Brewers Journal Canada - Fall 2021 by Reby Media

THE

MAGAZINE

FOR

THE

CANADIAN

BREWING

INDUSTRY

BREWERS J O U R N A L

C A N A D A

FALL 2021 | ISSUE 22 ISSN 2398-6948

THE ESTABLISHMENT BREWERY Calgary’s Multiple Award Winning Brewery reminds itself to have fun

26 | BRAVE NOISE: A MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE

28 | SUSTAINABILITY: SUSTAINABLE BREWING IN AUSTRALIA

60 | HOMEBREWERS JOURNAL:

THE SECTOR REIMAGINED

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BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

BEST IN CLASS

ello, and welcome to the fall edition of the Brewers Journal. To say things have been hectic here is something of an understatement, and a feeling I’m sure you’re all too familiar with also! In addition to putting together the latest issue of the magazine, we’ve been judging the wealth of entries we’ve received for the 2021 Brewers Choice Awards. And predictably, we’ve been blown away by the quality of submissions across the board.

LEADER

Later this year, we’ll be recognising Brewery of the Year, as supported by Jenrey Ltd, New Brewery of the Year, supported by Charles Faram, Beer of the Year, supported by Carefoote Beverage Solutions and New Beer of the Year, also supported by Carefoote Beverage Solutions.

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We also have Brewer of the Year, supported by BrewNinja, Young Brewer, supported by Top 5 Solutions, Branding of the Year, supported by Summit Labels and the Lifetime Achievement Award, supported by BSG Canada. Well done to everyone that entered and thanks to our sponsors for the support. We look forward to placing the spotlight on this wealth of brewing talent at the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice Awards (CBCA) presentation dinner, which takes place in Toronto at Brunswick Bierworks on Thurs-

day, December 9, 2021, together as part of the brewing industry holiday celebration to unwind and rejoice. The event, proudly produced by the team from Brewers Journal Canada, will be hosted by Rick Campanelli. So join us on a delightful evening to celebrate excellence in Canadian breweries of all shapes and sizes, some new and some older, as we keep building a bright future for the brewing industry by empowering brewers who proudly stand behind their creations, and by highlighting their achievements. Individual admission enjoys:

Awards Ceremony Drinks Reception Craft inspired, and purposely-infused Buffet Style Dinner (includes vegan-respectful dishes) *prepared by AllSauced™ Intoxicating Recipes Limited complimentary alcoholic beverages DJ and Party

To get you tickets to the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice Awards (CBCA) presentation dinner, please visit the website below on your web-enabled device. www.tickettailor.com/events brewersjournalcanada/605431 Good luck to all involved and here’s to a prosperous winter ahead.

Cheers! Tim Sheahan Editor

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CONTENTS

Focus | Beer Trends A deep dive into craft beer trends, flavours, attributes, and mindful drinking

Comment | Finance The brewing home base market: Why working with financial partners is important

Focus | Lager Lager Discovery: A look at the renaissance of craft lagers in Australia

Focus | Sustainability Sustainable brewing in Australia Comment | Technology

New Aseptic Transfer System (ATS) advances fermentation for a cleaner and more efficient way to pitch yeast Meet The Brewer | Boshkung Brewing Co.

After seven years of steady growth in Minden, Boshkung Brewing has used 2021 to expand 46

Comment | Ingredients American Bine: A look at the famous US hop crop

Homebrewing | Homebrew Journal Its 2021 closing time

Focus | Brave Noise

Why a global collaborative effort to provide inclusive and safe environments for Women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ throughout the beer industry is necessary

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BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

Meet The Brewer: | The Establishment Brewing Co.

Working hard while having fun in Calgary, Alberta

CONTACTS Tim Sheahan Editor tim@brewersjournal.ca +44 (0)1442 780 592 Jakub Mulik Staff photographer Johnny Leung Canada Partnerships johnny@brewersjournal.ca Sheena Strauss Homebrew Journal knwl.on.tap@gmail.com Richard Piotrowski Publisher Richard@brewersjournal.ca Magdalena Lesiuk Graphic Design GraphMad@gmail.com CFJ Media 2275 Upper Middle Rd E #101, Oakville, ON L6H 0C3

Sector | The Environment Introducing sustainability into your business

SUBSCRIPTIONS The Brewers Journal Canada is a quarterly magazine mailed every Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Subscriptions can be purchased for four or eight issues. Prices for single issue subscriptions or back issues can be obtained by emailing: johnny@brewersjournal.ca

CANADA One year: $39 INTERNATIONAL One year: $49 The content of The Brewers Journal Canada is subject to copyright. However, if you would like to obtain copies of an article for marketing purposes high-quality reprints can be supplied to your specification. Please contact the advertising team for full details of this service. The Brewers Journal Canada is printed at Print Buy, 15 - 1253 Silvan Forest Drive, Burlington ON, L7M 0B7

Science |Cavitation What are the causes of cavitation and how to prevent it cost-effectively

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be: reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The Brewers Journal Canada ISSN 2398-6948 is part of Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 1PA. It is published quarterly in Canada by CFJ Media, 2275 Upper Middle Rd E #101, Oakville, ON L6H 0C3, Canada. Subscription records are maintained at CFJ Media, 2275 Upper Middle Rd E #101, Oakville, ON L6H 0C3, Canada. The Brewers Journal accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of statements or opinion given within the Journal that is not the expressly designated opinion of the Journal or its publishers. Those opinions expressed in areas other than editorial comment may not be taken as being the opinion of the Journal or its staff, and the aforementioned accept no responsibility or liability for actions that arise therefrom.

FALL 2021

BUSINESSES TIE TO POWER IOT KEG TRACKING SOLUTIONS

NEWS

KEGSHOE, A LEADER IN KEG TRACKING SOLUTIONS FOR BREWERIES AND CRAFT PRODUCERS WORLDWIDE, AND BINARY BEER, THE CREATORS OF KEGLINK ACTIVE KEG MONITORING, HAVE ANNOUNCED A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP.

ies can modernize their keg fleets, gaining unprecedented insights into their kegs and the beer within them. KegLink sensors track each keg’s location, movements, temperature, and sales volumes, while a powerful Kegshoe-connected Insights Engine allows for new advances in operational efficiency, traceability, product quality, and waste reduction across the industry.

Kegshoe will be able to supercharge their operations: further minimizing keg loss, improving keg cycles, tracking sales volumes, and ultimately ensuring that better tasting beer is available to their customers.” The North American rollout of the technology is now underway, and will expand in the coming months. Breweries can learn more and register for early access by visiting: kegshoe.ca/smart.

The partnership marks the first time individual breweries and distributors in Canada and the United States can access the technology. Michael Burton, CEO of Binary Beer, said: “The collaboration is a great opportunity for Binary Beer to bring our existing technology into a new geographic market.

he businesses said the deal will “revolutionize” the way beverage producers and distributors manage their keg fleets, and provide new insights into product quality and sales.

“We’re excited to bring a joint solution that specifically addresses the needs of North American brewers across its unique distribution landscape.”

By combining Kegshoe’s keg tracking software with Binary Beer’s patented monitoring devices and analytics platform, brewer-

Adrian Pawliszko, co-founder of Kegshoe, added: “Through this partnership, breweries using

TORONTO CRAFT

ON NOVEMBER 8, 2021, THE ONTARIO SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE (COMMERCIAL LIST) ISSUED AN ORDER WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, (I) AUTHORIZED RICHTER ADVISORY GROUP INC., IN ITS CAPACITY AS TRUSTEE (THE “TRUSTEE”) IN THE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO MAKE A PROPOSAL PROCEEDINGS (THE “NOI PROCEEDINGS”) OF JUNCTION CRAFT BREWING INC. (”JUNCTION”), TO UNDERTAKE, ON BEHALF OF JUNCTION, A SALE SOLICITATION PROCESS (THE “SALE PROCESS”) FOR THE SALE OF JUNCTION’S BUSINESS AND/OR ASSETS AND (II) APPROVED A STALKING HORSE AGREEMENT FOR THE ACQUISITION OF JUNCTION’S BUSINESS BY A STALKING HORSE BIDDER.

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BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

NEW: SAFYEAST™ FOR BEER NOW AVAILABLE IN 100G PACKAGING FORMAT NEW 100G PACKAGE SIZE PROVIDES CONVENIENCE AND FLEXIBILITY FOR YOU, BREWER.

ermentis announced today that they are making their yeasts available in a new package size format. By launching the 100g pouch, they aim to provide brewers more choice, convenience, and flexibility. Until now, their yeasts were available in 11.5g sachets (soft packs, under inert atmosphere), 500g bricks (hard packs, under vacuum) and 10kg foils (hard packs, under vacuum).

fined as a small brewery (not necessarily commercial) or brew pub that produces three barrels or less in each batch. The new 100g pouch provides a nicely targeted amount for use in nano brewing, and eventually more choice for all categories of brewers. As for 11,5g sachets, the 100g pouches will be sealed under inert atmosphere to protect the viability, vitality and more generally the quality of the yeast; and will thus be soft sachets.

Fermentis, a business unit aiming at continuously develop and market fermentation solutions (including yeast, bacteria and their derivates) for brewers, winemakers and all producers of fermented beverages, is belonging to the Lesaffre Group, a global key player in microorganisms and all its applications for over 160 years. All products from Fermentis are developed with the highest quality and performance standards based on meticulous production procedures and industry expectations. www.fermentis.com

NEWS

By filling this gap between package sizes, the new 100g pouches will offer all brewers more choice as they grow with their production capacity. Fermentis recognizes that home brewers – and even craft brewers – don’t always brew in the same volumes, especially as they develop their batch production capacity. Indeed, this move by Fermentis comes at a time when “nano brewing” is becoming more prevalent and popular in the industry. Nano brewing is generally de-

BREWERY FOR SALE

unction operates primarily as a brewer and seller of hand-crafted beers and other beverage products from an approximately 16,513 square foot leased premises located at 150 Symes Road, Toronto, Ontario (the “Premises”). Junction also earns rental and other income from hosting weddings, fundraisers and corporate functions at the Premises. Additional information regarding the NOI Proceedings and the Sale Process can be found on the Trustee’s website at: www.richter.ca/insolvencycase junction-craft-brewing-inc/

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In order to obtain detailed information on Junction and its business and assets, interested parties will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Parties interested in the opportunity should contact Shane Connolly (647-921-3902 or SConnolly@richter.ca) of the Trustee’s office.

The deadline for submission of a qualifying offer is:

5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on December 9, 2021.

Richter Advisory Group Inc. Trustee of Junction Craft Brewing Inc. 181 Bay Street, Suite 3510 Bay Wellington Tower Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T3 Telephone: 416-488-2345 Fax: 514-934-8603

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BEER TRENDS THE OMNIBIBULOUS NATURE OF BEER DRINKERS

FOCUS

LOTTE PEPLOW, BREWERS ASSOCIATION‘S AMERICAN CRAFT BEER AMBASSADOR FOR EUROPE, TAKES A DEEP DIVE INTO AMERICAN CRAFT BEER TRENDS, FLAVOURS, ATTRIBUTES AND MINDFUL DRINKING TO DETERMINE WHAT’S AROUND THE CORNER.

et’s start with a definition – Omnibibulous – someone who drinks across a wide spectrum of alcohol beverages. Every year the Brewers Association, the not-forprofit trade organisation representing small and independent American craft brewers, carries out a survey* looking at trends within the American craft beer industry and latest results reveal 94% of weekly American craft beer drinkers indicate they’re drinking at least one other alcoholic beverage category weekly, ie wine, sprits, liquors, seltzer, cider, FMBs (flavoured malt beverages). Why?

The answer is simple….there is more choice in alcohol beverages than ever before. RTDs (Ready To Drink) are performing strongly with spirit based canned cocktails growing due to a surge in home consumption and the desire to recreate the cocktail experience at home. However, beer remains the dominant alcohol beverage in America with craft beer account-

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ing for 12.3% market share by volume in 2020. Retail dollar value was estimated at $22.2 billion, representing 23.6% market share**. There are now 8,848 craft breweries in America, the highest number ever recorded. The percentage of craft beer drinkers (several times a year) continues to grow and accounts for 44% of the population aged 21+ (up from 35% in 2015). The UK is an important export market for American craft beer and represents the second largest market after Canada with 10.1% of all global American craft beer exports. FLAVOUR PROFILES Survey respondents were asked what flavours they were more or less interested in, from crisp, juicy/hazy, fruity, dark, malty, hoppy, spicy (yeast) or tart and the results indicate that all flavours are growing. Since 2018 interest in juicy/hazy has grown the fastest at 9% followed by fruity at 8% and that’s a good indicator of what we see in the marketplace today. Analyse the data by demographic and it shows that all age groups were more interested in crisp beer styles, followed by juicy/hazy that was more interesting to craft beer drinkers under the age of 54. Tart beers tend to be more polarising and are less interesting to drinkers 45+ years old but potentially an area of growth for the younger drinker.

similar. According to the research, the gender gap in craft beer consumers continues to narrow with 71 male v 29 female split in 2015, shifting to 64 male v 35 female in 2021. The next generation of craft beer drinkers are driving the market. Newest legal drinking age 21-34 year olds are more interested in craft beer and excited about the whole gamut of beer flavours. Lots of opportunities exist for the next generation of craft beer consumers and for brewers to meet this demand. MINDFUL DRINKING A few years ago mindful drinking was never part of the craft beer conversation, but times they are a-changing. We asked what attributes craft beer drinkers were more interested in than they were two years ago and at a base level interest in all attributes has increased ie. local ingredients, low calorie, organic, low carb, health-centric ingredients, fitness goals, smaller formats, low ABV, gluten-free and non-alcoholic. In the recent survey, two thirds of respondents said they were more interested in at least one of these attributes in their bever-

Looking at gender preferences in flavour profiles there’s more similiarity than difference. Popular beer flavours are equally interesting to both male and females, such as crisp beer being 40% more interesting to both male and females equally. There are a few variations such as female being more interested in fruity and male in dark but in general preferences are very

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

The next generation of craft beer drinkers are driving the market, Lotte Peplow, Brewers Association age alcohol purchases than they were two years ago and among weekly craft beer drinkers interest was even higher with three quarters of respondents saying at least one of these mindful drinking trends was important to them. Looking specifically at 21-34 year old drinkers, they are at least as interested in these trends as overall drinkers and it’s clear that these attributes will continue to grow in importance for the next generation. For example, a beer drinker who cares about low calorie at 21 is likely to care a lot more as a 35 year old since in general calories do not become less important to people as they age. Some of the trends we’re seeing in the broader alcohol beverage space are only going to intensify within craft beer as the next generation clearly cares more about these attributes than previous generations Alcohol by volume (ABV), particularly higher and lower ABV, is becoming more important to craft beer consumers and driving trends in the market where beers of 5% and below are growing strongly and 6/7/8% and above are also growing. Double IPA is now the growth driver within the IPA category and research suggests IPA is decelerating while DIPA takes a greater share. This growth is reflected in the fact that consumers are looking for higher or lower abv beers and the middle is a tougher place to be. Respondents were asked how important ABV is to them and 72% of craft drinkers said that it was at least somewhat important rising to 82% of weekly craft drinkers. Nearly half of all weekly craft beer drinkers said ABV was very important to them.

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Such responses beg the question…How easy is it for someone to find the ABV on your tap handle, packaging or bar menu? Attributes like ABV, calories. gluten-free etc are becoming more important in beer labelling and making them visible is key. The survey results threw out a few curve balls such as small pack formats. It’s fair to assume that small format, ie 8oz (250ml) cans may be more interesting to females and/or older 55+ drinkers. THAT IS NOT THE CASE Within craft beer consumers research indicates the younger age group was more interested in small format with approximately 20% of 21-34 year olds more interested than they were before. What’s also surprising is the fact that men were slightly more interested in portion size than women. Also noteworthy was the growth in non-alcoholic beers that now account for .5% of the total craft beer market. It’s a niche but growing sector and may not seem much on its own but compared to other sub-styles of craft beer it’s a big chunk. Despite being a niche style, there are opportunities out there for brewers to become big in a sector such as non-alcoholic. Trial and discovery is helping to grow the sector and keep it stable and this is particularly evident in January when people try low and no-alcoholic drinks then stick with them.

The same effort needs to go into making beer look good and selling it on e-platforms as it does in-store. The shift is coming and it’s going to happen fast because we’ve seen it in other industries. AND, FINALLY… Don’t forget to enter your beer into the most prestigious beer competition in the world, the World Beer Cup, taking place alongside the Craft Brewers Conference® and BrewExpo America® in Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 2022. World Beer Cup registration is open 26th October - 10th November and UK breweries are welcome to ship their entries to the UK consolidation point in Hertfordshire instead of directly to the States. The Brewers Association will then arrange (and pay) for the beers to be shipped to the States. Beers are due to consolidation points 28th February – 9th March 2022. Winners are announced 5th May 2022. More info www.WorldBeerCup.org * Harris Poll among 1,900 US adults aged 21+ ** Brewers Association annual production figures survey Lotte Peplow is the American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe for the Brewers Association and is based in London, UK. She is a Certified Cicerone®, BDI accredited Beer Sommelier, beer writer, beer communicator, international beer judge, homebrewer and beer lover.

THE DIGITAL WORLD The pandemic has shifted beverage alcohol’s relationship to e-commerce, arguably forever. The new ways of buying beverage alcohol mean more people are incorporating e-commerce channels into their purchasing habits and this is changing the landscape for small and independent craft brewers. Craft brewers need to think about how e-commerce fits in to their sales and marketing strategy, eg. how easy is it for consumers to find your beer on e-platforms – does it look good, is all information listed correctly.

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FINANCE

COMMENT

THE BREWING HOME BASE MARKET

IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO GROW YOUR CRAFT BREWING BUSINESS, YOU SHOULD DO SO WITH THE HELP OF A FINANCIAL PARTNER THAT KNOWS THE INDUSTRY AND PROVIDES PROACTIVE, PERSONALIZED SOLUTIONS FOR ANY OPERATION, EXPLAINS CAM MOSER, SENIOR MANAGER AT CWB CRAFT BREWERY FINANCE.

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ven in an unpredictable world, somethings never change – like people’s taste for good beer. Yet, one of the biggest challenges that the brewing sector has face over the last year-and-more, outside of the pandemic itself, was satiating their clientele’s thirsts at home. In other words, growing a successful brewing business has required some creative new ways of thinking.

to help a brewer grow their business. If you’re thinking about your own growth plans, here are four key takeaways to consider:

We know that brewers are very hospitable, competitive, compassionate, and caring by nature. They enjoy personal engagements with their customers often because the attention to detail required of good relationships is a similar devotion to the art of brewing itself.

Look at your finances and simplify: Confused about your finances? Can’t see past the hard costs? It is always worth partnering with a trusted expert to support your growth plans. A good financial partner will help you simplify, consolidate debt, and find new opportunities before you’re even thinking about them.

Honing a craft’s brews flavour is just as important as understanding customer preferences and habits when it comes to capitalizing on growth opportunities. Though it was challenging at first, that craft beer lovers were forced to exclusively enjoy their pints domestically became a great opportunity. Brewers that acknowledged the shift in consumer behaviour found ways to pivot and grow.

Find efficiencies in your business: Focus on potential opportunities, such as procuring raw materials and refining a sale and marketing strategy, will provide the greatest return on investment, grow capital and help you make the most of your resources.

Link to retail: Brewers with a retail link benefited greatly over the last 18 months because it opened the door for beer lovers to enjoy their favourite brands and styles right at home. Craft producers saw value in acquiring new equipment that created new markets, categories, and value streams.

Canadian Western Bank partners with brewers to understand their specific needs, including how to better serve a more athome consumer base.

Find your niche: Without a doubt, craft brewing is a competitive sector that has only accelerated over the last decade. It’s more important than ever to find a niche to help separate small- and mid-sized brewers from competitors while establishing a steady stream of revenue and a loyal following. When it comes to marketing, know that speaking to everyone often reaches no one in an impactful way. Have a specific beer lover in mind, consider age, habits and lifestyle – to name a few elements – when locating your spot in the market.

Drawing on 20 years as a leading specialized lender to Canadian restaurant and hotel industries, our new Craft Brewery Finance program specializes in providing personalized and creative solutions, such as term lending, lines of credit and acquisition loans,

Grow your craft brewing business with the help of a financial partner that knows the industry and provides proactive, personalized solutions for any operation. Visit: www.cwbfranchise.com/en/ brewery-financing

Many created new beer styles, procured new canning equipment, secured real estate, and experimented with competitor and community partnerships. Serving their product to consumers in entirely new ways also became a high priority problem at hand.

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

BRAVE NOISE A MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE

FOCUS

BRAVE NOISE IS A GLOBAL COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO PROVIDE INCLUSIVE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR WOMEN, BIPOC, AND LGBTQIA+ THROUGHOUT THE BEER INDUSTRY. WE SPOKE TO ASH ELIOT, OF WOMEN OF THE BEVOLUTION AND A SPOKESPERSON FOR BRAVE NOISE, TO LEARN MORE.

“It resulted in a much needed awakening in the beer industry,” says Eliot. “Since May, thousands have been shared and are still being shared via @RatMagnet and @EmboldenActAdvance on Instagram and several new accounts that have popped up to continue supporting the #MeToo movement happening in brewing.” She adds: “The Brave Noise global collab was something both Brienne and I discussed on launching. At the time she had already brewed this beer and felt the name really resonated with what was happening.

“She knew I was gathering resources for women in the industry and I was trying to share stories and do whatever I could to shed light on the issues women are facing in this industry. “So we developed a plan to launch it on July 7th to advocate for a safe and discrimination-free beer industry by asking for transparency from breweries through posting their code of conduct publicly, supporting a non-profit in line with our mission to create safe spaces and inclusive environments and for them to commit to the longterm work in order for things to actually change.

rave Noise is an initiative and global beer collab inspired by the brave voices who have shared their stories of sexual harassment, assault, gender discrimination and racism in the brewing industry. In May of this year, a brewer, Brienne Allan, formerly of Notch Brewing, called out to her Instagram Followers via her account @ RatMagnet asking if they had experienced sexism in the industry after sharing her own personal story. Brienne received hundreds of stories by women in the industry who allowed for her to share the stories mostly anonymously from her instagram account.

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DIRECT ACTION Through Brave Noise, Eliot says they are asking for breweries to show transparency by posting their values and code of conduct publicly via a QR code on the beer’s label, in the taproom and on their website. This, she adds, is a way for customers and staff to hold the brewery accountable if they aren’t following the code of conduct.

the beer community keeping a close eye on what they are doing and who they are doing business with. Eliot says: “This actually happened recently with several breweries part of the Brave Noise collab also planning to be part of the Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen October 22-23. The community immediately noticed this, notified breweries and requested they not take part in the festival due to the brewery organizing the event being problematic as well as several breweries part of the event being problematic.

“And we are also asking them to donate to a non-profit organization that reflects the mission of the collab meaning a charity that is focused on creating safe spaces and inclusive environments, advocating for survivors of sexual harassment and assault, and supporting industry staff, for example, Dandelion Initiative, Safe Bar Network and Another Round Another Rally,” Eliot explains.

“This collab will live on and the accountability that the community is now looking for will live on. There are now more voices within the community and more groups that are involved with this movement to where the mission will continue and so will Brave Noise.”

COLLABORATION IS ONLY THE START

THE ROLE OF CONSUMERS

With this collab Brave Noise are asking breweries to commit to the long-term work. But being part of the collab, which they are already seeing actually, is consumers and

“Consumers have so much power in all this,” says Eliot. “They have the option to invest in companies that are providing safe spaces and supportive

environments. If they reach out to the brewery, the business actually listens. The owners unfortunately rarely listen to staff. It takes the consumers to proactively let them know and hold them accountable.” Eliot adds: “We are seeing that now with all the stories that have been shared. As a consumer, check your local or favourite brewery and see if they have made a statement, shared their code of conduct or addressed what they’re doing to create change in the industry? “And if you don’t see something, ask them what they’re doing to address the issues women, non-binary individuals, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ are facing in the industry. Are they part of the Brave Noise initiative and global beer collab? Look at the company’s social media and website and see what they’re doing to address the issues and work with their local community. “Would you want your friend or family member to be working in a toxic work environment? Think of that when you decide to spend your money at a brewery that could be fuelling a toxic workplace.”

MEET THE BREWER ESTABLISHMENT 18

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“WHEN WE STARTED THIS THING WE SAID TO EACH OTHER LET’S MAKE SURE WE HAVE FUN, BECAUSE THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FREAKIN’ WORK. AND LET’S BE HONEST, STARTING A BUSINESS LIKE THIS IS PRETTY RIDICULOUS,” SAYS MIKE FONIOK. “THERE ARE A LOT OF SACRIFICES INVOLVED BUT AT THE END OF DAY WE ENJOY WHAT WE DO, THAT’S WHY WE DID IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.”

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nd a little less than three years since opening in Calgary’s Manchester Brewing District, the brewery Foniok started with fellow founders David Ronneberg and Brandon Hart, is going from strength-to-strength. Both critically and in the role it plays in the local community. You want awards? Ask the team at The Establishment Brewing Company. In recent months, the company has scooped no less than 13 of them. In addition to being recognized as Canadian Brewery of the Year and presented with five individual beer awards at the 2021 Canadian Brewing Awards, the Calgary business went on to pick up Alberta Brewery of the Year and seven beer awards at the 2021 Alberta Beer Awards. Among the beers acknowledged were the brewery’s Barrel-aged wild beer output, which include Erlton Street (2020) a Golden Sour, Ruby My Dear a Red Sour with Raspberries, Belgian Ale Funkmorphosis and Born to Run, a Brett Saison. “It feels good to be recognized for those beers because of the amount of effort that goes into them. When you look at the volume we sell of our ‘conventional’ output

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compared to these barrel-aged beers, and the amount of work that goes into them, it’s disproportionately larger,” he laughs. “So it’s nice to know people appreciate them!” The Establishment Brewing Company opened its doors in January 2019, but its story started many years earlier thanks to the Cowtown Yeast Wranglers homebrew club, a Calgary-based club of homebrewers and beer enthusiasts.

they gathered, slept, brewed, grew a garden, lived the good life. At some point or another, at least six of their friends called the place home. And it was Hart who found The Establishment sign on a snowboarding road trip and propped it up in the window. “Everyone agreed it suited the place and the name stuck,” they said. The sign now

It’s here Foniok would end up meeting David Ronneberg. Not only would the duo develop their love of beer, but they would also become Beer Judge Certification Program-certified judges, too. For Foniok in particular, his passion for brewing took over, and it’s been “a slow decline into brewing obsession ever since”. Which is good news for fans of great beer. While the trio were bonded by the Cowtown Yeast Wranglers homebrew club, the house that Foniok and Hart shared also played an integral role in those formative days. Located on Erlton Street in Calgary, the team describe it as part house and part brew lab. Named The Establishment, it was a place

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rests above the bar at the taproom. However, things didn’t always go smoothly. In the days leading up to June 19, 2013, Alberta, Canada, experienced heavy rainfall that triggered catastrophic flooding described by the provincial government as the worst in Alberta’s history. And said flood did its worst on this Erlton home. Foniok was living in the basement at the time and lost everything he owned. For days they pulled debris and mud out of the basement, but the strength of friendships and good will in the community brought The Establishment back to its feet. The unforeseen benefit of all this destruction, was that a completely gutted basement was the perfect space to set up a new home-brew system.. The brewing and experimentation rose to new levels, and soon the medals from various homebrew comps were rolling in. The original Establishment has long since been demolished, but it’s memory lives on. “For us, The Establishment is about sharing the love of beer. Nothing more, nothing less,” adds Foniok. While Calgary played an integral role in the early days of the would-be brewery, so did European beer culture. Having met Brandon Hart during their time studying engineering at the University of Calgary, they would undertake a year-long internship in Switzerland. While Foniok would work at Alstom, Hart headed to automation firm ABB. “Unsurprisingly we drank a lot of great beer in Europe,” he recalls. “So when we came

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back we were like ‘Hey, where’s all the good beer?’. Having access to so much great beer for a year and then losing that really sparked our desire to make our own. And that’s when we fell down the rabbit hole.” The duo would join the venerable homebrew club, meeting Ronneberg and the rest, they say, is history. Enthused by European beer, Foniok’s first homebrew kit recipe was a Hefeweizen. Half of which was donated to his ceiling. “It blew out of the carboy top, which was interesting…,” he smiles. ‘ But he kept going, and rightly so. “I really enjoyed brewing German-style lagers, because my philosophy was that there is nowhere to hide with those. If I could figure out how to brew a really clean Helles or German Pilsner then I knew I was on the right track,” he recalls. While Foniok was enamoured by those styles, Hart’s passion lay in mixed-culture, wild ferment output. Beers that have played a big part in the brewery since day one. Following a wealth of success in homebrew competitions, the trio would soon realize that it was now or never when it came to making the step to professional brewing. “I felt that if I don’t do this then I could regret it for the rest of my life,” he explains. And not ones to do things by halves, the team decided they wanted to open a brewery with a barrel program right out of the

gate, something that is far from straightforward without a brewery of your own. To make this happen, they called on a contact brewing partner. A move that enabled the brewery to launch with four barrel aged Brett Saisons from the get-go. “From day one it has been a huge priority to keep the the barrel program going. We didn’t want to become that brewery that just has a couple of barrels tucked away in the background somewhere,” says Foniok. “Instead, it was a priority and something at the forefront of this business.” While those maiden barrel-aged beers were being taken care of, the team would sign a lease on a property in Calgary’s Manchester Brewing District in May 2018. Located on 1 St SE, the brewery has a wealth of brewing and distilling neighbours. “We were very fortunate in that this site was the second we looked at. It has really developed in the last couple of years so it was something of a no-brainer to choose here,” explains Foniok. And with their collective engineering backgrounds, the team would undertake much of the work on the build themselves. “We’re probably kind of stupid in that way,” he laughs. Foniok would design the brewery’s glycol systems and also specify the brewhouse, personally adapting the CAD files to his own requirements. Ronneberg, an excellent woodworker, would build a large proportion of the taproom including a striking hanging bulkhead. “There was a lot of blood, sweat and

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beers, that’s for sure,” he says. But it created an emotional attachment to the space. So we don’t regret doing it. But next time? I definitely would not!” The Establishment brew on an oversized 15HL brewhouse that can “comfortably” cast out 20HL into a number of flexible FV sizes ranging from 15 through to 30, 45 and 60HL “If we’re experimenting with something new, we can brew it on a smaller, slightly smaller size, and kind of blow through that quicker,” says Foniok. “ And if we’re brewing our core beers then we can stockpile a little bit extra in the larger tanks, so to have that flexibility is really nice.” Those four core beers comprise Afternoon Delight, a 5.4% New England Pale Ale, My Best Friend’s Girl, a Kölsch-Style Ale at 4.8%, Jam Rock, a 5.6% Blackberry Sour with Vanilla and Sky Rocket, an ever-changing series of New England IPA. These beers complement The Establishment’s seasonal output as well as its decorated Barrel-aged releases. Beers of all styles and ABVs. “Our philosophy has always been not to discriminate against any beer styles. Because there’s something for everyone in beer as it’s such a diverse drink,” he says. “From Lager to an Imperial Stout, to a Hazy IPA and Barrel-aged Sour, they are completely different and mean different things to different people. Our hope is to always introduce people to new ideas.” The brewery’s award-winning Barrel-aged beers are matured in its family of 90 barrels,

the majority of which are used red wine vessels. Designed for long-term ageing with minimal oak expression imparted to the beer, these releases have helped the brewery scoop those prestigious accolades in a productive end to 2021. “Honestly I can’t believe it. We’ve always dreamed about something like this happening when we planned the brewery and it’s unreal to find ourselves here two and a half years after opening. This absolutely would not have been possible without the support and passion of our team, a team that’s become more like a family at this point,” Foniok explains. One particular release that remains special to the team is Erlton Street. A Barrel-aged Golden Sour that showcases a blend of their favourite barrels and named after the street where the original Establishment home was located. And Erlton Street 2020was one the beers awarded Gold at the recent Canadian Brewing Awards in the Wood & Barrel-Aged Sour Beer category. And such successes will no doubt be mirrored in the years to follow. There’s just the small problem of space, or lack of, to sort first. “Right now we’re really tight on space. We’ve hit something of a roadblock on how we can expand the barrel program,” he says. “The problem with barrels is that they take up so much room. They’re fine when stacked vertically but when you’re working on 20 of them, they take up a lot of space!” But this hurdle hasn’t prevented their desire to add a koelschip and foeders to their armoury.

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He explains: “I’m curious to see how our cultures would perform in larger vessels. I know the dynamics are different with the surface to volume ratio, but I just love the idea of being able to play with them and to learn more.” “What’s inherently important is striving for balance in these beers. With some barrels you lose control of what’s happening in there to a certain extent, so it’s a case of then having the ability to find another barrel that complements the acidity level or maybe the Brett expression. For me, that journey is absolutely vital to make a great-tasting, mixed-culture beer.” And regardless of when those new vessels arrive, or where they’ll be housed, there’s one guarantee and that’s the team will enjoy working with them. “Barrels have their own personalities and the diversity of them is part of the magic,” he says. “Dave, Brandon and I all have technical backgrounds and engineering is very much science driven. “So I think that’s maybe we’re all so enamoured by wild fermentations. It’s all very laissez-faire, eclectic, and wild. I think it brings an element of art to the process, which keeps us all coming back.”

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LAGER LAGER REDISCOVERY: A LOOK AT THE RENAISSANCE OF CRAFT LAGERS IN AUSTRALIA

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IN THIS PIECE, GRAHAM FRIZZELL CATCHES UP WITH THE HEADS OF NOOSA AND MOUNTAIN CULTURE HEAD BREWERS LANCE MASTERTON AND DJ MCCREADY, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SIMON JEANPIERRE FROM DRY YEAST PRODUCERS FERMENTIS BY LESAFFRE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW AND WHY LAGER IS STARTING TO RECLAIM A PLACE IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF CRAFT BEER DRINKERS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

ike a late season tropical hailstorm, craft lagers seemed to come out of nowhere. For so long maligned, now you find a new wave of lagers jostling for attention among the latest double dry-hopped oat cream IPAs and peanut butter mud cake pastry stouts on shelves and tap lists. Some craft beer bars have even taken to hosting week-long showcases dedicated to such beers, while the significant and growing number of craft breweries – big and small – now offer a core range lager. Digging deeper into the origins of craft lager’s resurgence initially throws up a few questions. Was the shifting tide a result of the inevitable pushback against the current monocrop of aforementioned confectionary beers? Or is it because craft beer enthusiasts are craving something more deeply satisfying yet equally thirst-slaking?

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There are plenty of probable explanations for drinkers embracing the beers once seen as anathema once more. Yet Occam’s razor dictates the answer was there all along. The combination of increased consumer knowledge, coupled with many brewers’ unwavering dedication to creating the best lager they can – one with character and a sense of place – was always likely to take us in only one direction HOW GOLD IS MADE Lovers of a good craft lager know they can be challenging beers to brew, from the highly involved technicalities throughout the brewing and lagering process, through to lager’s propensity for revealing the slightest of faults in its flavor profile. Lagers provide a sound metric of how good and consistent a brewery’s output is, which is a heavy cross to bear when they have their own personalities to share too.

Fermentis by Lesaffre’s Simon says: “We often say that the first beer you should get at a brewery to check their quality is their lager. Simply because this style requires a lot of accuracy throughout the process to get the taste just right and consistent. A tiny shift, would it be on the quality of your raw materials, on the way you operated your brewhouse, on your fermentation management, maturation / lagering and the choice of packaging or the cleaning of dispensing systems [has an impact on flavor and consistency].” Consistency means brewers especially want to avoid producing lagers with glaring off-flavors, such as buttery popcorn derived from diacetyl (unless, of course, the brewer is producing an authentic interpretation of the Czech Pilsner style where a small amount is expected thanks to Plzn’s soft water profile), the creamed corn of DMS or the off

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green apple-like acetaldehyde flavors that come with under-fermentation. Furthermore, unlike macro lager producers, the vast majority, of craft brewers have no interest in taking shortcuts. The dedication to a meticulously crafted lager brew begins with utilizing the right equipment for the job. “It’s a must to have good temperature control during fermentation,” Lance says. “Glycol cooling is the best [technology] available to control temperatures during fermentation.”

All this is in the name of keeping the yeast happily engaged in the slow process of fermentation and maturation of the beer. Poor temperature control is a factor in any lager beer developing undesirable yeast-derived characteristics known as esters and phenols (think aromas of bananas, sliced red apples, pears, stewed prunes, dates or, in extreme cases, solvent-like nail polish). The lower the temperature, the slower the yeast metabolizes the wort and the fewer yeast-derived aromatic compounds are created. In a sense, lager represents craft brewing’s equivalent to low and slow cooking.

Great cooking needs great ingredients, too. And central to lager brewing is the yeast strain a brewer chooses. “We are lucky to have three strains available at Fermentis, covering traditional and modern-style lagers,” says Simon. “We can look at beer diversity through different angles, but no matter what style and recipe you choose the yeast always plays an important role. It can influence flavor, aroma, acidity, brightness, and mouthfeel, all at the same time. “Lager yeasts can ferment the wort more completely thanks to their wider assimi-

Glycol, a water-miscible coolant, works by way of “jackets” inserted over each lagering fermenter. Award-winning, lager-only brewers Heads of Noosa’s BrauKon brew system allows Lance to control the temperature of each fermenter individually. The technology at their Sunshine Coast home reduces the temperature of the beer by negative five degrees, with glycol also keeping the beer at a consistent temperature more efficiently than refrigeration. “[In the beginning we] used fridges with the fermenters sitting inside,” he says. “We found with the temperature probe inside the fridge, the temperature of the beer inside the fermenter in the middle is where it gets hottest where there’s active fermentation [taking place.] That varied from the beer to the actual fridge temperature by about six degrees.”

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lation of sugars, such as maltotriose and melibiose. The craft [beer industry] is playing an essential role in diversifying lager as much as it did for ale with lots of creativity. “What is essential to brewing a good lager is consistency from fermentation to fermentation. This is achieved by working with healthy yeast and knowing how they behave in [a brewery’s] specific conditions. We have plenty of characterization studies that tell brewers in advance how exactly our strain will perform in terms of kinetics and organoleptic profile. This is gold information for consistency!” The consistent performance of yeast when turning wort into liquid gold also comes down to the malt used and the manner in which it is transformed into wort. Mountain Culture favor under-modified malt (in other words, the barley husk’s endosperm has only been broken down to a low extent, thus producing fewer readily available nutrients and enzymes for the yeast to consume) which is ideal for decoction-mashing. In layman’s terms, decoction mashing refers to the centuries-old technique of extracting a portion of a mash (the process of mixing grains with hot water early in the brewing process) and raising that to a higher temperature. The separated portion is then added into the mash in a process the brewer may repeat several times. The end result is a wort rich in Maillard products – flavor compounds derived from proteins that produce intensely toasty characters. This highly intensive brewing technique requires the right setup and is seldom found in commercially brewed lagers outside of Europe. “For our lager program and specialty lagers we [source our malt from] a local maltster,

Voyager Craft Malt out of Moree, [who supplies] us with under-modified malt” DJ says . “We’re getting it custom made for our brewing, using the decoction technique. If we’re not using Voyager malt when we’re brewing our core range lager, we’re using Weyermann Malt, so it’s all really good German Pilsner malt that’s specially designed for brewing lagers. “There are lots of substitutes added when brewing macro lagers. A lot of time [macro lager] brewers are using corn or rice to reduce color and get the fermentable sugars out of the grist. I also think with the time involved, we’re naturally letting the beer sit for clarification, then it goes through several filters before serving, which is another big difference.” Good, clear water is also integral to a characterful lager. Before brewers understood how and why to change the makeup of the water they were using, the water profile of any given location determined the characteristics of the beer produced. The gypsum-rich water of Burton-upon-Trent, which produced a fantastically dry ale whose pale malt was the forebear for pilsner [And whose soccer team is called The Brewers – Editor], and the aforementioned exquisite softness of Plzn’s water represent the extreme ends of water minerality. Germany’s brewing water sits somewhere in the middle, although the water from parts further north is rich in calcium-sulphates, hence German pilsners being drier, hoppier adaptations from the malt sweetness of the Bohemian originators. Today, brewers are able to use reverse osmosis (RO) water to remove all traces of minerals, fluoride and chlorine. From there, they may add tailored minerals and brew-

er’s salts to cater for their recipes. DJ at Mountain Culture opted, however, to leave the water as soft as can be when brewing his core range lager. “We were looking for something that was going to mimic a Plzn beer,” he says. “We didn’t want it to be quite as hoppy. We wanted something with a similar water profile: soft and almost neutral, like a Czech pilsner, and with a balance of bitternessto-malt to make it a really drinkable beer.” A PLACE FOR EVERY LAGER AND EVERY LAGER IN ITS PLACE Australia’s craft lager renaissance can be attributed not only to unrivalled drinkability but also brewers’ desire to capture a sense of place. Both Mountain Culture and Heads of Noosa built their image on the natural beauty around them. From there, each drew inspiration from their surrounds – and further afield – when developing their lager recipes. DJ and partner Harriet McCready wished to recreate the experience of the German Alps in Australia’s iconic Blue Mountains. “We had so many good experiences with the breweries around the Bavarian Alps,” he says. “It would have to be one of my favorite times in life: going out and climbing [the mountains] all day, then getting to one of the local breweries or one of the haunts of the area. I’d have a liter stein of helles beer or a German pilsner. I really fell in love with Europe and [mountain] climbing. “When I came back to Australia, we began opening the brewery and this area is really well known for its outdoor attractions. The Blue Mountains is such a popular spot for bush walking, climbing and canyoning on the weekends. I wanted something that reminded me of the times climbing in the Alps; you’re out there all day, you’re sweating, you come in [to the brewery] and you want a thirst-quenching beer!” At the time of writing, Mountain Culture’s Emu Plains expansion site is taking shape, with DJ explaining their OG Katoomba brewhouse will eventually go full circle. The closer-tosea-level facility will focus on the operation’s much-loved hoppy and hazy creations, while the Katoomba site will be focused almost exclusively on lager brewing. DJ says: “I’m really excited about it because it’ll be great to have all this draught lager beer, and we’re going to put a couple of foeders in here as well. We can do some oak-aged lagers too.”

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The woodsy, rustic, reddish skies of the Sunshine Coast, meanwhile, served to provide the inspiration behind Heads of Noosa’s characterful Summer Dusk lager. Amber-hued and with a wonderfully malt-forward core, one might mistake it for a Vienna lager on face value; however, as Lance explains, the beer is as South East Queensland as it gets. “The sunsets across the river are a similar color you get from the Summer Dusk. It’s a very inviting sort of brown-reddish color, but very bright too. “[Summer Dusk] came from our Bock lager which we created first. The Bock is a 5.8 percent caramel-chocolatey style of lager. Being so big, we thought, ‘We love it and it’s such a delicious beer, but let’s try and scale that back to something that’s a little bit more sessionable.’ – paring it back from 5.8 percent to 4.8 percent.” Uniting Mountain Culture and Heads of Noosa is a shared love for brewing and enjoying characterful but easy-going lagers. Both brewery teams will happily state they brew beers for themselves – the sort they love to drink. “We couldn’t find what we wanted to drink out there,” Lance says of their decision to focus exclusively on lagers. “Coming from the business side of things, we saw there was a gap in the market.” Australia’s quiet craft lager renaissance may not have fully boiled over into the mainstream yet, as craft lagers remain a hard sell at both small and chain retail-

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ers, especially as they are forced to compete with the macros. Moreover, some craft beer drinkers are somehow put off from exploring craft lagers because of their negative connotations.

What’s more, when looking to compile a manageable lineup for The Crafty Pint’s forthcoming pale lager blind tasting, it became clear just how many smaller breweries now have such beers as part of their core lineup.

Another roadblock faced by craft lager brewers looms in the big retailers stubbornness in seeing craft lagers as a growth category, regardless of the category’s true potential.

Certainly, there is much to be excited about for the lager inclined. As Heads of Noosa look to future expansion, Lance says the operation will be looking to explore eccentric higher ABV lager styles packaged in large format, shareable bottles. Even midstrength offerings, such as Gage Roads’ Alby Crisp, and “NABLAB” (non-alcoholic and low alcohol beer) lagers are finding favor in newly created market niches.

Simon agrees: “Lager beers have always been popular and will remain so for a long time as they are the safe choice of most consumers. I have the feeling that lagers were for a long time only associated to the big players. [They are known for] using their in-house strain and producing one consistent recipe, but this is changing now.” This gradual change can be evidenced by Heads of Noosa finding favor among smaller retailers who place their beers in an awkward spot that straddles the line between craft beer and premium Euro-lagers. Lance says of the market squeeze: “It’s a good problem to have!” Nevertheless, it cannot be denied there is a place in the market for lagers on every tier, and there is potential for significant growth. Judging by Heads of Noosa’s Japanese Lager landing at 37 – the highest polling lager – in the 2020 GABS Hottest Craft Beers, a poll in which the number of lagers in the top 100 has grown from one in 2014 and two in 2016, it does seem like craft lagers are waiting in the wings for their time to shine on the big stage once again.

The pointy end of the 2020 craft beer landscape was punctuated by lesser known lager releases, all covering the breadth of lager’s variety. Uber-toasty Märzen, delicate Munich helles, spicy Italian pilsners, tropical New Zealand pilsners, soft Vienna lagers, and even brash and bold doppelbocks punctuated 2020’s highlight reel. The lager storm of 2021 looks set to continue with plenty more on their way. While they might be best known for their higher ABV hazy IPAs, Mountain Culture are only too happy to be part of that charge. “They’re probably not going to sell out immediately as we’d like them to,” DJ says. “But that’s alright because I think it’s something for people who have been around the craft beer industry for a really long time – the folks who have been trying [different] beers for the past five to ten years. “They’re the people who really appreciate lagers, so we’ll keep making them for that crowd.”

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SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABLE BREWING IN AUSTRALIA

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IN AUSTRALIA, PRODUCERS INSPIRED BY TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS CULTURE, ARE LEADING THE WAY IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES. AROUND THE WORLD, SMALL AND MID SIZED BREWERS, DISTILLERS AND WINEMAKERS ARE FINDING NEW WAYS NOT ONLY TO MAKE THEIR PRODUCTS TASTE BETTER, BUT ALSO HOW TO MAKE THEM MORE SUSTAINABLY.

his trend towards greener processes is even more of a focus for these businesses in Australia, where a groundswell of thoughtful and environmentally focused innovation and a focus on Australia’s indigenous cultures from producers across the country has transformed the country’s drink landscape. Just as the chefs have embraced paddockto-plate dining, drinks suppliers, brew masters, winemakers, distillers and mixologists are building sustainable practices into their businesses and pouring techniques, caring for the environment and their communities. Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Is-

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lander people are the custodians of the oldest living culture on Earth, one that goes back more than 60,000 years. So they know a thing or two about the land and how to make the most of it – especially when it comes to living a sustainable life. Australian food and beverage developers are intertwining the rich indigenous history of Australia with the products that they create to obtain a distinctly Aussie expression of flavour. It is a way to pay homage to the indigenous foundation the country is built from and share that experience with Aussies and visitors alike. This shift to more sustainable practices hasn’t only been a positive for the products (and of course, the community and the environment), but also for tourism. In fact, consumer research by Tourism Australia shows that 74% of visitors actively seek out travel experiences that allow them to give back to a destination. Travellers are eager to experience the authenticity of a country through distinctly Australian offerings, while also feeling like they are doing something to benefit the local communities they visit. It is as much of a learning experience for the brewmasters and artisans that create these sustainable offerings, as it is for the consumers that are able to enjoy them. Australia is such a vast country, with producers in all regions taking the initiative to develop more sustainable business practices. Some of our favorite brewers, distillers and winemakers that are bringing sustainability to their businesses include: AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY CAPITAL BREWING CO: There are no fewer than 18 beers on tap at the Capital Brewing Co.’s Fyshwick headquarters, but the size of its range is not the boutique brewer’s biggest achievement.

Far more impressive is the fact that Capital Brewing – currently awaiting certification as a BCorp company - has built one of Australia’s most sustainable breweries. Capital Brewing Co. is a business that has a purpose beyond profit, and is committed to doing good for the environment, its employees, its customers and its community. For example, they work closely with local businesses including ONA Coffee, which supplies the coffee used in their First Tracks Imperial Stout. The brewery has examined every aspect of its operations to identify ways to reduce environmental impacts. That includes reusing the grain and hops by-products as cattle feed and as organic compost. A grain silo has also been installed to allow for bulk deliveries, which has reduced freight movements and eliminated up to 300 25kg plastic bags a week. The brewery is powered by green energy (generated from natural resources) and every piece of equipment has been selected for its efficiency. Variable speed drivers on the refrigeration units and a heat exchange lower energy consumption, while a centrifuge that recovers more beer per batch is among the many water saving initiatives. NEW SOUTH WALES - RE- BAR A converted 100-year-old locomotive workshop in South Eveleigh is home to Sydney’s most sustainable bar. Owner Matt Whiley has demonstrated his commitment to zero-waste cocktails at his other outlets, including London’s Scout bar, but at Rebar, the world’s first permanent no-waste bar, he raises the bar yet again. Every element of the interior design reuses or recycles elements that would otherwise be sent to the waste pile. The staircase and the bar were built using a “terrazzo” made from recycled plastic bags and milk bot-

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tles, the “leather” covering the seating is made from pineapple-leaf fibre, and the light fittings and wine coolers are made from mycelium. The drinks list is designed around produce salvaged from local markets, such as a syrup made from banana skins. Drinks are served in imperfect Maison Balzac glasses diverted from the scrap heap, and even the house wines by Latta Vino come in 10-litre ‘goon bags’ rather than bottles. (For those wondering, a goon bag is slang for an airtight bag of wine that is served in carton box, also known as bag-in-a-box wine). The food menu is also designed by Alex Prichard, head chef of Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, using leftover ingredients from his kitchen, including puffed wagyu tendons sprinkled with togarashi and a sorbet made with fermented pineapple skin and plum. NORTHERN TERRITORY SEVEN SEASONS SPIRITS For the Larrakia peoples of the Top End, the year is divided into seven separate seasons, not four, and each one marked by the arrival of insects, fruiting plants or other natural cycles. When former AFL player and Larrakia man, Daniel Motlop, launched a spirits company drawing on native flavours, the name Seven Seasons Spirits was a no-brainer. His first release, Green Ant Gin, was an instant success, drawing its fresh citrus flavours from the native green ants harvested during the windy season (August - September). That was followed by the Bush Apple Gin, which has a soft pink hue and berry and orange blossom notes courtesy of the bush apples harvested in the monsoon season (January - February). Motlop has plans for more releases including a native yam vodka and hopes that in addition to providing employment opportunities for his people, Seven Seasons Spirits will bring the culture, the learning and the ingredients of the Larrakia to a wider audience. Seven Seasons gin is available at liquor stores across Australia and is stocked in many bars. SOUTH AUSTRALIA APPLEWOOD DISTILLERY Many people are surprised to learn how water-hungry the wine industry is. That is why, when Brendan Carter set up his sustainable Adelaide Hills winery, Unico Zelo,

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he chose to plant grape varietals that didn’t need irrigation, thereby reducing his operational impacts. Ready to tackle another challenge, Carter then set up Applewood Distillery to support farmers and Indigenous communities working with native ingredients. In addition to his core range of gins, Carter releases a limited edition gin every month, each one showcasing a different Indigenous botanical. With more than two dozen gins released so far featuring native plants such as Kakadu plum, lemon aspen and muntrie, Carter says he has identified enough aromatic ingredients to keep the series going for several years yet, bringing a much-needed source of income to remote communities and small-scale farmers alike.

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TASMANIA - MOORES HILL ESTATE The owners of Tasmania’s first 100 per cent off-grid winery know a thing or two about turning challenges into opportunities. When the team at Moores Hill Estate, located near Launceston, decided it was time to stop outsourcing and bring all their operations on-site, they realised it was a chance to prioritise minimising their environmental footprint. They invested in a range of equipment including a solar power array and onsite waste treatment. Their status as Tasmania’s first solar-powered winery has brought Moore’s Hill Estate considerable acclaim, but the winery’s cool-climate drops – the small winery produces a surprising array of styles, from sparkling wine, Riesling and pinot gris to rose and pinot noir – stand on their own merits. The minimal-intervention wines are made using grapes handpicked from the seven hectares of wines and the winery team is working towards organic status. The aim is to create wines that are not just low-impact but that reflect the specific patch of ground on which they were grown.

Winfield stocks hundreds of wines from around the world, all of which have been grown using organic or biodynamic practices and hand-harvested. In addition, they use only naturally-occurring yeasts, have nothing added during the winemaking process and are not fined or filtered. Many of the winemakers are young and working small plots outside the major wine areas. If you are keen to try some of Western Australia’s best natural wines, be sure to ask about Si Vintners in Rosa Glen, Express Winemakers at Mount Barker or Margaret River’s Blind Corner. VICTORIA - BRIGHT BREWERY Step inside Bright Brewery in the Alpine town of Bright in North East Victoria and it’s clear that this is a business that consciously thinks sustainable for all elements of their business: just check out the old beer kegs reinvented as sinks and the delivery pallets finding a second life in the restaurant. In fact, sustainability has been one of the brewery’s key values since it was founded 15 years ago.

The brewery buys local wherever possible, both for its beers - using Australian malts and sourcing its hops from a nearby hops farm – and for the on-site restaurant. Foraged ingredients such as mint bush and pepperberry also appear occasionally in some of the seasonal and limited release brews. A green transport scheme rewards employees for leaving the car at home, and reuse is common: shredded wastepaper is used when shipping boxes. The brewery owns its own herd of cows, which are fed on the grain by-products of the brewing process. Bright Brewery also recently partnered with climate change advocates POW (Protect Our Winters) Australia to produce the POW Pale Ale, with all profits going to POW. The brewery’s latest innovation is switching from bottling to canning its beers, a move that brings a range of benefits. Not only is aluminium more easily recycled than glass, but it is also cheaper to freight, requiring less fuel in the process.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA WINES OF WHILE It was the taste that first drew Sam Winfield to natural wines. Winfield, now the owner of Wines Of While, was so intrigued by the broad range of flavours he found in low-intervention wines that he started delving deeply into the field. What he discovered inspired him to open Wines of While, Perth’s first bar and shop dedicated to natural wines.

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SUSTAINABILITY EASIER THAN YOU THINK

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THE PROCESS FOR A SUSTAINABLE PROJECT OR INITIATIVE DOESN’T NEED TO BE COMPLEX OR RESOURCE INTENSIVE. IT JUST NEEDS TO START. CONSIDER WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AND TAKE THAT SMALL STEP TOWARDS A BETTER TOMORROW, EXPLAINS AEVI SOLUTIONS

ustainable brewing does not require grand initiatives and big expenses. In fact, small methodical steps are a great way to get there. Take a step back from all the buzz words for a moment and ask yourself, “What’s the real goal?” More than likely, the objective is to make tomorrow a better place than today. What occurs to you when you first think about sustainability-related projects or initiatives? Perhaps it’s buying local or organic ingredients, using recycled packaging, or investing in high efficiency equipment. While all of these are excellent ways to boost the sustainability of your business, they aren’t the only path. Beginning with micro-adjustments to behaviors, culture, and processes might be a more achievable route. For example, you can encourage staff to turn off lights in ar-

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eas not in use or review your CIP cycles to determine if reused water from a final rinse cycle can be used as a primary rinse in the next tank. Look at your weekly food waste and make purchasing adjustments to avoid spoiled goods. What’s important here is to be intentional about what you use and aware of what you waste. Small adjustments will usually yield small savings. However, building up these small savings will give you the confidence and resources to tackle progressively bigger projects. One common misconception concerning sustainability is that it’s a “cost”. Not so. In reality, sustainability is an “investment,” one that can have a positive financial impact, either through savings or revenue. Otherwise, it’s not truly sustainable for your business. Ensuring you have the buy-in from employees, management, or customers is also important. It will help maintain focus and momentum through the period of change.

Base lining or benchmarking is the first step. Peter Drucker’s famous quote, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” is famous for a reason. You need to have a reference point from which you can measure your changes. There are various levels of baseline audits, ranging from informal subjective notes to actual objective measurements. No matter which you choose, having a reference point will not only help gauge your level of success - it will also help you get the best bang for your buck. There are three key audits for breweries we would recommend: a) Energy b) Water c) Waste. These do not need to be tackled at the same time. If there is interest in one area — reducing the electricity bill, or improving the water-to-beer ratio, or finding waste diversion opportunities — lean into it! Reviewing is the all-important second step. Too often, people skip this step and jump quickly into the planning stage and run towards their goal. That’s understandable.

But let’s say you’ve already picked some of the low hanging sustainability fruit and now you’re considering taking on something bigger. So many questions rush to mind. “Where do I begin?” “How do I get started?” “Will the effort be worthwhile?” The questions may seem simple but can be tricky to answer. Ultimately, those answers are instrumental to success. In fact, there may be many areas across your operations where improvements can be made. Let’s examine a simple process that can help deal with these questions, one step at a time. It’s called, “Baseline, Review, Plan and Execute”. These may appear straight-forward in theory but are often overlooked, with each playing a critical part towards maximizing your return.

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

Excitement has built around an idea or project, maybe new funding has just been received, or an opportunity has presented itself, and everyone wants to see results as fast as possible. The review stage, however, can really boost your chances of success and sustain the initiative over the long term. Take time to reference back to your baseline. Ask yourself, “What do we hope to achieve with this initiative?” or “Is this project worth it?” Think of this in terms of time, money and business perception. For example, is your initiative planned around savings on your overall energy bill, or simply on individual expense inputs like building heating and cooling? Is the metric determined by actual dollars saved, or is the objective a cost-neutral improvement in customer comfort level in the building? Questions like these help define your concept of “Definition of Done” - your list of criteria that must be finished to call the initiative complete, and what completing this does for your business. Planning is an easy step to want to jump to first. It’s certainly one of our favourites. Planning an initiative is exciting - ideas come forward, evolve and develop, and enthusiasm runs high. In the previous steps, you’ve established a baseline and set goals, now is the time to determine your budget, set a timeline and assign a leader or team responsible for getting this project done. By planning a project and setting milestones you create a roadmap outlining your path towards your Definition of Done. Without a clear outline of your path, it’s quite easy to veer off track or balloon in costs. You can check in on your map during the execution phase to monitor your progress and ensure you’re staying true to your goals. Execution is a crowd favorite - this is when your plan comes to life and the results of your hard work become evident. However, the biggest risk at this stage is the failure to take the time to properly complete each of the earlier steps. The process for a sustainable project or initiative doesn’t need to be complex or resource intensive. It just needs to start. Consider where you are today and take that small step towards a better tomorrow. In the words of Thomas Edison, “There’s a way to do it better – Find it.” Getting stuck at any point? We are here to help. Contact Marcus at Aevi Solutions. We’re a consultancy firm, addressing simplified sustainability for the craft brewing industry. Marcus@aevisolutions.com https://www.aevisolutions.com/

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COMMENT

FERMENTATION

THE CLEANEST IN-LINE PITCHING PROCESS AVAILABLE

IN 2014 WHITE LABS WAS GRANTED A PATENT FOR ITS NOVEL METHOD OF PROPAGATING AND DELIVERING YEAST. BUT THEY DIDN’T STOP THERE. CHALLENGING BREWING INDUSTRY NORMS YET AGAIN, THE COMPANY’S INNOVATIVE SPIRIT BRINGS THE NEW ASEPTIC TRANSFER SYSTEM (ATS) TO BREWERS, ADVANCING FERMENTATION FOR A CLEANER AND MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO PITCH YEAST.

hite Labs’ newest product development provides a novel solution for pitching yeast in-line that enhances yeast health, increases efficiency and improves the pitching process. A lightweight and portable system, the patent-pending Aseptic Transfer System is an add-on piece of hardware attached in-line to the fermentor, ensuring a full transfer of all yeast cells from the pouch in a closed system, reducing the risk of contamination when pitching.

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tors to the brewhouse environment, removes the need to climb a ladder to reach the top of the fermentor and avoids the risk of non-yeast items falling in. The Aseptic Transfer System also includes a GFCI-protected power source, making it arguably the safest way to pitch yeast.

The new hardware provides better distribution of cells into the wort, a reduced lag phase and better oxygenation of cells, as well as easier sampling during the brewing process. Designed to complement and enhance the benefits of White Labs’ recently released PurePitch Next Generation, the Aseptic Transfer System helps ensure the most superior yeast on the planet maintains its quality from culture to pitch. “At White Labs, we’ll always strive to deliver consistently superior yeast, that’s what we’re known for. However, we wanted to take that extra leap into developing technology that can not only keep up with our yeast, but ensure the end product is even better,” says Chris White, founder and CEO of White Labs. He adds: “We pride ourselves in listening to our brewing partners and we know purity and efficiency are always a top concern. The Aseptic Transfer System is a logical addition to our overall solution that’s focused on providing the quality brewers expect from White Labs.” Further improving the fermentation process, the Aseptic Transfer System eliminates the need to open sanitized fermen-

“The system itself is relatively simple and doesn’t require any additional steps for brewers, taking only three minutes to attach and requiring no maintenance for regular use,” explains Aaron Gonzales, lead developer at White Labs. He adds: “While designed to enhance the brewing process, the system itself isn’t limited to brewing beer, as it can be used just as easily for fruit purees, hard seltzers and more, ensuring quality results no matter the beverage.” The Aseptic Transfer System made its public debut at the Craft Brewers Conference in Denver where White Labs is showcasing the system in action to conference attendees. For 25 years, White Labs has been committed to cultivating community and continually pushing the brewing industry forward by delivering verifiably consistent and tested liquid yeast as well as fermentation products, analysis and education to help professionals and enthusiasts alike craft the best beer, wine, kombucha, cider, mead, hard seltzer and spirits possible. For more information on the Aseptic Transfer System or White Labs, visit WhiteLabs.com

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BOSHKUNG 38

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BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

THE BIGGER PICTURE

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AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF STEADY GROWTH, BOSHKUNG BREWING HAS USED 2021 TO PUSH ON. NOT ONLY IN EXPANDING ITS TEAM AND THE RANGE OF BEERS IT OFFERS BUT ALSO ITS PHYSICAL PRESENCE, TOO. AND IN DOING SO, THEY’RE SHOWING THE VALUE IN BEING DYNAMIC, VERSATILE AND GIVING THE CONSUMER WHAT THEY WANT.

“

I feel that we’ve taken big, big swings for a brewery the size of ours. But why not, why shouldn’t we? We hope it continues that way,” explains a confident Mathew Renda. Mathew is the retail & hospitality manager at Ontario’s Boshkung Brewing. The brewery, which opened in the village of Carnarvon in Ontario’s beautiful Haliburton County back in July 2014, has come a long way since then.

The business is named after the nearby Boshkung Lake. The lake, affectionately known as ‘Big Boshkung’, is a lake in the township of Algonquin Highlands, Haliburton County in Central Ontario, Canada. So it’s fitting that the brewery, though somewhat younger than that body of water, has gone on to be equally treasured by locals and visitors alike. Boshkung Brewing started out under veteran homebrewer Blake Paton, while the brewing operations were taken on by then head brewer Johnny Briggs. This original location, which features a brewery and retail store is located in the lower level of the wellknown Rhubarb, a restaurant that is owned by Paton’s friends and then business partners Terri Mathews and Christoph Carl.

The brewery primarily produces its seasonal, limited and one-off beers on its 3 vessel, 10HL brewhouse backed up by 6 - 10HL fermenters, 4 - 20HL fermenters, 1 - 10HL bright tank, and 1 - 20HL bright tank. The addition of tank capacity has also been complemented with a new canning line, a new patio roof and also patio extensions.

Two years later, the brewery expanded into a second location, in the form of a 3,000 square foot building on Water Street in downtown Minden, some 15km south of that initial spot.

This growth has meant welcoming new team members such as Mathew Renda and a new head brewer in the form of Jason Wingerden. Individuals that joined the businesses one week apart in March of this year.

Ownership changed in early 2019 with the partnership of Jost Rittershaus, John Watts and Kelly Shotbolt. And in late 2019 Bill Barnes, a 40 year veteran in the brewing business, became a partner.

In joining the business, they help complement the valuable work carried out by Ryan Shotbolt.

Barnes, alongside people like Jeff Mehlenbacher, helped drive that stage of the brewing operation.

Shotbolt has managed the growth of the business through its various sales channels, as well as production, transportation logistics and sales execution with team of longtime employees Aidan McKnight and Andrea Salvatori.

This included the installation of new brewing equipment as well as increased retail and taproom space. And two years on, the business continues to only look one way - ahead.

Renda was previously GM at Ontario’s Fenelon Falls, joining Boshkung Brewing this year to help play his part in heading up the two locations and the raft of responsibilities that comes with those.

I feel that we’ve taken big, big swings for a brewery the size of ours. But why not, why shouldn’t we? Mathew Renda, Boshkung Brewing 40

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BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

I get inspired by styles and flavour combinations that have never been tried,” Jason Wingerden, Boshkung Brewing Wingerden was the sole employee/brewer of Banded Goose Brewing Co, which is part of the Jack’s Group of companies. He would spend four years brewing out of the back of Jack’s Gastropub and two years at the brewery that was built.

“There has been a lot of growth, and that was something I really want to be a part of,” he says. “The role is really involved and there’s a lot of moving parts but that’s something I truly enjoy the challenge of.”

But from visits to a local restaurant he used to frequent, he’d soon learn that they were getting into the wonderful world of beer, brewing 10 gallon batches of their own.

Joining Renda was Jason Wingerden, who saw an opportunity to join a brewery that he could put his mark on.

“I’d go in on a regular basis, sit with the owner and bring in a couple beers that I had made. We ended up doing collabs and before long, I was helping them brew to keep up with demand,” he recalls.

“However, the opportunity arose to come up here,” says Wingerden. “Somewhere I’ve been coming up to since I was four years old, so I decided to jump on it!”

Wingerden would go on to sell his business and, instead of opening his own brewery, he’d join the growing team at Jack’s Gastropub as a contract brewer, which at the time was the most southern brewing business in Canada.

Starting at Boshkung Brewing on 1st March 2021, Wingerden was proud of his work elsewhere but was ready for a change. “Sure, it was a tough move, especially geographically, but I felt I could put my own stamp on these beers,” he explains.

Things went well, resulting in the need for a purpose-built brewery they called Banded Goose Brewing Co.

And the all-important portfolio of beers on offer at Boshkung has evolved massively since Wingerden and Renda came on board.

“I have always had an interest in figuring out how things work, how to make things, and how to improve things,” he says. “Around 13 years ago was the first time I “brewed” beer and it was with one of those homebrew kits. After weeks of waiting for a finished product I finally tasted it and was pretty disappointed.” “I knew there had to be a better way to make a far better product. That began my early self-education to create a better beer.” And he never looked back… He would spend time figuring out how to refine things with the help of what he was reading, talking with other brewers about, and consulting with his friend Bryan that owned a brewer supply store. “From that point I was hooked and constantly trying new things to create even more unique and better tasting products like no one had tried before. After a few years, I decided that this is what I wanted to do with my life full-time and started to pursue it further,” he tells us. Starting as a home brewer Wingerden went on to own a graphic design business. As his love of beer grew, he found himself in the middle of putting a business plan together to open a brewery of his own.

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“Boshkung has always had a strong focus on its core beers, and rightfully so,” says Wingerden. “But this summer we made the decision to branch out and start brewing different styles. We expanded our tap lines from eight to 12 and I can’t even tell you how many different beers we had on offer during those months…” Core beers such as 35 & 118 Cream Ale, Black Rock Dark Ale, North Country Kellerbier, and Boshkung Life Session Lager have been complemented by beers such as the Sour Full Of Secrets series, Lemon Meringue Milkshake IPA, Any Saison (Apple Basil Saison), and Quaker’s Breakfast (Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Stout). For Wingerden, brewing a variety of beer styles was important. “I get inspired by styles and flavour combinations that have never been tried. I enjoy the challenge of making something new and different that is very drinkable and enjoyable for people,” he says. “I like people to be able to come in and be able to have numerous different flavours, stuff that they’ve never tried before; someone who says “I don’t like craft beer” actually tries something new and maybe out of their comfort zone says “I really enjoy that”.

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Wingerden, Renda and the team at Boshkung know they have a broad, varied consumer base, so offering a variety of beers is key. Be that a seasonal tourist, or a local enthusiast, a diverse offering is imperative. “Beers like Black Rock have something of a cult following. People walk in and if we don’t have it, they walk out!” says Renda. “But then there’s the people that are always striving for what’s new, what’s crazy and ask what Jason is putting in the fridge this week.” He adds: “But then you have that balance of the cottagers that just want something approachable and good that they can drink while on their dock or by the campfire and just sit back and have a beer. “However, having that diversity in our lineup is all-important.”

well as to the LCBO and Beer Store, too. This in addition to the brewery’s retail outlets in Carnarvon and Minden. And with a team of approximately 15, one that grows considerably in peak times, Wingerden is personally proud of the hands-on nature of his brewing colleagues. “I like working as part of a team. Trying to handle everything yourself can be a little much with the amount of production we’re putting out here,” he says. “But I look at our team and we’re all hands-on when it comes to brewing, canning, material transfer, the lot. It’s a small knit business.” But despite that modest, lean team, Boshkung Brewing has no plans to accept its lot. Instead, it’s looking towards the next step of its evolution.

“We’ll all have a look at it, bounce a couple of ideas back to Matt, Ryan and Jeff and he’ll nail it pretty much off the bat,” says Wingerden.

“The pandemic has obviously hit a lot of people,” says Renda. Where possible, we decided to just keep on truckin through. We’ve expanded across the board and are also looking towards opening a third presence on Lake Kennisis, which will allow us to bring our beers to a new audience.

These beers are sold through a variety of channels, primarily to licensees, online as

“And that’s what it’s all about, bringing great beer to people”.

Regardless of the beer, the striking branding that adorns them is thanks to Renda and Shotbolt

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

BOSHKUNG BREWING BEERS A SNAPSHOT CORE BEERS u 35 & 118 Cream Ale • Cream Ale - 5.0% 18 IBU Gold Medal Winner CBA • A bright and refreshing golden coloured ale with aromas of cereal malts, floral hops, and a light fruitiness. A subdued bitterness and soft mouthfeel make this one of our most popular choices. u Black Rock Dark Ale • Dark Ale - 5.5% 23 IBU Silver Medal Winner OBA • Full bodied and inviting, this is our darkest offering. Black Rock utilizes eight premium malts to create a flavourful blend of dried fruits, chocolate, coffee, and caramel. Complex, delicious, and surprisingly drinkable all year round u Boshkung Life Session Lager • Session Lager - 4.0% IBU: 35 • This crisp and approachable lager is velvety smooth and well flavoured. It’s brewed with lightly roasted munich and traditional 2 row malt. The brew is lightly hopped using a blend of nugget and cascade, which later gets dry hopped, producing pleasant spicy citrus.

LIMITED AND SEASONAL BEERS u Sour full of Secrets #7 - Toucan Sour • Sour Ale - 4.6% 14 IBU • A blend of fruity citrus notes combine in this lightly kettle soured ale to create a flavour reminiscent of a childhood favourite breakfast cereal. u Lemon Meringue Milkshake IPA • Milkshake IPA - 6.7% 41 IBU • A Hazy New England style IPA with balanced bitterness and sweetness. Additions of lemon, graham cracker, vanilla, and lactose give a distinct lemon meringue pie flavour and aroma u North Country Kellerbier • Kellerbier - 5.0% 23 IBU Gold Medal Winner CBA • A German-style ale fermented on the cool side to retain many classic lager characteristics. Light Amber in colour. Clean finishing with a bready and light malt character upfront. Our select blend of German hops contributes light spice, herbal tones, and a delicate bitterness.

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INGREDIENTS

HOPS

AMERICAN BINE: THE FAMOUS U.S. HOP CROP

JUNO CHOI, CRAFT BREWING EVANGELIST AT BREWER’S SUPPLY GROUP, PLACES THE SPOTLIGHT ON THIS REVERED US CROP.

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BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

his harvest, farmers in Washington State’s Yakima Valley took to the hop fields with vivid and bold aromas floating through air and igniting the sensory pallet. Scents like rich pine, strong citrus, and potent dank aromas engulfed the valley, marking the budding excitement of a new crop of hops.

These were all things New York farmer Charles Carpenter took note of as he arrived in Yakima in 1868 to establish the valley’s first hop farm.

But there is more to Yakima Valley than the vibrant scent of hops that hang heavy in the autumn air—the fertile soil, perfect for the long growth period hops require; the ideal 200+ days of sunshine throughout the year, captured by the climbing bines and converted into golden oils held in the flowers. The nearby Yakima and Columbia rivers weave through the landscape, helping to keep fields irrigated in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains.

Brewers are like kids in a candy store with the bounty of hop varieties to choose from in the United States. They range from craft brewing stalwarts like Cascade and Centennial, to unique and expressive hops like Cashmere and El Dorado, to exciting new varieties like Triumph and Comet.

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Now, 150 years later, Yakima is the premier hop growing region in the United States along with Oregon and Idaho, producing nearly 100% of the United States hops. These states produce more hops than any other region in the world, with Germany as a close second.

With an entire universe of sensory attributes at their resin-coated fingertips, brewers can create hop profiles that range from classically traditional to totally individual.

Farming premium hops year after year requires skill, patience, and dedication. The many growers with whom Brewer’s Supply Group (BSG and BSG Canada) partners to bring generations of experience and tradition that shows in the quality of every crop. Craft brewing is an industry where integrity takes precedence, and the growers we work with hold those same values. Our alliance of growers is committed to responsible and forward-focused agricultural practices, such as Salmon Safe, Global Gap, and ISO certifications. To learn more about BSG and the hop farmers we source and supply to brewers in the US and Canada, visit the BSG Farmer to Fermenter webpage, or email: letstalkhops@bsgcraft.com.

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You’re invested in your business So are we Partner with the only lender 100% invested in Canadian food. 1-800-387-3232 | fcc.ca/Food

DREAM. GROW. THRIVE.

CAVITATION

WHEN BUBBLES DON’T BRING CHEER

SCIENCE

CAVITATION CAN NOT ONLY RESULT IN SERIOUS MECHANICAL DAMAGE TO BREWERY PUMPING SYSTEMS, THE BUBBLES AND FOAM IT PRODUCES CAN HAVE A SERIOUS IMPACT ON PRODUCT QUALITY. BRITH ISAKSSON, ABB GLOBAL SEGMENT MANAGER FOOD & BEVERAGE, OUTLINES THE CAUSES OF CAVITATION AND EXPLAINS HOW THE LATEST VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES (VSDS) OFFER AN EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE METHOD TO PREVENT IT.

It is even possible that a whole batch of beer that has taken weeks or even longer to brew might foam to the point where it has to be discarded. Cavitation can occur when the pumping system subjects a liquid to rapid local changes in static pressure, creating bubbles or voids. The point when this liquid-to-bubble transition occurs is when the pumped liquid falls below its vapour pressure. For example, at normal atmospheric temperature, liquid water turns into water vapour (steam) at its 100°C boiling point. But as the pressure is reduced, then so is the temperature at which the vapour point occurs. The transition can even occur at room temperature should the pressure fall to a vacuum. In addition to water, the same transition applies to other fluids pumped in the brewing process, such as wort, the finished beer and clean-in-place (CIP) solutions.

As the impeller spins in a brewery’s typical centrifugal pump, high pressure is created on the front side of the blades. At the same time, there is low pressure on the back of the blades. In some conditions, the liquid vapourises, creating bubbles as shown in Figure 1. When these vapour bubbles reach areas of high pressure, they collapse. The implosions produce significant shockwaves. This creates a characteristic rumbling or cracking noise that sounds like rocks passing through the pump. The cumulative effect of many tiny implosions can over time have a significant impact on the pump performance. Cavitation will eventually damage the pump impeller, housing and other pumping system components through wear and metal surface fatigue. It is known for cavitation to reduce pump life by as much as 50 percent. In the most extreme cases, cavitation can destroy a pump in minutes.

avitation is one of the most potentially troublesome issues that can occur in pumping systems used in the brewing industry to transport raw and finished liquid products, as well as water and cleaning solutions. Not only does it reduce the life of equipment, requiring expensive maintenance and replacement, it can also damage the beer being pumped, through the formation of bubbles or foam.

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Figure 1 – Cavitation occurs when the liquid in a centrifugal pump starts to vapourise and create bubbles.

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

Since surface fatigue causes metal particles to be released from the impeller blades, the beer safety and quality can also be put at stake.

especially important to ensure that the available NPSH exceeds the required level.

OPEN PUMPING SYSTEMS ARE AT RISK OF CAVITATION

This can be achieved by decreasing the number of elbows and valves in the inlet pipework, shortening the length of the pipework, or increasing its diameter.

Closed loop pumping systems, such as those used generally to circulate water for heating or cooling, are not normally at risk of cavitation. This is due to their setup that prevents rapid local changes of pressure, unless there is leakage. In contrast, the open pumping systems that are used to transport liquids around a brewery are subject to cavitation should the inlet pressure drop below the Net Pressure Suction Head (NPSH) – see Figure 2. The NPSH, which is quoted in meters or feet, is a measure of the pressure experienced by the fluid on the suction side of a centrifugal pump. The value of the NPSH is volume dependent and stated by the pump manufacturer as a specific value for each pump. The inlet pressure to the pump will decrease as the level in the break tank decreases. This could lead to a situation where the inlet pressure drops below NPSH for the specific pump, and the result will be cavitation. There is generally no risk of cavitation if the inlet pressure stays above the NPSH requirement. Good design of the pumping system is a first step in avoiding cavitation. It is

Reducing the temperature of the fluid or pump can also help, although this may not be desirable or practical in brewing applications. In some cases, it will not be possible to implement the optimum design, especially when working with existing systems or where space is at a premium. Therefore, designers need to look at ways at detecting the onset of cavitation and modifying the pump operation accordingly. One possibility is to use discrete sensors such as differential pressure transducers to monitor the changes in pressure that accompany cavitation. However, there is now a more cost-effective and straightforward option. That is to use the extended capabilities of the new generation of intelligent variable speed drives (VSDs) already used widely in many pumping applications across the food and beverage industry. In addition to the benefits of energy efficiency, some VSDs, such as ABB’s industrial drives, now incorporate anti-cavitation software. This makes it possible to prevent cavitation without the additional cost and complexity of external sensors and controlling with PLCs. USING AN INTELLIGENT VSD Algorithms that measure pump torque and speed are incorporated into the dedicated anti-cavitation software.

Figure 2 – Cavitation can occur in open systems when the inlet pressure drops below NPSH for the specific pump.

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This enables the VSD to monitor the pumping process

constantly for the specific patterns that indicate cavitation is taking place. There is no latency in detection because the measurements are taken directly from the pump shaft. That means the response is virtually instantaneous. When it detects cavitation, the VSD adjusts the pump speed automatically to react to the change in pressure. It will then resume normal operation as soon as the pump has stopped cavitating. Anti-cavitation operation is especially beneficial for the brewing industry as it enables liquids to be pumped at the optimum flow rate. While at the same time, the pump can adjust automatically and immediately to any change in the flow or draining vortex which might cause cavitation to occur. For example, this enables a tank to be pumped out quickly and efficiently, right to the bottom, without causing bubbles and foam that damage product quality. Pump cavitation is a significant risk for the brewing industry. If it takes place it can damage the finished product, cause significant disruption to pumping operations and may even require pumps to be repaired and replaced at significant cost. With the new generation of intelligent VSDs, brewers can solve cavitation issues locally, within the drive, in real time. The built-in anti-cavitation software means no extra components such as sensors and additional PLC controls needed. The only additional work required is to set the operating parameters. The result is precise, instantaneous control that keeps pumping systems operating with maximum efficiency and reliability while preserving the quality of the finished product.

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THE

MAGAZINE

FOR

THE

HOMEBREWING

ENTHUSIAST

HOMEBREWING The sector, reimagined

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CONTENTS

Homebrewer Focus

From beer kits to an all-in-one system, homebrewer Chris Lee shares with us his 9 year journey. With inspiration from living in the UK and a dedication to always upping his brew game, Chris shares tips for anyone looking to improve on their own homebrew skills.

Homebrewer Focus

Homebrewing for 50 years comes with many experiences, lessons, and stories along the way. In this issue, we bring you a homebrewer’s journey that started in 1971. It is impossible to capture all five decades of brewing experiences in one article, however, Norm Ryder breaks down some highlights for us and the wisdom that he shares will leave us all with something as we continue on in our own journeys.

Brew Sheets

Two recipes that are sure to please this time of year, courtesy of our featured homebrewer Norm, an “Oatmeal Stout” with a decadent twist and a “Guinness Clone” that will pair wonderfully with both sweet and savoury dishes.

Gadget Corner

For this issue, we have a guest homebrewer that speaks to us about the similarities between the software industry and the brewing world that many of a similar mind will find to be refreshing, validating, and you may even see why your homebrewing friends are the way they are! From the programs many use in their brewing practice to the thrill of finding improvements and increasing efficiencies, Chris Carleton captures the beauty of these two industries coming together.

Brew Day Tips - Recipe

From homebrewing to brewery ownership and wearing many hats, to building a team of talented passionate individuals, to 2021 where this brewery took home multiple awards including Brewery of the Year in Canada and in the Province of Alberta. (How cool is that!?) We are excited to introduce to you Michal Foniok from The Establishment Brewing Company.

et the end-of-the-year’s seasonal classic brews fill your homes with pumpkin, spice, and everything so wonderfully nice! As we close out 2021, another year of riding the waves of ebbs and flows, we can validate that it wasn’t easy and the losses were at times heartbreaking. Though we are resilient and persevered, and that we have grown along the way. As we look into the future and the new year ahead we encourage you to view it through a lens of optimism, hope, compassion, and with your inner childlike curiosity. We, as brewers, will continue to make way for new beginnings, dream big, and have a great 2022! Thank you all for another year of the Homebrewer Journal! We are looking forward to seeing what you are all up to in the new year and to keep on providing meaningful and fun content for you!

Sheena’s Beery Cinnamon Buns In this issue I will be sharing a recipe that showcases baking with beer. Are you brewing a Brown Ale or dry Stout this time of year or have one in your fridge? Why not bake with it in this holiday treat! Brewing ingredients can be used to bake and cook and so can the final result of your brew day creation!

From Jane’s To Joe’s To All Out Pros

IT ’S 2021 CLOSING TIME!

As always, if you are interested in being featured in any of our topics please please reach out to Sheena @knowledge.on.tap on Instagram, or email her at knwl.on.tap@gmail.com for more details. Let us continue to share, expand, and spark new ideas within our amazing homebrewing community this year and in the years to come! Happy Holidays Everyone!

and

Happy Brewing

Cheers!

Your Homebrew Journal Team: Sheena Strauss Magdalena Lesiuk Paddy Finnegan

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HOMEBREWER FOCUS

A HOMEBREWERS JOURNEY

FROM BEER KITS, TO THE UK, TO AN ALL-IN-ONE SYSTEM

FOR MANY OF US, OUR JOURNEY BEGAN WITH BEER KITS. WHILE WE QUICKLY LEARNED THAT SOME WERE BETTER THAN OTHERS, KITS ALLOWED US TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH OUR NEW FOUND PASTIME THAT GAVE US THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE ON. ONCE HOOKED, THE PROGRESSION OFTEN MOVES QUICKLY INTO ALL-GRAIN LAND AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU’RE PERFORMING EXPERIMENTS, READING A LOT, JOINING CLUBS, UPGRADING EQUIPMENTAND MORE.

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hris’ Homebrew journey is one that is relatable to many of us. In this edition he will share insights that are helpful to new brewers just starting out or those of us that are itching to upgrade - and with an inspirational twist that came from travelling abroad! I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Chris multiple times as we talked shop, participated in community fundraising events together, and discussed the latest that is happening with his beernerd inspired apparel business High Gravity Supply Co. With his passion and kind soul, I can foresee Chris to be a 50-year brewer in the making! :D

Chris Lee o Instagram: @highgravitysupplyco o Location: Milton, ON o Club(s): Haze Group and True Grist o Homebrewing: 9 years o Brews: Beer o Go-to Shop(s): Toronto Brewing, Short Finger, & Hopback Ingredient(s): Golden Naked Oats

o Interesting

The Brew Kit that Started it All I only made about two or three batches with Mr.Beer LME kits before switching to 100% to all grain. Brooklyn Beer Shop kits were my gateway into all grain and that led to BIAB and then to my current setup. From the outside looking in, it

was a fairly straight path where I upgraded my gear as my knowledge base became more advanced. I also competed in a few homebrew competitions when I got started but it was still during a period when I was ramping up on my knowledge. I submitted a few beers that didn’t score well because of oxidation, but I learned from the notes and figured out how to eliminate that from my process. I feel like I’m in a much better place now with my brewing that I should really be entering my beers into contests.

Time is Precious... So Time to Upgrade! During my time as a BIAB brewer, I was jumping between recipes on my phone, making adjustments on my stove, and going to websites for calculations. Being a full time dad, business owner, and part time homebrewer, time is scarce and precious, so I’m always trying to find ways to make my brewday more efficient, while still being heavily focused on experimenting with recipes. When I found out that there was an all in one solution that would save me time and let me focus on being creative, I was sold!s About a year ago, I made the jump to the Grainfather G30 and a few SS Brew Buckets and it’s the perfect setup for me. The integration of tools in the grainfather app, in conjunction with the ability to automate

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chunks of my brewday, is exactly what I’ve always wanted. When I have recipe ideas on the go, I can pop open the app and make changes or create recipes from anywhere. Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about the grainfather app. I’m a firm believer that tools do not equal talent, but knowledge combined with advanced tools definitely allows for some high degree of recipe repeatability and experimentation. If I feel inspired by a beer or a recipe, I want to have that ability to create from anywhere and execute with precision when brewday comes around. Along with the two 3 gallon SS Brewtech fermenters, a bunch of 1 gallon carboys, and an old kettle that I’ve converted into a permanent bret tank, I can do a LOT of split batches and run parallel yeast experiments as my equipment is really geared towards this. I’ve got all of this stored on a 4 tier steel rack in my basement at a constant 18ºC. It’s a perfect temperature for fermenting ales. I have lived in the UK for many years and learned a lot about British beer styles while I was there. It was a really interesting experience brewing my recipes on such a drastically different water profile. Today, I often find myself brewing traditional British styles because they aren’t as popular here.

From One Homebrewer to Another

Sheena’s Final Thoughts:

There are definitely ways to jump levels in the quality of your homebrews:

Okay, now who is looking into Golden Naked Oats and planning on putting it into an upcoming brew? I know I am! Inspiration comes from anywhere and as Chris mentioned, speaking with fellow homebrewers and sharing experiences as well as reading and experimenting, is what allows for us to grow, individually and together as a community! Chris embodies this and shares his passion as he works to support the community with the many collaborations and fundraising he excitedly participates in. The holidays are upon us so if you are looking to treat yourself, a fellow homebrewer, or perhaps you are looking for custom merch or a logo design for your home brewery or club. Chris at highgravitysupplyco.com may be just what you are looking for!

o Join

a club, ask lots of questions and brew with others that are more knowledgeable. You’d be amazed by the kinds of tricks and hacks that you pickup from those with more experience than you. o Experiment, experiment, experiment! Try different yeasts, different malts, different hops, whatever. The variables are endless. o Read the Bible! For real, get a copy of the newest edition of John Palmers “How to Brew,” aka. THE BIBLE. o Take a recipe and keep brewing it over and over again with small adjustments until it’s perfect. o Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and don’t be afraid to give a beer to another homebrewer for feedback.

More Upgrades to Come - The Journey of Growth Continues! The next move was to a small chest keezer in which I can fit three to four 3 gallon kegs on a draft. Moving to a draft system was a HIGH priority for me. I dread bottling day and the sooner I can move to kegging the better! I’m also VERY interested in building a proper British beer engine.

The Ingredient of Fancy One ingredient that often goes into the recipe app is Golden Naked Oats. I began using these oats a while back and now I put that stuff in everything. It’s such a great ingredient that provides creamy mouthfeel, head retention, and a slight nuttiness that makes a great little accent to pretty much any recipe. I brew mostly British and farmhouse beers, and there’s a special place where Golden Naked Oats fit perfectly between them. For the most part, I use it in about 10% of the grist for a hint, and I’ve used 30% in a barleywine in the past.

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FALL 2021

HOMEBREWER FOCUS

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF HOMEBREWING!

DO YOU REMEMBER THE SPARK THAT IGNITED YOUR HOMEBREW JOURNEY? THE MOMENT YOU DECIDED TO JUMP ALL IN INTO THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE UNKNOWN? DID YOU FORESEE WHERE YOUR JOURNEY WOULD TAKE YOU? I AM EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU SNAPSHOTS OF A HOMEBREW JOURNEY THAT SPANS 5 DECADES AND HOW MOMENTS IN LIFE CAN SHAPE THE TRAJECTORY OF THE STORY THAT IS YET TO UNFOLD.

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t is an absolute honour to have the opportunity to meet people along the way in my own homebrew journey and Norm is someone that I would personally love the chance to spend more time with as he is filled with knowledge and experiences (direct and transferable), and his passion of brewing and teaching runs deep. You may have seen Norm in person, at a local homebrew club meeting, on forums, and in print, and even if you have not, I am happy to introduce you today. I know that you will be intrigued and inspired by the gadgets and ingenuity that this timeless homebrewer brings to our beloved hobby.

Norm Ryder o Location: Woodstock, Ontario o Club(s): True Grist Homebrewing Club o Homebrewing: 50 years o Brews: Beer & Cider o Go-to-Shop(s): Kamil Juices o Interesting ingredient(s): sumac, vanilla

beans, Homemade charred oak aging sticks & home roasted cocoa nibs

One Little Step May Be the Beginning of a Great Journey I started my brewing and beer appreciation journey at 16 when I visited a tobacco grower’s house for a rabbit dinner. I tasted his homebrew! Shortly afterwards I tried making dandelion wine. Fast-forward to 1971 and while taking a university course I was introduced to some spectacular homebrew made by a fellow study group member’s husband. She gave me the recipe and specific instructions and away I went brewing for the first time. In the last few years, I have been brewing with all grain recipes and reading publications that assist those of us who have a quest to make great beer.

From Old to New – Gadgets & Tools During my quest, I have designed many gadgets to make a better product. They include the following:

o Finding a person to printcapping wash-

ers for my mother’s capper she used on the farm for tomato juice and grape juice. Yes, I still have this working unit. It was made out of cast iron and in use during the fifties. o When brewing I use two rectangular coolers fitted with a custom manifold and an upper tray with slits in it, a 31-gallon keggle (a keg that has been converted into a kettle), 2 keggles from kegs and a hot water tank made from a stainless-steel tank on a custom stand with two burners. Each keggle has a heat saving swirl system attached and a custom-made trub filter inside with disconnects. The wort goes through a plate chiller that I repurposed from an MRI machine. o I know everyone whirlpools wort at the end of the boil but I also think that excess trub affects beer clarity and yeast performance. I designed and fabricated a special screen filter over a ¾” copper manifold to stop trub and hop matter from getting into my plate chiller. It has a quick disconnect feature and was published in the gadget section of Zymurgy magazine a few years ago. o I designed and built a lift to assist in handling heavy kegs and full keggles. o Yeast creates an exothermic heat reaction which needs to be controlled to avoid off-flavours. This led me to fabricate a primary ferment cabinet, from insulated garage door panels, which offers cooling with an air conditioner and heating with Rhino heaters. With a standard controller, it allows me to dial in my yeast temperature during fermentation.

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Additionally, I use… o Laser printed beer labels and a glue stick

system to speed up bottle identification that makes my product unique and distinct. o Fast Racks instead of bottle trees for bottles. o An auto-syphon that is instrumental in getting only clear wort into my kegs. o A 50lb cylinder of CO2 for carbonating my kegs. A single fill lasts me about three or four years, kegging around 50 kegs a year. I also use 7 other CO2 tanks for various tasks including: a glass rinser (which I designed), a keezer, my Melvico counter pressure bottling machine (rebuilt), a portable beer dispenser and another carbonation tweak centre in my fruit cellar.

Good keg-care practices are important to me…

when covid hit in March 2020. After we finally got home, I heard from a group who usually met in a pub on Saturday afternoons and wanted to meet virtually until the situation was over. I volunteered to make a different beer for this group every week and we started out by having a point person deliver three bottles to each doorstep every Saturday and picking up the three empties. That said, we were fortunate to have collected $5 each time and this money was donated to the food bank and the local women’s shelter. After 22 sessions we were able to give $1,250 to local causes. The beer making for this group continued for 38 sessions before I went in a new direction after they could meet again in person at patios. The beer that was given to this group was bottled using a rebuilt German Melvico counter pressure filler which was recently joined up with the original

pneumatic prototype capper from the guy who designed the production model that U brew stores used to use!

As the pandemic continued on… I started to think about my neighbours around me that enjoyed beer. This led me to start delivering my ‘milk-route’ in 2021 with a bottle per beer drinker in the household (usually 2). The procedure was to by ringing their doorbell and leavinge bottles a ton each door step. They, in return, surprised my wife and I with unique “Quid pro quo” surprises. Things such as select craft beers, cookies, desserts, growlers, bottles of wine, select scotch and even fresh perch and pickerel have showedshown up at the front door. This has continued, and every time I try a new recipe, which usu-

o I tear down my kegs each year and re-

place the rubber components. always use keg lube and always use a special syringe end with holes in the sides to blast out the dip tubes after each keg is cleaned. o I always put Star San in the cleaned keg and pressurize the keg before it is stored away. This allows me to leak test each keg before it is refilled.

o I

Finally, as a matter of practice I always… o Record

each brewing session with vital information. This includes water and mash pH readings as I use acid malt or lactic acid to adjust acidity while mashing, along with refractometer readings before and after boiling as the wort goes through the plate chiller. o Try to be accurate and fussy about sanitation solutions/procedures. o Blend city water with reverse osmosis water to get the water profile correct for each beer type. o Use the True Grist brew club’s bulk buys to save on costs. I usually brew a tried-and-true recipe in my 31-gallon brew pot and experimental batches in one of my keggles.

From Brewing Abroad to Brewing During the Pandemic – Communities Coming Together I was in Madeira, Portugal assisting a craft brewery with their recipes and processes

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NORM’S 31 GALLON KEGGLE WITH MY HOME BUILT LIFTER

FOR ALL THINGS HEAVY. IT SLIDES INTO POSITION AND WITH

THE USE OF A HAND WINCH LIFTS IT TO THE DESIRED LEVEL. FALL 2021

ally equals a case of beer for my route, itit allows me to put the other half in my three-keg keezer. This allows me so I am able to rotate through my three selections faster for fresh beer. Having neighbours over to the garage or outside on the driveway during socially distanced Covid food events has also helped me to keep a good assortment of beers in rotation as I would also bring out my stainess steel two-tap beer server to share my creations with everyone. This has even inspired a couple of neighbours to get into draft beer as they found themselves liking and appreciating the variety and freshness of draft craft beer.

A Motto to Brew by as This Brewing Journey Continues My motto for “Ryder’s Castle Brewery” is “Brew with Patience, Preparation and Pride!”

While I continue my brewing journey, I keep up with the latest trends by continuously participating in conversations with fellow brewers and always looking for new technology and techniques to experiment with such as:

o Using iSpindles (a digital hydrometer that

tracks fermentation in real time) and attempting to limit oxygen exposure. o Adding lLast hop additionss when the wort gets below 174°F. o Always using BeerSmith to dial in my recipes. o Currently working on tweaking my farm rolling mill to 0.030” or less, testing a finer crush and adding rice hulls to prevent any stuck mashes. o Lately, I have been exploring making ciders as well. o Instead of oak barrels I , useing charred white oak pieces ½ x ½ x 6 inches long

that have been exposed outside for a half year and not kiln dried. Constant exposure to sun and rain allows the sticks to mature. The vanilla taste transfer is smoother and the charring is done with a Mapp torch in my BBQ after pre-toasting the sticks. Some sticks are pre-saged in bourbon, and some in whiskey to impart more flavours to the selected brew. o Toasting my cocoa nibs before adding them to my oatmeal stouts with fresh vanilla beans. I am sure that some of my techniques are regular processes for you fellow brewers! My only ace in the hole is that I have been brewing longer than some of you have lived. I continue to learn and apply new technologies as I can afford the new process. I hope to interface with some of you regarding your various discoveries.

A Tall Glass of Brewing Wisdom Brew with records so you can duplicate the results each time. Continue to experiment with new hops and yeasts. Make the time for reflections after you taste each batch. It is a series of tweaks that can make a huge impact on your results. Fancy equipment is not always the answer to better beer. Dialed-in methods make a huge impact over time. Water may not be as important as some other things done in the magic chain of events that create your products! Take an outside look at what you do each time and perhaps you will discover a better way to do the brew day. Clearly, every brewer has their reasons for doing their particular procedurebrew day. Personally, I am on a quest to get from 82 -84% efficiency to a slightly higher plateau. Brew on, and I hope you have been able to appreciate something from my brewing journey.

Sheena’s Final Thoughts

HING AND KEG WAS G IN H S A W LE NORM’S BOTT OAK FLOOR REPURPOSED A . AT E F E R CENT LLOWS WAND THAT A A D N A G IN IL FOR A CE ARY EGS AND PRIM K TO IN R E AT W QUICK SPRAY MOU TH. ITH A LARGE W S R E T N E M FER 62

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Norm’s 50-year brewing journey is vast and filled with many experiments, lessons, and cheers along the way and it, obviously, cannot all be captured in our Homebrewer Feature. That said, I hope that what Norm has shared with us will leave you with insight, inspiration, and excitement for what may lie ahead in your own journey. There is a wealth of wisdom that is to be had from other brewers within our community and I encourage you all to reach out to each other and continue the conversations with a pint in hand! :D

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THIS IS NORM’S CUSTOM MADE KEEZER USING A STILL HEAD OF SOLID

COPPER AS THE TOWER. IT HAS A FAN IN IT TO DRAW COLD AIR FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE KEEZER TO THE HEAD AND RETURN THE AIR TO THE KEEZER. A CONTROLLER TURNS ON THE FAN AS WELL AS MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE KEEZER. IT HAS CHERRY BEER HANDLES WITH

A SLIDING RING TO ADD INTEREST TO IT. THE HANDLES ARE OF CHERRY AND

MADE BY NORM HIMSELF. THE TOP IS CORK WITH WALNUT TRIM. EACH KEG HAS IT ’S OWN REGULATOR AND RECENTLY ADDED A BEER GAS TANK AND REGULATOR, STORED IN THE KEEZER, TO MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN ON THE GUINNESS TAP!

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FALL 2021

)

16 0 2 ( t u o t S l a e Norms’ Oatm ATION

RECIPE INFORM

. . . F L E S R U O Y M E H T Y TR

GALLON BATCH SIZE: 10 OG: 1.051 SG FG: 1.011 SG IBU: 47 SRM: 33 ABV: 5.3%

GRAIN BILL:

W PALE MALT o 15 LBS 2-RO FLAKED OATS o 1 LB 1.8 OZ ATE MALT o 1 LB CHOCOL T K (PATENT) MAL o 10.6 OZ BLAC TED BARLEY o 9.8 OZ ROAS E YEAST NIBSCHAMPAGN o 6 OZ COCOA

LE:

MASH SCHEDU Mash 60 min at

152oF

uter hops during la Add first-wort 1.5 oz Galena er 1.5 oz Hallertau

BOIL SCHEDUL

il 60 min: Begin bo c tablet 15 min: 1 Whirlflo

FERMENTATION

le US-05 ckages os Safa

Use 2 pa days Primary for 14 30 days Secondary for

O KEGS) H ONE OF THE TW IT W LY AL SU (U OPTIONAL: NOTES SECTION) NIBS (REFER TO o 6 OZ COCOA WHISKEY (REFER ANS WITH 8 OZ BE A LL NI VA 2 o ION) TO NOTES SECT

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SPECIAL NOTE:

p mix into the to separately and ts al m rk da ill M inutes. tun after 60 m layer of mash ked. If you are as they are fla ts oa ill m t no Do bag and place paint strainer a in em th t pu nervous of mash tun. in the top part

NOTES

ast them on (bulk barn), I ro bs ni a co co e th For o for 5 minutes F starting at 375 a cookie sheet ol the nibs and Co . o for 17 minutes F 5 27 en th o and bottle. Take tw empty whiskey to add them to an d ad sides and d slit down the an s an be lla ni va ch/bourbon ounces of scot 8 d Ad . bs ni d s. the bottle y for two week e two times a da ak Sh a. dk vo or d to one keg ee filter and ad ff co a h ug ro keg. Strain th rt over into the -siphon the wo to au u yo en wh above the nib/ e spirit you used Always keep th been material.

RM T CABINET NO THE FERMEN TED FROM INSULA E N O D E AT IC FABR R PANELS. GARAGE DOO

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Norm’s Guinness Clo

RECIPE INFORMATI

BATCH SIZE: 10 GA LLON OG: 1.047 SG FG: 1.009 SG IBU: 37 SRM: 25 ABV: 5.0%

GRAIN BILL:

o 11LBS 7.3OZ 2-RO W o 3LBS 9.3OZ FL AKED BARLEY o 2LBS ROASTED BARLEY o 7.0OZ SPECIAL W o 5.6OZ ACID MA LT o 5.4OZ CRYSTAL 120

MASH SCHEDULE:

Mash for 75 min at

150oF

BOIL SCHEDULE:

60 min: begin boil an

d add 4oz East Ke

nt Goldings blet and 2/3 tsp desired yeast

15 min: 1 Whirlfloc ta

nutrient

FERMENTATION:

Ferment at 66 F fo

r 4 days and slowly

raise temperature days.. Use White Labs WL P001 (California Ale ) or US-05 Primary 4 days an d transfer to seco ndary for 10 daysPrimary: 10 da ys and keg Notes: Mill dark ma lts separately and mix in at the top of mash tun after 75 minutes. This is very close to the original recipe from Ireland. to 68 -69 F over 6

NORM’S MELVICO BOTT LIN WITH PR G MACH OTECT IV INE E WALL MATTE C O V E RING WIT FINISH. L H OOKS LIK BU T IT E STAINLE IS ALUM SS INUM FU SED TO (USED F PLAST IC OR SIGN MAKING ).

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FALL 2021

GADGET CORNER

SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS AND THEIR ATTRACTION TO BREWING FOR THIS MONTH’S GADGET CORNER, WE HAVE A GUEST HOMEBREWER THAT WILL SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT HOW HIS SEEMINGLY COMPLETELY UNRELATED PROFESSION ACTUALLY SHARES QUITE A BIT WITH BREWING.

by Chris Carleton

FALL 2021

hris Carleton is a Software Architect by trade with hobbies that include Homebrewing and scuba diving. When he’s not developing and designing brilliant coding solutions across multiple platforms and industries, he is creating his own applications at home or finding ways to utilize programs that are readily available to improve processes. He has noticed over the years that many of his colleagues and friends in the software industry naturally gravitate to brewing and he’s come up with a very plausible explanation as to why.

Take it away Chris! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chris. By day, I work as a professional Software Architect. I drink coffee, attend a lot of planning and design meetings, and, occasionally, I even get to write some code! Ok, so it’s clearly not a career path for everyone - I get it! - but I love what I do! I solve problems, design solutions, create things that make people’s lives better, and I get to work with fun, intelligent, and creative people. Outside of work, when I have time and the weather is conducive to spending a day out on the deck, I like to put on my amateur homebrewer hat and brew up a batch of whatever I’m in the mood for! Brewing has been a hobby of mine for several years now and occasionally comes up in conversation. And when meeting fellow homebrewers I find that

a surprising number of them turn out to also be software developers like me. Now this could well be chalked up to a number of reasons. There are plenty of us developers here in Southern Ontario so it makes sense that we would make up a good portion of the homebrew community. And, to be perfectly honest, this may just be my own confirmation bias making me think that a lot of homebrewers are also software developers… but I have a different hypothesis: brewing and coding are actually very similar activities and attract the same kind of people! After giving it some thought, it makes plenty of sense. Much like the programs we write, a brew day is a fairly procedural affair. There are clear steps that need to be followed each time: mill, mash, lauter, boil, chill, ferment, keg, and serve! It doesn’t matter if you make lagers or ales. It doesn’t matter if you brew 5 gallon batches in your garage or 60 hectolitre batches in a brewery. It doesn’t matter if you brew in North America or Europe. These steps are universally understood and recognized by every amateur and pro brewer on the planet. So with a process that seems so rigid, where do we find the space to experiment and let our creativity and ingenuity come out? Any brewer worth their salt will tell you that it’s in the details where we flourish. We fine-tune our temperatures and mash pH. We carefully calculate our water chemistry to achieve that perfect water profile. We obsess over our equipment set up, our sanitization techniques, and how to get the clearest possible wort into the fermenter.

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Like the hackers of the beverage world, brewers are constantly optimizing and refining processes, reading up on new techniques, upgrading their equipment, and finding creative ways to do things better. And, of course, we’ve all met those brewers who measure everything! Every recipe is first entered into BeerSmith to check the numbers before brew day. Their volumes and gravities are carefully measured throughout the process and meticulously logged into a spreadsheet to record historical trends. Their mash efficiencies are ludicrously high and they consistently hit their OGs to within one gravity point. They probably even have WiFi-enabled floating hydrometers in their fermenters so they can pull out their phone and check on their latest batch while they are away from home. Software developers rely heavily on monitoring and telemetry to keep on top of the health and performance of the systems they are responsible for. That passion for data and precision doesn’t hit home for everyone but it’s certainly a common trait amongst both us developers and we brewers!

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Of course, we couldn’t conclude this article without talking about automation! Software development is, naturally, the art of automating tasks. And what brewer doesn’t seek to add automation to their brew days? Most of us do small things like using tools and online calculators to work out our water profiles, yeast pitch rates and mash infusions. Many of us use brewing software like BeerSmith to manage our recipes and help us hit our rest temperatures. Other brewers take things to the extreme, buying or building sophisticated systems with pumps for moving liquid between vessels and control units for keeping temperatures exactly where they need to be. Whatever the case may be, our eyes get wide with excitement when we try that new tool or piece of equipment for the first time that saves us time, or reduces how often we have to check on things and make adjustments. Finally, at the end of the day, what most of us find rewarding is creating things that make others happy. For software developers, it’s hearing users of our

software say how our applications make their lives a little bit better or easier. For brewers it is sharing that perfect IPA with friends on a hot summer day and seeing the enjoyment on their faces. We can all relate to that sense of accomplishment and pride in our work that keeps us motivated and excited about what we do. The moments that stick in our minds are the ones where our neighbours’ expectations of how good homebrew can actually taste are shattered before our eyes, or when our friends look at us in disbelief when they can’t tell the glass of Pilsner Urquell from the glass of pilsner from the basement that we spent a whole Saturday decoction-mashing. I’m so fortunate to find myself in the company of both of these not-so-different communities. I always have the pleasure of interacting with highly intelligent, creative, passionate problem solvers who love nothing more than creating works of art to share with the world. Cheers to you all!

FALL 2021

SHEENA’S BEERY HOLIDAY CINNAMON BUNS

BREWDAY TIPS

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES IS WAKING UP IN THE MORNING DURING THE HOLIDAYS TO THE SMELL OF FRESH CINNAMON BUNS THAT MY FATHER MADE FROM SCRATCH. THE STRONG CONNECTION TO SMELL AND MEMORY IS SOMETHING THAT I ALWAYS FIND FASCINATING. SINCE THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE, I WANTED TO SHARE THIS MEMORY WITH YOU ALONG WITH MY OWN REVAMPED RECIPE CREATION THAT IS MADE WITH A BEAUTIFUL BROWN ALE BREW. YOU ALL KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE FOOD AND BEER PAIRING. A QUICK BEER SOMMELIER TIP, THE EASIEST PERFECT PAIRING WHEN YOU COOK OR BAKE WITH BEER, IS TO SERVE YOUR CREATION WITH THAT SAME BEER. ENJOY THE LITTLE MOMENTS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND WISHING YOU ALL A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON!

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Ingredients (12 rolls) 2 tablespoons butter, to coat the cake pan, bowl, and brush on top of buns prior to cooking.

Dough o 1½ Cups of beer, approx. one 355 mL can (nut brown ale is awesome here)

o 1 Tablespoon of butter melted o ¼ Cup granulated sugar o 1 Packet active dry yeast (~2 ¼ tsp) o 4 Cups All-purpose flour divided (2½ + 1 + ½)

o ½ teaspoon salt o 1 Egg Filling o Part 1: . 1-2 Tablespoons of butter (melted – to brush on dough)

o Part 2 . ½ cup brown sugar (packed) . ¼ cup granulated sugar . 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon . ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

by Sheena Strauss @knowledge.on.tap

. *You can double the filling (except for the butter)

. for extra sugar cinnamon goodness Icing o 1½ cups powdered icing sugar o 2 tablespoons milk o 2 tablespoons of lightly melted butter o 1 teaspoon vanilla extract BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

Preparation Generously coat a 13 x 9” cake pan with butter and set aside. Dough (part 1) Pour the beer into a small saucepan. Carefully heat the beer while using a spoon to decarbonate the beer. Heat until you reach a temperature between 100-110˚F (37-43˚C). Once at temperature gently whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the warm beer mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sift all 4 cups of flour and divide. In a large mixing bowl (I use my stand mixer bowl) add 2½ cups flour and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine. Create a well in the middle and pour the beer/yeast mixture into the well. Mix on low, if using a stand or hand mixer, or stir with a wooden spoon until gently combined. Slowly pour the other 1 cup of flour. *Save the last ½ cup of flour for your counter, hands, and rolling pin when kneading and rolling the dough. Mix for about two minutes. Flour your surface and hands and knead the dough for about 5 mins, until the dough is most-

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ly combined, smooth and elastic. Form into a ball. In a large buttered mixing bowl, add the dough ball and turn it over once to ensure the entire surface is lightly covered with butter. Cover the bowl with a warm damp cloth and set in a warm place (80°F - 85°F) to rise for 45-60 minutes or until it has doubled in volume. Filling In a separate bowl place the butter to be melted. Melt prior to use. In a small mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and the optional walnuts/pecans. Dough (part 2) Punch down the dough, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cover with the upside-down bowl. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Roll the dough out into a large approx.18” x 12” rectangle, about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Fix corners to make sure they are sharp and even. Melt the butter and spread evenly over the dough, leaving about 1 inch free of butter along one of the long sides. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and then cinnamon.

Roll up the dough on the long side, forming a log, and pinch the seam closed. Place seam-side down. Cut the cinnamon log in ½, then ½ again, then in thirds to yield 12 evenly sized buns. About 1” to 1½” (2.5 – 3.8 cm) thick each. Place 12 cinnamon rolls in the buttered cake pan, spaced out (not touching to allow them to grow into place) in three rows of 4. Cover with a dampened towel and place in a warm place for the second rise for about 20 – 40 minutes. Remove towel. Bake the cinnamon rolls in a preheated oven at 350˚F (177˚C) for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Topping To prepare the frosting, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla until smooth. While still warm, drizzle evenly with frosting. Enjoy!

Vegan Tip: I easily make these plant-based by subbing in vegan alternatives to the milk → Oatmilk, butter → Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter is my favourite, and egg → Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, and it works great!

FALL 2021

FROM JANES AND JOES TO ALL-OUT PROS Name: Michal Foniok Location: Calgary, Alberta Brewery: The Establishment Brewing Company Time in Professional Brewing: 3 years Job Title: Head Brewer / Co-Owner Time as a Homebrewer: 10+ years Homebrew Club: CowTown Yeast Wranglers (Calgary)

What was it about Homebrewing that contributed to you wanting to do it for a living? It became a true passion. The more I went down the rabbit hole of brewing, the more I became fascinated by it. Some hobbies fizzled out after a few years, but brewing just kept going for me. All I thought about and wanted to do was related to beer, it felt natural that this was my calling. Favourite aspect of Homebrewing and why? Learning! Beer is a life-long learning lesson. There is so much to experiment with and discover, and a life-time isn’t long enough to master it all. How did you transition from homebrewer to where you are now? I gathered a team of fellow passionate homebrewers/friends, and we took the plunge to start our own business. I quit my mechanical engineering job along with my business partner Dave Ronneberg (an awesome brewer that I met in the same homebrew club!) and we started The Establishment Brewing Company in late January 2019. The rest is history! Since going Pro, what do your daily duties consist of? My role started off doing pretty much everything at the brewery: recipe design, sourcing and ordering ingredients, scheduling brews, brewing, cellar duties (dry hopping, harvesting yeast, washing tanks), managing and maintaining the barrel program, scheduling and packaging (cans, kegs, bottles). However recently a lot of those duties have been taken on by the great team we have built here, which consists of: a production manager / brewer, 2 brewers, and a packaging lead. What exciting things are you currently working on? Oh, where do I start! We’re really excited where the mixed fermentation barrel program is going at The Establishment Brewing Co., so we’re working on expanding that. On the horizon is getting a Koelschip, and hopefully expanding our collection of barrels (over 80 now) to beyond just mixed fermentation (think bourbon barrels for imperial stouts, etc!). But first...we need a little bit more space. Any words of wisdom for people new to homebrewing? Find a local homebrew community or club near you (I’m sure there is one). Homebrewers are a wealth of knowledge! I would suggest starting with the basics, making simple beer really well. Build off of that strong foundation before jumping into crazy styles. I also suggest looking into the BJCP and becoming a certified judge. Having a developed palate and sensory training is critical to making great beer! 70

FALL 2021

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA