more intimate. Little Creatures Dining Hall is also in the same suburb.

Over near The Nest, The Junction Hotel in Newport always has an excellent tap selection. In general, though, 10 or more taps is fast becoming the norm in most Melbourne pubs, even the ones with strong links to big breweries.

Takeaways Finally, there’s the notable craft bottleshops: Carwyn Cellars, Blackhearts and Sparrows, Purvis Cellars, Slow Beer and McCoppins all carry a good range of local and international beers and some have multiple locations around the city.

Winter 2015 63

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