Beer & Brewer Summer 2016 Teaser

For all the action from the Australian National Homebrew Conference – see page 56

INCLUDING

ISSUE 39 SUMMER 2016/17 PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)

CAN YOU DIG IT? THE RISE OF CANNED BEER

PUCKER UP! WE LOOK AT SOURS – HOW TO MAKE THEM, WHERE TO BUY THEM

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO HOMEBREWING Everything you need to know to get started!

BEERS & CIDERS

TASTED WWW.BEERANDBREWER.COM

PLUS! CIDER SEASON | COOKING WITH BEER | 12 HOMEBREW RECIPES TO TRY

CONTENTS

inside...

Summer 2016/17

16 FEATURES 14 China Brew China Beverage 2016 Beer & Brewer reports from the China Brew China Beverage 2016 trade show in Shanghai

16 Style Notes – Sours Jeremy Sambrooks delves into the wild and wonderful world of sour and wild ales

24 Canned Beer A look at the rise of canned beer and how people’s perception of the humble tinny is changing

34 A Beginner’s Guide to Homebrewing If you’ve ever thought about having a go at homebrewing, then this is the feature for you! Homebrewer editor Chris Thomas looks at everything you need to know to get started today

42 Christmas Wish List Want to know what to buy your favourite brewer this Christmas?

We ask brewers and brewery owners how they celebrate Christmas and what they hope Santa brings them this year

44 Cider Season As we head into the warmer summer months, there’s no better time for a thirst-quenching cider.

Also great when paired with food, we look at the latest on the cider scene and the best foods to match with them

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66 Entertaining – Food Scotty McKinnon, brewer and owner of Wolf of the Willows in Melbourne, shares some of his favourite dishes prepared and matched with his beers

HOMEBREWER 48 Welcome 49 Letters 50 Q&A Homebrew champion John Palmer discusses why his ambitions don’t involve professional brewing

52 Recipes We have some cracker recipes such as Cherry Imperial Berliner Weisse, Dark Smoked Sour, Trappist IPA and Sharp Black IPA

56 ANHC 5 All the action from the fifth Australian National Homebrew Conference

60 Brewing With Extracts We look into how to brew with extracts, and include three awesome recipes to try at home!

64 Homebrewer Profile Two homebrewers chosen to have their beers showcased at the ANHC Beer and Food Pairing Dinner kindly share their coveted recipes

“I love everything about sours. They are truly a test of skill, but also an adventure.

They provide so much satisfaction as a brewer, mainly due to their complexity and ability to be a match for wine on the table” – Matt Houghton, Boatrocker Brewing Co.

52

32

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 15 Bits & Bobs 70 Tasting Notes Pale ales, ciders and new releases

78 Directory 82 A Pint With…

Jeff Evans, International Beer Challenge chairman of judges and beer writer

Check out what cans to pack in your Esky this summer!

46 34 SUMMER 2016/17 5

SOURS

Is Sour the New Hoppy?

JEREMY SAMBROOKS DELVES INTO THE WILD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOUR AND WILD ALES

S

pend time in a good craft beer bar and you’ll eventually hear someone utter the phrase, ‘sour is the new hoppy’. Let’s take a minute to examine that claim. A recent survey revealed that pale ale and IPA are Australia’s most consumed craft beer styles, while sour beers don’t crack the top five. Sales data from the US indicates that IPA continues to extend its lead as the most popular style of craft

beer. No, hop-driven beers aren’t going to give up their dominance of the craft beer market any time soon. That said, while sour beers only account for a small percentage of sales, their popularity has risen exponentially in recent years, as more and more craft brewers are taking up the challenge of brewing these notoriously tricky beers.

It should be noted that while the beers discussed in this article all have degrees of acidity, simply calling them ‘sour’ – as is the modern trend – is selling them short.

No other family of beers can match their complexity, or their combined abilities for refreshment, food-friendliness and cellar-ability.

The Brewers Association (BA) lists 10 distinct sour beer styles. Seven of these are historic beer styles – four from Belgium and three from Germany. The remaining three are products of the modern craft brewing revolution and have their roots in America.

BELGIAN SOUR BEERS Until recently, almost all of the sour beer in the world was brewed in Belgium. These beers come from two distinct families – lambic and Flanders ale. Lambics are brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium, south-west of Brussels and in the city of Brussels at the Cantillon brewery. Much like Champagne or Kölsch, the lambic name is legally protected so only beers made in this region can use the name. Unlike most beers, which are fermented with cultivated strains of brewer’s yeast, lambics are spontaneously fermented through exposure to the wild yeast and bacteria native to the area. They are then aged in wooden lambic barrels where they are further fermented, aged and usually blended before final bottling.

Unblended lambics are rare, bracingly sour and typically served uncarbonated.

Gueuze is a blend of young (one-year-old) and old (two and three-year-old) lambic that undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. These beers are usually highly carbonated and very complex, with flavours that range from cider, to barnyard and even cheese. Fruit lambics are usually made with young lambic and an addition of

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SOURS

cherry (kriek) or raspberry (framboise), although other fruits are also used. Traditional fruit lambics are tart, very dry beers, although some more modern versions are artificially sweetened for a sweet ‘n’ sour finish.

These beers are more approachable for most new to sours, though they are often looked down upon by lambic purists.

Flanders ales originate from West Flanders, Belgium and are primarily fermented with lactobacillus, which produces a sour character. They are aged for long periods – often over a year – in oak barrels, where they increase in complexity and acidity. Blenders will combine old and young beer to achieve a desirable balance, though flavour and acidity can vary greatly.

Flanders ales are generally maltier than lambics with a fuller body and considerable fruit (usually cherry) flavour, even when no fruit is used. With their acidity, fruitiness and oaky notes, these are the most wine-like beers in the world. The Flanders style is often separated into the lighter, more acidic oud red and the stronger, sweeter oud bruin.

Australia’s first (and possibly only) brewery dedicated to the brewing of wild, spontaneously fermented beers is the Two Metre Tall Company (2MT), based in Derwent, Tasmania. The farm brewery is run by husband and wife team Ashley and Jane Huntington, the former being a lanky 200 centimetres in height, giving the name to the business.

“We’ve been operating since 2005,” says Ashley, “every ale we’ve ever made is a product of wild fermentation – either mixed culture or completely spontaneous. We are farmers, brewing beer on a farm and have openly embraced a method of beer fermentation which does not prohibit naturally occurring, wild microorganisms present in our environment to the exposed wort and/or beer. No days,

The sour barrels at Boatrocker

no beer, no technique ever produces the same result.

I love this – most brewers would fight to control this unpredictability, but I revel in it as the never-ending source of flavour excitement.”

IF YOU LIKE PALE ALES

You might also like these beers:

GERMAN SOUR BEERS Sour beers of German origin were all but extinct until quite recently. Thankfully, a small number of German breweries have held on to these traditional beer styles and a growing number of craft breweries have brought them back to life. First is Berliner weisse – a cloudy, sour, pale wheat beer of around 3 per cent alcohol, originating from North Germany. It is fermented with a mixture of yeast and lactic acid bacteria, for a clean sour character that is much milder than that found in its Belgian counterparts. The beer is highly carbonated and is usually served with flavoured syrups, most

Fruit beer: A beer with the distinctive flavour and aroma of fruit, but without the tartness.

Old ale: A strong, sweet and malty English-style ale, sometimes with a slightly sour, aged character.

Double IPA: An intensely hoppy, very strong pale ale without the maltiness or body of a barleywine.

Saison: A highly carbonated, fruity and dry farmhouse ale with a quenching acidity.

commonly raspberry or green woodruff, though this hides much of the beer’s subtle complexities.

One of Australia’s finest brewers of the Berliner

SUMMER 2016/17 17

Pucker up!

1. Bacchus Frambozenbier Brewed in West Flanders, Belgium, this frambozenbier, or raspberry beer, is crafted using Bacchus Oud Bruin, which sets it apart from most raspberry beers that are based on lambic or geuze. The standout characteristic is its balance between sweet and sour, with aromas of sweet raspberries, malt and earthy yeast. Bacchus Frambozenbier is mild and slightly sour with hints of balsamic vinegar. The roast malt contributes a slight touch of caramel and the finish is dominated by sweet raspberries and a mild sourness.

FOOD MATCH Black forest cake ABV: 5% RRP: $11 per bottle (375ml) Vanhonsebrouck.be

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2. Rodenbach Grand Cru This Belgian brew is a blend of one-third young beer and twothirds beer aged for two years in large oak vats. The result is a complex beer, with the longer proportion of oak matured beer contributing to its intense fruity, vinous long aftertaste.

An incredible beer, which has a finish similar to a great wine.

FOOD MATCH Fresh seafood platter ABV: 6% RRP: $8 per bottle (330ml) Rodenbach.be

3. Boon Oude Geuze Black Label A truly incredible beer, which picked up the Gold Medal in the Belgian-Style Sour Ale category at this year’s World Beer Cup. Boon Oude Geuze Black Label is a dry beer, which presents fresh aromas of farmhouse yeasts (think horse blanket and farmyard) that lead to flavours of grain, citrus and sour apple.

An outstanding dry lambic, which will appeal to all the true funk-loving sour fans out there.

FOOD MATCH Cheeseboard of stinky blue, aged Brie and a sharp cheddar ABV: 6.4% RRP: $32 per bottle (750ml) Boon.be

4. Two Metre Tall Cleansing Ale Crafted using only Tasmaniangrown ingredients, Two Metre Tall Cleansing Ale is clean, crisp, aromatic and flavoursome.

After three to four months in the bottle the ale will take on a lovely, light, fresh citrus acidity, which will keep it fresh, bright and ‘cleansing’ through many more months of ageing.

FOOD MATCH A spread of Tasmanian oysters, abalone and scallops ABV: 4.9% RRP: $9.50 per bottle (375ml) 2mt.com.au

SOUR BEER PROMOTION WITH THEIR ACIDITY AND OFTEN HIGH CARBONATION, SOUR BEER STYLES ARE BRILLIANT PALATE CLEANSERS. WE TAKE A LOOK AT EIGHT TO TRY THIS SEASON AND WHAT TO PAIR WITH EACH! 5. 8 Wired Palate Trip Sour IPA

6. Almanac Tropical Platypus

Brewed for GABS 2016, 8 Wired Palate Trip Sour IPA hits you in the face with its sour fruity freshness. Grapefruit, lime, orange flavours abound, which intertwine with hop bitterness and some citric sourness. A refreshing beer that’s very moreish and perfect for sour beer lovers.

A really interesting sour packed full of tropical fruit flavours. This sour blonde ale is aged in used wine barrels and oak foeders and has additions of tropical fruits such as kiwi, mango, lime and passionfruit. The inclusion of aromatic Galaxy hops from Australia means this beer is a tropical explosion.

FOOD MATCH

FOOD MATCH

Singapore chilli crab

Pavlova

ABV: 6.5% RRP: $8 per bottle (330ml) 8wired.co.nz

ABV: 6% RRP: $23 per bottle (375ml) Almanacbeer.com

7. Boatrocker Miss Pinky Miss Pinky is Boatrocker’s take on a Berliner weisse, a classic European beer style from the north of Germany. Using more than 250kg of fresh Victorian raspberries in the brew, it’s not surprising there are beautiful raspberry aromas and flavours up front with a dry and tart finish. A beer that doesn’t sacrifice flavour or body for the sake of its low alcohol content, this is the perfect beer for summer.

FOOD MATCH

8. White Rabbit RED White Rabbit is letting nature take its course in defining this beer with spontaneous, wild fermentation taking place in oak barrels over an extended period of time to add an extra depth of flavour. A portion of this barrel aged beer is then blended with a fresh young beer to bring harmony and diversity to the palate. The play on sweet, sour and bitter creates a vibrant experience, accentuated by tart cherry and red wine like complexities.

Summer fruits or even pork belly if you’re feeling adventurous

FOOD MATCH

ABV: 3.3% RRP: $5 per bottle (330ml) Boatrocker.com.au

ABV: 4.9% RRP: $25 per bottle (750ml) Whiterabbitbeer.com.au

Blue cheese or a peppery salami

SUMMER 2016/17 23

HOMEBREWING

It’s never been easier to try your hand at homebrewing

A Beginner’s Guide to Homebrewing IF YOU’VE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING A GO AT HOMEBREWING BUT HAVEN’T BECAUSE YOU WEREN’T SURE WHAT YOU NEEDED OR HOW TO DO IT, HAVE A READ OF THIS, PICK YOUR METHOD AND GET INTO IT! HOMEBREWER EDITOR, CHRIS THOMAS REPORTS

H

omebrewing has changed a lot in the past few

to brew alone for some time out, others brew with friends over social

years. In fact, it’s changed a lot in the last 12

drinks, while others are members of brewing clubs.

months and will continue to do so into 2017.

Back when homebrewing first became legal in Australia (yep that’s

There are some new gadgets out there, which

right it used to be illegal!) it gained a reputation amongst hobbyists as

will make it easier for you to make better beer.

being a cheap alternative to buying commercial products. People used

Homebrewing is no longer a hobby banished to

to make a point of how cheap one could brew a longneck. Even now

the back shed, in fact, some of these newer machines demand space

you could knock up a pretty generic, and kind of nasty, lager for about

in the kitchen.

20c a stubbie.

WHY HOMEBREW?

Homebrewing has been inspired by the craft beer revolution as well

Homebrewing is a challenging, fun, social, rewarding and sometimes

as the general push for homemade over mass produced, commercial

heartbreaking pursuit. Creating an awesome beer that is even better

products. Like baking your own bread or curing your own meat,

than you expected is a great feeling. Sharing it with some friends who

homebrew is an artisan pursuit. It’s about creating a beer yourself in

are equally impressed is the ultimate compliment. Some people like

your favoured craft beer style.

But that’s not why newcomers are keen to get into the game.

34 www.beerandbrewer.com

HOMEBREWING

EASY DOES IT

SodaStream Beer Bar has the added bonus that

During 2016-17 there are going to be some new

it can be used to carbonate your regular homebrew

machines hitting the market allowing you to make

straight from the fermenter.

beer at home with varying levels of involvement and

Availability: The Beer Bar is currently available in

complexity. All of these machines are very attractive

Switzerland and Germany and will launch in other

and would be more at home in your kitchen or

markets late-2016 and throughout 2017.

butler’s pantry than they would in your man cave.

Cost: At this stage, the cost in Australia is still

These brewing machines are a perfect option for

being decided. In Germany, the pack with the

anyone who is space poor, wants to brew consistent

machine retails for €49.90 (just over AU$72).

beers easily or has a few dollars to splash out on

Sodastream.com.au

a machine to impress friends with their own beer when they come over. Some in the industry suggest

BrewArt: This one launched a few months ago

that these machines could do for brewing what

and is very much aimed at a different market

Nespresso has done for coffee-making.

than traditional homebrewers. It pretty much removes any mess, cleaning or sanitising. There

SodaStream Beer Bar: Yep you read right. That

are two models – BeerDroid and BrewFlo, which

fizzy awesomeness you had when you were a

really go hand-in-hand but are sold separately.

kid has now been taken to the next level and is

The BeerDroid is what you make the beer in. It is

appealing to your adult sensibilities. This is exactly

a fully-automated 10 litre fermenting unit, which

what you’re thinking it will be. Add the syrup

can be controlled from your phone. It will also

and water, give it a blast in the Beer Bar, then

send push notifications with updates on your brew.

voila! You’ve got a refreshing, freshly carbonated,

You can bottle directly from the BeerDroid, but

alcoholic beer! At this stage SodaStream is only

BrewArt’s real aim is for users to dispense directly

offering one flavour, Blonde, and there is no

into custom 5 litre kegs specific to the BrewFlo.

adapting the flavour or getting creative with it.

The BrewFlo is essentially a mini kegerator and you

STEPPING STONE TO GOING PRO - Nearly all of your favourite craft breweries started off as homebrewers and many still enjoy doing it today.

Even when he was working at one of the world’s biggest breweries in Anheuser-Busch InBev, Mitch Steele was still busy working away at developing awesome IPAs to satisfy his tastebuds.

- Grain & Grape homebrew shop in Melbourne has been a production line for budding brewers with several former employees joining the professional ranks including Steve ‘Hendo’ Henderson (BrewCult), Michael Leslie (Stone & Wood) and Brendan O’Sullivan (3 Ravens).

World class keg service.

Keg Lease & Purchase

Keg Maintenance

KegLease™ lease to own.

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Exclusive Franke kegs.

Valve Servicing.

Chimb & Neck Straightening.

External Cleaning & Brand Removal.

Pressure & Leak Testing.

Keg Management Clear track and trace with: 2D Matrix Barcodes.

RFID & Bulk Scanning.

+61 3 8587 9888 kegs@kegservices.com.au kegservices.com.au

SUMMER 2016/17 35

1. Bertie Cider Bertie…weird name for a cider, right? But when you’re walking in the footsteps of an Australian icon, you’ve got to embrace it.

The home of Colonial Brewing Co.’s cold press cider is on Bertie Street, Melbourne, in the same building that once produced that staple of showbags across Australia, the Bertie Beetle chocolate treat. Those are some tiny shoes to fill, but Bertie does it with ease. Bertie is made from Victorian apples, which are handpicked and cold pressed to create a crisp, delicious cider that’s small on sugar but big on taste.

FOOD MATCH Cheeseboard overflowing with blue, Brie and a delicious Manchego

2. AppleShack Cider Crafted by Murray’s Craft Brewing Co., AppleShack Cider is light bodied, crisp with a dry rieslinglike character and moderately sweet. The colour is clear with a light green/brown tinge and it tastes like fresh apple juice, with a slight tartness.

FOOD MATCH Pulled pork rolls with slaw ABV: 4.8% RRP: $23 per six-pack (330ml) Murraysbrewingco.com.au

3. 2016 Flying Brick MC Cider Crafted using specific heritage cider apples and handled with traditional methods. Milled and allowed some pulp oxidation prior to separation over the rack and cloth press. Naturally settled before a long, cool slow ferment to dryness before malolactic then triaged for secondary bottle ferment. MC Cider has a sixmonth lees time and disgorged dosage, with the original apple juice for sweetening.

FOOD MATCH Ploughman’s platter, with corned beef, glazed pork, cloth matured cheddar and piccalilli ABV: 9.6% RRP: $45 per bottle (750ml) Flyingbrickciderco.com.au

ABV: 4.6% RRP: $69 per case (24 x 375ml) Colonialbrewingco.com.au

The Perfect Pair WELL-KNOWN FOR THEIR REFRESHING, THIRST-QUENCHING CAPABILITIES, CIDER AND PERRY ARE ALSO EXCELLENT TIPPLES TO PAIR WITH FOOD. WE LOOK AT EIGHT MATCHES TO TRY THIS SEASON

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4. Strongbow Classic Apple Cider It’s likely you’ve drunk Strongbow at some stage as this was the one cider in seemingly every pub back in the day. An easy-drinking cider that’s on the sweeter side, with a hint of acidity for crispness.

FOOD MATCH Cheeseburger with lashes of crispy bacon ABV: 5% RRP: $17.50 per six-pack (330ml) Cub.com.au

CIDER PROMOTION 5. Bilpin Archibald Cloudy Apple Cider A well-crafted cider, Bilpin Archibald is made by dry fermenting the juice and then adding back unfiltered and unfermented juice. The result is that it delivers a rounded up front taste but a mildly dry finish.

FOOD MATCH A great cider with cheddar cheese ABV: 4.6% RRP: $17 per four-pack (330ml) Bilpincider.com

6. Small Acres Cyder 2013 Sparkling Perry This stunning perry took out the top trophy for Best Perry, as well as a Gold Medal and Best In Class (Method Traditional Perry) at the recent Australian Cider Awards. A blend of up to five pear varieties is used to create this Champagnestyle vintage perry. The 2013 Sparkling Perry is crafted using mĂŠthode champenoise and spends 12-18 months on lees before riddling and disgorging.

Fragrant aromas of fresh pears and pear skin on the nose. The palate has clean natural pear flavours, some ginger and spice on the mid palate carried by a fine bead and medium dry finish.

7. The Hills Cloudy Apple Cider Made using 100 per cent fresh Adelaide Hills apples that have been carefully selected, freshly pressed and small batch managed. This unfiltered cider is cloudy and full bodied, striking a balance between crisp fruit, yeast complexity and fresh acidity.

Absolutely no added concentrate, sugar, water or flavours. Gluten free and vegan.

6. Flying Brick Draught Cider This cider is crafted using lots of big, bold, red apple varieties, such as Fuji, Sundowner, Red Delicious and Pink Lady. The combination gives a rich complex colour and weight. A perfect balance of fruit, acid, tannins and alcohol ensure this cider pours with a perfect mousse-like head, great mouth feel and finish.

FOOD MATCH FOOD MATCH Pairs perfectly with pork ABV: 5% RRP: $14.99 per four-pack (330ml) Thehillscidercompany.com.au

Slow cooked lamb shoulder ABV: 5.8% RRP: $18 per four-pack (330ml) Flyingbrickciderco.com.au

FOOD MATCH Team with a walnut and pear salad, white fish or Stinking Bishop cheese ABV: 7.5% RRP: $25 per bottle (750ml) Smallacrescyder.com.au

SUMMER 2016/17  47

RECIPES

No Rulz Goes Sour HOMEBREWER WELCOMES BACK MARTIN POTTER FROM NATIONAL HOMEBREW TO CONTINUE HIS NO RULZ FEATURE EACH EDITION. SOURS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR SO HAVE A GO AT ONE OF THESE CRACKING RECIPES

T

here’s something about the term sour beer that just doesn’t quite sit right with many beer drinkers and sometimes the term is used a little loosely. In essence, sour beers are generally very light-bodied and finish quite dry with a slight acidic tartness.

While they’re really refreshing, they don’t need to feel like your $5,000 of dental work is being dissolved. You can easily craft a sour beer at home

using a few different methods.

There’s a range of organisms that can produce the required lactic acid including the

various lactobacillus strains and most of the brettanomyces strains that are in common use. We won’t go into too much detail here since the technical side is already covered in our style notes section (pg16).

Go Even More No Rulz The Dark Smoked Sour recipe has a refreshing tartness along with a gentle smokiness on a base of subtle dark malts with depth of character. If you really want to go all ‘no rulz’ since you’ve just made a sour dark smoked beer, toss in a 1g/L dry hop of Polaris for a touch of spice and mint, then you can sit back and have a quiet moment to take it all in.

Yet another alternative is to use a saison yeast like Lallemande Belle Saison and hold the fermentation temp around 22-24°C. This makes for an interesting twist and a bit more funk that mellows nicely over a period of months with bottle conditioning.

52 Home Brewer

CHERRY PIE IMPERIAL BERLINER WEISSE

DARK SMOKED SOUR (Kettle Soured)

Those who brew with beer kits need not feel left out of the joys of sours either. You can still do it without holding 23L of wort at 40°C or more for three-four days. This recipe uses frozen cherries, which are freely available from the frozen goods isle in your supermarket, but raspberry, mango or other fruit can be substituted in. Whilst the recipe is simple enough, all of the souring with this recipe is achieved during the bottle conditioning phase, which is quite long as it’s six to 18 months before this beer reaches its peak.

All Grain Expected Brew Figures

Concentrate Expected Brew Figures

1.43kg Smoked Malt (Weyermann)

OG: 1.047 FG: 1.004 ABV: 4.8% IBU: 12 Volume: 20 litres

510g Caramunich II (124.1 EBC)

Ingredients

1 Whirlfloc Tablet

OG: 1.052 FG: 1.006 ABV: ~ 5.2% IBU: 22 Volume: 20 litres

Ingredients 2kg Munich 1 (Weyermann) 900g Carapils 210g Carafa Special I (630.4 EBC) 160g Acidulated (3.5 EBC) 45g Hallertauer

Mangrove Jack’s Blonde Lager Kit

Vial of Lactobacillus Delbruekii or Lactobacillus Brevis

1.5kg Light Dry Wheat Malt (often called band dried or spray malt)

WLP029 Yeast (German Ale/Kolsch) or Wyeast 1007 (German Ale)

1kg frozen cherries

1. We do this one step mash and the results are excellent: Mash in at 55°C for 10 minutes Step to 64°C for 40 minutes Step to 72°C for 30 minutes Step to mash out at 75°C for 10 minutes Sparge at 75°C

1 x Wyeast Roselare Blend or 1 x Whitelabs WLP630 Patience

Method 1. Prepare the smack pack the night before intended brew day 2. Mix the Blonde Lager Kit and 1.5kg Light Dry Wheat Malt into a thoroughly cleaned and sanitised fermenter 3. Add the activated contents of the yeast to the mix and allow to ferment warm somewhere between 18-30°C. It will do its best work at 22-28°C 4. Time to start preparing the cherries. Fully thaw them, then kneed the bag gently to squash the cherries and refreeze again overnight. Repeat two to three times. The fruit will be a mix of liquid and pulp 5. Seven days after fermentation began, clip the corner of the sanitised bag and squeeze all of the contents into the fermenter, reseal the fermenter and allow to sit for a further 10-14 days 6. Ensure fermentation is complete by checking the specific gravity – if is about 1.004 and is stable over consecutive days it is ready to bottle 7. Bottle as normal and pack them away at a relatively stable 18-22°C for six to 18 months to allow the flavour profile to develop Note: - The recipe will work a treat with any fruit including mangoes, raspberries and blueberries - If packaging for a very high level of carbonation, use Champagne bottles and Tirage caps. You can buy Tirage capper bells from most homebrew stores

Method

2. After the sparge, place a lid over the wort and bring to the boil for 5 minutes. This will create a reasonably well sanitised environment within the vessel 3. This short boil ensures your pure pitch of lactobacillus is likely to be the only thing that grows over the next three-four days and almost guarantees a nice clean souring from lactic acid.

- Some like to add a little 88 per cent lactic acid to the wort to achieve a pH around 4.0 at this stage to further decrease the likelihood of contamination 4. Chill to 40°C and hold (stir the wort to make sure the full volume is at 40°C and adjust with a chiller if necessary) 5. Add your lactobacillus vial and hold in the 35-40°C range while recirculating for 15 minutes through the pump to the vessel. Seal the vessel with gladwrap to exclude air exchange (Grainfather units are ideal for this). The target is to get the wort to a pH of 3.2-3.5, depending on how tart you want your sour to be. This may take anywhere from two to four days - You will need an accurate pH meter, which has been calibrated immediately before use 6. Once the desired pH has been achieved, it’s time to complete the boil as normal. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the Hallertauer hops for the full boil 7. Add the Whirlfloc tablet 10 minutes before the end of the boil - Due to the low starting pH of this style we have found a lot of yeast strains become stressed and throw unwanted flavours into the beer. The best strains we’ve been able to identify are the German ale yeasts

Summer 2016/17 53

SOUR BEER PROMOTION

Pucker up!

1. Bacchus Frambozenbier Brewed in West Flanders, Belgium, this frambozenbier, or raspberry beer, is crafted using Bacchus Oud Bruin, which sets it apart from most raspberry beers that are based on lambic or geuze. The standout characteristic is its balance between sweet and sour, with aromas of sweet raspberries, malt and earthy yeast. Bacchus Frambozenbier is mild and slightly sour with hints of balsamic vinegar. The roast malt contributes a slight touch of caramel and the finish is dominated by sweet raspberries and a mild sourness.

FOOD MATCH Black forest cake

2. Rodenbach Grand Cru This Belgian brew is a blend of one-third young beer and twothirds beer aged for two years in large oak vats. The result is a complex beer, with the longer proportion of oak matured beer contributing to its intense fruity, vinous long aftertaste.

An incredible beer, which has a finish similar to a great wine.

FOOD MATCH Fresh seafood platter ABV: 6% RRP: $8 per bottle (330ml) Rodenbach.be

3. Boon Oude Geuze Black Label A truly incredible beer, which picked up the Gold Medal in the Belgian-Style Sour Ale category at this year’s World Beer Cup. Boon Oude Geuze Black Label is a dry beer, which presents fresh aromas of farmhouse yeasts (think horse blanket and farmyard) that lead to flavours of grain, citrus and sour apple.

An outstanding dry lambic, which will appeal to all the true funk-loving sour fans out there.

FOOD MATCH Cheeseboard of stinky blue, aged Brie and a sharp cheddar ABV: 6.4% RRP: $32 per bottle (750ml) Boon.be

4. Two Metre Tall Cleansing Ale

WITH THEIR ACIDITY AND OFTEN HIGH CARBONATION, SOUR BEER STYLES ARE BRILLIANT PALATE CLEANSERS. WE TAKE A LOOK AT EIGHT TO TRY THIS SEASON AND WHAT TO PAIR WITH EACH! 5. 8 Wired Palate Trip Sour IPA

6. Almanac Tropical Platypus

Crafted using only Tasmaniangrown ingredients, Two Metre Tall Cleansing Ale is clean, crisp, aromatic and flavoursome.

After three to four months in the bottle the ale will take on a lovely, light, fresh citrus acidity, which will keep it fresh, bright and ‘cleansing’ through many more months of ageing.

Brewed for GABS 2016, 8 Wired Palate Trip Sour IPA hits you in the face with its sour fruity freshness. Grapefruit, lime, orange flavours abound, which intertwine with hop bitterness and some citric sourness. A refreshing beer that’s very moreish and perfect for sour beer lovers.

A really interesting sour packed full of tropical fruit flavours. This sour blonde ale is aged in used wine barrels and oak foeders and has additions of tropical fruits such as kiwi, mango, lime and passionfruit. The inclusion of aromatic Galaxy hops from Australia means this beer is a tropical explosion.

FOOD MATCH

FOOD MATCH

FOOD MATCH

A spread of Tasmanian oysters, abalone and scallops

Singapore chilli crab

Pavlova

ABV: 6.5% RRP: $8 per bottle (330ml) 8wired.co.nz

ABV: 6% RRP: $23 per bottle (375ml) Almanacbeer.com

ABV: 4.9% RRP: $9.50 per bottle (375ml) 2mt.com.au

7. Boatrocker Miss Pinky Miss Pinky is Boatrocker’s take on a Berliner weisse, a classic European beer style from the north of Germany. Using more than 250kg of fresh Victorian raspberries in the brew, it’s not surprising there are beautiful raspberry aromas and flavours up front with a dry and tart finish. A beer that doesn’t sacrifice flavour or body for the sake of its low alcohol content, this is the perfect beer for summer.

FOOD MATCH

8. White Rabbit RED White Rabbit is letting nature take its course in defining this beer with spontaneous, wild fermentation taking place in oak barrels over an extended period of time to add an extra depth of flavour. A portion of this barrel aged beer is then blended with a fresh young beer to bring harmony and diversity to the palate. The play on sweet, sour and bitter creates a vibrant experience, accentuated by tart cherry and red wine like complexities.

Summer fruits or even pork belly if you’re feeling adventurous

FOOD MATCH

ABV: 3.3% RRP: $5 per bottle (330ml) Boatrocker.com.au

ABV: 4.9% RRP: $25 per bottle (750ml) Whiterabbitbeer.com.au

Blue cheese or a peppery salami

ABV: 5% RRP: $11 per bottle (375ml) Vanhonsebrouck.be

For all the action from the Australian National Homebrewing Conference – see page 56

INCLUDING

ISSUE 39 SUMMER 2016/17 PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95) For all the action from the Australian National Homebrewing Conference – see page 56

INCLUDING

CAN YOU DIG IT? - THE RISE OF CANNED BEER

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www.beerandbrewer.com ISSUE 39 SUMMER 2016/17 PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)

CAN YOU DIG IT? - THE RISE OF CANNED BEER

PUCKER UP!

PUCKER UP! SUMMER 2016/17

23

WE LOOK AT SOURS – HOW TO MAKE THEM, WHERE TO BUY THEM

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO HOMEBREWING

WE LOOK AT SOURS – HOW TO MAKE THEM, WHERE TO BUY THEM

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO HOMEBREWING

Everything you need to know to get started!

Everything you need to know to get started!

BEERS & CIDERS

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PLUS! CIDER SEASON | COOKING WITH BEER | 12 HOMEBREW RECIPES TO TRY

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