In October I packed up the car and headed north to Griffith for the Grainstock event at Voyager Malt. The drive through regional Victoria and New South Wales was stunning, and I got to enjoy a bit of the countryside (and a few coffees along the way). By all accounts, the buses leaving from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Canberra were a lot of fun, full of brewers, distillers, and bakers sharing stories and visiting some great stops en route. Apparently, there were plenty of treats to taste along the way, with stops at breweries and distilleries. Next time, I might have to jump on board myself! ## Welcome Drinks and Familiar Faces I arrived in time for the Thursday evening dinner and welcome drinks at Piccolo Family Farm. I was just in time to bump into Demott from Beer Co and share a pint and a chat before jumping on the bus to Piccolo Family Farm for dinner. It was a relaxed and beautiful setting to ease into the weekend, great food, great company, and plenty of friendly faces from across the industry. I was lucky enough to catch a few minutes with Matt Kirkegaard, which was a real highlight. It was great to see him and hear what he’s up to now, I still miss his weekly Brews News podcast! I called it an early night, though, I had to be clear-headed for my Friday morning talk, “Dialing in Your Yeast Nutrients.” ## Dialing in Yeast Nutrients The session was really well attended, and it was great to see so many brewers keen to fine-tune their nutrient programs. We had some fantastic discussions around yeast health, fermentation consistency, and the role of trace elements like zinc and vitamins in improving fermentation performance. Since Grainstock, we’ve already seen a solid uptake in brewers revisiting their nutrient additions, it’s fantastic to see that kind of engagement translating straight back into better beer. ## Highlights from the Field and the Floor When I wasn’t at our trade stand, I managed to catch a few incredible talks that really stuck with me. - Jarrod Deaton from Four Mills Bakery shared some great lessons from starting and growing his bakery business, plenty of parallels for anyone in fermentation and food production. You can check out his blog and insights at jarroddeaton.com.au- Seeing James Smith (The Crafty Pint) and Matt Kirkegaard (formerly of Australian Brews News) share a stage was a treat. Their reflections on the state of the brewing industry were thoughtful, honest, and full of perspective.- Dr Delphine Sicard gave us a fascinating look into French sourdough traditions, and A/Prof Kate Howell provided an exciting update on the Bluestone Yeast × Melbourne University “Sour Power” collaboration, more to come on that project in the coming months! But the standout moment of the whole weekend had to be Stu Whytcross’s talk out in the barley fields. Standing in a paddock of Ethiopian Black Barley, Stu shared the origin story of Voyager Malt, how he set out to grow heirloom malt varieties and started with the oldest one he could find from a seed bank. He literally began with a handful of seeds, growing them in a pot and harvesting them with scissors. It took years before he even had enough grain to test flavour properties in beer and whisky. Fast forward two decades, and there we were, standing in a full paddock of that very strain, now used by distillers like Dave Withers (Archie Rose) and bakers at Four Mills Bakery. The photos of us in the barley fields? That’s the very same Ethiopian Black Barley, living proof of what patience and vision can achieve. ## Science, Silo Art, and the Road Home On the drive back from Voyager, I was lucky enough to have Kate Howell and Delphine Sicard as company. Between the science chat and a few detours to check out the local silo art, it made for the perfect way to wrap up an inspiring few days. ## Final Thoughts Grainstock was an incredible mix of community, innovation, and inspiration, exactly what makes our industry so special. Huge thanks to the Voyager Malt team for hosting such a brilliant event. If you were there, I’d love to hear your highlights. And if you missed it, make sure you lock it in for next year, I’m hoping it becomes a regular fixture on the brewing industry calendar. --- Want to talk yeast? Browse our strain catalogue, explore our Nutrient Booster range, or get in touch to discuss your brewery’s needs.