Starters to Tank Time: September at Bluestone September felt like two months in one. We hit the accelerator hard across both science and operations. On one side, our collaboration with Prof. Kate Howell (Melbourne Uni) closed out in a blaze of results and we got to review all the exciting data that was generated by Kate and her team. If you are curious to know all that has been going on you catch it all at Grainstock where Kate will be presenting. On the other, we ramped up production, maintenance, and brewery visits and further analysis of real world feedback on our Booster products from our customers. Then in the final week I took the foot off the accelerator and got a week on the Sunshine coast for School holidays.It’s been a ride. ## Science & Collaboration Spotlight, SourPower For many years I have been asked to develop a sourdough culture for both commercial bakers and home bakers. Luckily I was connected with Prof Kate Howell at Melbourne University a couple of years ago. Fortunately, Kate is super passionate and a world expert in microbes in food. After some great meetings we landed on the right project and personnel to kick off a collaboration. Our joint project SourPower: sourdough cultures with defined characteristics for bakers has reached its end, and what a journey it’s been. Kate Howell and her team brought deep microbial insight; we contributed applied process know-how. The outcome isn’t just a novel academic finding but it has real promise for bakers wanting consistency, predictability, and flavour control. We are continuing to refine the outcomes in our lab and manufacturing facility and are aiming for a new product release in the coming months. If you’re attending GrainStock, don’t miss Kate’s presentation on our work together (she’ll discuss strain selection, stability, and performance). It’s been a privilege working with Kate and her team, and I believe this kind of cross-disciplinary research is exactly what helps fermentation science make a real impact when translated into industry. 
## GrainStock: What to Expect from Bluestone I’ll also be presenting at GrainStock on “Dial-In Yeast Nutrition: Why Cold-Side Control Wins on Tank Time, Flavor & Re-Pitch Health”. I’ll dig into how managing nutrients after the boil (cold side) can boost tank turn, improve flavour consistency, and enhance yeast reuse across batches. You will also be able to taste an excellent Lager brewed with our yeast and Boosted with our new Zinc Booster and Vitamin Booster products. So come and listen to the latest developments in brewing and then head to the bar and have a pint on us. We’ll have a stall on site also, please come and say hi. I’d love to show you what’s happening in our lab, talk shop, and hear about your fermentation challenges. ## On the Road: Stanthorpe & Brewery Visits The month kicked off with a trip to Stanthorpe, QLD, where we visited one of the southern hemisphere’s leading vinegar factories. It is always fascinating to see fermentation in other forms. I was able to visit due to “Hendo” from Rockstar Brewing Academy. Very generously picking me up from Brisbane Airport and driving out to Stanthrope. It was pretty cool to see how vinegar is made on a commercial level. Seeing what Ian Henderson has built in Stanthorpe was inspiring. He’s taken a blank canvas and scaled a serious business. As many of you know from building a Brewery from scratch, building something out of nothing is really tough. So seeing how Australian Vinegar has grown is truly inspiring. On the way back to the airport, I squeezed in a stop at a few breweries including Archer Brewing. What a unique site, a beautiful space, thoughtful layout, excellent beers. I only had a short window before my flight, but the hospitality and early conversations left me keen to return. ## Factory & Operations Update We had a few minor running repairs in the factory and on the website, and email over the month of Sept, nothing major, but enough to remind us that growth demands attention to the details. If you were unable to get onto our website or didn’t get a reply from us over the month of Sept, I apologize. If you could email again that would be great, as a number of messages were completely lost. It is all fixed now, so hopefully we will not miss any more. The good news is: we saw a notable uptick in sales through September. That tells us Australian brewers are brewing hard, and that gives us more oxygen (pun intended) to push capacity. In the coming weeks, expect to see some excellent lagers and ales hitting the market that used fresh Bluestone yeast. One collab to watch: Stomping Ground × Gonketa, bringing together visual art, Auslan (Australian Sign Language), and beer, in celebration of International Week of the Deaf (20, 26 Sept). It’s heartening to see breweries still stepping up to support worthwhile causes, especially amid a tough economic climate. Also, there are a bunch of great hefeweizen beer around the country for you to enjoy during October fest. ## Brewery of the Month Spotlight This month’s Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month goes to Sunday Road Brewing, a South Sydney favourite known for its welcoming, community-focused vibe and award-winning beers. Following their recent win at the Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Awards, Sunday Road takes home a box of Bluestone Yeast’s Zinc Booster, our cold-side supplement designed to restore vital nutrients and keep yeast performing at its best. This campaign, run in partnership with The Crafty Pint, shines a light on breweries making a mark, with nominations coming straight from the community. 👉 Check out the Hall of Fame here. ## Spring in Melbourne & Mood Check September in Melbourne felt like a tease of summer, (well for a week at least). The trees bursting into blossom, days lengthening, that sense of upwards motion returning. There’s something about nature waking up that stirs a bit of optimism, and after a bumpy few years in the industry, we’ll take all the optimism we can get. Hopefully, you all saw a significant upswing in beer consumption during the footy finals in both codes. We definitely know that a few of you are struggling to make enough to keep everyone happy. Fingers crossed it continues. 
## Invitation & What’s Next If you’re heading to GrainStock, swing by our stall. Let’s chat yeast, fermentation, problems you’re wrestling with. Taste the Stomping Ground beer. I’d love your feedback. Beyond that, we’ve got more road ahead: new collaborations brewing, plant upgrades, and deeper dives into cold-side nutrient strategies. Thank you for being part of the Bluestone community brewers, researchers, thinkers, and makers. Here’s to pushing fermentation science forward. Cheers, Derek Lacey
Bluestone Yeast --- Want to talk yeast? Browse our strain catalogue, explore our Nutrient Booster range, or get in touch to discuss your brewery’s needs.