Beer & Brewer 58 Spring Teaser

FIND OUT WHY GLASS IS STILL ALL CLASS FOR CRAFT BEER (see page 30) INCLUDING

ISSUE 58 SPRING 2021 PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)

THE NEXT BIG THING

MALT’S TIME TO SHINE

THE RETURN OF THE KING!

WITH THE GRAIN

HOW TO START ALL GRAIN BREWING

GAGE ROADS’ ROSS BROWN ON CRAFT LAGER’S NEW REIGN

BEERS & CIDERS

REVIEWED WWW.BEERANDBREWER.COM

PLUS! BREW BETTER KETTLE SOURS | BEER MEMORIES | 5 DIY RECIPES

CONTENTS

Spring 2021

47

FEATURES 10 The return of the King

Craft lager’s renaissance

22 The next big thing

10

It’s malt’s time to shine

30 Glass half full Glass is still all class

“There will always be a place for lager in Australia,”

REGULARS 6 Beer memories

Paul Holgate

8 Behind the beer Belgian Saison

Ross Brown, Gage Roads

18 Style shoot Lawnmower beers

20 A pint with Jaz Wearin

50 Food matching 54 Tasting notes

HOMEBREWER 38 Editor’s letters 40 Q&A with John Palmer Brew better sours

42 Jake’s Brew Log Lagers

44 All grain brewing 47 Show us Yours Reader’s home brew set ups

48 Recipes

4 www.beerandbrewer.com

22

EDITOR’S LETTER

Because 2021 has been equally as topsy-turvy as last year we’ve figured we’d run with that theme in this issue and flip things on their heads to champion the so-called underdogs of beer. So instead of riding the IPA hype train we’re all aboard the lager locomotive.

WE ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

Rather than hop up and down about hops we’re going mad for malt. And despite cans seemingly muscling all other packaging formats out of

Get the facts DrinkWise.org.au

their way, we’re putting some throttle back in the bottle.

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Gage Roads’ Ross Brown and Brick Lane’s Kade Wilson about why craft lager is

To kicks things off, in our cover feature from page 10, we chat with the likes of

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regaining its status as one of the industry’s more popular and discerning styles while road testing a few examples that have helped pave that road. The lager theme continues in this issue’s style shoot (page 18) and our HomeBrewer section – where we provide three separate DIY recipes and delve into some of the technical aspects behind brewing the King of beers.

From page 22 multiple industry figures detail why they think malt is beer’s next big thing as the demands of both brewers and consumers drive maltsters to deliver a wider variety of products that come with greater provenance.

And starting on page 30 we discover how bottles are holding on to their reputation in certain pockets of the industry.

Elsewhere in the magazine we taste and review 86 craft beers and ciders where even though sours are our seasonal focus readers will find something for all palates in the 12 pages of analysis.

Speaking of sours, home brewers can learn how to brew them better from our resident guru John Palmer on page 40 while Jake Brandish guides beginners through the wonderful pastime that is all grain brewing (page 44).

And if you’re a subscriber we hope you enjoy the added bonus that comes free with this issue – The Great Australian Brewery Guide – and that (depending on the restrictions that are in play when and where you’re reading this) you’ve been able to show your support in a few of the breweries featured by the time we see you again in Summer. (If you bought this issue in a newsagent or borrowed it from a mate, you can still grab a copy of the brewery guide by visiting the subscriptions section on our website.)

Cheers, Gifford Lee Editor, Beer & Brewer gifford@beerandbrewer.com @beerandbrewer

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SPRING 2021 3

BEHIND THE BEER

“BEING NESTLED BETWEEN THE HUNTER VALLEY WINE REGION AND A HANDFUL OF OTHER COLOURFUL VINEYARDS, MURRAY’S LOCATION WAS DESTINED FOR A BEER AND WINE MELTING POT,” JAKE BLASCHKA

8 www.beerandbrewer.com

BEHIND THE BEER

Bridging the gap OUR SERIES THAT LOOKS BEHIND A PARTICULAR STYLE OF BEER CONTINUES THIS ISSUE WITH THE SAISON (ALBEIT ONE WITH A TWIST) WHERE WE CHAT WITH JAKE BLASCHKA – HEAD BREWER AT MURRAY’S BREWING IN PORT STEPHENS – WHO HAS CONNECTED THE TWO WORLDS OF BEER AND WINE WITH HIS LE PONT ROUGE. Jake is a visual artist and brewer who had been living

After mashing and lautering a grain bill at two

between Berlin and London for the past five years

thirds the size of our regular batch size, we then

whilst exhibiting his art around Europe. After COVID

transferred the grape juice into the top of the kettle

took hold in early 2020 he decided to head home

at the last five minutes of the boil via a barrel spear.

and it wasn’t long before he landed his current role

We then brought it back to a boil for a few minutes

at Murray’s. Since coming on board he’s refined a

to kill any funk, then whirlpooled as usual – adding

few of the core range beer recipes, culled a few, and

Citra and Callista – and then ran it through the heat

begun introducing exciting new beers he thinks stand

exchange on the way over to the fermenting vessel

up well against all the weird and wonderful things

before pitching my favourite Belgian Saison yeast

coming out of the contemporary craft beer scene – the

strain. Basically, the beer’s fermentable sugars were

Le Pont Rouge included – a Belgian Saison blended

comprised of two thirds from grains and the other

with Shiraz grapes sourced from a single vineyard in

third from grapes – which were then fermented with

the Hunter Valley.

one strain of brewer’s yeast.

HOW DOES IT RELATE TO A TRADITIONAL BELGIAN SAISON AND HOW IS IT CARVING ITS OWN PATH?

WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES IN ITS CREATION?

I wanted to make sure it was still able to have a

fashion from a functioning vineyard in the Hunter

conversation with a traditional Belgian Saison without

Valley region (friends of one of our distillers) a day

having the Shiraz grape characteristics screaming out

after harvest, you can imagine they wanted to get the

too much for your attention. When it comes to beer and

juice out of their sight as soon as humanly possible!

grape blending, I have always found that brewers tend to

I remember running around the brewery trying to

lean toward a Berliner Weisse or Lambic-style beer base

gather any vessels that could possibly be loaded on

as a starting point. In hope of creating a beer that appeals

to the back of a truck to fill the 1,000 litres of red

to both wine drinkers and beer drinkers, that might not

grape juice (and 1,000 litres of white grape juice for

be too fond of sour beers, an easy drinking beer and wine

the Le Pont Blanc also). I knew this beer’s success

hybrid is where I wanted to carve some new territory.

would be dependant on a dry finish so those daily

As we purchased the grape juice in relatively ad-hoc

Murray’s Brewing Le Pont Rouge Malts: Gladfield Pilsner, Vienna, Flaked Wheat & Gladfield Chit Malt Hops: Callista & Citra Colour: Hot Pink Bitterness: 20 IBU ABV: 6.8% What our tasting panel said: “The light body still oozes complexity, with an earthy richness from the Shiraz grapes merging with the underlying Saison for an almost Pinot Noiresque delicacy. An inspiring and rewarding brew, Le Pont Rouge is the perfect tipple to share with friends after dinner.”

See page 56 for our full analysis, where it’s made our Top 16 Panel Picks, as has its sister – the Le Pont Blanc.

Plus on page 63 we also review other Murray’s releases – Ghost Gate, Riding the Ghost Train, After Dark and Puff Pastry Stout.

(and sometimes hourly) gravity checks were definitely

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE MEANING BEHIND THE LE PONT NAME?

nerve racking!

In French, the words translate directly as ‘the bridge’, so we are borrowing them to represent the idea of

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER MURRAY’S BEERS PEOPLE SHOULD CHECK OUT?

bridging a gap between beer and wine. Being nestled

Riding the Ghost Train is a big ol’ hazy juice boy that’s

between the Hunter Valley wine region and a handful

been getting some rave reviews online. The Le Pont

of other colourful vineyards, Murray’s location was

Blanc, Rouge’s sister made using the same process

destined for a beer and wine melting pot.

although employing Roussanne grapes and a light kiss of French oak, drinks like a sparkling Chardonnay at

WHAT WAS THE BREWING PROCESS FOR THIS RELEASE?

only 6.6%. This one makes me smile with every sip.

I largely adhered to traditional brewing techniques

a tropical West Coast IPA that screams mango and

as I wanted it to sit a little closer to beer territory.

pineapple in all its West Coast goodness.

But above all you must get your hands on a Nectabomb,

SPRING 2021 9

LAGER FEATURE

The return of the King FROM FRUITED AND BARREL-AGED, TO STRINGENTLY BREWED AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE INTERPRETATIONS, THE NOTORIOUSLY “ORDINARY” BEER OF THE CRAFT WORLD IS GARNERING DISTINCTION THANKS TO ITS CHALLENGING NATURE IN THE BREWHOUSE AND ITS REFINED CHARACTER. BY JONO OUTRED.

10 www.beerandbrewer.com

L

ager is without a doubt the most brewed, consumed and prolific beer style on the planet. But utter it in the same sentence as “craft” and you might find yourself on the receiving end of a few curious looks. Once shunned and oft considered boring by craft drinkers, the style is experiencing a swift renaissance, rising from the mainstream macro ashes and being rightfully lauded for its

technical challenge and adaptable character. Today, craft-driven consumers are finding appreciation for lagers that are full-flavoured and showcase process and ingredients, while inadvertently being a marker for a brewer’s technical prowess.

Does the rise of “boring old lager” signify that craft beer has come full circle?

Global preference for lager among most beer consumers is a potential cause for the influx of marketable and approachable bottom-fermented beers. With craft beer’s growing presence and market share, it was only a matter of time before the two worlds collided.

Importantly, the modern brewer can find a happy medium between piquing the interest of a broader crowd (and moving more units), while sticking to the ethos and expectations that resonate with a progressive, and sometimes turbulent craft beer industry.

In the constantly evolving era of beer, lagers are cutting through the saturated, sub-style-dominated tap line ups and offering consumers a new perspective on an old favourite.

REIGNING SUPREME The history of lager is long and celebrated. Some sources can trace its origins back to medieval times while others have even claimed to have identified the parent yeast to Saccharomyces pastorianus, the strain that famously bottom ferments lagers, making them distinct compared to other styles. A tumultuous period around the mid-to-late 1800s, however, is when lagers really started their steady rise to dominance as the most widely consumed beer on the planet.

Coming from the German word “lagern” meaning “to store”, lagers were traditionally made and stored in caves and underground cellars in barrels.

Breweries often ran fire or rudimentary steam-powered kettles to boil their wort while ice blocks or cool cave walls provided cooling for fermentation. Wood-fired malts were common at the time, resulting in beers most modern drinkers would not recognise as lagers – cloudy, smoky and amber-to-dark in colour. Sourness due to spoilage was an unfortunate but common feature.

Seasonality, war, politics and transport were all factors that influenced the style (and quality). But thanks to demand, tradition, quality, and the ancient Reinheitsgebot (the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516), lagers evolved steadily into the beers we more commonly recognise today.

Through this evolution, lager went through a rapid industrialisation process.

Malting became easier, and lighter coloured malt, that lacked smoke flavours, became achievable as artificial refrigeration allowed brewers to control their fermentations with more precision. Advances in engineering, chemistry and microbiology advanced the lager industry. By 1860, Louis Pasteur accurately observed and described the process of fermentation and in 1883 Emil Christian Hansen built upon this knowledge, isolating a single pure strain of S.carlsbergenisis (now recognised as S.pastorianus). In doing so, large scale lager brewing became easily repeatable and predictable. This changed the course of beer production forever.

Before long, lager grew to be the most brewed style across Europe and eventually the US, Australasia, Asia, South America and finally, in 1989, surpassed English Ales as the most widely consumed beer in the UK. Thanks to newly emigrated German-American brewers, the popularity of lager grew throughout North America. Over time, the introduction of corn and US 6-row

Low ABV, high quality In a world saturated with high ABV beers, it isn’t surprising that a low and no alcohol beer segment is developing a following, perhaps reinforced by the fact that most adults have some level of consideration around health and healthier alternatives. The want for something that resembles beer is a key factor for many and trends suggest that many drinkers are seeking out light, uncomplicated beers so utilising lager for these low ABV beers makes plenty of sense.

UpFlow Brewing has found their place in the low ABV market, producing a range that includes a Stout, an IPA, a Pale Ale and the Ultra Pale Lager (the latter two being boosted with minerals to double as a hypotonic, hydrating post sport drink). Most importantly, what’s in the can is still beer, and very good beer at that. The Ultra Pale Lager, at just 74 calories per tin, is bolstered with malt sweetness, noble hop aromatics and a textbook crispness.

Though it might appear to be voodoo magic stripping the booze from a delicious malt and hop-based beverage, it’s actually quite simple. Though a few methods do exist, including reverse osmosis filtration, heat treating and distillation, the team at UpFlow do not actually brew their beer any differently to their conventional counterparts. Recipe formulation and tweaking key components within the brewing process, like mash temperature, yeast selection and water chemistry, yield a beer that lands at a remarkably low 0.5% ABV with the best parts still intact.

While alcohol levels in some beers might be trending in the downward direction, the case for having some low alcohol beer in your fridge is certainly starting to rise.

malt saw the steady rise in a new style of lager – the American Light Lager,

SPRING 2021 11

BOTTLED BEER

Glass half full DESPITE CANS ROLLING ON AS THE INCREASINGLY PREFERRED PACKAGING FORMAT FOR AUSTRALIAN CRAFT BEER, GLASS STILL RETAINS ITS STATUS IN CERTAIN POCKETS OF THE INDUSTRY. GIFFORD LEE SPOKE WITH A FEW OF THOSE BREWERIES ABOUT WHY GLASS IS STILL CLASS.

I

n 2020, for the first time since it

But to flip that on its head, a dominant

simply prefers their beers to come that way

was launched in 2016, Beer Cartel’s

majority of beer sold by the major bottle

to supplying restaurants who find the art of

Australian Craft Beer Survey didn’t

shops still come in bottles. Just consider for

serving a bottle of beer as more premium

bother to canvas respondents about

a second all those roomy, walk-in fridges

in nature and therefore deserving of a more

their preferred beer packaging

with their cartons upon cartons of 24-packs

premium price on the drinks menu. And

format. Needing to cull some

of macro lagers from here and abroad. They

it’s also interesting to note, that bottles are

questions to fit in others, and after having

are predominantly still in bottles and the

defying the broader craft beer packaging

seen such predilection towards cans from the

space the big chains dedicate to them, both

trends when it comes to some of the non-

2019 survey results (38 per cent over 27 per

in fridges and on shelves, shadows what they

alcoholic craft beers flooding the market. As

cent for bottles), they no doubt thought there

dedicate to craft in cans.

the makers are saying, a bottle helps them to

were more pertinent queries to be made to

Somewhere in between those two extremes

exhibit more of a sense of being a beer when

garner fresh insights about their customers.

lie Stone & Wood, Coopers, Little Creatures,

some of what makes them an actual beer has

As far as Australia’s biggest online craft

James Squire, 4 Pines and multiple other

been taken away.

beer retailer was concerned, the people had

breweries of all sizes, who all still champion

already spoken – that while craft beer in

beer sold in bottles – albeit increasingly so

fridges by the robust tinnie, the bottle’s place

bottles wasn’t quite dead yet, cans were well

alongside cans. They do it for a multitude of

in our drinking culture will be a hard ceiling

on their way to burying them in 2020.

reasons – from satisfying the drinker who

to completely smash for the can.

30 www.beerandbrewer.com

While they are being hustled out of craft

BOTTLED BEER

ON THE BOTTLE, AGAIN

a premium setting or from people that just prefer

One such backer of bottles, and who recently

their beer that way – and that will be someone from

commissioned their Torquay brewery with not a

a craft background as well as the more middle-of-

canning line in sight, is Sou’West Brewery, who

the-road drinker.”

opened in the former Quiksilver headquarters in

In both Sou’West’s and (up until recently)

May to further enhance the region’s burgeoning

Prickly Moses’ cases, it hasn’t been a matter of

beer scene.

not choosing to move with the times but rather of

Their head brewer Luke Scott, who in his 20-plus

targeting their beers at a certain drinker.

years in the Australian beer industry has seen it

At Sou’West, just their Lager and Pale Ale

evolve in more ways than just from bottles into

are being packaged currently and they are only

cans, said the shift in packaging format preference

available at their venue for takeaway – meaning just

“in the last five to six years has been phenomenal”.

five to 10 per cent of their production is directed in

But with Sou’West, and especially so in is former

to bottles.

role at Prickly Moses, Luke’s beers have defied

“Even though we aren’t packaging our beers in

those trends to almost exclusively be released

any great numbers the decision was made early to

in bottles for the best part of the last 15 years

put in a bottling line and to make sure we were able

(although Prickly Moses are increasingly releasing

to put our beer in people’s hands when they wanted

their beers in cans now).

to take them away,” Luke said. “Our lager is a

“I think there’s always going to be a place for

mainstream-based lager so one of the drinkers that

bottled beer. It might only be a small group of

we are targeting is used to drinking their beer from

breweries that stick with bottles, but there will

a bottle. With bottles, we’re approachable to people

always be a market for them – whether that is in

who are already cultured that way.”

“I THINK THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A PLACE FOR BOTTLED BEER,” LUKE SCOTT, SOU’WEST BREWERY

SPRING 2021 31

Q&A

Kettle sours HOME BREW LEGEND JOHN PALMER RESPONDS TO A READER’S LETTER ABOUT KETTLE SOURS.

I

t’s fascinating to me how

desired sourness (pH), resume

become mainstream for so

normal brewing operations

many home brewers! I used

(bring it to a boil and do your hop

to think sour beers were

additions).

for the elite, the daring and

the sagacious!

For those of you who have never

HITTING A SOUR NOTE Of course, there are several

done a kettle sour, the process is

considerations that need to

fairly simple:

be understood with the kettle

1. M ash and lauter (or BIAB) your

souring process, but overall, it

grist as usual.

2. B ring the wort to a boil for 5 to 10

is not complicated. The short boil is an optional step for many

minutes to kill off unwanted souring

brewers, but unless you have done

bacteria that may have survived the

the same recipe and the same

mash. Do not add hops.

procedure several times, I would

3. Chill the wort to 38 to 43°C. Room

not recommend skipping it. The

temperature will also work, but it

short boil ensures that the wort is

works better warmer.

thoroughly pasteurised and that no

4. Pitch your bacteria culture to the kettle.

5. A llow the wort to sour for 24

40 Home Brewer

6. W hen the wort has reached the

quickly kettle sours have

Enterobacter-type bacteria have survived the mash to make your kettle sour smell like vomit. If you

hours. Try to maintain the 35 to

had performed a mash out step

40°C temperature.

with recirculation, then that would

probably be sufficient and you could

TO ANSWER THE QUESTION

skip the short boil.

Lallemand SourPhilly® is a Lanchancea

Cooling the wort to the

thermotolerens strain, which is a

recommended pitching range is

different genus than Saccharomyces

also recommended. Maintaining

cerevisiae beer, wine, and baking

that temperature (around 35°C)

yeasts. Lanchancea is readily found

is also recommended but may

in nature and is a typical constituent

require a heating blanket. Room

of natural (ie. not inoculated) wine

temperature would work, but the

fermentations. Thermotolerens is a

growth and resulting acidification

unique species of Lanchanea that also

would be slower. In How to Brew

produces lactic acid as it ferments.

Chapter 14 Brewing Sour Beers,

It is not a strong yeast, at least when

I recommend pre-acidifying the

compared with cerevisiae.

wort with off-the-shelf lactic acid

predict how people will use your

and inhibit protease degradation of

product, and be able to guarantee good

the foam proteins. If you can pitch

results. Thus, for best, most consistent

a sufficient amount of lactobacillus,

results, Lallemand doesn’t recommend

then you will most likely achieve

priming and bottle conditioning with

your sourness level (3.2-3.8 pH) in 24

this yeast. It would probably work, most

hours and the foam proteins will be

of the time, but there is a significant

mostly unaffected. A lower pitching

chance that a primed beer would not

rate, or cooler souring temperature

fully carbonate. In addition, there is a

could slow the souring to 48 hours

variant of this species that expresses

(for example) and that could result in

a diastatic enzyme that could result in

head retention loss. Pre-acidification

breakdown of normally unfermentable

is belt and suspenders and is

dextrins and over pressurisation.

probably not needed – especially if

Therefore, Lallemand recommends

you do the short boil.

the use of a Saccharomyces yeast for

The general rule of thumb for yeast

Zilwaukee Bridge Bruin

As a manufacturer, it is hard to

to discourage wild bacterial growth

bottle conditioning. This could be

Sour brown beers are one of my favorite styles. This recipe is a departure from my Tittabawasee Brown Ale in How to Brew, and is named after the bridge further downstream as it goes past Saginaw Metal Castings Operations of General Motors which is where they make a lot of engine blocks.

All Grain Recipe (BIAB) (expected figures) OG: 1.060 FG: 1.014 ABV: 5.5% IBU: 30 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients

pitching rates will work for bacteria

any robust ale or lager yeast that you

4.5kg Pale Ale malt

for kettle souring i.e. one billion cells

would find at your local brew shop.

500gm Simpsons Brown malt (400L)

per litre per degree Plato. (1°Plato

Saccharomyces will outcompete

500gm Caramel malt (80L)

= 4 gravity points). However, lower

or actually suppress the growth of

pitching rates (0.2 to 0.5 billion per

Lachancea (this is the “killer” aspect)

litre per °P) work just as well and save

by secreting polypeptides that create

you some money. You don’t need to

holes in the cell membranes of other

Lallemand Philly Sour yeast

pitch as much bacteria as you do yeast

yeast species or genus. It is actually

Recommended water profile

because they don’t eat very much –

why fermentation by S. cerevisiae, as

about three gravity points (0.003).

we have known it in both brewing and

Ca2 50 -100, Mg2 20, TA 75 - 125, SO42 50 - 100, Cl- 50 - 100, RA 50 -100

You are generally targeting a soured pH of 3.2 to 3.8 and (this is important) you need to measure this

150g Roasted barley 20g Ella hop pellets

baking, has been so successful for millennia.

The bottom line is that Lachancea

with a digital pH meter, not pH test

will produce a very tasty sour beer

strips! I’m sorry, but they are just not

without the need for the delayed brew

reliable when it comes to measuring

kettle souring process. This yeast

wort and beer. After the wort has

genus is known for fresh fruit flavours

soured, you can bring it back to a boil

and aromas like peach and apple. Do

and continue with the recipe. The

I think it will revolutionise brewing

last consideration is that the lower

sours at home and commercially?

pH is more stressful on the yeast

Maybe. Like the Kveik yeast strains, it

and therefore the fermentation of

certainly is a game changer. Currently

the beer benefits from a higher yeast

there is only this particular strain of it,

pitching rate, generally 33 per cent

as opposed to a dozen different strains

more than you would normally use.

of Kveik on the market, but with time I

This should be sufficient.

think we will see more.

Method 1. Heat 30 litres to 72°C. You are shooting for a mash temperature of 67°C. 2. Immerse the grain bag in the water and stir the grist to ensure it is fully wetted.

3. Mash with occasional stirring for 1 hour.

4. Lift the grain bag out of the kettle and allow to drain.

You should have 27 litres of 1.050 wort.

5. Add the hops and boil the wort for 60 minutes (to 23 litres).

6. Chill the wort to 20°C and pitch the yeast. Allow two weeks for fermentation.

7. Keg or bottle. If priming and bottling, use one package of rehydrated, dry ale yeast that has good alcohol tolerance.

SPRING 2021 41

FEATURE

All grain brewing IT HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST PASTIMES IN THE WORLD. JAKE BRANDISH LOOKS AT THE INS AND OUTS OF ALL GRAIN BREWING. Making the leap into all grain brewing is a decision one should not take lightly. The world of a two hour brew is now way behind you, and you have committed to hours of labour and toil. But I must say, it is the most satisfying and rewarding way to spend your time’. I will always remember my very first all grain brewing demonstration at Brew Mart here in Perth, by Jeff (G’day Barfridge). It was amazing! I remember thinking to myself “this is much easier than I had anticipated!”. After all the hours of reading I had this picture in my mind of needing so much gear and being very precise with temperatures etc., that I was very nervous about going all grain. I had extract brewed for a few years and decided now was the time to leap in. Jeff made this process look so easy, but more so he was having fun doing it! You could see it written all over his face! I knew I had to have some of this fun too!

GEAR UP Whether you are new to brewing and have decided to just go head-on into all-grain, or you are an extract brewer looking to get more control, you will need to invest in some gear. There are a few ways to do this. The first place to hit is your local home brew shop and see what they have (they have EVERYTHING!) and what you can get for the amount of money you want to spend. You can go all out here, believe me! Suppliers like New Era will have just about everything you will need, and have some serious bling to add to your collection. You may also come to the conclusion that you have half of this

44 Home Brewer

stuff around the house, or if you are like me you may want to build your own equipment.

Most of my gear is converted stainless steel tanks which I have cut and welded myself – which is half of the fun!

To start all grain brewing you will need the following pieces of gear: - Grain mill (to crack the grain open). It’s one of the most important pieces of equipment so don’t buy a cheap flour mill, you do not want flour!

- Hot liquor tank (hot water tank). A boiler or urn is a good place to start (to hit the specific temperatures you will need).

- Mash tun. An insulated vessel used to strain the sugary liquid gold (wort) from the grains.

- Temperature probe or thermometer. To check your target temperatures (some mash tuns have an in-built temperature probe to give continual temperature reading).

- Kettle. To boil the wort in order to isomerise the hops, to sterilIse the wort and to drive off any volatile chemical compounds.

- Heat exchanger. To chill the wort from near boiling, down to a suitable temperature

perforated plate or manifold to distribute the

to pitch the yeast and get fermentation

liquor evenly (so it doesn’t just run down the

underway. You can of course do the ‘no-

side of the grain bed and not actually doing

chill’ method.

much rinsing). I have even seen some home

- Pump. To pump water, wort etc. You may

brewers use a shower head to do this. Once in

need two pumps unless you can utilise

the kettle, it is boiled for an hour and hops are

gravity and have the hot liquor tank above

added at different stages depending on what

the mash tun and kettle.

you are brewing. Hot wort off the boil is then

John Preston

run through a heat exchanger to reduce it to

THE ALL GRAIN PROCESS

yeast pitching temperature.

If you haven’t already done so, there are a plethora of brewing texts and YouTube tutorials

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

you should check out. Have a look through

I caught up with John Preston from

some back issues of this fine publication too,

Melbourne home brew shop Grain and Grape

and you will find plenty of information.

to put a few questions to him and his team to

In short, the basic process starts as cracked

answer. Here’s what they said:

water (liquor) to produce a porridge in the

What is the typical outlay for someone going all grain?

mash tun. This process is called mashing

If you’re up for it, you can MacGyver together

in. The mash tun is an insulated tank with a

something to all grain brew with for a few

means of straining the grain away from the

tens of dollars. We’ve found that most

sugary liquid called wort (pronounced ‘wert’).

people who do that eventually end up buying

Some brewers use a slotted or perforated

something more fit for purpose. If you want

bottom to the tank, and some use a manifold

to walk out of a shop with a system that is

made from copper or stainless tubing in an

ready to go, $200 will buy you one of our

Esky. The mash sits for about an hour where

electric BIAB starter kits and $450 will get

the enzymes do their magic, then the sugary

you a recirculating, temperature-controlled

liquid is run off into the kettle. At the same

single-vessel system. Of course we’re biased,

time, you rinse the grain with clean water at

but we think that from around $2,700, a

a certain temperature. This process is called

20 litre Speidel Braumeister is a fantastic

sparging. You can gently introduce the sparge

system to learn all-grain brewing on that you

liquor to the top of the grain bed, using a small

can hand down to your grandchildren.

grains are mixed with a specific temperature

SPRING 2021 45

FOOD MATCHING

Take one Fish THE NEW SCHOOL OF SCALE-TOTAIL COOKING AND EATING IN THIS, THE FOLLOW UP TO THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING THE WHOLE FISH COOKBOOK, CHEF JOSH NILAND CONTINUES ON HIS SINGULAR MISSION TO SHOW THAT FISH IS SO MUCH MORE THAN TWO FILLETS HELD TOGETHER BY A HEAD AND TAIL.

W

ith fish being the main source of protein for almost one billion people, and more than 30 per cent of commercial fisheries operating at unsustainable levels, Josh’s priority is to show us how we can maximise the yield from one single fish. He firmly believes fish should not be seen as something we

only take the fillets from – it’s this kind of thinking that will only continue to result in the widespread depletion of our oceans. This philosophy is at the heart of Take One Fish which continues to open our eyes to the potential of just one fish in the kitchen. Using just 15 global varieties of fish, from extra small to extra large, Josh focused his selection on availability, followed by the suitability of these species to explore the widest spectrum of cookery methods.

He lists alternatives throughout and implores readers to consider the recipes as a framework for the fish that they have access to locally and, of course, fish that are in their best condition. With 60 scale-to-tail recipes, Josh affirms there are no rules when it comes to cooking fish, only an endlessly inventive world of mind-blowing culinary possibilities.

This is an edited extract from Take One Fish by Josh Niland, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $55, available in stores nationally.

Photography: ©Rob Palmer

www.beerandbrewer.com 50 www.beerandbrewer.com

FOOD MATCHING

CHARCOAL FLOUNDER WITH CELERIAC COLESLAW Serves 4 Ingredients 2 x 500g whole greenback flounder, gutted, scaled 60ml grapeseed oil Sea salt flakes 4 soft white bread rolls Warmed cold butter For the flounder seasoning: 2 tbsp ground fennel seeds 2 tbsp ground black pepper 2 tsp ground cumin seeds 2 tsp ground coriander seeds 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp cayenne pepper For the coleslaw: 1/4 red cabbage, finely shredded 1 large celeriac, finely sliced 2 carrots, finely sliced 300g mayonnaise 60ml Chardonnay Vinegar Sea salt flakes Black pepper 1 tsp toasted celery seeds

Method 1. For the flounder seasoning, combine all spices and set aside.

2. For the coleslaw, place cabbage, celeriac and carrot in a bowl.

Whisk together mayo, vinegar, salt, pepper and celery seeds in another bowl. Pour about half of that over the salad, toss to combine. Slowly add more dressing until desired ratio of coleslaw to dressing is reached.

3. Prepare a hot charcoal grill.

Using scissors, snip off any fins around the skirt of the flounder.

Brush the fish on both sides with a little oil and season well with salt flakes and the flounder seasoning.

4. Place the flounder on the grill racks, dark side down, and grill for 4 minutes each side.

5. Transfer the fish to a large serving platter and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the coleslaw, warm bread rolls, cold butter, gravy and fries.

SPRING 2021 51

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