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Hail the Pale! We look at Australia’s most consumed beer style

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Australia’s

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OUR BIGGEST IPA tasting ever!

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CONTENTS

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Spring 2016

14

FEATURES 14 Style Notes – Pale Ale Visit any brewery in Australia and you can almost guarantee they’ll have a pale ale at the core of their line-up. However, while the style is a stock standard, it’s also incredibly diverse. Luke Robertson reports

22 Asian Beer From clean, crisp lagers to red rice ales and espresso stouts, we look at the full spectrum of Asian beers in Australia

26 Five Gypsy Brewers To Know We take a look at five travelling gypsies, changing the traditional view of what it takes to get into the craft beer industry

30 Australia’s 2016 Best Beer Venues & Brewpubs We have done the hard yards of drinking our way across the country in search of Australia’s finest beer venues and brewpubs.

So settle in, grab a beer and enjoy our Top 65 Beer Venues and Top 50 Brewpubs for 2016

60 Travel – Belgium The Beer Pilgrim journeys to Belgium and takes us inside the secretive world of Westmalle

64 Entertaining – Food Want to create nutritional dishes, which reduce food wastage AND are delicious? Well we have three recipes that do just that

4 www.beerandbrewer.com

HOMEBREWER 42 Welcome 43 Letters 44 Q&A Homebrew champion John Palmer takes us through the new IPA substyles and provides a recipe for one of the buzz beers at the moment, red IPA

46 Recipes We have recipes for pale ales of all descriptions and even a lager

“We wanted a pretty balanced pale ale with a lot of hop character. When we sat down we decided we wanted something a bit darker, a bit maltier and to use hops that support that” – Jared Proudfoot, Pirate Life Brewing

50 Barellan Beer The story of how a beer brought together a community

52 Shipwreck Beer Could a beer discovered in a shipwreck near Tasmania be the world’s oldest beer?

58 Homebrew Club We check out the West Coast Brewers and get an award-winning Russian imperial stout recipe to try!

60

30

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 New Venues 13 Bits & Bobs 68 Tasting Notes Our biggest IPA tasting ever!

78 Directory 82 A Pint With…

Entrepreneur, investor and ‘Shark’ on Shark Tank Australia, Steve Baxter

Check out Australia’s Top 65 Beer Venues & Top 50 Brewpubs!

22 26 Spring 2016 5

1. Batch American Pale Ale This is the first beer Batch Brewing Co. ever made. A combination of Vienna and caramel Pilsner malt round off a malt bill that leans towards the drier end of the style, softening its body a touch, before big hits of Cascade hops from the whirlpool and fermenter give a complex burst of fresh cut grass, citrus stone fruit and a touch of pine. This is the beer that shows the quality and nuance you can expect from Batch Brewing Co.

FOOD MATCH Cheeseburger with chips ABV: 5.2% RRP: $12.99 per bottle (640ml) Batchbrewingco.com.au

20 www.beerandbrewer.com

2. Modus Pale Ale One of Modus Operandi’s many award-winning beers. Dry hopped with Yakima Valley’s favourite heavy hitting hop, Simcoe, this beer is a hophead’s dream. Rich golden in colour, as soon as Modus Pale Ale is poured expect a big burst of pine and citrus hop aromas, which follow onto the palate followed by a crisp finish.

FOOD MATCH Chilli chicken pad see ew ABV: 5.2% RRP: $9.99 per can (500ml) Mobrewing.com.au

3. Feral Hop Hog Sitting somewhere between a pale ale and an India pale ale is Feral’s Hop Hog, which recently crossed out the ‘India’ on its label just leaving pale ale. While it may not fit into a specific style perfectly, it does seem to fit into craft beer lovers’ hands (and bellies) extremely well. A multi-award winning beer, Hop Hog explodes with American citrus, fruity, piney hops, which are held together by a solid malt backbone.

FOOD MATCH Spicy Asian chicken wings ABV: 5.8% RRP: $17.90 per four-pack (330ml) Feralbrewing.com.au

4. Willie The Boatman Todd’s Trailer Ale Brewed in Sydney’s Inner West, Willie The Boatman Todd’s Trailer Ale is a well-balanced American pale ale. Three additions of Citra hops create some spicy, tropical fruit aromas on the nose, which continue to the palate where they are joined by a big malt body.

FOOD MATCH Wood-fired pepperoni pizza ABV: 5.5% RRP: $11.99 per bottle (640ml) Willietheboatman.com

PALE ALE PROMOTION

5. Little Creatures Pale Ale A hop driven pale ale bursting with flavour and aroma. Fullbodied yet refreshing, the bitter finish will leave your tastebuds craving more. Since day one, Little Creatures has brewed its Pale using whole hop cones, sourced straight from the US directly to its breweries (something pretty unique) and use a hop back to extract those beautiful, hoppy aromas and delicate bitterness.

Preservative and additive free, the Pale Ale is live yeast conditioned in the bottle (after filling) for unmatched freshness and character and takes about six weeks from brewing to be released.

FOOD MATCH

6. 4 Pines Pale Ale This pale ale of a rich golden, copper colour throws up vibrant hoppy aromas. Citra, Amarillo, Cascade and Simcoe hops leave a fresh fruity glow on the palate. The hops are refined and balanced well with the firm bitterness that delivers rich taste and a clean linger. The full body and good malty background make this a delightful flavoursome and refreshing ale.

FOOD MATCH Chicken schnitzel and chips ABV: 5.1% RRP: $18.90 per six-pack (330ml) 4pinesbeer.com.au

7. Pirate Life Pale Ale This beer has a fabulous chestnut colour and a nice big head on it as well. Pirate Life Pale Ale shows a great balance of hops and creamy malt, fresh bitterness with a crisp dry finish.

The beer has a great mouthfeel and tastes incredibly fresh. A well-crafted beer by the talented team at Pirate Life.

FOOD MATCH Tempura prawns ABV: 5.4% RRP: $5.50 per can (355ml) Piratelife.com.au

8. Mornington Pale Ale Mornington Pale is an Americanstyle pale ale, pouring a cloudy golden yellow with a tightlypacked white head. The Pale has both citrus and passion fruit aromas, showcasing American hops added late in the brewing process. A light smooth palate, aided by the generous addition of wheat malts, moderate bitterness and carbonation make for a flavoursome and sessional ale.

FOOD MATCH Fish ‘n’ chips ABV: 4.7% RRP: $22 per six-pack (330ml) Mpbrew.com.au

Mussels or chargrilled chicken ABV: 5.2% RRP: $22.99 per six-pack (330ml) Littlecreatures.com.au

AUSTRALIA’S MOST CONSUMED STYLE, ACCORDING TO A RECENT SURVEY BY CRAFT BEER RETAILER BEER CARTEL, PALE ALES ARE POPULAR ALL YEAR ROUND. WE TAKE A LOOK AT EIGHT TO TRY THIS SEASON!

Spring 2016 21

BEER VENUES & BREWPUBS

THE ESTEEMED PANEL James Atkinson – editor, Australian Brews News Vanessa Cavasinni – editor, Australian Hotelier Tim Charody – The Beer Pilgrim Stefanie Collins – editor, bars&clubs Joel Connolly – festival director, Sydney Craft Beer Week

Top 65 AUSTRALIA’S 2016

Top 50

Beer Venues &

Brewpubs WE HAVE DONE THE HARD YARDS OF DRINKING OUR WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN SEARCH OF AUSTRALIA’S FINEST BEER VENUES AND BREWPUBS. SO SETTLE IN, GRAB A BEER AND ENJOY OUR TOP 65 BEER VENUES AND TOP 50 BREWPUBS FOR 2016

I

n 2014, we launched our Top 50 Beer

and food offerings onsite, we felt they deserved to

Venues list to help you find the freshest,

be recognised too, and so we are thrilled to launch

craftiest beer whether travelling

Australia’s Top 50 Brewpubs for 2016.

interstate or just looking for somewhere

To determine which beer venues and brewpubs

new to try in your hometown. We

made the lists, we asked 22 panellists for their

also wanted to recognise those who

personal favourites then tallied them up to find the

were championing craft beer, their support and

Top 50 Beer Venues (metro), Top 15 Beer Venues

commitment has helped this incredible industry

(regional) and Top 50 Brewpubs for 2016. The scoring

grow exponentially over the past few years.

was weighted so those at the top of the panellists’

In line with the growth of the industry, we

lists scored higher than those at the bottom. There

have made some changes to the list this year.

was no strict criteria. It could have been a venue’s

We have split it into metro (Top 50) and regional

range and choice of beers that impressed our judges,

(Top 15), to help get an even better spread of great

it might have been the quality of service and staff

beer venues to visit across the country. We used

knowledge or it could have been an emphasis on

Australia Post’s definition of regional and metro

beer and food matching; more than likely it was a

areas to define this split. Also, with so many

combination of different factors.

breweries now having their own impressive bar

30 www.beerandbrewer.com

So enjoy the lists and start ticking them off!

Cameron Flett – manager, Warners at the Bay Brad Flowers – owner, Hops and More Glen Humphries – beer writer, Beer Is Your Friend Ian Kingham – beer writer and international beer judge Matt Kirkegaard – founder, Australian Brews News, BeerMatt John Kruger – drinks writer, judge and Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards committee member Ross Lewis – editor, The West Australian beer website, The Sip. Emily Lloyd-Tait – bars & pubs editor, Time Out Sydney Chris McNamara – executive officer, Craft Beer Industry Association Peter Mitcham – beer writer and commentator, Radio Brews News Pia Poynton – beer writer, girl + beer Luke Robertson – beer writer, Ale of a Time Jeremy Sambrooks – beer writer and judge, Beer & Brewer, Menu Magazine Annette Shailer – editor, Beer & Brewer Chris Thomas – editor, Homebrewer Kirrily Waldhorn – beer presenter, educator, consultant, writer and judge, Beer Diva Andrew Young – editor, TheShout.com.au

REGIONAL BEER VENUES

TOP 15 REGIONAL BEER VENUES FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HIGHLIGHT THE TOP 15 REGIONAL BEER VENUES IN AUSTRALIA! #1 The Grain Store Image by Emily Jane Photography

1

The Grain Store

64-66 SCOTT STREET, NEWCASTLE EAST NSW 2300 Grainstorenewcastle.com.au

A well-deserved winner of our inaugural Top 15 Regional Beer Venues list! The Grain Store owners Corey and Kristy Crooks were beating the craft beer drum years before moustached hipsters discovered the benefits of growlers. Their commitment to providing interesting craft beer perfectly matched to delicious food is second to none, while their passion for craft is infectious.

“This and Warners at the Bay are places I always go to when I’m in Newcastle. Love the focus on Australian beer and the relaxed feel of the pub as a whole” – Glen Humphries, Beer Is Your Friend

5 THE SPOTTED COW 296 RUTHVEN STREET, TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350 Spottedcow.com.au 6 WELDBOROUGH HOTEL 29722 TASMAN HIGHWAY, WELDBOROUGH TAS 7264 Weldborough.com.au 7 THE DISPENSARY BAR & DINER 9 CHANCERY LANE, BENDIGO VIC 3550 Dispensarybendigo.com 8 THE LITTLE PRINCE GLOBE LANE, WOLLONGONG NSW 2500 Thelittleprince.com.au

2

Black Bunny Kitchen

180 ALEXANDRA PARADE, ALEXANDRA HEADLAND QLD 4572 Blackbunnykitchen.com.au

9 THE MALLOW HOTEL 20 SKIPTON STREET, BALLARAT VIC 3350 Themallow.com.au

This quirky establishment is a proud supporter of independently-owned breweries, distilleries, wineries and food producers. With live bands on the weekend, great food, rotating craft beer taps and even host to a ‘Best Beard’ competition, Black Bunny Kitchen is the perfect destination for local and visiting craft beer aficionados.

10 STEIN’S TAPHOUSE AND WINE BAR 29-31 BAROSSA VALLEY WAY, NURIOOTPA SA 5355 Steinstaphouse.com.au

“In an area where tourists are easily attracted to the familiar safety of the larger, less ‘soulful’ mainstream holiday venues, it is noteworthy that such a small and intimate family-run venue like this has carved out such a loyal following. Sticking true to the basic tenets of hospitality with a broad and ever-changing beer offering to match, it’s no wonder this place keeps a spot on this list” – Pete Mitcham, Radio Brews News

#2 Black Bunny Kitchen

3

Saint John Craft Beer Bar

133 SAINT JOHN STREET, LAUNCESTON TAS 7250 Saintjohncraftbeer.com.au

Featuring up to 14 taps of Australian and international craft beer, and more than 170 bottled beers, ciders, wines and premium spirits, Saint John Craft Beer Bar punches well above its weight. BYO food for lunch with plenty of options nearby, and delicious dishes served up at the food van out the back from 5.30pm. Definitely one to put on the Tassie to-do list!

#3 Saint John Craft Beer Bar

4 THE POURHOUSE (WA) 26 DUNN BAY ROAD, DUNSBOROUGH WA 6281 Pourhouse.com.au

“Saint John Craft Beer Bar caters to all lovers of beer, from university students to rambling beer connoisseurs.

Food is provided from the food van and the 14 taps have a wide variety of beers from around Australia and the globe.

Simple in concept and design, friendly and inviting with excellent staff for comfort, and a range of beer that won’t leave you wanting for anything” – Ian Kingham, beer writer and judge

11 THE WELDER’S DOG 120 MARSH STREET, ARMIDALE NSW 2350 Theweldersdog.com.au 12 THE HOP FACTORY 102 DARBY STREET, COOKS HILL NSW 2300 Thehopfactory.com.au 13 SETTLERS TAVERN 114 BUSSELL HIGHWAY, MARGARET RIVER WA 6285 Settlerstavern.com 14 THE BLIND MONK 76 BEAUMONT STREET, HAMILTON NSW 2303 Theblindmonk.com.au 15 THE POURHOUSE (NSW) 327 HIGH STREET MAITLAND, NSW 2320 Thepourhouse.com.au

Spring 2016 31

TOP 50 BREWPUBS

25

Mountain Goat Beer

80 NORTH STREET, RICHMOND VIC 3121 Goatbeer.com.au

Anyone’s who’s been to Good Beer Week Melbourne will most likely know the Mountain Goat brewery very well from its famous, and awesome, Abbey Collaby nights. Open Wednesday and Friday nights from 5pm, check out the limited release special brews on tap while smashing one of their delicious pizzas.

#20 Cheeky Monkey Brewery & Cidery

24 WILLIE THE BOATMAN 202/75 MARY STREET, ST PETERS NSW 2044 Willietheboatman.com 23 COLONIAL BREWING CO. OSMINGTON ROAD, MARGARET RIVER WA 6285 Colonialbrewingco.com.au 22 LITTLE CREATURES, FREMANTLE 40 MEWS ROAD, FREMANTLE WA 6160 Littlecreatures.com.au

18

21 MOON DOG CRAFT BREWERY 17 DUKE STREET, ABBOTSFORD VIC 3067 Moondogbrewing.com.au 20 CHEEKY MONKEY BREWERY & CIDERY 4259 CAVES ROAD, MARGARET RIVER WA 6285 Cheekymonkeybrewery.com.au 19 YOUNG HENRYS 76 WILFORD STREET, NEWTOWN NSW 2042 Younghenrys.com

Temple Brewing Co.

122 WESTON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST VIC 3057 Templebrewing.com.au

“If you wrote a list of all the things you’d want in a great brewpub, the list would look a lot like the one they used to design Temple. Upstairs function space, comfy all-weather beer garden out front and a sleek and sexy downstairs bar with a view of the stainless steel kit from which a range of solid award-winning beers are produce before your eyes” – Pete Mitcham, Radio Brews News

#25 Mountain Goat Beer

17 BRIDGE ROAD BREWERS 50 FORD STREET BEECHWORTH, VIC 3747 Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

14 THE GRIFTER BREWING CO. 1/391 ENMORE ROAD, MARRICKVILLE NSW 2204 Thegrifter.com.au

16 NORTHBRIDGE BREWING CO. 44 LAKE STREET, NORTHBRIDGE WA 6003 Northbridgebrewingco.com.au

13 BAD SHEPHERD BREWING CO. 386 RESERVE ROAD, CHELTENHAM VIC 3192 Badshepherd.com.au

15 THE MONK BREWERY + KITCHEN 33 SOUTH TERRACE, FREMANTLE WA 6160 Themonk.com.au

12 MODUS OPERANDI BREWING CO. 14 HARKEITH STREET, MONA VALE NSW 2103 Mobrewing.com.au 11 BATCH BREWING CO. 44 SYDENHAM ROAD, MARRICKVILLE NSW 2204 Batchbrewingco.com.au

#18 Temple Brewing Co.

38 www.beerandbrewer.com

#12 Modus Operandi Brewing Co.

TOP 50 BREWPUBS

10

Green Beacon Brewing Co.

26 HELEN STREET, NEWSTEAD QLD 4006 Greenbeacon.com.au

#10 Green Beacon Brewing Co.

9

Eagle Bay Brewing Co.

8

Two Birds Brewing

236 EAGLE BAY ROAD, NATURALISTE WA 6281 Eaglebaybrewing.com.au

136 HALL STREET, SPOTSWOOD VIC 3015 Twobirdsbrewing.com.au

Two Birds Brewing’s tasting room and brewery, The Nest, in Melbourne’s inner-western suburb of Spotswood, is where Australia’s first female-owned and operated brewing company craft their award-winning creations.

Take a behind the scenes look at the brewing process, taste the range of rotating Two Birds beers brewed on site, enjoy some delicious pub grub or simply take home brewery fresh beer in growlers and squealers.

Family-owned and run, Eagle Bay Brewing Co. is a restaurant, microbrewery and vineyard located on a 66-year-old working farm in Eagle Bay, WA. When it comes to beer, wine and food – it doesn’t get much fresher than that!

“Perched on top of a pretty green hill overlooking the lush farmlands and fragrant eucalypt forests that meander along the rugged West Oz coastline, it’s hard to beat this location. Throw in a paddle of fresh Eagle Bay beers, a meal from its top class kitchen and that deep blue sky you tend to get around here and you have well and truly ‘plonked’ yourself in beer heaven. They will probably have to remove you with a crow bar!” – Tim Charody, The Beer Pilgrim

This awesome warehouse brewery has an impressive range of beers to work through, alongside some of Queensland’s finest seafood or a cheese and meat board, or both!

Green Beacon also hosts some of Brisbane’s best food trucks so keep an eye on who’s pulling up if you’re planning a visit. Awesome, friendly staff add that extra something special to this relaxed venue.

“Sitting amongst the tanks at Two Birds, you can taste why they continue to win awards. Their core range always tastes best at the brewery. The food is ideal for soaking up beer, and their one-offs and brewery-only releases are more than enough to keep me visiting” – Luke Robertson, Ale of a Time #8 Two Birds Brewing

7

#6 Bentspoke Brewing Co.

FogHorn Brewhouse

218 KING STREET, NEWCASTLE NSW 2300 Foghornbrewhouse.com.au

Housed in a historic art deco warehouse, Foghorn Brewhouse is the ideal place to enjoy fresh beers brewed in front of you, while enjoying dishes bursting with locally sourced produce. Add to that live music and you have the perfect spot for a Sunday arvo session.

“I love places where you can sit and watch the brewers making the beer you’re drinking. Foghorn is one of the best places to do this because there is so much stainless to see, and so many beers to drink while you sit and watch” – Glen Humphries, Beer Is Your Friend

6

BentSpoke Brewing Co.

38 MORT STREET, BRADDON ACT 2612 Bentspokebrewing.com.au

BentSpoke is the blood, sweat and tears of one of Australia’s premier beer judges and brewers, Richard Watkins. The sensational array of beers are matched by great pub fair and knowledgeable staff.

#7 FogHorn Brewhouse

“With a beer menu as long as a politician’s pre-election promise list, it’s little wonder that BentSpoke is packing in the locals and visitors alike most nights of the week. Eighteen taps all pouring something fresh, familiar or different – a bit ‘bent’ if you will – has given the rejuvenated suburb a centrepiece on which to hang its hopes and dreams” – Peter Mitcham, Radio Brews News

Spring 2016 39

Q&A

More IPAs Than You Can Shake a Stick At HOMEBREW CHAMPION JOHN PALMER HAS BEEN FASCINATED BY THE EVOLUTION OF THE IPA CATEGORY IN OFFICIAL JUDGING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. HE TAKES US THROUGH THE NEW SUB-STYLES AND PROVIDES A RECIPE FOR ONE OF THE BUZZ BEERS AT THE MOMENT – RED IPA Note: The following is an excerpt from

they provide contrast and balance to

the forthcoming (4th) edition of How To

the hops with grainy malt flavours,

Brew, due to be published in 2017.

sweetness and esters.

T

he world of IPAs has erupted and now every hop forward

Belgian IPA is an adaptation of

beer of any colour

American IPA using Belgian yeast

is being marketed

strains, or to look at it from the other

as some type of

side of the fence, an adaptation of

IPA. It is worth noting that the Beer

Belgian golden strong or tripel with

Judge Certification Program (BJCP) in

American hopping rates. The high

the recent 2015 style guidelines has

hop bitterness is offset by a higher

moved away from calling these beers

alcohol content (which makes it

India pale ales, and is only referring

taste sweeter) and the hop aroma

to them as IPA, because these modern

is enhanced with fruity esters and

derivatives were never made or

spicy phenols from the Belgian yeast

consumed in India. There are now IPA

strains. Many different hop varieties

sub-styles for Belgian, white, red, rye,

may be used, including American,

brown and black. Let’s review the main

European and Pacific varieties,

characteristics of these beers (dramatic

but it is important that the hops

pause)…hops! All of these beers have a

share a common element with the

dominating hop balance in both aroma

fermentation character. The spicy and/

and flavour. The malt and fermentation

or fruity elements of more recent hop

character will always take a back seat

varieties tend to work better than the

to the hop character in an IPA, but they

more sulfurous and piney character

play a very important role in defining

(i.e. dank garlic and onion) in older

the sub-style, and more importantly,

hop varieties that can clash with the

determining whether the beer itself is

phenolic yeast character. Belgian IPAs

any good or not.

tend to be golden to amber in colour,

Every beer is a symphony of flavours and aromas, and if a blonde ale is the nearest thing to a string quartet

44 Home Brewer

Let’s take a look at each of the new sub-styles:

with an OG of 1.058-1.080, FG of 1.008-1.016 and 50-100 IBUs. White IPA is a cross between the

then an IPA is a big brass marching

Belgian wit style and American IPA.

band. And, the best marching bands

The Belgian witbier yeast character

include woodwinds and drums to

and the use of spices such as coriander

create dynamism and complexity. The

and chamomile enhance the hop

Monty Python theme song – otherwise

character. The goal with white IPA is to

known as The Liberty Bell March by John

strike a cooperative balance between

P. Sousa – comes to mind. The malt

the traditional witbier character and

and fermentation characters need

the higher bitterness of an IPA. The

to play this supporting role in IPA;

result is a more assertive witbier –

drier, fruitier, spicier, but with a robust bitterness

hoppy brown ales, which can be nutty also, arose

and drier finish. Again, it is important to avoid the

from the US homebrew scene when hop-crazy

danker hop varieties, which would clash with the

homebrewers decided that most brown ales were

light body and spiciness of the witbier style. The

just too wimpy. But, American brown ales should

sub-style is characterised by a pale gold or hazy

not be brown IPAs! They should be malt dominated

amber colour, OG of 1.056-1.065, FG of 1.010-1.016,

beers with a toasted malt character, and the hops

and 40-70 IBUs.

should be riding the crest of the wave of the beer’s

Rye IPA or RIPA add just that little something extra to American IPA to make them more

flavour. The hops should not be a tsunami.”

Well, apparently the challenge was accepted,

Drop Dead Red Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.060 FG: 1.015 ABV: 5.9% IBU: 60 Volume: 23 litres

interesting. Generally about 15-20 per cent rye

and now we have a brown IPA category. Brown

malt is substituted for the same amount of pale

IPAs are a logical extension from American IPA

ale malt; crystal malts are used sparingly just as in

the same way that American brown differs from

Ingredients

American IPA. The hops are still the boss. The rye

American pale and amber ale. The goal is a hop

3.8kg Pale Ale Malt

malt adds a pleasant light grainy spiciness to the

forward beer backed by a dry brown ale character.

900g Wheat Malt

malt character, and the overall effect is a slightly

These are eminently drinkable beers, with an OG

drier, more complex beer. American ale yeast

of 1.056-1.070, FG of 1.008-1.016 and 40-70 IBUs.

500g Munich Malt

should be used to avoid confusion with the Belgian

They are of course, brown. American or English

IPA sub-style. The colour of rye IPA is similar to

hop varieties seem to work best.

500g Crystal 40L Malt 150g Dark Crystal 120L 150g Chocolate Malt

American IPA but can be a slightly darker golden

Black IPAs are not stout IPAs; instead they are

to reddish amber. Importantly though, it should

a typical American IPA with the malt character of

not be sweeter. The OG of RIPA is 1.056-1.075, FG

a schwarzbier; black, dry, but not dominated by

50g Midnight Wheat Malt (debittered black)

1.008-1.014 and 50-75 IBUs.

roast malt. Instead, the roast malt and crystal malt

30g Super Pride Hops (15%AA)

Red IPA is the evolution of American amber

characters are just strong enough to round out

30g Galaxy Hops (14%AA)

ale to higher hoppiness. A red IPA balances the

the base malt character, resulting in a hoppy beer

higher bitterness with more malt sweetness,

that tastes fuller and better balanced than its pale

but not to the point where you lose the essential

cousins. Debittered black malts are best; these are

15g Citra (12%AA)

balance of an IPA. In other words, a red IPA is not

smooth black ales without astringency, and even

an imperial red ale; the malt character still only

less grainy or biscuit flavour than in a brown IPA.

California Ale yeast or Safale US-05 dry yeast

plays a supporting role to the hop character, but

Any hop variety can be used, but it is important

the tone of that character is sweeter and more

that hop bitterness and malt bitterness don’t

caramel/toffee rather than golden bread or light

compound each other; avoid the more sulfurous

toast. The colour of a red IPA is deep amber red

varieties. The colour of black IPAs ranges from

to brown with ruby highlights. The OG is 1.056-

deep brown to black with ruby highlights. This beer

1.070, FG 1.008-1.016 and 40-70 IBUs similar

should not really be opaque; if it is, I would bet that

to the other sub-styles. This one is one of my

the specialty malts have exceeded 10 per cent of

favourite styles. The hops should be American or

the grain bill. In fact, the roast malt additions tend

Pacific varieties. The fruitier English hop varieties

to be 5 per cent or less of the grainbill. The OG of

also go well.

black IPA ranges from 1.050-1.085, FG 1.010-1.016

In the current edition of How To Brew (2006) in the recipe chapter for brown ales I state, “The

and the bitterness is 50-90 IBUs. And finally a recipe for one of my favourite IPAs.

“EVERY BEER IS A SYMPHONY OF FLAVOURS AND AROMAS, AND IF A BLONDE ALE IS THE NEAREST THING TO A STRING QUARTET THEN AN IPA IS A BIG BRASS MARCHING BAND” – JOHN PALMER

15g Ella (15%AA)

*Suggested Brewing Water: 100 ppm Calcium, 20 ppm Magnesium, 120 ppm Total Alkalinity, 140 ppm Sulfate, 140 ppm Chloride, 60 ppm Sodium, 40 ppm Residual Alkalinity as CaCO3

Method 1. Single temperature infusion at 65°C for 60 minutes 2. Sparge to 27 liters of 1.052 3. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the Super Pride hops for the duration of the boil 4. Add 15g of Galaxy with 15 minutes left in the boil 5. Add 15g of each Galaxy, Ella and Citra at flameout and whirlpool 6. Cool to 20°C and pitch yeast 7. Ferment at 18-20°C until gravity is about 1.015 and is consistent for consecutive days 8. Bottle and enjoy!

Spring 2016 45

SHIPWRECK BEER

The World’s Oldest Beer?

IF YOU SAW THE OLDEST BEER EPISODE ON THE ABC’S CATALYST PROGRAM IN MID-JUNE, YOU’LL ALREADY KNOW SOME OF THE BACKSTORY TO THIS AMAZING TALE. IF YOU DIDN’T, PUT ON YOUR FEDORA FOR THIS INDIANA JONES-LIKE ADVENTURE OF SHIPWRECK, RECOVERY AND WHAT COULD BE THE WORLD’S OLDEST BEER

THE ADVENTURE

They got across Bass Strait, which is a great

in Launceston, where they rightly take pride

In 1797, the Sydney Cove trading ship was

achievement in itself, before the longboat

of place. These items will no doubt be of

travelling from Calcutta to Sydney. This was

too was wrecked. They clambered ashore in

even more interest since the showing of the

before the European settlement of Sydney was

modern Victoria and walked (yes walked) to

segment on ABC’s Catalyst and subsequent

even a decade old and supplies were essential

Sydney to alert the authorities. Of the 17, only

media attention.

to the survival of this new colony.

three survived the trek.

PRESENT DAY

Sydney Cove had already travelled south through the Indian Ocean and was tracking

1990

Fast forward another dozen years and David

along the south coast of Australia when she

Very little happened over the next 193 years.

Thurrowgood is appointed Conservator at

sprung a leak in typically torrential storms.

Except a layer of sand and sea grass swept over

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in

The leak wasn’t going to sink the ship but it

the wreck, providing the perfect preservation

Launceston. His background as a chemist

did need 24-7 attention.

blanket for treasure hunters to uncover her

drew him to the ancient bottle of beer and

nearly two centuries later.

he wondered whether the yeast could be

The captain sensibly navigated his ship away from Bass Strait and what would

Mark Nash wouldn’t quite have ‘treasure

recovered and cultured.

become a graveyard for many ships in the

hunter’ on his business card, given that he

ensuing years. However, as they made their

is formally a marine archaeologist. Nash and

that it was almost a case of just ticking it off

way around Tasmania, hurricane type storms

his crew recovered all manner of objects in

the list that we had given it a try and it did

assaulted the vessel and further damage

outstanding condition.

not work,” says Thurrowgood.

meant the leak grew larger.

“At first it was just such an out there idea

In addition to the regular shipwreck

But that quickly changed as the project

recovery items such as fine china, broken

progressed, and it became apparent that the

Tasmania before the captain made the bold,

bottles and a cannon, were leather shoes,

beer recovered from the Sydney Cove was

but inevitable decision to run the ship ashore

rope, tobacco and the ship’s rudder. Oh,

more than met the eye.

at Preservation Island, saving his crew. Located

and the centrepiece of this adventure,

just north of Tasmania, they couldn’t stay

some unbroken, wax sealed beer bottles,

had as being the world’s oldest known bottled

on Preservation Island forever so the captain

appearing to contain beer!

beer,” Thurrowgood explains.

They pushed on up the east coast of

nominated his fittest 17 crew members to hop in the longboat and row to Sydney.

52 Home Brewer

The recovered items went on display at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery

“Nobody had yet recognised the beer we

“I kept searching and searching, and did not turn up any record of another

verified example. This meant that just the molecular composition of the beer would be very interesting from a point of view of understanding the ingredients of beer 220 years ago.”

The bottles were fantastically preserved as they were buried in cold sandy conditions with a very unusual wax sealing technique. Recovering unbroken and sealed bottles of this age is very rare as they first need to survive the sinking and then everything else that the coastal waters throw at it over the next 200 odd years.

“Soon it became clear that we had a chance of finding something very special and in the back of my mind the 1825 Flag Porter discovery (a porter made by the Darwin Brewery using a yeast recovered from a wreck in the English Channel in 1825) gave me hope that the bottle’s contents might contain more than molecular soup,” says Thurrowgood.

“As each step fell into place it became more and more exciting a prospect. The best part about this type of treasure is that once you find it, it reproduces itself.”

There were two sealed bottles recovered, one of which was decanted 20 years ago into two containers

One of the bottles discovered in 1990

and stored in different areas of the museum storeroom. But the bottle that Thurrowgood and his team were really interested in was The unopened and sealed bottle thought to contain beer

“SOON IT BECAME CLEAR THAT WE HAD A CHANCE OF FINDING SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL AND IN THE BACK OF MY MIND THE 1825 FLAG PORTER DISCOVERY (A PORTER MADE BY THE DARWIN BREWERY USING A YEAST RECOVERED FROM A WRECK IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL IN 1825) GAVE ME HOPE THAT THE BOTTLE CONTENTS MIGHT CONTAIN MORE THAN MOLECULAR SOUP” – DAVID THURROWGOOD the one that still had a cork in it

and questioned their results. Then they

with liquid inside. It was sent to the

did what every homebrewer would do

Australian Centre for Ancient DNA in

and made beer with it, which they aptly

Adelaide where it was decanted, but

named, Preservation Ale.

disappointingly it didn’t contain beer.

However, there was a second chance

Both samples yielded the same strands of yeast, which were found to

with the samples from the bottle 20

have saccharomyces (brewer’s yeast)

years beforehand. This did contain beer.

and brettanomyces (brett) and another

But it also presented an extraneous

yeast associated with brewing. Having

variable in that there was a risk of

multiple yeasts (especially brett) in a

contamination.

beer would not have been uncommon

The samples were taken to the

during the days of casual open

Australian Wine Research Institute in

fermentation. The saccharomyces yeast

an effort to culture the yeast. Nothing

is a hybrid that doesn’t fit in the modern

happened for a while. And this is

ale yeast family tree, but is closest to

probably how they expected it to stay.

Trappist ales.

But then the yeast cells came to life.

The scientists replicated the

While many will question the ability to revive a 200-year-old yeast, there

experiment and got the same results. So

are other examples such as the 1825

they did what every scientist would do

Flag Porter and Carlsberg, which

Spring 2016 53

TRAVEL – BELGIUM

THE BEER PILGRIM JOURNEYS TO BELGIUM AND TAKES US INSIDE THE SECRETIVE WORLD OF WESTMALLE

60 www.beerandbrewer.com

Outside the historic Westmalle Monastery

TRAVEL – BELGIUM

“

N

ow…you can’t film, or take

home, so I guess more than anything I was keen to get to

photos. We have to meet our

the source, where these magnificent beers are the norm

escort and discuss how we

(and cost about the same price as a VB back at home!).

will document this, but really the monks are very secretive.

BREAD, COWS, CHEESE AND PRAYER

I can’t even believe we have

Back at the Westmalle entrance, our conversation was

been allowed in!”

We are standing at a huge iron gate outside

cut short as the huge iron gates gave a deep ‘clang’ and slowly opened prompting us to sheepishly wander

‘Westmalle’ Monastery in an attractive rural region

inside. Still completely naïve to the fact so few people

of northern Belgium and my guide seems like he is

have ever actually been allowed into this holy monastery

so nervous and excited that he might explode at any

(let alone filmed it), I wandered in expecting to go

minute. I didn’t really understand why - we head

straight to the bar. Well this wasn’t exactly the case.

inside, film the monks brewing, drink some epic beer

Our escort, who was a very charming fella and

and head off for munchies right?? Wrong. I guess this

obviously well-versed in the delicate politics that

wasn’t business as usual.

stand between the devout Church-going monks and

Could there be a better setting for a self-proclaimed

enough of these extremely limited brews, took us for a

a region where monks brew beer in centuries-old

carefully planned walk around the grounds.

monasteries according to a holy decree and where the

We saw the monastery’s cows, their sheep, their

ritual of beer-drinking is seen by many as a religious

goats, where the cheese is made and where the bread

experience of its own. A region where thousands of

is made. We saw the chapel, we even got to join the

devout beer-lovers flock from around the world on

monks praying in one of their six church services of

their own beer pilgrimages to sample what is often

the day! We saw the monastery’s chickens and their

considered to be the finest beers on planet earth.

veggie patch, we saw a baking monk, a praying monk, a walking monk, a sitting monk, but after an hour we

Europe it was preordained that the Trappist lands of

were yet to see a single brewing monk, let alone drink

Belgium would feature as the pinnacle of my journey.

one of these famous beers!

As a beer lover, I am well-versed in the ritual of paying

SWISS International Airlines fly return from Sydney-Brussels from $1,790.

the thirsty, beer-loving consumers who can’t get

‘Beer Pilgrim’ than the lands of the holy ale? This is

While planning a recent beer pilgrimage through

Getting There:

“I guess as The Beer Pilgrim, you probably want to

extortionate amounts of money for tiny bottles of

see the brewery right?” our escort threw in over my

Belgian beer and carefully dissecting each and every

shoulder as I had just finished setting up a fantastic

tasting note amongst my beer-geek buddies back at

shot of a pea plant. Maybe they just don’t like my

Getting Around: My Tip: Get a Eurail Pass – it will give you complete freedom to jump on and off trains at your own leisure so you can let the spontaneous good times roll!

The cows at Westmalle Monastery

Spring 2016 61

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