It has been a couple of months since the last blog post, and there has been heaps going on that has pushed this one back.
I realised exactly how long it had been when I was going through my phone for photos and saw the snaps from High Country Hop in Beechworth that I never got around to writing up. Ben Kraus and the Bridge Road team always put on a cracking event, and it was great to catch up with Sabrina Kunz, the IBA CEO, while I was up there. As my camera roll confirms, Ben does enjoy a good photo bomb.
The Technical Symposium was the highlight as always. A packed room of brewers genuinely there to learn from each other. That kind of knowledge sharing is what keeps the standard rising across the industry, and Bridge Road have built it into something the broader Australian brewing scene now plans the autumn calendar around.
A year of strain research, finally on the website
The big block of work I have been on for the better part of a year now has been reworking our website. The goal was to give brewers as much real data on our strains as possible: a flavour profile for every strain, and how the major fermentation variables (temperature, pitch rate, oxygenation, gravity) shift that profile.
It turned out to be a much bigger project than I anticipated. The number of papers I had to wade through was something else. It might not look like much on the surface, but every strain page is backed by research rather than vibes. Have a look through the strain catalogue if you have not already.
Refreshed nutrient booster range
While we were at it, we also refreshed the labels and built dedicated product pages for the nutrient booster range. Zinc Booster (BSY-N01), Vitamin Booster (BSY-N03) and High Gravity Booster (BSY-N04) now each have their own page with dosing guidance, the science behind the formulation, and what to expect at the fermenter. One litre still treats 100hL of beer. The chemistry has not changed, but the information you can find about it has.
If you are repitching, and most breweries do, each generation of yeast is starting with a nutritional deficit. Zinc and vitamins cold-side at pitching restores what the boil takes out, so your yeast starts each batch in peak condition regardless of which generation it is on. The product pages walk through the mechanism if you want the detail.
A cheeky stop at Carwyn Cellars
Somewhere in between, I snuck in a quick beer at Carwyn Cellars in Thornbury between work and a school pickup. The tap list there is always something else. I am not going to say what I picked, but have a look at the photo and see if you can guess. Yes, the predictable choice for a yeast manufacturer. I am not subtle.
Merri Mashers at The Mill
Last week I got along to a Merri Mashers meeting at The Mill (the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood) and it was a lot of fun seeing what is happening in the club, even if the announcements seemed to go on forever. The talk by The Mill’s founder was engaging and well worth sticking around for.
Homebrew club nights are always a good reminder that brewing knowledge does not only live in production breweries. A lot of it starts in garages, kitchens, club nights, and conversations over a tasting glass. The questions are sharp, the beers are interesting, and the passion is real.
A Belgian Tripel with Tim at Stomping Ground
After the Merri Mashers meeting I caught up with my mate Tim over Stomping Ground’s Belgian Tripel. Stomping Ground have a few great dark beers on tap right now, an imperial stout, the Tripel, the Bunker Porter, and a dark Czech lager. I can vouch for them. Worth a special trip if you are around Collingwood.
I also got a chance to chat with Chris from Stomping Ground recently. We are both looking forward to the AIBAs Trophy Presentation on 14 May and the Bintani trade day around it. Awards season well and truly upon us.
Banks Brewing turns 10
A quick shout-out to the crew at Banks Brewing, who are celebrating 10 years since brewing commenced in Seaford in May 2016. Ten years in independent beer is no small thing. Congratulations to Chris, Penny, and the team.
And the longer read
There is one more thing on my mind from the last couple of months that did not fit into a catchup post. It is about beer excise, the federal tax on offshore gas, and what the gas lobby has been doing with its numbers since the Pocock clip went viral in February. I have written it up separately as a longer piece. If that is your sort of read, it is here: Beer Pays Up. Gas Gets a Pass.
If you are reviewing fermentation performance, looking to optimise yield, or trialling new nutrient strategies, get in touch. Have a look at the new strain catalogue and Nutrient Booster range, or book a discussion to talk about your brewery’s needs.