The magazine for the professional brewing industry
Brewers J o u r n a l
March 2020 | Volume 6, issue 2 ISSN 2059-6669
PARTIZAN BREWING
INNOVATION AND INVENTION IN bermondsey
26 | BREWERS lectures norwich: the lowdown
42 | wales: THE brewers making their mark
63 | beer styles: evolution and transformation
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le ad e r
new beginnings
H
ello and welcome to the latest edition of The Brewers Journal. Ignoring the fact that it's March (already?!) I hope the start of 2020 has been positive for you. This intro is being written in the company of an excellent pint of Amber ale. It's a shame that an increasing number of breweries, in my experience, have turned their back on this style of beer. I can only assume it doesn't perform on a commercial basis. Who knows, maybe it needs a brand revamp. Though, to me, an Amber Ale is an attracting-sounding beverage in itself. One brewery that has refused to be defined by trending styles is London's Partizan Brewing, the cover stars of this issue. As head brewer Dennis Ratliff told us: "sales drives brewing" so it's a testament to the quality of their beers that the diverse nature of the Bermondsey business's output has resonated on both a quality and commercial level. Turn to p32 to read our full interview with the team. Elsewhere in this edition, my colleague Velo Mitrovich visits Nethergate Brewery and unpacks the company's rich, and layered, history. We also have Dr Keith Thomas of Sunderland's Brewlab looking at the evolution of beer styles while Julie Carling of The Carling Partnership shares her expertise in the field of recruiting. On the events front, I'm proud to share the line-up of incredible brewing talent that will join us in Norwich on the 18th March for the Brewers Lectures. Miranda Hudson of Duration Brewing, Charles O' Reilly from Burnt Mill and Jolly Good Beer's Yvan Seth will deliver talks. They'll be joined by North Brewing's Christian Townsley, Lotte Peplow of the Brewers Association and Simpson Malt's Jamie Ramshaw. A stellar line-up, I think you'll agree. We're also thrilled to announce that this year's iteration of The Brewers Congress will return with a more expansive and feature-packed programme than ever before.
brewersjournal.info
editor's choice Velo Mitrovich tells the story of Suffolk's Nethergate Brewery - page 52
Following three sold-out years at The Institution of Civil Engineers, this December The Brewers Congress moves to a new home at The Brewery in the City of London. Taking place on the 8th and 9th December, The Brewers Congress 2020 kicks off with an industry wide Christmas Party and Brewers Choice Awards celebrations. Following a hugely popular launch last year, The Brewers Choice Awards are back in 2020. We’re broadening the field this year but the aim remains the same and that’s to showcase the finest in UK brewing and to put the best of the best in the spotlight. The Brewers Choice Awards are split into seven categories: Brewery Of The Year, New Brewery of The Year, Young Brewer of The Year, Beer of the Year, New Beer of The Year, Best Branding and Lifetime Achievement Award Stay tuned for full details on how to enter. u Tim Sheahan Editor
March 2020
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c o nta c t s
contacts Tim Sheahan Editor tim@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 592 Velo Mitrovich Deputy Editor velo@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 591 Josh Henderson Head of sales josh@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 594
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March 2020
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Brewers Journal
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c o nt e nt s
contents 42
32
52
38
58
Cover story 32 - Partizan Brewing is one of the original members of Bermondsey's beer scene and head brewer Dennis Ratliff is driving the brewery through its latest evolution
comment 21 - The QC components essential to producing good beer consistently
Dear John 24 - John Keeling talks all things travel and his desire for more session-strength beers
brewers lectures | norwich 26 - The full lowdown on the Brewers Lectures Norwich taking place on March 18th
trending | recruitment 29 - Julie Carling of the Carling Partnership shares her expertise on brewery recruitment
Brewery tour | wales 42 - The Welsh brewing wonders that are driving the country's industry forward
focus | microbiology 48 - How a greater understanding of microbiology can aid higher hygiene standards
brewery tour | nethergate 52 - Velo Mitrovich tells the tale of Nethergate's long storied history
Crossing continents | Philadelphia, USA 58 - Yard Brewing Company's expansion project in conjuction with Ziemann Holvrieka
Sector | water 38 - Advice on cost-effective brewery effluent treatment and sustainable water usage
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SCIENCE | BEER STYLES 63 - Brewlab on the evolution of beer styles
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Brewers Congress: Bigger, Better and at the Brewery
T
he Brewers Congress returns for its fourth year in
are increasing the number of exhibitor spots to 40. We
2020 and with it, a more expansive and feature-
are creating four beer tasting spots, all trialling different
packed programme than ever before. Following three sold-out years at The Institution of Civil
beers, to keep attendees moving around the hall. And for the first time we are live streaming the lectures into the
Engineers, this December The Brewers Congress moves
exhibition space so attendees can spend more time in the
to a new home at The Brewery in the City of London.
trade hall without missing out on the talks.
Taking place on the 8th and 9th December, The
The Brewers Congress 2020 takes place at The
Brewers Congress 2020 kicks off with an industry wide
Brewery, a best-in-class venue that occupies the site of
Christmas Party and Brewers Choice Awards celebrations.
the former Whitbread brewery in East London.
The 1950’s Prom themed evening will see UK brewers
In 1750 Samuel Whitbread, having bought property in
and their partners dress to impress as they indulge in
the area, transplanted his operations to Chiswell Street
a cocktail reception, a lavish three course meal and
from two smaller breweries in Old Street and Brick Lane.
unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks as they dance and celebrate into the early hours. Following a hugely popular launch last year, The
Within a few years Whitbread’s brewery had become a vast operation, its sheer size making it an attraction worthy of royal visits. George III, Queen Charlotte, Queen
Brewers Choice Awards are back in 2020. We’re
Elizabeth II and Elizabeth the Queen Mother all visited the
broadening the field this year but the aim remains the
site.
same and that’s to showcase the finest in UK brewing and to put the best of the best in the spotlight. The Brewers Choice Awards are split into seven
Brewing on the site continued until 1976, the last tanker pulling out of the South Yard on April 13, bringing to an end a 225-year era.
categories: Brewery Of The Year, New Brewery of The Year, Young Brewer of The Year, Beer of the Year, New Beer of The Year, Best Branding and Lifetime
KEY INFORMATION
Achievement Award. Full details of this year’s awards will be published in the next edition of The Brewers Journal. Education and team development is at the heart of the Brewers Congress mission. Day two is the largest
The Brewery 52 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SD
gathering of breweries in the UK brewing Calendar. More than 300 breweries come together to share their knowledge of brewing, industry trends, developments in
The time 8-9 December 2020
methodology, technology and ingredients. The trade hall has been one of the most popular
Tickets at congress.brewersjournal.info
aspects of the event amongst attendees. This year we
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Rooster’s completes brewery investment exciting chapter in a twenty-seven-year history that has seen the company recognised as one of the originators and pioneers of the craft beer movement. “The new brewery enhances both our brewing capabilities and our competitiveness in the marketplace, and means we’re exceptionally well placed to service the growing demand for our range of award-winning beers, both in the UK and further afield.” Head brewer Oliver Fozard added: “Our focus has and always will be on brewing consistent, quality, easydrinking and well-balanced beers, so we’re very excited by all the new opportunities this bespoke plant opens up for us.
R
ooster’s Brewing Co has completed a £850,000 investment into a new, state-of-the-art brewery and
“Not only does it enable us to significantly increase our production output for our ever expanding range of beers
taproom, three times the size of its previous premises, as
but, with the addition of the smaller plant, we now also
it looks to keep up with surging demand for its award-
have an exciting opportunity to channel the pioneering
winning beers.
creativity we’re known for and create a range of exciting,
It marks the end of an 18 month-long project which has seen the brewery transition from its former home at Grimbald Park near Knaresborough, to a new, purpose-
inspiring, flavour-filled limited edition beers that bring something completely new and different to the market.” Alongside the brewery, Rooster’s has also invested in a
built 20,000 square feet brewery and taproom at
large onsite taproom to serve as a community hub, where
Hornbeam Park in Harrogate.
members of the local community and beer lovers from
Owned and run since 2011 by Ian Fozard and his two sons, Oliver and Tom, the move sees Rooster’s return to the town where the independent craft beer brewer first started life twenty-seven years ago. The company’s new home comprises a bespoke brewhouse capable of producing over 30,000 litres of quality craft beer every week, as well as a large taproom,
everywhere can come and enjoy a range of Rooster’s beers and other drinks. Open five days a week, from Wednesday through to Sunday, the taproom also has a street food kitchen, with a different street food trader joining every weekend to serve up a varied and ever-changing selection of food. Tom Fozard, commercial director, said: “Harrogate is in
open since May last year, where people can try Rooster’s
Rooster’s DNA, it’s where the brewery first started life, so
world-renowned range of beers.
it’s extra special to be able to bring the company home.
There’s also an upstairs ‘Sample Room’ with a private
“Creating a taproom and upstairs event space where
bar overlooking the brewery, which can be hired for
people can socialise and enjoy themselves was really
parties and functions for up to 120 people.
important to us, as we want to embed ourselves at the
The new brewery, designed by head brewer Oliver Fozard and British-made using equipment sourced from UK manufacturers, will enable Rooster’s to almost double
heart of local community life and be known as more than just a brewery that makes really great beers. “We regularly host local groups and parties and we’re
its production capacity immediately, with opportunities to
looking forward to welcoming many more through our
expand and increase this further in the long-term.
doors as word gets out about the lively and sociable
It boasts a state-of-the-art brewhouse, capable of producing 5,000 litre brews, which will be used to
community hub we’re creating here.” The company, which employs 17 people, is planning
produce Rooster’s core range of popular beers. Alongside
on offering regular brewery tours later this year, providing
this main plant, Rooster’s has also invested in a smaller,
visitors with an opportunity to see for themselves just
1,600 litre brewing plant, which will be used to produce
what goes into producing its award-winning, vegan-
an ongoing range of new, flavour-packed limited-edition
friendly range of beers.
beers. These beers will form part an experimental sub-
Its brews, which include its flagship pale ale Yankee,
brand known as the ‘Outlaw Project’, launching in late
Baby-Faced Assassin and 24/7, are available in pubs and
February.
bars across the country and stocked in retailers ranging
Commenting on the company’s expansion, director Ian Fozard, said: “This move marks the start of a new and
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from the likes of Waitrose, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s through to smaller, specialist independent beer sellers.
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Brewgooder Global Gathering Campaign set to reach 250 brewer mark
T
he Scottish craft beer brand on a mission to use craft beer to bring 1,000,000 people clean drinking water,
Brewgooder has attracted more than 240 brewers from around the world to its biggest campaign to date. The Global Gathering is a collaborative brewing project on a mission to provide clean water for 100,000 people in developing countries. Launched in November, the campaign aims to partner with hundreds of breweries in the UK and around the world to brew unique, small-batch beers. A coordinated release of the beers will take place over the weekend of World Water Day – March 20-22nd 2020. The campaign has gained the backing from brewers from California to Hong Kong, with the UK represented by over 145 brewers from Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, to Bodmin in Cornwall. There will be one-off beers from Northern Monk, Cloudwater, Vocation, Harbour, Beavertown, Tiny Rebel,
discount on any keg used in the Global Gathering by
Curious Brewing – to mention just a few of the many
speaking to their local Kegstar contact.
brilliant contributors. Each Global Gathering brew will raise upwards of £500
The packaging design for each collaborative beer will be inspired by the theme ‘water’ and designed by each
contributing to a fundraising target of £250,000 for the
individual brewery using two distinct colours – orange
overall campaign. All proceeds will be donated to The
to represent beer and blue to represent water. Once
Brewgooder Foundation and spent on its clean water
brewed, every beer will be released simultaneously at
projects in 2020/21.
participating venues on the weekend of 20-22nd March
Bars and drinks retailers across the UK are being encouraged to support the record-breaking collaboration by stocking Global Gathering beers. Licensees wanting to be part of this craft beer
2020, which coincides with World Water Day. Brewers are also invited to contribute a song inspired by their local area to a Spotify playlist for the weekend, which will represent the diverse range of
movement should ask suppliers for the Global Gathering
companies involved in the project and show the variety of
Brews from their chosen participating brewers.
communities involved in making a difference.
A full list of participating breweries, bars and stockists
Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder, commented:
will be available on Brewgooder’s website in the lead up
“The Global Gathering aims to bring together one of the
to the event.
most vibrant and passionate communities in the world.
To date, Brewgooder has worked with BrewDog (who will also be releasing a special beer for World Water Day) on their flagship clean water lager, with 100% of
It will show what a positive impact craft beer can have when brewers act together. “The craft beer community is no stranger to
profits going to support over 130 projects in Malawi.
collaboration, but this project takes that to a whole new
These projects include well rehabilitations, new borehole
level. It will help empower 100,000 people by giving them
construction, sanitation systems and water mapping to
something the rest of us take for granted: clean water.
ensure the long-term sustainability of well constructions. Through the Brewgooder Foundation, the projects have already positively impacted 65,000 lives and counting. To support brewers of all sizes to get involved,
“To have already received the support of almost 250 brewers in this campaign is incredible. "Our whole team is humbled by the willingness of so many incredible brewers to adopt our mission as their own. We cannot thank them enough.”
Brewgooder has partnered with Crisp Malt who are kindly donating 20 bags of malt to each participating brewery for their unique brew.
To find out more and join the movement, visit www. brewgooder.com/gathering
In addition to this, breweries can receive a 10%
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Everards appoint new head brewer later this year and Jon is working on delivering a flexible brewery which will brew a wide range of beers of the highest quality. In the meantime, Everards are working with partner brewers to brew their well-known range and lots of limited-edition beers from IPAs to very special Festive Ales. Stephen Gould, managing director of Everards said: “We are delighted to welcome Jon to the team. Jon brings the technical expertise to maintain excellent consistency across the brewing of our high-quality beer range, and the passion and flair to continue exploring and introducing new and exciting beer flavours and style to meet and lead on market trends.” “We recognise that drinkers want to enjoy a great range and are seeing trends around lower strength beers as well as new flavours and beer types. However,
L
eicestershire brewer Everards has appointed
they still want to enjoy traditional styles and have high
Jonathan Elks as its new head brewer.
expectations of quality.. Throughout 2020 we will continue
He joins the Everards team with a wealth of experience
and knowledge, after 18 years with Carlsberg UK. He’s a master brewer and was awarded the prestigious JS Hough Award upon qualifying for achieving the highest overall marks in the five modules of the Master Brewer
to work with partner brewers to deliver a fantastic range and we are excited to have Jon on board with his creative ideas to brew both classic and experimental styles and help us to shape our brewing future.” Commenting on his role, Elks said: “Brewing beer is my passion and it’s great to have the opportunity to work with
exam. As head brewer, Elks will oversee all aspects of the brewing and packaging of the Everards beer range, including their iconic ‘Tiger’ ale, as well as leading on the evolution of their innovative limited-edition brews. Everards open their new state-of-the-art brewery
an independent brewer with an interesting heritage and such an exciting future ahead. “I’m eager to get stuck in and continue the innovation of the fantastic beer range and add something different to our traditional beer portfolio."
Timothy Taylor’s makes keg debut
T
imothy Taylor’s has launched its first keg ale, Hopical Storm.
Hopical Storm is a 4% ABV aromatic, dry-hopped,
modern pale that initially launched as a well-received cask product in Summer 2019. However, it also performed “exceptionally well” when we trialled it in keg at high-profile festivals and selected pubs. The brewery said in a statement: “Our core business remains in cask, but we recognise that there are some
Hopical Storm is brewed using whole leaf hops
quality outlets that either would prefer to offer a keg range
grown entirely in the UK. Citrusy and sessionable, it has
to suit changing customers needs or do not have the
a pleasant fruity body topped with flavours of mandarin,
cellar space throughput or staff expertise to serve cask.
mango and passion fruit and the style of beer particularly
“However, they do want to serve premium, consistent beers from well-respected breweries such as ourselves.”
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suits the keg format and a cooler serve for warmer weather.
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New kit to detect beer-spoiling bacteria is a definite need for quality management and early preventative controls to reduce the risk of product spoilage. A few genera have the ability to generate offflavors, turbidity and acidity, which can often lead to entire beer batches needing to be recalled, high economic loss and in the worst case, the brand being impacted,” said Alois Schneiderbauer, CBO of Biotecon Diagnostics. They added: ““As a well-established and key player in molecular biological testing for the food and beverage industry, we have long been developing and introducing kits to the market that alleviate the impact of spoilage. “Our new kit complements the Foodproof Beer Screening 1 LyoKit nicely and also completes our PCR
A
new lyophilized real-time PCR that can test for
diagnostics portfolio for the brewing industry, which
simultaneous detection of 30+ beer spoilage
includes all relevant beer-spoiling bacteria, spoilage
organisms that also differentiates between some of the worst spoilers, has been launched. The Foodproof Beer Screening 2 LyoKit, from Biotecon
yeasts, Legionella and Alicyclobacillus.” The new kit is based on real-time PCR technology, which is well-established in the brewing and beverage
Diagnostics, can differentiate between the lactic acid
industry as a highly sensitive and specific detection
bacteria (Lactobacillus and Pediococcus) and the most
method.
troublesome obligate anaerobic spoilage bacteria (Megasphaera and Pectinatus). As the latest addition to its existing brewing product
It also uses 5’Nuclease probes, resulting in lower production costs and a more favorable retail price. The fact that the kit is lyophilized means it is easy to handle
portfolio designed specifically for breweries, the multiplex
and store, with less shipping costs, reduced cross-
kit can also screen for the hop tolerance genes, horA and
contamination risks and higher sensitivity. Additionally, the
horC.
new kit is compatible with various existing open platform
“With the ever-expanding brewing industry, there
Murphy & Son’s shuttle system speeds up supplies
multi-channel real-time PCR instruments.
more traditional wide aisle or very narrow aisle racking system. Taking into account the varying factors and
urphy & Son has invested in a new shuttle system to
M
complexities, the resulting solution SEC designed was a
increase the efficiency of its supplies operation.
pallet-shuttle system which would optimise the capacity
of ways, from intermediate bulk container (IBC) and
an efficient operation on a FIFO basis. This pallet-shuttle
individual barrels, through to small boxed items stored on
system is a semi-automated solution that intelligently
traditional pallets, and subsequently required a storage
moves pallets within the racking system, enabling
solution that would maximise the cubic capacity of the
warehouse operatives to carry out other tasks. The shuttle
building.
is loaded onto the desired lane by a forklift truck.
The company’s finished goods are stored in a number
SEC Storage carried out a detailed analysis of their
of the building, similar to a drive-in system, but provide
Once initiated, the shuttle travels down the lane until
finished goods SKU data on a volumetric, cubic and
it reaches the next available pallet position. When it has
quantitative basis, which identified a unique operation and
located the pallet, the hydraulic loading plate activates,
requirement.
securing the pallet on top of the shuttle.
In order to optimise the efficiency of the temperature-
The shuttle takes the pallet from the finished goods
controlled warehouse, which has doors at either end (one
end of the system and delivers it to the dispatch end.The
for incoming finished-goods from production and one for
six-lane wide, thirteen-meter-deep pallet-shuttle system
dispatch), it was identified that separating dispatch and
provides storage for over 450 pallets. Due to the way in
replenishment would be best suited to the space.
which the pallet-shuttle operates, it is able to transport
They also discovered a type of bulk storage system would be best suited to the space as opposed to the
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varying pallet and container types, which is particularly suited to Murphy & Son’s operation.
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Good Things Brewing Co sets sights on future
S
ussex-based Good Things Brewing Co is nearing completion of its latest expansion phase by
revamping a 17th Century barn into a state-of-the art brewing complex, allowing it to produce up to half a million litres of beer per year. The year-long transformation has seen the opening of an onsite brewery tap, which served its first pint on Friday 7th February. The occasion was marked by the creation of a limitededition beer in collaboration with Manchester’s Marble Brewery, mashed-in a matter of hours before the doors and we have an unbeatable team in place that will help
opened. The brewery currently produces a core range of four modern craft beers, a Pilsner, a Pale Ale, an IPA and a low AVB Pale, available in can and keg. In addition, a monthly
crank things up a notch and take our beer – and our vision – to more people.� This latest move will see Good Things realise its plan
range of experimental and classic-style limited-edition
of becoming a closed loop brewery – meaning it will
brews, plus collaboration projects with some of the most
operate in a fully sustainable manner.
existing breweries in the UK, complete the varied line-up
100% powered by solar panels neatly tucked behind the brew house, the brewing process starts with water
of beer. Co-founder Chris Drummond said: “It has been an epic journey so far and we’re committed to our vision of brewing the beer we love, that’s better for the world we
bored from a 96 meter well onsite and ends with delivery via a fleet of electric-only vehicles. The spent grain from the brewing process is put through a dehydrator which dries the grain overnight,
love. “Good Things is now primed and ready for next chapter
using only green energy.
FERMENTATION RANGE 25 to 40°C (77 to 104°F) FLOCCULATION Very high ALCOHOL TOLERANCE 12% ABV ATTENUATION Medium to high
VOSS
LalBrewÂŽ voss
www.lallemandbrewing.com
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Dig Brew Co appoints new head brewer ale, a dark lager and a fruited sour. Andy was keen to join Dig Brew after the brewery was honoured with the 2019 Raise the Bar Award for winning a competition, run by festival organisers We are Beer, to find the UK’s best up and com-ing craft brewers. Dig Brew was established at its former factory premises in 2017 by Oliver Webb, a Slade Art School graduate, with the support of Peter Towler of Mad O’Rourke’s Pie Factory in Tipton. It brews and distributes a rotating line up of repeated beers – including a lager (called Hell), sour fruit smoothie
Dig Brew Co: Andy Whyte with Oliver Webb
D
(California) and a New England pale ale (Optimo) – as well as a constantly changing range of seasonal lagers,
ig Brew Co has appointed a new head brewer. Andy Whyte, a University of Plymouth Masters
graduate, will lead the brewing team at the brew-ery’s premises on River Street in Digbeth, Birmingham. The 25-year-old from London previously co-owned ‘cuckoo’ brewery Whyte Bär Brewing, which licensed other breweries to create beers to his own recipes. Andy also worked in the packaging department for
stouts, sours and pale ales to pubs, bars and off licences nationally. Dig Brew also runs a pizza restaurant, Dough, and organises a regular programme of food, drink, music and art-based events. Its plans for 2020 include opening an art gallery, coffee bar and a film club on the premises. Andy Whyte, who lives in Stirchley, said: “I am delighted to have joined such a creative community
Siren Craft Brew in Berkshire while studying for his degree
minded brewery that believes in creating exciting new
in geology.
beers that are aesthetically pleasing as well as complex
His craft beer brewing experience began with home brewing while he was a student in Exeter after being
and varied in their flavours. “I am particularly excited about using my experience
disappointed by a lack of variety in the beers on offer at
of working with different brewers and my ana-lytical skills
his local bars and pubs at the time.
acquired at university to capitalise on the current interest
One of his first achievements as head brewer has been
in New England styles – and I am already working on my
to source a Dig Brew tap takeover for ‘TRYanuary’ at The
own recipe to create a lower alcohol version of Dig Brew’s
Pursuit of Hoppiness, a renowned ale and wine house in
best-selling Optimo.”
Exeter that serves the best beers from makers nationally. The range of specially made Dig Brew beers on tap
Oliver Webb added: “Andy’s experience will be invaluable as we look to grow our reputation in the craft
throughout the day included three styles of IPA, a pale
beer market and export our beers worldwide.”
St Austell creates beer and brands role
St Austell Brewery – a wonderful family business which
Turner added: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining brews fantastic beers and runs great pubs, both of which
S
t Austell Brewery, has announced the appointment of Andrew Turner, to the newly created role of managing
director of Beer and Brands. Andrew, currently trading director with Heineken UK, will join St Austell to lead the company’s award-winning own beer and wholesale drinks business. Kevin Georgel, chief executive said: “I am delighted that Andy will be joining St Austell Brewery. With almost 20 years’ experience and success gained
are very close to my heart. “It’s a really exciting time to join the business. I believe St Austell Brewery is very well placed to benefit from the resurgence in consumer interest in beer, coupled with the increasing importance of authenticity and community. “I am very much looking forward to joining Kevin and the team and taking the business on to its next stage of growth.” This latest high-profile appointment to St Austell
within Heineken UK, he brings the ideal experience,
Brewery comes one month after Kevin Georgel became
talents and personality to compliment the skills of the
chief executive and less than a year after Georgina Young
existing team, and to lead our beer and brands division
joined the company from Fuller’s, as head brewer of Bath
into its next exciting chapter.”
Ales – which St Austell Brewery acquired in 2016.
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Brewers Journal
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Moorhouse’s in export drive Moorhouse’s is back in profit after reporting a £37,000 pre-tax profit for the last financial year compared to a pre-tax loss of £275,000 in 2018 with annual turnover remaining constant at around £4.5m. The company is currently in year three of its turnaround plan which has seen a full rebrand of the business as well as a programme of improved efficiency initiatives. Moorhouse’s has also appointed Bacup-based James Labels & Supplies Ltd to print all its bottle labels moving forward. Lee Williams, managing director of Moorhouse’s Brewery said: “As a business, we are not just proud of the beer we brew but also working with local businesses,
B
urnley-based Moorhouse’s Brewery has appointed Blackburn’s Sovereign Beverage Company as its new
spending over £600k with Lancashire companies alone. “Increasing our exports is a key part of our growth
export agents. Sovereign’s remit is to grow Moorhouse’s
strategy and to have the team at Sovereign Beverage,
sales around the world.
who are experts in their field also just down from the
The three-year deal will initially see Sovereign target the key markets of Scandinavia, Canada, South America and the Far East. It has already secured sales in Finland. Operating in 60 countries, Sovereign Beverage Company is the UK’s largest exporter of premium beverages. The firm will be marketing Moorhouse’s complete
road from us, gives us confidence we will see growth in overseas markets in the years to come.” Craig Johnstone, head of sales at Sovereign Beverage Company added: “We are delighted to be working with Moorhouse’s Brewery as it is such an iconic name. “It has a fantastic product range as well as a pedigree and history that we are sure will resonate with the
range including the newly launched Ice Witch as well as
importers and distributors in our target territories who are
Blonde Witch which is its best-selling bottled beer.
always looking for something new, unique or that has a
The announcement follows the recent news that
Process heating for small breweries
H
real point of difference.”
bore tubular heat exchanger. “A fan, positioned at the far end of the tube arrangement, then pulls the products of combustion
eating vessels by gas offers clear-cut economies of
through the system to achieve heating that is both evenly
use compared to alternatives such as elec-tricity or
distributed and efficient – in most cas-es in excess of 80%
steam, a manufacturer has claimed. Lanemark, which offers tank heating small diameter
is achieved.” Langford adds that, where appropriate, both copper
immersion tube burner systems is, said it has proven
and hot liquor burner systems can be con-nected to a
results for use in vertical cylindrical coppers and hot liquor
common flue while still retaining individual burner control.
tanks. Adrian Langford, general manager at the Nuneaton-
One of the major considerations for vessel heating in this sector of the brewing industry is the need to ensure
based company said such systems can be readily used
that the capacity of each tank is optimised so this means
with both natural or propane gas supplies and benefit
that the tube system needs to impact as little as possible.
from its dedicated TX Calc design software which
He said: “Where the tank being heating is rectangular,
accurately calculates the heat input requirements to
this is invariably achieved by a multi-pass, parallel
predict immersion tube heat exchanger performance.
tube arrangement “but in this field, many vessels are
He explained: “In all cases, our designs comprise a
cylindrical.
burner, ranging in output from 15 to 730 kW to suit the
“As a result, we have developed a helical coil tube
installation needs, which is mounted on the outside of
design which sits on the base of the tank, fol-lowing the
the vessel, firing through the wall into a submerged, small
curved wall in a circular layout."
brewersjournal.info
March 2020
17
n e ws
WO R LD
AB InBev CFO steps down A
nheuser-Busch InBev HAS announced that Felipe Dutra, its chief financial and technology officer, will
step down from his position. Fernando Tennenbaum has been appointed the new
deliver best-in-class cash flow and shareholder value. "Felipe’s contributions to our value creation are significant and wide-ranging. He has been the steward of our financial discipline, which has freed up resources to
chief financial officer (CFO) while David Almeida will
invest behind the organic growth of our business. He has
become chief strategy and technology officer and Nelson
played a key role in the creations of Ambev and InBev,
Jamel appointed chief people officer.
as well as in our landmark combinations with Anheuser-
They will be part of the company’s senior leadership team and report to CEO Carlos Brito. Carlos Brito, CEO, stated: “Felipe’s departure is
Busch, Grupo Modelo and SAB. “In the last few years, he has also driven the creation of our leading Technology function. Perhaps most
bittersweet. For nearly 30 years, he has been a champion
importantly, he developed a strong bench of internal
of our company and a fantastic partner to me and the
talent for both Finance and Technology as part of his
members of our Senior Leadership Team as we grew the
legacy. We are very grateful to Felipe and wish him the
company.
best of luck in his future endeavours.”
“Felipe feels that now is the right time to embark on new projects, and we are respectful of his decision. “Felipe’s contributions to AB InBev are hard to
The company’s incoming CFO Tennenbaum is a 15year veteran of the company and presently serves as vice president of finance for the company’s South America
overstate. Since becoming CFO in 1999 of what was then
Zone, as well as chief financial and investor relations
Brahma, he has embodied the spirit of true ownership
officer of its Brazilian subsidiary Ambev S.A., a publicly
and has been the architect of our company’s financial
traded company listed on the Brazilian Stock Exchange
strategy, our risk management policy and our drive to
and NYSE.
sourced from a farm just a few minutes from the brewery. Unique to this one-time brew, the same farm provided the Cascade hops that lends Triple Hop’d Lager its desirable floral and citrus/grapefruit profile. Jointly, the American and German hops shape the unique and exciting profile of a very enjoyable 5.8% ABV beer. This one-time limited offering, in addition to the “perfect pilsner”, Bitburger Premium Pils, will be available in selected global markets, including the United States. “It was a privilege for us to work with the Bitburger brewers on the Festbier collaboration, and to be able to
Sierra Nevada collabs with Germany's Bitburger
work out a second project with the Triple Hop’d Lager is the icing on the cake. We’re proud to have the opportunity to brew together in the beautiful Bitburger brewery and meet the team there, and we’re very excited about the
S
ierra Nevada has collaborated with Bitburger to
project and the beer itself,” said Scott Jennings, Sierra
produce Triple Hop’d Lager.
Nevada brewmaster.
The beer is the second time the breweries have
Dr. Stefan Meyna, brewmaster at Bitburger, added:
partnered, following on from the release of an
“After our successful collaboration last year, we knew that
Oktoberfest style beer last year.
we wanted to partner again with Sierra Nevada.
This time out, Sierra Nevada’s Brian Grossman and
“Our brewing philosophies, commitment to using
Scott Jennings traveled to Bitburg, Germany, to brew the
quality materials and keeping our loyal customers at
next collaboration beer at the Bitburger brewery.
the forefront are completely in sync. After our wonderful
Triple Hop’d Lager, available next month, is highlighted
experience at Sierra Nevada in Mills River, North Carolina,
by a combination of American hops, Cascade, Centennial,
it was only natural that we returned the hospitality
and Chinook, paired together with ‘Siegelhopfen’ –
and welcomed them to brew our next beer in Bitburg,
Bitburger’s proprietary and unique hop blend that’s
Germany.”
18
March 2020
Brewers Journal
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11-12TH MARCH 2020, LIVERPOOL
quality
control
c o m m e nt
Deliver Quality, consistently Producing and distributing beer you’re proud of is imperative as a brewer. Here, Mike Tysarczyk from First Key Consulting outlines some QC components she sees as essential to producing good beer on a consistent basis by Mike Tysarczyk
I
GMPs should also include proper health and sanitation requirements for the brewery team as well as cleaning and upkeep for equipment and tools, such as written CIP (clean in place) procedures for each piece of equipment in the brewhouse. Other GMPs should cover the use and placement of chemicals, product date coding and proper pest control. “There are so many different aspects to running a brewery,” said Corbett, who served as a microbiologist with Labatt and set up a QC program at Mill St. Brewery in
t’s packaging day. The canning line is powered up.
Ontario, Canada. “Even small locations can have multiple
The team is busy monitoring the flow and packing
team members performing similar routines.
out cases of a beer that has been nearly three weeks in the making. One problem: No one has yet tasted the new
IPA that’s due to be sold in the taproom later that day and released for small-scale distribution in the area. There is
It’s important to have everyone following the same proper steps – as well as ongoing internal auditing of those steps – to ensure rigor around these processes. That drives consistency.” GMPs come into play even before opening a brewery
no guarantee the packaged beer is ready for customers
as everyone should follow appropriate design and
to drink.
construction protocols. Wood and fabric that cannot be
It’s a scenario that plays out more often than many would think in today’s beer industry. Increased
easily cleaned or kept free of bacteria should not be used, for example.
competition, changing consumer demands and streamlined staffs push many breweries to bring beers
2. Yeast cell counts and viability testing
to market without a system in place to help deliver consistent, high-quality products. It doesn’t have to be that way. With training, targeted investments and time-tested techniques, breweries can implement a quality control program that covers all of the basics.
Y
east, the only living organism in beer, requires careful usage and monitoring. “When underpitched, fermentations can slow
or not come to a complete finish,” said Corbett. “It can
Oralee Corbett, of brewery consulting firm First Key,
also lead to diacetyl in the finished product, leaving
lays out the five QC components she sees as essential to
off flavours akin to butterscotch or buttered popcorn.
producing good beer consistently.
Overpitching simply wastes valuable yeast and can lead to other issues.”
1. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
Stressed yeast, which results from low cell counts or inadequate yeast storage practices can result in undesirable characteristics, such as beer with meaty,
G
MPs equate to good housekeeping in production
green apple or rotten egg flavours. To guard against stressed yeast Corbett suggests each
facilities. Though GMPs can vary from brewery to
brewery perform yeast cell counts and viability testing.
brewery, these practices serve as the foundation
Testing the yeast regularly requires widely available
for producing good beer and creating a safe and clean
lab equipment, including a microscope and a
workspace.
hemocytometer.
For example, typical brewery GMPs cover the steps
The full cell count procedure can be found on the
needed to meet all government regulations, such as food
websites of many yeast providers and through other
handling and equipment safety practices.
industry sources.
brewersjournal.info
March 2020
21
C o m m e nt
Q uality
control
3. Simple microbiological testing
contain higher oxygen levels. Measure DO and TPO. Many brewers use tools such as the Anton Paar CBoxQC or the Haffman’s Portable Optical CO2/O2/TPO Meter c-DGM to measure DO and total
T
hough brewers yeast is wanted and needed in the brewhouse, other microorganisms are not, generally speaking. Bacteria, such as
Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, and wild yeast, including Brettanomyces, can easily pervade the brewing environment.
packaged oxygen (TPO) during each run. When the measured values run high, which is bad, steps such as adjusting fill levels or seamer settings can be taken to avoid oxidized beer.
5. Bright beer sensory analysis
These organisms, which can be found on people, in ingredients or in the air, among other places, can lead to spoiled batches, unsavory off flavours, unwanted haze and excessive carbonation. Those breweries that rigorously follow brewhouse sanitation GMPs can help prevent beer spoilage caused by unwanted microbes. Their presence, though, can only be determined through proper testing. Corbett recommends using HLP tubes (Hsu’s Lactobacillus-Pediococcus) to test for those beer-spoilage
T
he scenario painted at the beginning of this story – where beer was packaged without being tasted – simply doesn’t happen at breweries that have
instituted a disciplined sensory analysis program. “This is your most important quality check,” said Corbett. “Does the beer taste the way you want it to taste? Is it ready for your customers to purchase?” Sensory analysis programs can be simple and
bacteria in the finished product. Brewers can also use
fun. The key is to have select members of your staff
outside labs for testing or send samples to another
(including non-brewers) trained to pick up off-flavors and
brewery with the required capabilities.
understand the proper characteristics of key beer styles.
“These are not very expensive or time-consuming
This group, known as a sensory panel, should taste
practices,” said Corbett. “Particularly when factoring
beer from the brite tank one to two days before it’s
in potential revenue lost from a spoiled batch or the
scheduled to be packaged.
reputational risk created by a product recall.” When
The packaging team should also make a practice of
possible, microbiological testing should also occur
setting aside cans or bottles from select packaging runs
upstream to help prevent potential issues.
to taste at a later date. This will provide the team with a good sense of each
4. Oxidation prevention
P
eople need oxygen; beer does not. Oxidized beer creates a papery or cardboard taste and masks the brewer’s intended aromas and flavours. Just
style’s shelf life and offer insights into how flavor profiles change over time.
In conclusion: Rigor and discipline
100 parts per billion of dissolved oxygen (DO) in a finished package can reduce the shelf life of a beer by up to several weeks. Oxidation can occur several ways, but the most common are aerated water, poor equipment operation and maintenance and improper packaging. Breweries that consistently follow standard
P
utting best practices related to these five key elements of quality control can serve as an invaluable tool for breweries.
Though Corbett notes leaders and team members
must follow each of the five programs with rigor and with
maintenance and packaging GMPs will generally avoid
a continuous improvement mindset for the QC program
oxidized beer, but here are a few specific practices to
to be as effective as possible.
keep in mind. Clean your parts. Improperly cleaned or maintained
This implies collecting the right data, and regularly reviewing it, to take preventive and corrective actions. u
pumps, valves and gaskets can create air pockets or carbon dioxide (CO2) leaks in tanks containing beer that is being packaged or about to be packaged.
About First Key
Package properly. Ensure beer is being filled and
At First Key, we understand that a brewery is more than
capped properly to avoid capturing air in the packaged
just a building where beer is brewed. A brewery is also
product.
a tight-knit group of people with a common purpose.
For example, cans should be filled until a mushroom
Whether you are building a new brewery business,
cap of foam rises just above the rim before the lid is set
or expanding we are able to provide the necessary
in place and seamed. Low-filled cans will undoubtedly
services to get the job done.
22
March 2020
Brewers Journal
Whitby Tanks BREWERY TANKS BOUGHT AND SOLD
Contact Toby Taylor
sales@whitbytanks.co.uk | 01947 606 237
d e a r
J o hn
Session Beers and United States Seeing what the world has to offer, especially when it comes to beer, is one of John Keeling’s great passions. And who can blame him? But in doing so, he's seeing a lack of quality session-strength brews in the world of modern, craft beer and thinks that needs to change.
and also his last decision when promoting me to be Brewing Director. Obviously in between those two rubbish decisions, he had made lots of good ones, including the idea brew the first Vintage Ale. The evening was a great success, how could it fail giving free 8.5% ABV beer to beer journalists! At the end Michael came up to me with Mark Dorber and asked if I was attending the Beer World Cup in San Diego. I said I wasn’t going, and I didn’t think it would be possible.
by JOHN KEELING
I
He then immediately collared Michael Turner and Anthony Fuller, MD and Chairman of Fuller’s respectively
am a very lucky man. My beer connections have
and told them it was a disgrace that British brewers, and
given me the opportunity to travel around the world
in particular, the Fuller’s Brewing Director, was not at the
and it’s something I have continued to do in my
Beer World Cup.
retirement. My first major overseas trip was just after I had
been promoted to Brewing Director at Fuller’s in 1999. It
They immediately agreed with him, called me over and told me in no uncertain terms to go. Michael then told me that he and Mark were going to
had been decided that we were to have a major push in
get me invited as a judge and they would propose and
the United States and that required the Brewing Director
second me for that job.
to be present at a number of events in New York and
So not only was I flying to San Diego, but I was going to be a judge at the Beer World Cup. All thanks to Michael
Boston. So off I went on my first trip to America and you could
Jackson and Mark Dorber. In San Diego I met several
say that it kind of whetted my appetite. I also found out
brewers and writers who remain friends to this day. The
that Fuller’s directors always flew business class. A fact
Beer World Cup is still the best beer event I know but now
that I used for every trip after.
it is several degrees of magnitude bigger.
My next trip was entirely the work of Michael Jackson,
I am actually writing this in San Diego enjoying a little
the much-loved and much-missed beer writer. Michael,
beery holiday. San Diego is a great place to visit and one
along with several other beer journalists, were invited to
of the best places for beer in the world.
the first ever vertical Vintage Ale tasting in the Hock Cellar at the Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in London. I, of course, had to lead the tasting and in the audience
I’ve met up with Bill Vanderburgh whose twitter handle is @CraftBeerInSanDiego. We went to Second Chance in North Park and then onto Mike Hess for a couple more. I
was Reg Drury, my old boss, so I had the opportunity to
will also be taking in San Francisco during my trip where
thank him for the wise decision to hire me.
I will be visiting Heretic Brewery. I hope Symone has her
In fact, I was Reg’s first decision upon becoming brewing director when he hired me as junior brewer
24
March 2020
drinking boots on. Whilst in California I still keep a close eye on things in
Brewers Journal
d e a r
the UK and notice that Pete Brown has become a legend but more importantly he wrote some very kind words about Fuller’s ESB in a blog entitled Flagship February for which I thank him. One of the points he made was that brewing has been under the control of Asahi for nearly a year now and the beer has definitely not changed. Indeed, I can confirm that and also know that my old team are very happy with the investment coming into the brewery and at Dark Star too. Long may it continue. There are not many ESB’s in San Diego and it seems to be a bit of a forgotten style. I think this is a great shame because it has something a lot of craft beers lack which is great drinkability. I know in the UK it is regarded as a strong beer but in the USA, it is seen to be on the weaker side. It is overdue a revival I think because the craft beer sector lacks a wealth of session beers, at least great ones like ESB. I now have to plan a spring trip to the states because I will be attending the next Beer World Cup in San Antonio. I think I will tag on visits to Houston (well that’s where NASA is), Charleston and New Orleans. Looks like this year will be a busy one. u
brewersjournal.info
“
j o hn
I can confirm that and also know that my old team are very happy with the investment coming into Fuller’s and at Dark Star too. Long may it continue John Keeling
March 2020
25
B r e w e r s
Le c tu r e s
norw i ch
Brewers Lectures | NORWICH We’re thrilled to be hosting our first Brewers Lectures in Norwich. Taking place on the 18th March at Dragon Hall, it’ll be an afternoon of thought-provoking, engaging discussion, an opportunity to catch up with friends old and new and the chance to enjoy some excellent beer.
N
orwich. The City of Ale. The Brewers Lectures come to Norwich for the first time this March and we couldn't be happier. Join
us for an afternoon of thought-provoking talks, engaging discussion and of course, excellent beer. In 2020, the Norwich City of Ale celebrates its 10th year. So there was no better time for the Brewers Lectures to host its first event in this fine city.
Miranda Hudson | Duration Brewing Miranda Hudson is co-founder of Duration Brewing, a progressive farmhouse brewery built to make ‘Beers That Belong’ in Norfolk. Miranda’s deft project management skills have raised Duration’s profile ahead of its imminent opening later this year. Miranda and Derek Bates (co-founder and brewer) have released high profile collaborative and own beers while planning and building Duration from the ground up to deliver wild ales and fresh beers with purpose.
Taking place on the 18th March, it promises to be a fantastic afternoon with talks from some of the industry’s leading lights. With this there will be absorbing discussion and a wealth of brilliant beer.
KEY INFORMATION The Venue Dragon Hall, 115-123 King Street, Norwich, NR1 1QE The time 18 March 2019 12.30pm to 5pm
26
March 2020
Jamie Ramshaw | Simpsons Malt Jamie Ramshaw is the UK Technical Sales Manager at Simpsons Malt. Jamie has more than two decades worked closely with most of the UK brewing industry in his previous roles at Murphy and Son and also Wells & Youngs.
Brewers Journal
norw i ch
B r e w e r s
Le c tu r e s
SUPPORTED BY
Yvan Seth | Jolly Good Beer Yvan Seth is the founder of wholesale craft beer distribution and dispense business Jolly Good Beer. Seth says he’s a “beer enthusiast putting his life towards promoting the best beers he can find” but he’s much more than that. An expert and advocate in cold-chain distribution, Seth ensures customers get the beer they want while breweries, pubs and pubs call on him time and time again for his wide-ranging expertise in dispense.
Charles O’Reilly | Burnt Mill Brewery Charles O’Reilly is the founder of Suffolk’s Burnt Mill. The Badley-based brewery has gone from strength-to-strength since starting out back in 2015, including being recognised as the Best New Brewery in England at the prestigious RateBeer Awards. Its beers such as Pintle, Galaxy Fog and Rosetta Cone have resonated with drinkers, just as its collaborations with breweries such as Cloudwater, Fieldwork, Other Half and Finback.
Lotte Peplow | Brewers Association Lotte Peplow is the craft beer ambassador for Europe at the Brewers Association. A Certified Cicerone and beer sommelier, Lotte also writes about beer, judges beer, brews beer, and is a keen beer and food pairing advocate.
Christian Townsley | North Brewing Co Christian Townsley is a pioneer of the modern UK brewing industry. Along with his co-founder John Gyngell, Townsley founded North Bar and North Brewing, picking up a wealth of awards for their beer, branding and business acumen.
brewersjournal.info
March 2020
27
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recruitment
t r e n d ing
Find the perfect fit If we are not creating and working in an environment that we love, one that excites us and challenges us, then we are not at our best. Failing to bring the best version of ourselves to the party everyday hurts our chances of success. So, what do you do if you’re not? The Brewers Journal talks to brewing recruitment expert Julie Carling of The Carling Partnership to find out more. by velo mitrovich
A
increase in candidates contacting us in mid-January and September,” says Julie Carling. “We put this down to people taking time to assess their careers during holiday times and an element of new year new start and the impetus to do something about it. Activity during 2019 was affected by the uncertainty of Brexit to a certain extent.”
Where to turn
A
nd if I’m looking for work. Why should I go through an employment agency as opposed to just emailing my CV out there?
She says: “How are you going to find a new role? You
ll of us are working for a brand. This could
would expect me to say you should use a professional
be a brand of beer, a brand of brewing
recruiter as this will give you access to a wide selection
equipment, or a brand of supplies and
of active roles. We work directly with the owners’ and HR
raw materials. It’s a brand we care about,
departments of leading brewing/distilling companies
it’s what gets us moving every Monday
both global and craft.
morning, and it’s what pays the bills. If you’re the founder of that brand, you care about
“We will also have a greater understanding of the culture of the business, whether the fit between
growth, you care about putting value in your brand, and
candidate/client is going to work. As a candidate, we will
you care about success.
be representing you with the client, able to offer insights
But there is another brand that sometimes gets
into the company/people and offer interview advise –
overlooked in all of this and that’s Brand You. What are
basically “hold your hand” through the entire recruitment
you doing to put value in yourself, in creating the best
process.”
brand that you can be? Some work experts believe that once a year you
Carling adds that there are other avenues open to you such as word of mouth, on-line specialist job boards,
should take the time to evaluate your job – your own
company websites, social media or simply forwarding a
personal brand. Are you doing the work you want to
speculative CV.
be doing? Are you happy with your pay; job location; opportunities for advancement; and career enrichment? If you’re not, it might be time for a change. But is
“We also have assignments that are not advertised so are able to offer candidates opportunities that they would never know about. By working closely with clients and
there one particular time of year that recruiters see a lot
candidates we excel at matching people and knowing
of movement taking place with people looking for new
what culture they will work best in,” she explains. “Also,
positions?
our knowledge of a role will be greater than what is
“During 2019, movement was spread evenly throughout the year. In past years we have seen an
brewersjournal.info
advertised and often the perfect role for a candidate is not the one they consider themselves suitable for.”
March 2020
29
t r e n d ing
recruitment
ON-BOARDING
DEFINE THE ROLE
OFFER
TIMESCALES
INTERVIEWS
JOB DESCRIPTION
MARKET THE ROLE
Above: The Carling Partnership's recruitment process
Carling says: “A smaller brewery can give you greater exposure to lots of areas of the business and scope to be involved in new product development and recipe
And when it comes to look at a new role, is it that they
development. With a smaller company you will most
want a new challenge, better pay, work in a new location,
likely be closer to the customer and in many cases you’ll
or a combination of the three?
have more of an opportunity to help develop the strategy
“The reasons that people look for new roles are many and varied and often, surprisingly, it is often not driven by
for the business.” So, you’ve been at the same brewery for years and
money. These can be a new challenge, to gain more and
now you’re thinking about another brewing position. It’s
varied experience, to build their career, or somewhere
been years since you’ve sat in a job interview, what can
they can take on more responsibility,” says Carling. “A
you do to prepare yourself for this?
move to a different brewery can also lead to better
“Do your research into the company. Think about why
training – people will often move to a new brewery often
you want the job and what you can bring to the role.
because they want to work with a particular person.
Look online for interview questions and scenarios,” says
She adds: “If the brewery is expanding, you’ll have
Carling, “Ask what the interview format is going to be so
the opportunity to work on a project. A brewery which
you are prepared on what to expect. If applying through
will support development and training, sponsorship of
a recruitment company, they will talk you through the
examinations, are all important factors in make a decision
process and help you “get your brain into the right gear”!
to change roles. A move driven solely by the quest for
Key qualifications
more money is often short-lived.” For Carling, what are the advantages of working for a large brewer? These can vary but often working for a larger company means working in a more structured environment. This can mean that there will be more training and development opportunities, as well as financial support for training. In some large breweries there are more opportunities
A
nd for for people trying to break into brewing or distilling, how important is it having university or training course qualifications?
She explains: “The brewing degrees and master
qualifications offered by Heriot Watt and Nottingham in the UK are well respected by brewing companies along
to change roles and/or location, which may mean
with a number of the brewing schools in Europe. Others
international exposure. There will often be more
come into the industry through chemical engineering and
opportunities to work on projects and to be exposed to
other science based courses, often starting working in the
modern manufacturing and management technics. There
laboratory and transferring to the brewing department.
can also be the possibility of a better benefits package, although not in all cases. And likewise, what are the advantages of working for a small brewery?
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March 2020
“What is important is to try and gain some practical experience of working in a brewery, even if this is in holiday time. Working knowledge of being in a brewery is attractive to clients. For those candidates in work the IBD
Brewers Journal
recruitment
t r e n d ing
COMPANY CULTURE
TRAINING AND
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT
RETENTION
REMUNERATION
COMMUNICATION
Above: Candidates' reasons for moving on
qualifications are well respected and highly sought by the
employees and keep turnover low. Communication,
clients we work with.”
engagement with and development of employees it vital.
From an employer’s perspective hiring new people is
It’s not rocket science and, in the majority of cases, simply
expensive, especially if they don’t work out. How can this
listening to employees and taking the time to engage can
cost and hassle be reduced?
make all the difference.
“Yes!” says Carling. “Employees are the greatest asset
"When an employee is handing in their notice, isn’t the
of any company and recruiting and retaining talent
time to tell them you had great plans for them – by then
should be approached in the same way as selecting a
it’s too late as someone else has great plans for them!”
new brewhouse. A complete article could be written on
Carling says: "Having mentioned the importance of
this subject. No one can guarantee a recruitment will be
retaining your team we have to accept that people will
successful but if carried out professionally the risk can
want to move on – they may wish to relocate, develop
significantly be reduced.
their career in a new direction or simply just want a new
"When planning to recruit a new member of staff a
challenge. Zero turnover is not good for business, new
process should be put in place and we suggest following
employees bring fresh ideas and often new impetuous
our recruiting guide [opposite top page]."
and drive. Looking outside of the brewing sector
Finally, why do you think most people want to move
for people can introduce new dynamics, skills and
on to different breweries and as an employer, what could I
experience that can make everyone think differently and
do to keep them?
this is, more often than not, a good thing.” u
Carling says staff retention is one of the major challenges for brewers today. Having recruited your team, you want a great workplace, to ensure you retain them. Their knowledge of retention comes from speaking with
The Carling Partnership
thousands of candidates over the years and discussing the reasons why they join a company and why they then decide to move on from their roles and what does and doesn’t attract them to a company. She says: “The reasons why employees leave organisations are many and varied – and, believe me, we have heard them all! However, bizarrely, it’s not unusual for employers not to know why they are losing their employees, which is surprising given how costly staff turnover can be.
Bill and Julie Carling founded The Carling Partnership in 2001 to address a need made very clear by the volume of calls being made to the International Brewer's Guild asking for suggestions for candidates for vacant posts. The company initially specialised in brewing, which were its roots. Since then, Carling has moved into other sectors.
“Companies should develop a retention plan to retain
brewersjournal.info
March 2020
31
Innovate and Invent Partizan Brewing, founded by Andy Smith, is one of the original members of the famous beer scene in Bermondsey, London. And under the leadership of head brewer Dennis Ratliff and his assistant Tom Mahoney, they’re driving the brewery through the next stage of its evolution. by tim sheahan
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March 2020
L
ondon’s brewing scene is an enthralling tapestry. It’s a hotbed of talent as diverse as the capital itself. The city boasts a rich, layered history but as importantly, a contemporary brewing sector underpinned
by innovation and expression. Bermondsey in South-East London is arguably the
epicentre of this city's modern, so-called, craft industry. A cross-section of breweries, along with their burgeoning taproom offerings, have helped transcend this corner of the beer scene beyond craft beer enthusiasts, aficionados
Brewers Journal
and fans, and into the world of the casual drinker. Like a band getting too popular, some voices will
As avid home-brewer, he sought to make fresh exciting beer that was difficult to find here in the UK. A
despair at the increased popularity of their favourite
move from his home town of Leeds to London soon
haunts. Though whether these are the same as those that
presented the opportunity to work with Andy Moffat at
argue modern beer needs to move beyond the “craft beer
Redemption Brewing in Tottenham.
bubble” is probably a conversation for another day… Partizan Brewing has been one such part of Bermondsey’s beer scene since 2012. The brewery’s
Here he studied and learned to ply his trade as a professional brewer whilst making many friends and contacts in the fast growing UK beer scene.
journey began when founder and owner Andy Smith left
Come 2012, one of these friends, Evin O'Riordain of
a career in fine dining to follow his pursuits in one of life’s
The Kernel Brewery kindly offered to pass on their original
other great pleasures.
brew kit as the Kernel embarked upon expansion, and it
brewersjournal.info
March 2020
33
m e e t
th e
b r e w e r
part i zan
wasn’t long before the brewery was born. Smith secured
brew i ng
Ratliff had a positive time working at the Bermondsey
some premises secured just down the railway line, and
business and still counts them as friends. He feels that he
Kernel and Partizan were established as neighbours.
brought some of his organisational skills to the brewery,
“We at Partizan relish diversity,” says Smith. “We delight in the cultural richness of our surroundings here in London, with its myriad ethnicities, languages and
something that now dovetails with fellow Partizan brewer Mahoney’s way of working. “I was in the army so it comes naturally to me. It’s
traditions. A city, fuelled by passionate, creative and
a good thing, but maybe it can be a bad thing too,”
enterprising people, drawing on a wealth of strands of
he smiles. “Tom will attest to that as well. He's a very
history and identity, filled with excitement to create anew.”
deliberate thinker and sees the big picture whereas I sort
He adds: “In so many ways this involved a look to the past, to a time when people invested themselves fully in
of pick a direction and I totally charge towards it.” Ratliff has been head brewer at Partizan since July of
hand driven pursuits, producing with pride and precision
last year. Mahoney would go on to join the team a month
the consumables that not only nourished physically, but
later.
excited the taste buds. “The recent food and drink revolution has led to a
The latter’s journey in the world of brewing started in 2016 as an apprentice at Dorking Brewery but the seeds
wonderfully diverse international community of producers
was sown long before. A student of American Studies
who are fiercely dedicated to making things that can offer
at the University of Texas, Mahoney’s palate would
the same to the modern consumer.”
experience the joys of fresh Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
In 2020 one such producer is Dennis Ratliff, the head brewer of Partizan. Along with his assistant Tom
alongside other world-class brews. Upon returning to the UK to complete his studies, the
Mahoney, the brewing trio, completed by founder Smith,
culinary fan looked lovingly towards the world of cheffing
are ensuring the Raymouth Road operation continues to
before taking a position at a pensions company.
evolve and transform like London itself. “There is no better time, and no better place, to be a
“I wasn’t totally sold on the idea of pursuing the cheffing route so took the office option. It was fine, but
brewer than London at the point we’re at now,” enthuses
when I saw the Dorking Brewery position I knew I had to
Ratliff. “I truly believe that.”
take a punt,” he recalls.
Ratliff has been involved in beer for nearly 20 years.
Mahoney adds: “There is a definite crossover between
Starting out in 2001, he got a job working at Pennsylvania
being a chef and being a brewer and that very much
Brewing Company on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Roles
appealed to me. You’re working with fantastic ingredients
washing kegs and progressing through apprenticeship
and the ability to create something is incredibly attractive.”
programmes gave him invaluable experience in the trade
Mahoney went on to become senior brewer at
before his wife’s work in the chemicals industry took them
London’s excellent Five Points Brewing Company before
to Chicago and for Ratliff, a position at Emmett’s Brewing.
joining Partizan, where he and Ratliff form the main
Ratliff enjoyed a stint there before relocation was required once more and this time, London was the destination. “We were both happy to have the opportunity to move
brewing team. Founder Smith still plays an integral role in new recipes. “Everyone gets a say when it comes to new beers,” explains Ratliff. “Andy is involved, we’re involved, the
here and naturally, I immediately started researching the
taproom is involved and sales are involved. Let’s not
beer scene,” he recalls.
forget, sales drive brewing.”
The year was 2015 and in the height of summer. Visits
He adds: “Working with a small team is fantastic
to the Great British Beer Festival and the various events
because you get to have most impact, no matter what
organised as part of London Beer Week gave Ratliff a
your position is. You can take ownership of things and
varied insight into the wonders London had to offer for a
everybody feels like they're part of everything. Why?
fan of the aforementioned beverage.
Because they really are.”
“I had been in the world of beer for nearly 20 years and
The brewery mades its foray into canning its beers
I had never taken a note in my life!” he laughs. “But here I
in the second half of 2019. Popular new releases such
was, writing down as much as I could to help me process
as New England Pale and New England Saison have
everything. It was overwhelming, but in a good way.”
resonated with drinkers, complementing bottled releases
At that point he wasn’t looking for a job but instead, he was an American brewer fresh to London and just wanted to get the lay of the land. “Any brewery’s beers I enjoyed I’d go on to email and ask for a chat, and that’s how I ended up at Brew By Numbers,” he says.
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March 2020
that include Lemon and Thyme Saison, beers that helped establish Partizan in the London brewing landscape. And its beer like this that continue to prove a hit with punters that frequent Bermondsey’s popular ‘Beer Mile’, something that continues to enamour Ratliff. “You know, I think we're so lucky to have this. You
Brewers Journal
There is no better time, and no better place, to be a brewer than London at the point we’re at now Dennis Ratliff, Partizan Brewing
m e e t
th e
b r e w e r
part i zan
know, as much as people don't seem to like the beer mile
brew i ng
Ratliff is proud of.
term, I think it's fantastic. I love having this opportunity
“There’s no harm in going steady, he says. “I know
to try so many different beers from so many different
people talk about a bubble, and they talk about a ceiling
breweries all in one go,” he says.
but as I said there's still room for growth if we continue to
Part of its appeal, to Ratliff, remains the sense of community he feels part of. “We're always over at Brew By Numbers borrowing
make good beer and get it into people's hands.” Founder Smith adds: “To truly move forward and progress, it is important to be mindful of the past; this
stuff or they’re here doing the same,” he says. It’s that or
has always formed part of the Partizan ethos. We want to
we’re hanging out with the team at Affinity Brew Co and
continue to learn from our predecessors and give life and
elsewhere. It’s great and we're very, very fortunate.”
longevity to the beer they made.
Along with this idea of community, Ratliff is confident in the room for growth that exists in the craft beer sector.
“Learning is so important for development, and we believe that this comes not only through education, but
He explains: “There are challenges, of course, but
also in seeing things from another angle or through a
look to the US and see how it keeps growing. There’s no
different prism of thought. This is why we love to work
reason why we can’t continue to do that here.
with new people, to share, to guide and to be guided into
“But to achieve that, you certainly don't do it by chasing trends. That approach will only sustain you for a little
new avenues of exploration. “Our association with other unique and spirited
while. I believe you need to stay true to who you are and
producers, artists and collaborators of all kinds has
do the best you can.”
always been fruitful and we hope to continue to grow and
Such an approach at Partizan has resulted in the
develop relationships within the industry and beyond,
brewery recently investing in a new FV to help increase
refining our process and continue to brew and share beer
capacity by around 15%, a steady increase in growth that
we love." u
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March 2020
Brewers Journal
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s e c to r
water
Sustainable water use in breweries Brewers are aware of the environmental challenges they face in certain areas where their operations are based and are investing in key initiatives to improve sustainability. Therefore, the time is now to start saving water and optimize your brewery, says Heleen Nieuwenhuis, marketing director for Ecolab Global Platforms Industrial Sector Europe.
Hygiene programs have been very successful at optimizing cleaning and disinfection, leveraging products that are efficacious at lower temperatures, while being biodegradable, thus having a positive impact on the wastewater. Additionally, having the best hygiene routine can save energy, water, and time, as production capacity can continue to grow, and processes are automated for increased productivity. All water used in brewing operations, from cleaning and utilities such as boiler, cooling pasteurization, to transportation systems, is typically collected in a central wastewater treatment plant. This treatment process is essential to degrade dissolved organic material and
by HELEEN NIEUWENHUIS
I
separate the solids from the water, before discharging the cleaned water. By having lower contribution to salt levels
t is common knowledge that water is the main
and better biodegradability, less solid waste is generated
ingredient in beer, but fewer people know the key
and better wastewater quality, that eventually can be
role water plays behind the scenes in the brewing
further reused.
process. From cleaning to cooling to pasteurizing to transportation, water is found at every step of
Our mission is to ensure our customers take a holistic approach to how they use and manage water in their
the process. When the industry pledges to achieve more
operations, understanding the importance of hygienic
sustainable and environmentally friendly operations,
operations and costeffective water management.
water is one of the first resources that brewers should
We strive to increase the performance of the
learn to better manage, given the positive impact it can
manufacturing sites where we implement our solutions,
have on energy consumption and waste generation.
combining chemical services, water technology, and
Beer is composed of around 95 percent water.
digital tools to help breweries reach their ambitious water
On average, more than three hectoliters of water are
reduction targets. The key is to have a clear overview of
used to produce one hectoliter of beer. Water is used
the whole water cycle of breweries, finding innovative
in the malting process as a starting point for the beer
ways to save, recycle and reuse water, while ensuring
production; to clean the production and storage vessels,
fresh water can be shared with neighboring users in the
transportation systems, and return bottles and kegs; and
same water shed.
to increase beer shelf life through pasteurization and refrigeration. Over the past few years, brewers have increasingly
Digital is a game changer for smarter water management in manufacturing operations. Ecolab’s 3D Trasar™, an advanced and comprehensive water
been looking for ways to reduce their average water
performance technology, combines chemistry, remote
consumption to three or less hectoliters of water per
services and sophisticated monitoring and control to
hectoliter of beer.
optimize the running and efficiency of boiler, cooling,
Water and hygiene are inextricably linked in a
membrane, pasteurizer, wastewater and cleaninginplace
brewery’s operations. With the right cleaning practices in
(CIP) applications. The result is a balanced, efficient, and
place, a brewer can control the level of microorganisms
safe utility system that saves fresh water and energy
and ensure the safety and consistent taste of the final
consumption. The result also requires less maintenance,
products for consumers.
eliminates the over or underdosing of chemicals, and
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March 2020
Brewers Journal
water
provides maximum asset protection at lower operating
s e c to r
Brewers are aware of the environmental challenges
costs. With tools like 3D Trasar™, water management
they face in certain areas where their operations are
cannot stay optional. Access to data and digital water
based and are investing in key initiatives to improve
management are key differentiators that make water
sustainability. Due to population growth, increasing global
savings targets easily and quickly achievable.
welfare, and climate change, the demand for clean water
Better water management cannot be dismissed. Water is a crucial ingredient to beer and its brewing process,
will be 40 percent higher than available supply by 2030. In this nearfuture reality, streamlining water
and a manufacturer cannot take the risk of running out
consumption will be a must, not just to ensure sufficient
of water and threatening the production site. Historically,
water availability to carry forward their operations
breweries have been built close to their customers’
ambitions, but to have sufficient water for the needs of
residential areas, in densely populated areas like cities.
the surrounding communities. In brewer’s sustainability
This is posing strains on available resources, such
programs, water stewardship plays a central role,
as fresh water, required for the general population,
complementing action to reduce CO2 emissions, enable
agriculture and various industries. In these areas, where
smart agriculture, circular packaging, responsible
water is scarce due to climate conditions, lack of water
consumption, and waste disposal.
availability is a concern that brewers need to address.
Strong partnership and smart investment are
Water withdrawn from wells and groundwater reservoirs
key to prepare for the future needs of the brewing
may suffer from salt ingress in coastal areas, or aging
manufacturing setting. The time is now to start saving
infrastructure; water prepared from river water may suffer
water and optimize your brewery’s performance. u
from upstream pollution.
brewersjournal.info
March 2020
39
water
s e c to r
Six steps to cost-effective brewery effluent treatment There’s a number of key steps to follow if you want to achieve cost-effective brewery effluent treatment, Richard Manning, UK managing director of ENEXIO 2H Water Technologies explains.
seen enough customers react to the “customisation” words to know that it’s often equated, in some cases based on past experience, with complexity and escalating expense. It all depends on how you, and your supplier, manage and monitor the customisation process. Note that I use “supplier” singular and not the plural.
by RICHARD MANNING
I
In my opinion, it’s virtually impossible for a customer to stay in control, and keep costs down, while dealing with multiple suppliers.
n September 2019, The Brewers Journal published an article ‘What do Tougher Trade Effluent
2H Water Technologies operates a step-by-step process to ensure a successful project.
Consents Mean for the UK’s Brewing Industry?’ in
Obviously, our approach reflects the products and
which I discussed the implications for the brewing
services but, at its core, it reflects the standards of best
industry of the tougher trade effluent discharge
practice we believe customers should expect from any
regulations we can expect to see coming into force over the coming years. The response from our own customers to the
effluent treatment supplier. The approach can be condensed into six steps which, depending how, and by whom, they’re conducted
challenge of meeting tougher regulation has been
can streamline and simplify the process of achieving
interesting – and reflects what we see in the wider
an effective effluent treatment system that delivers
industry. There’s no doubt that the majority of brewers
maximum return on investment.
are committed to meeting trade effluent consents and
Analysis
fulfil their wider social and environmental responsibilities. Despite the good intentions, they’re apprehensive because, well, it’s all so complicated and potentially expensive. And, if upgrading on-site effluent treatment facilities can be regarded as a challenge, spare a thought for breweries that have, or will be, “re-banded”. We’re going to see a lot of smaller breweries compelled to bring effluent treatment in-house. Starting from scratch – i.e. from finding a supplier to footing the
B
efore we propose any sort of solution, we need to know more about composition of the effluent – for example, the volume and “levels” of Suspended
Solids and other contaminants plus COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand). I don’t want to go into too much technical detail in this
bill for plant to be designed, built, installed and, possibly,
article so suffice to say that brewing effluent responds
managed. It’s a major undertaking which, if handled
well to biological treatment. This is largely due to the
badly, could be an expensive waste of time and money.
proliferation in the effluent of biodegradable organic
I have a lot of sympathy for our brewing industry
compounds such as sugars, ethanol and soluble starch.
customers. When budget is limited and maintaining
Approach and design
productivity is of paramount importance, it’s easy to see why brewers would want a fast, easy and guaranteed solution. The problem for brewers – in fact, for any company in any process industry – is that an effective off-the-shelf or one-size-fits all trade effluent system does not exist – and for good reason. Every brewery, every bottling plant
A
t this point, we’re ready to assess what needs to be treated, and the specific treatment targets, against the available options in our product and
service portfolio. We start with the basics, such as is
or production facility has its own unique combination of
a new build required or would an upgrade deliver the
factors which, ultimately, results in effluent that is, well,
required results? We also factor operational objectives
unique.
into our thinking – e.g. does the customer want to
The bottom line is to get the results you want, a customised effluent treatment solution is essential. I’ve
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March 2020
increase the load or want to improve the treatment process/quality to meet tighter discharge consents?
Brewers Journal
water
Then we calculate the mix, function size and weight
s e c to r
that our proposed solution will deliver the results they
of products including media needed to deliver optimum
want, we’re ready to tell them what it will cost. We
performance at every stage of the process, and meet
always provide a fully costed specification detailing the
effluent compliance standards
equipment we provide and how and why it is essential
Then, there are the practical considerations to take into
to the final application. We don’t believe suppliers
account, such as space and construction requirements.
should hide any justifiable costs, nor should they spring
And, finally, the design has to minimise energy
additional expense on our customers. So, we don’t….
requirements both in the supply, the operation and the
Design, install, monitor
maintenance. We will also produce supporting materials including a detailed installation plan and guidelines on managing and maintaining the solution.
Pilot-test and trial
B
y now, we’ve finalised the design and know that the solution we’ve proposed will deliver on every requirement. We’re ready to install – and then
manage and monitor the solution.
T
I want to make it clear that for the approach to work, it
here’s no point in a recommending a solution
has to be cohesive with each of the fully integrated steps
that we can’t prove will work. A scaled-down
shaped with, and informed by, insights gained from an
pilot plant in which the solution is tested
investigation and analysis of the client’s current situation,
under conditions that mirror real world conditions and challenges, allows every aspect of our recommendations to be tested, and the potential results verified. One of the many benefits of a pilot is that it’s
challenges and requirements. So, that’s the six, simple steps. Constant evaluation is essential throughout the six step process. We believe it’s important to review performance - of our people and
conducted in isolation so doesn’t have to be
our solution –during every stage of the process. That’s no
accommodated by, or impede, day-to-day operations.
more than you should expect from any supplier.
We draw on the results of the pilot trials to
And, finally, there’s the question of budget. We’re
demonstrate the way in which the system will operate
careful to monitor and assess costs throughout a project,
and provide evidence that it will deliver the level of
not least because we know that, in the end, a truly
treatment required.
successful installation is defined by maximum return on
Once we’ve proved to the customer’s satisfaction
brewersjournal.info
investment. u
March 2020
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Welsh wonders
Beer is no-longer for ‘beer drinkers’, with customers becoming as diverse as the breweries themselves, explains Clodagh Sherrard on behalf of the Welsh Drinks Cluster’s Beer and Cider Group by Clodagh Sherrard
S
etting aside the blatant sexism, the concept
discover a love for ales and beers of every description, does the concept of a female brewer seem less likely? Many in the industry might say that industry stereotypes bear no relations to the reality of the modern brewing industry. To explore this issue, we talk to four leading female experts from the growing Welsh beer industry, to see how common perceptions compare the real-world experiences. For Pam Honeyman, founder, director and head
that “beer is a man’s drink” is factually
brewer at Monty’s Brewery in Montgomery, gender
incorrect. The fact is that women have not
is irrelevant when it comes to keeping ahead of the
only been enjoying beer for as long as men,
competition.
originally brewing was a female driven
occupation.
So, the question today is why, in a time where the
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recent craft beer renaissance has seen new generations
March 2020
“When we started out in 2009, we were the 27th brewery in Wales, fast forward to 2020 and now there’s well over 100 breweries offering so many different beers,
Brewers Journal
wales
b r e w e ry
to u r
“
It’s a lot of fun to challenge the stereotypes and break them down Pam Honeyman, Monty’s Brewery
she says. “And that’s just in Wales, let alone the rest of the
for trends, and our gluten free range was part of that
UK.
process, I always aim to brew beers you’ll want another
“The competition is fiercer than it ever has been, meaning you’ve got to make a premium product that packs a punch and leaves people wanting more. I feel like that is what we’ve got here at Monty’s.” Honeyman’s decision to found Monty’s came after she completed a brewing course in 2008. She knew that there was a growing demand in the area for local real ales and wondered if her love of cooking would be transferable. Fast forward a decade and Monty’s have created a
pint of. I would describe our beer as traditional, but with a modern twist. “Our multi-award-winning golden ale, Sunshine, is packed with floral and citrus aromas and is our most popular signature brew and was a Finalist Champion Beer of Britain in 2019. “I get quite frustrated around these supposed gender roles within the industry, I would say it’s less about gender now and more about the quality of your product – that is
range of beers that has seen Monty’s become an integral
what’s important. If you haven’t got a premium product
part of its community. And, when it comes to making
then it’s a tough market to stay in.
beer, it’s the quality of the product, not the gender of the brewer that customers care about. She continues: “I do experiment with our beers looking
brewersjournal.info
"Yes, of course I am in the minority as a woman and also a head brewer, there are just more men in this industry, but if anything it’s a lot of fun to challenge the
March 2020
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At the end of the day, we’re brewers and enjoying our high-quality beers is what our customers care about Becky Morrison, Tomos Watkin Brewery
stereotypes and break them down.” Brewing has been part of Wales’ rich history and
culture since the time of the druids where breweries were founded to meet the demands of the industrial revolution,
to share their ideas, talk about beer and respond to the industry.” Balancing innovation, while staying true to the products your customers love, is a fine line to tread. At Tomos Watkin the key is listening to customers, however they wish to be heard. She continues: “Tomos Watkin is a traditional brand with a loyal customer base, but we’re not afraid to collaborate and develop new beers that keep us relevant. We have new and seasonal cask beers released each month. “One of our most recent collaborations is with Afan Coffee, a local speciality roaster, where we produced a vegan-friendly Espresso Stout. None of our beers are developed specifically with men or women in mind, instead we focus on developing high-quality products for those who appreciate good beer.” It’s easy to think that the task of making an exceptional
when beer was cleaner than water. The rise of modern
ale is the sole responsibility of the brewer, but the fact is
Welsh brewing can be seen across the nation, with new
that it’s a team effort to keep a brewery’s lights on and the
craft breweries joining already established producers
barrels moving. At Grey Trees Brewery in Aberdare, much
all over the Principality. However, many established
of that work falls to co-director, Tracey Kerslake-Davies.
breweries are finding new audiences through social
“Grey Trees Brewery was created from the passion my
media by allowing them to hear what customers are
husband had for brewing, but with my help we’ve turned
asking for and provide new products to that meet the
a start-up micro-brewery into a credible and sustainable
demand.
business. So, while I may not brew the product, I ensure
Becky Morrison grew up in the beer industry. Today, she works alongside her family as the marketing and
that we still have a brewery to run,” she says. Like all passionate craftspeople, Tracey’s team say
e-commerce manager at Swansea-based Tomos Watkin
they focus on making good products that speak for
Brewery.
themselves and should be enjoyed by all.
Morrison says: “There is always some surprise by men
Kerslake-Davies adds: “As independent craft brewers,
and women alike that Tomos Watkin is run by a mother,
I’d say we like to challenge ourselves to make new
daughter and auntie team. While I would say it is a
exciting beers and ales but ensuring that we stick to
pleasant surprise, you can’t deny the general assumption
the traditions of brewing. I’ve never really felt like we’ve
that the chief executive of a brewery is going to be male.
needed to market our beer specifically to women – we
I don’t think that’s specifically because we make beer, it is
always made the assumption that our beer would be
the same across many industries.
enjoyed by both genders. One of our favoured ales is the
“We’ve just got to be part of the driving force to change the stereotypes and push the boundaries. At the end of the day, we’re brewers and enjoying our highquality beers is what our customers care about.” As the brewery’s marketing manager, Becky says that
Afghan Pale Ale which has a sort of tropical aroma, and it won Silver Supreme Champion of Britain 2019. “Our focus was more about distinguishing our beer apart from the other products on the market rather than appealing to one gender or another. Our packaging
her job is about listening to her customers as much as it is
reflects that, being black and white, it’s quite neutral in
to tell them about Tomos Watkin’s products. She believes
colour as well as design.”
that social media is allowing more people to voice their
Emma Lockett, brewery manager at Porthmadog’s
opinions on the products available and crucially, what
Purple Moose Brewery is part of a team that has been
they want from brands.
securing regional, national and international awards for
“Women have always drunk beer. It would be terribly
over a decade. In her opinion, consistent quality products
narrow-minded to think or say that women didn’t, don’t or
are driving the rise of the beer industry in Wales industry
won’t drink beer,” says Morrison. “I think what has changed
above anything else.
is the way women engage with beer – from a social
“There’s no denying that the industry is still male
media point of view, I see and engage with so many more
orientated, but there are many more women involved in
women who are reviewing or reacting to our beers. Social
brewing and the industry as a whole than many would
media has given a solid platform for women (and men)
assume,” says Lockett. “Personally, I’d still like to see a
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Below left: Team Tomos Watkin, from left to right Connie Parry, Becky Morrison, Clare Parry
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The true catalyst for change is the younger generation Emma Lockett, Purple Moose Brewery
shift to a better gendered balance, but our sector is not exclusive by any means. Opportunities exist whatever your gender. At the end of the day, if you have the interest and the passion, then you need to just go for it.” According to Lockett the changes that have led to the
growth of Welsh brewing and brewing across the UK in general are the result of people becoming aware and interested in exploring quality beers. Lockett explains: “I don’t think an increase in female
drinkers has much do to with the changes we’re seeing in Wales and across the UK. In fact, there has always been
Emma Lockett of Purple Moose Brewery
a high level of interest in beer from women. The true catalyst for change is the younger generation. “Across the board, people have changed their drinking habits, they are more aware of what they are consuming, so they choose higher quality beers over mass produced products that were the only option not so long ago. “We have a beer for whatever kind of drinker you are. Our signature brew is our Snowdonia Ale, it’s a fine golden ale that is refreshing and full flavour making it wonderfully drinkable and popular with traditionalists. But, for those looking for a more adventurous craft beer, we launched options like Chocolate Moose, Mwsh (a Kolsch-style lager) and Antlered IPA. It’s unlikely we’d ever create a beer with either men or women in mind, they’re just made for people who like good beer.” If one thing is clear, it’s that quality beer speaks for itself. Sometimes stereotypes exist in the minds of those outside an industry simply because customers focus on beer that they like, at most they register the name of the brewery itself. But, we live in a time where perceptions of beer are changing at large. Beer is no-longer for ‘beer drinkers’, with customers becoming as diverse as the breweries themselves. Nowhere is this truer than Wales, where concerted effort is being made to promote Welsh breweries to customers and on-trade alike. Welsh Beer Week runs from Sunday 8th March to Saturday 14th March and will see pubs across the country prominently featuring ales and beer made by Welsh brewers. u
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Hit high standards in hygiene Meeting the highest standards of hygiene in brewing is essential and a greater understanding of microbiology aids this relationship for all concerned, explains Chris Bayliss, national sales manager at Christeyns Food Hygiene, and Northern & Scottish Section chairman of the Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers' Association (BFBi)
In 2018, consumers spent ÂŁ5.6 billion on beer in the United Kingdom and beer remains the most popular choice when drinking alcohol in the UK, accounting for over a third of all alcohol being consumed. All this points to the fact that beer plays a major part in the lives of many of us, be that as a consumer or as an industry employee, or both. Due to the surge in the number of breweries and the amount of beer being consumed, increased legislation has been put in place in the UK to maintain consumer confidence in the industry. In June 2015 SALSA (Safe
by Chris Bayliss
and Local Supplier Approval) launched its plus Beer Audit which provides small breweries and bottlers
T
across the UK with a dedicated standard to follow that
and other ingredients that lead to a great drink, but also
Firms are audited annually to ensure continued
the production process and faultless hygiene routine that
compliance. In all situations, prevention is always better
impacts on the final taste.
than cure.
he increase in craft brewing and the interest
gives confidence to customers and retailers, and more
this has generated for beer in general, has
importantly, keeps quality standards high.
put pressure on breweries to go the extra
Certification is only granted to suppliers who are
mile to create products that incorporate
able to demonstrate to an auditor that they are able to
unique flavours as they strive to produce
produce safe and legal beverages and are committed
the perfect brew. It is not, however, just the hops, yeast
to continually meeting the requirements of the standard.
Hygiene is fundamental to the brewing process, get
There are also HACCP, (Hazard Analysis and Critical
this wrong and you’re on the road to ruin. It pays for
Control Points), requirements for beer production
craft brewers to invest time learning the key aspects of
whereby the Environmental Health Department requires
cleaning before they even think of producing a drop of
that brewers have a plan that covers microbiological,
product. In all breweries, hygiene training should form a
physical and chemical food hazards throughout the
major element of any induction.
brewing process.
Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer
We should not forget that the brewing process
data, published data in November 2019 stating that in
involves microbiological activity at every stage, from
2017, the average person in the UK consumed 122 pints
raw material production and malting to stability in the
of beer per year, with approximately 40 million hectolitres
package, live organisms are present. Although most
of beer produced in the UK that year. Between 2000-2017
of this activity is arrested by boiling during the brewing
the total number of breweries in UK rose to almost 2,500.
process, any contaminants introduced after boiling can
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Magic Rock prides itself on its excellence and consistency
pose a threat in terms of aroma, flavour and consistency
to tackle individual issues, this additional microbiological
so hygiene of the production plant and packaging
background information will help add depth and
areas must be carefully and consistently controlled and
understanding to the hygiene systems and protocols we
managed.
recommend.
Adopting the correct hygiene methods at every stage
“We have to understand that many brewers are dealing
of the process is therefore crucial to prevent unwanted
with ‘live’ beers which need to be properly managed,”
contamination. We can only effectively disinfect a clean
remarks Marilyn. “As an example, in canned craft beers,
smooth surface, so we need to use the correct product
where there is no pasteurisation, the wrong yeast or
formulation to make sure there is no build-up of scale. If
bacteria being present and growing, can cause the
any scale is allowed to develop, this provides safe havens
beer in the can to spoil or even explode. Where beers
for microorganisms to reside and go on to contaminate
are packaged bright and pasteurised, the packaging
the next brew. Deposition of scale also provides areas
process must be very clean and hygienically maintained,
where other forms of soiling may start to deposit.
otherwise spoilage can occur over time, damaging a
In order to ensure our staff are fully up to date on all the issues regarding potential threats in the brewing sector, we have recently teamed up with microbiologist
brand reputation. As with all products, customers will always be lost when they have a bad experience.” Marilyn continues: “Using the wrong chemicals in the
Marilyn Seedhouse who specialises in the brewing
wrong place in the cleaning process can be extremely
industry and currently carries out SALSA audits.
dangerous. If this occurs, heat exchanger plates and
Marilyn is providing formal training for our team
the fabric of delicate brewing plant can be damaged.
so that we can better inform our customers on the
For example, Ethylene glycol, which is used in a lot of
dangers. As we work on a personal, face to face basis
breweries as a coolant for chilling parts of the process,
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M i crob i ology
could contaminate the beer if heat exchangers are
have a bad pint! With all the diversity in today’s brewing
damaged by the use of the wrong detergents. As
industry, it is even more important to make sure the
ethylene glycol is a substance that is deleterious to
hygiene is right.”
health, it is very important that everyone understands
The brewing industry in the UK is currently in a great
just how crucial a part of the brewing process cleaning
place. New and exciting flavours are being developed
actually is.”
and the market has become much more sophisticated. It
Microbiological control is bound by set rules
is not only beer and cider that is seeing growth but new
and regulations, in place to prevent and eliminate
brews such as the health drink kombucha and other non-
contaminating microorganisms so that the quality of the
alcoholic brews are growing in interest.
beer can be protected. Constant hygiene control will
CFH work with a range of breweries across the UK and
detect spoilage microorganisms as soon as possible, and
Ireland, both large and small, one of which is the Magic
by using optimised and efficient cleaning procedures this
Rock Brewery. Based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire,
process can be made as economic as possible.
Magic Rock was set up in 2011 by Richard Burhouse and
Beer spoilage microorganisms such as lactic acid and
after a fantastic first six months went on to being voted
acetic acid bacteria, enterobacteriaceae and wild yeasts
2nd best new brewery in the world 2012 and 5 times a
can be present on all types of surfaces in the brewing
top 100 world brewer since, on the independent ratings
process and microbiological analysis will highlight any
site RateBeer.com. Since then production has more than
contamination. The correct steps can then be taken to
tripled to 2.7 million pints that are sold in 25 countries
eradicate any issues.
worldwide.
If the hygiene regimes employed are below standard,
“Magic Rock prides itself on its excellence and
then this will have bearing on product quality as well
consistency and we needed a chemical supplier to equal
as on the bottom line. Methodology is crucial here
our own high standards – CFH are that company’ states
and that affects both time taken to clean, amount of
head brewer Stuart Ross. “From the very start of our
water and energy used, as well as the quantity and
journey they have provided us with the right products
type of chemicals and detergents. A combination of
to aid the commissioning process right through to our
methodology and chemistry is required to best tackle
daily cleans. Their work has been a major factor in
these issues and brewers need to understand how
the continuous improvements during our expansion
the chemistry works and the methods to use that will
development as cleaning and disinfection are a
generate optimum results.
fundamental part of our process.”
Passionate about her work, Marilyn notes: “it is
In conclusion, whatever the brew and on whatever
important to get through to people and make the industry
scale it is produced, consistently high standards of
a better place. I have made a living out of the beer
hygiene are crucial to keeping not only individual
industry for over 50 years and I wouldn’t want anyone to
breweries on top form, but the industry as a whole.
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Brewers Journal
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Keeping risks down in village breweries Balanced. Just like nobody goes into Space for the food, nobody goes into the beer industry with the idea of creating a balanced business as your goal. You do it for the love of beer, for the adventure, the fun – but balanced? That said, when your brewery has been around for 34-years and has seen some real highs and some real lows, being balanced like a Zen master is something good to have achieved. Velo Mitrovich reports from Nethergate Brewery
In looking at the numerous strengths of award-winning Nethergate Brewery in Rodbridge Corner, giving its customers exactly what they want is exactly why the brewery is thriving today after several very rocky periods involving everything from changing owners, names, moving locations, to going into receivership. Where is Rodbridge Corner? Trust TBJ on this, Rodbridge Corner is not the sort of place that your car’s satnav jumps right on. Located in East Anglia’s Long Melford – just a rooster step north of Sudbury – if you draw a line on a map between Ipswich and Cambridge, it is close to the middle. Even in the dead of winter, the afternoon sun makes this area look stunning and you can see the reason for all the hiking paths, one which goes right past Nethergate.
by velo mitrovich
If you listen into pub conversations –tourists get a short mention more than once – and talk to pub staff, it
F
takes about one second to realise this is a conservative
rom the Escondido hills of San Diego, to
part of the UK and is reflected in the beer and spirits that
outback Broome, Australia, when brewers get
locals drink. What flies as an interesting sour in London,
together and ask each other what they brew,
Somerset and the Republic of Brighton, would be poured
they all take a quick look at the tattoo on their
down the drain in Rodbridge Corner as beer gone bad.
left forearm for a reminder in black ink and
Even though the area’s economy is very much boosted
reply: “I brew only what I like to drink.” High fives are then
by tourism, even though Nethergate has a long history in
given, soul handshakes exchanged, and maybe even a
the greater area, and even though most villages would
couple of “Right on brother/sister.”
sell the mayor’s gold chain to get a modern craft brewery
And while this exchange is going on, a couple of quick nervous glances are given to that other group of brewers on the other side of the room. You know, the brewers
in their patch, there was still some opposition when Nethergate moved to its current location (a former car lot). Despite the current brewery being located well before
that have gone out of business. Why did they go bust?
you enter Rodbridge-proper and its antique centre and
Because these are the brewers who actually lived up to
half-dozen tea and cake shops, and despite having
that motto.
wide, wide open farmers’ fields running parallel along
Somewhere in the middle of the room are the brewers
the brewery’s entire west and south sides, there were
from Nethergate. Having been on both sides of that room,
questions regarding traffic and potential noise from music
the biggest lesson they’ve learned in those 34-years is
during planning meetings in October 2016.
you have to rethink the philosophy of “I know best” and
In defence, however, of the majority of the community,
instead take on “I know best because I listen.” If you’re in
local government officials from Long Melford and
a small village or town, or in a city with competition out
Sudbury listened to the community and latched onto the
the ying-yang, or have the worse distributor known to
idea, throwing their support behind the brewery’s new
mankind, you cannot afford to make creative beers for the
location – which is actually close to its original location
few, but need to think of the majority of your customers
in Clare. (If you’ve been around for the length of time as
and how you’re going to keep them.
Nethergate has, your history gets a bit complicated).
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Above: The famous Nethergate dog, Old Growler. Right: General manager Robert Crawford (L) and head brewer Ian Carson.
History 101
A
ccording to head brewer Ian Carson, the brewery originally started with Ian Hornsey and Dick Burge drinking in a local pub, who figured they could
make a better beer. With Burge being involved in finance and Hornsey a microbiologist, they were more than capable of making this idea come alive. The name came the road the brewery was first located on in the small village of Clare. “They started making what we have now call Suffolk County ale – called Nethergate Best Bitter back then. They brewed for a couple of years, added a couple
including London. JDO Brand Design’s rebrand paper is still online for Nethergate/Growler and makes for interesting reading. The new team was much more ambitious and driven
more beers to the to the range, and just kept growing,”
than the Burge and Hornsey and wanted to drive the
says Carson. “The two decided in 2005 to move to new
brand nationally. With JDO, they laid out very clear goals.
premises in Pentlow, which is about three miles away
These included:
where we are now.” Keeping the range of beers low, Nethergate grew from
u Winning 10% new customers within six months; u Securing a prestigious retail account – for the
strength to strength. But, with Burge wanting to retire,
business impact as well as the kudos
Nethergate was sold in 2010 to a consortium, including
u Increasing market share in established territories by
three ex-Adnams employees, who moved the brewery
at least 15%
across the border from Suffolk into north Essex.
u Increasing core portfolio beer sales by 20%
For the first two years the brewery did extremely well,
The brewery either met or exceeded all the goals
winning the Good Pub Guide ‘Brewery of the Year’ title in
that the rebranding plan laid out. Profitability rose by 32
2012 and other awards.
percent, turnover saw a 37 percent increase, and they
In 2012 the brewery underwent a major rebrand and changed the name of the brewery to ‘Growler’ after one of its beers, several core beers were dropped, others added, and it was decided to expand into other markets,
brewersjournal.info
brought in four new retail customers; Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, and Co-op. And then…and then…and then in 2014, Growler Brewery went into receivership.
March 2020
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viable business, rather than just trying to sell it
What happened?
O
everywhere and anywhere.”
Nethergate trio
ne London bottle shop owner, who used to stock Nethergate/Growler beers, tells TBJ that the brewery was trying to expand into already
saturated markets. They were also a brand of beer that you did not noticed was no longer being distributed until years after the fact. Another view is that the new management team was so concerned about gaining new markets, that they ignored the old, which is where the brewery had its strength and traditions. From a practical viewpoint, an advantage all London craft breweries had over Nethergate/Growler was not
W
ith a staff of 15, plus part-time taproom help, you hate to single out anyone for kudos, but it is hard to see Nethergate being in the
position it is today without general manager Crawford, head brewer Carson, and, most importantly, its investor team that brought it back from near-death. What is interesting that in the big scheme of things, the first two at initial glance are not who you picture in their positions at Nethergate. Carson, former assistant brewer at Hogs Back Brewery,
having to drive anywhere from two to three hours to make
has spent the majority of his career at Nethergate/
deliveries. Considering the vast amount of craft breweries
Growler, working up to head brewer. His training has
in London, all doing something similar, all with very tight
consisted solely of on-the-job, and you have to think
margins, not having shipping costs is enough to make a
he’s had a brilliant mentor or two, such as former head
difference in surviving.
brewers Tom Knox and Paul Gower.
At a fire-sale price of £60,000, the brewery was
In addition, for a six-month period at Nethergate, the
sold to a consortium, led by founder Dick Burge, which
soft-spoken Carson was with beer sales. In dealing with
purchased the brewery in April 2014. One of the first
customers, listening to what they want in a beer and what
acts was to restore the name back to Nethergate and to
actually sells was just as important in his overall beer
refocus selling beer to local free houses. Burge told a
brewing training.
local paper at the time: “It feels like a homecoming, in a
Crawford is an accountant and spent his first eight
way. I’ve always felt emotionally involved in Nethergate as
years in public practice, far away from beer except what
a brand, and I did not want to see it die.”
he was served at a pub. He started during the waning
As general manager Robert (Rob) Crawford says: “Today we're trying to make our business a financially
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days of Growler and has been with Nethergate ever since, working his way up to his current position.
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In looking at various companies ranking from breweries to beef jerky, putting an accountant in charge has often been the kiss of death, with too much emphasis
The Beer
on bottom-line and not on quality. This is far from the case at Nethergate, according to Carson, and he is at a loss trying to remember anytime that Crawford shot down at idea for new equipment and beer launches. “We have shareholders who I have to report to. And
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, Nethergate is located in a traditional area and this is reflected in the beers it produces. American-style sours and milk shake stouts would never work.
these guys are good businessman, and then they want a good business,” says Crawford. “We have the creativity of a decent head brewer, who has some lovely creative ideas. And I think you need that creativity within brewing because not all businesses run by accountants are the most creative – we're known for being a bit more prudent in our approach. So the balance of a creative mind and someone keeping close watch on the purse strings means that we've got a really nice balanced business.” Nethergate would have not come back from the dead
Generally, almost all of Nethergate beers are less than 5% ABV, with most in the standard session range of 3.5 to 4% ABV. Head brewer Ian Carson creates flavours pretty much strictly with hop and barely combinations. Perhaps Carson’s wildest beer is Umbel Magna, a 5% ABV porter that is a recreation of a 1750s porter with coriander.
with a core group of investors, but alongside them are also small investors who helped to fund the move to Nethergate’s current site. These investors came from Nethergate’s membership
Four core beers are always available, along with three regulars. Each month has its own seasonal creations.
scheme for £40, gives you a membership card entitling you to 10 percent off all products in the shop and tap room, a branded polo shirt, a brewery tour for you and a friend, and exclusive members’ nights. “When we were we're funding the purchase of this site,
Carson brews on average three times a week throughout the year, with Nethergate at its capacity limit of 5,000 hectolitres a year.
we offered out to these members to see if they wants to become smaller investors, a bit like the bigger guys of Brewdog did to try and gain finance,” says Crawford. “So
For the time being, bottling and canning are done off-premises.
we have in the region of 200 smaller shareholders who helped support us.” While Crawford has a different relationship with the investors that with the shareholders, the two groups have
between two little villages, Long Melford and Rodbridge
something very much in common.
Corner, where we figured we get lots of people driving
“They love being part of the brewery; they love this
pass the brewery. So we wanted easy parking so people
little brewery. It's one of those industries, which has a
could come, stop, and take beer away with them or come
passion around it, which is beyond the actual business
in, have a pint, and take some way when they go.”
itself – there's a lot of people that just love being part of a brewery.”
A problem, too, the brewery was seeing – and still sees – is the varying serving quality of its beer. Indeed, in looking at reviews of Nethergate’s beer, the only negative
Creating a destination
ones regarding beer quality come from pubs, not from the brewery’s taproom or bottled beer.
W
“It's quite frustrating as a brewer that you can't always
hen Nethergate moved into its new facilities
control the quality cask ale is, relying on the landlord to
in 2017, it just didn’t want to have a brewery,
look after it and serve it in the best way possible,” says
but it also wanted to have a place that people
Carson. “The pressures on landlords to supply a wider
would use for a destination. “When we were down tucked away in Pentlow, we
range of ales means they sometimes keep their product on far too long, which means that the quality suffers over
really didn't have many people knowing where we
time. We have the luxury that we produce our beer here,
were – you could get a mile down the road and no one
we can control that quality, which means that there's no
really knew how to navigate where we were located,”
variables.”
says Crawford. “With this location, we situated ourselves
brewersjournal.info
By putting in a taproom in the new facility, Nethergate
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Above left: Like all breweries, cleaning in non-stop Above right: AR Engineering mill and blower. Both Carson and Crawford say it makes work much easier.
B rewery
normally only comes on Friday evenings. “It’s quite popular. People come down and have a have a beer and mac an' cheese and stay and have an enjoyable evening. As it is, the mac-truck is a low
could control the quality of the beer served and people
hassle way for us to provide food,” says Crawford. “We
would get to know what fresh Nethergate beer should
do struggle at the weekends to find a food truck that will
taste like.
come at the weekends because generally the weekends
“To be honest, the tap room has been fundamental to what we've done over the last five years. We were never sure quite how people were going to use it when we set this tap room up, but it's exceeded our expectations.”
they go to larger events where they can guarantee trade and things like that.” “Providing people with food on weekends is something we'd like to do and we may look to be doing it ourselves
When you enter the shop/tap room, you first pass
in the in the next couple of years. We have a bit of food
bottled beer for sale, some merchandise, and some local
like scotch eggs, pork pies, and sausage rolls but that
bottled gins and wines. There are then some small tables,
doesn't always cut it on a Saturday afternoon. So, we are
along with typical pub stools, next to the taps. There is
looking at other options.”
then a large covered heated area with comfortable, dog-
When asked about the brewery having its own
friendly couches. Going outside are picnic benches and a
restaurant, Crawford gives a look which says a lot and
view of a big sky over farmers’ fields.
says: “We’re brewers, we brew beer.”
“We wanted to create a place where people can come and enjoy beer. We only have our beers on tap, but we
In other words, no. Three 'experiences' for beer fans can be purchased
have like a range of six or seven beers – sometimes eight
at the brewery. The first is a brewery tour, which includes
or nine depending on the time of year – and the beers
samples. The second it a beer day in which you spend the
we've got available,” says Crawford. “We're not like a pub,
entire day with the brewer, in which you help make beer.
we don't sell a vast array of gins, wines, and all that. We
Included with the price are 18 pints of beer which you
can offer a glass of wine or a gin and tonic, but it's mainly
have brewed – to be collected later. The last is a Brew
focuses about the beer.”
Your Own Beer experience where you design and create
There is no much on offer when it comes to food. A gourmet macaroni cheese food truck is a draw, but it
56
March 2020
a recipe with Nethergate. The end result is 144 pints of finished beer.
Brewers Journal
N ethergate
B rewery
B r e w e ry
To u r
According to Crawford, all are popular, especially the day spent shadowing the brewer. While the area where Nethergate is located is lovely, being in a fairly rural location comes with its own challenges, with the biggest one being there are few people within an easy walk. With drink laws getting tougher and putting more pressure on people not to drink and drive, village pubs and breweries are suffering. “All we can do is just be the best that can be and to try to be better than the others,” says Crawford.
The balanced plan
I
f you’ve ever been with a company that’s gone into receivership, it’s not a pleasant experience, and it stays with you for a long time.
Due to many factors, ranging from not enough hours in
a day with too small of staff, to just general incompetence, many craft breweries seem to fly by the seat of their pants. It’s no surprise that a number close every year. With Nethergate/Growler, they’ve experienced the full gambit from a phoenix’s view: Birth, growth, death, ashes, and rebirth. “Of course, we always have a plan of where we want to drive the business. If you don't have focus and a plan, you're taking a scattergun approach and you can't focus on the running an effective business. You've got to have an idea of where you want to sell your beer, what you want to be, and who you want to be before you can create a business,” says Crawford. “It was a number of years ago, but we, we've changed this business from where it was to where it is now. But we've gone back to our roots because when we started out in Claire, we were a little brewery in a little village where everyone knew the beer. “Everyone came in on an evening and had a drink with the brewer. You can do that now. Last night I came down and in sitting there with a number of regulars having a drink and having a chat over one of our beers, and you can still do that now. So while the business has changed, we're still back to our roots of where we started out back in Claire, where everyone loved us. “We're going to continue progressing what we're doing, where we've got a solid stable base of what we're doing now. We're creating some really good beers. Our Venture was created just over a year ago; it’s a 3.7% ABV amber and that's sailing away. It's one of our bestselling beers now. “So we're creating some good products. We're driving our online presence and our physical destination here. We've got the tap room, and we're focusing on our local trade, supporting our local pubs, and trying to give them the best quality product we can do,” says Crawford.
brewersjournal.info
March 2020
57
c r o s s ing
c o ntin e nt s
ph i ladelph i a
Go big or go home When Philadelphia’s Yard Brewing Company took the decision to undertake the most significant expansion in its twenty-plus years in business, it had a number of goalposts it wanted to move. So it turned to Germany’s Ziemann Holvrieka and partnered on the project of a lifetime.
One giant leap
T
his level of impressive growth signalled the need for yet another move, one that would enable the business to invest in a canning line and also boost
capacity. In 2017 the duo identified the ideal site, located at on Philadelphia’s Spring Garden St, one that would offer up 70,000 square feet of space. The business plan plotted
by tim sheahan
that the new facility would give them an annual output of
Y
about 100,000bbl and be extended to more 200,000 bbl.
grown to 800bbl and the brewery moved for the first time.
output volume is 100bbl per brew with an original extract
The new facility gave them the opportunity to bottle their
content of 15.5° Plato. The brewhouse was equipped with
beer and until this time, Yards had delivered all the beer
the innovative mash agitator Colibri as well as two Lotus
in barrels.
lauter tuns with diameters of 7.5 feet and 15 feet.
ards Brewing Company has come a
The estimated cost for the completion of the new
long way since starting out back in 1994.
brewery came in at about $24m. Around $8m of this was
Founded by two keen homebrewers, Tom
set aside for building and construction while the other
Kehoe and Jon Bovit, the business began
$16m was required for plant technology and equipment.
its journey with a garage-sized 3.5bbl
brewhouse.
Come the start of 1997, Yards’ output had already
These beers, steeped in English tradition, helped
The order placed with Ziemann Holvrieka included one complete brewing line including malt handling. The brewhouse is designed for twelve brews per day. The
With this dual solution, Yards Brewing Company can
continue to catalyse growth at the business but come
effectively produce brews of less than 20 barrels or can
1999 Bovit departed the company. Since then, Kehoe has
even lauter brews with a high extract content.
been president and brewmaster of the Yards Brewing
For this reason, an external boiler was installed, which
Company as well as the brewery’s face and driving
is ideally suited for small batches. Another specialty of the
force. By 2001, the brewery reached its maximum output
brewhouse is the fully automatic dosing system for cone
capacity with 2,100bbl so a relocation to the old Weisbrod
hops. In addition, Yards ordered six cylindro-conical 650-
& Hess Brewery was in order.
bbl tanks including dome covers and catwalk system.
Fast-forward to 2007 and Yards brewed about 10,000bbl per year. This constant growth resulted in Kehoe bringing on board new partners in the form
“The visit of several reference breweries was very important for the choice of our brewing line”, says Kehoe. His aim was for a brewery plant that offers the
of Trevor Prichett and Ethos Holdings. A period of
highest possible flexibility in addition to maximum wort
modernisation and expansion followed. In 2016 alone,
quality. This required an individual solution that was best
around 41,300bbl were produced and sold with roughly
implemented by Ziemann Holvrieka.
90 percent of the brewery’s beers distributed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
58
March 2020
“The solutions of the competitors were much more standardized. Compared to an industrial brewhouse, there
Brewers Journal
c r o s s ing
c o ntin e nt s
ph i ladelph i a
were no compromises regarding the installed functional components such as pumps or valves”, he adds. The planning and monitoring of the assembly as well
A gastronomic recommendation for all residents and visitors of Philadelphia as well as an architectural highlight and eye-catcher. While sitting in the taproom, the guests
as the automation were handled by Ziemann Holvrieka.
can look through large glass panes on the entire brewing
To simplify the assembly, all brewing vessels were pre-
process, from the brewhouse up to the canning line.
assembled on a base frame in Germany, with integrated
Separated from the main dining room by a roll-up door
internal piping and already mounted valves. On the
is an outdoor area, where guests and visitors can have a
construction site, the individual modules were only
seat below the fermentation and storage tanks. For this
connected with each other.
purpose, the stainless steel tanks were designed with
The Yards team produced the first brew in the new
high skirts.
brewhouse in March 2018 and until June 2018, the existing
Kehoe concludes that his motivation to continue
production facility was still operated for flavour matching.
investing money and passion into Yards was to have a
Since then, Yards has been brewing exclusively at the
business synonymous with the name of Philadelphia.
new location in downtown Philadelphia. Central to the new brewery was the taproom experience.
60
March 2020
“It’s about working hard, having a good time and giving something back to society”, he says. u
Brewers Journal
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beer
styles
s c i e n c e
The Name Game While customers still purchase beers using styles as a guide to their preference, they are also increasingly responsive to ingredients, broad flavour descriptions and brand image. With a wealth of diversification in the UK craft beer sector, perhaps being out of style guidelines is still a style itself, explains Dr Keith Thomas, founder of Brewlab, a leading provider of brewing courses, training & analysis services. by dr keith thomas
One major reason though is acclaim. Acclaim from an industry award in beer judging competitions, CAMRA and SIBA in the UK, the Brewers’ Association in the USA and many others internationally. Sporting a badge of honour has strong sales potential so competitions are rarely short on entries. Another reason is to guide your drinkers. Stating a style provides recognition in the forest of beers available to drinkers allowing preference to be guided to your brand. In a more remote sense styles also guide recipes, at least when you start your brewing experience. They at least provide suggestions of the balance of ingredients to produce acceptable beer flavour character. In 2006, in response to questions on style characteristics at Brewlab we analysed the features of
W
beers submitted for routine analysis to determine the
being out of style is still a style.
conformed to commonly known definitions covering 12
hy do we bother with beer
general features of common styles. In effect to answer
styles? So many beers today
the question “can we specify style characteristics from
are such a mixture of ingredients
the beers in trade?” To do this we collated the analysis
and character they can’t really
of 453 beers and conducted not only a definition of each
fit any style except perhaps
style but an indication of how these styles related to each
miscellaneous. In fact, CAMRA and SIBA recognise speciality categories in their style listings so perhaps
brewersjournal.info
other. As, perhaps expected, the majority of beers
March 2020
63
s c i e n c e
beer
styles
Above: Figure 1. Cluster analysis of beer styles 2006. Heat map colour indicates intensity of each parameter.
colour and alcohol strength were most strongly
Below: Figure 2. Colour and bitterness profiles 1995 – 2000.
containing the bitters and IPAs, another the milds, porters
correlated to style. The beers clustered into three clear groups, one and stouts and a third the Scotch, old and winter ales, brown ales and barley wines as shown in Figure 1. While this analysis provided some guidance for competition definitions two additional analyses addressed questions regarding segmentation of the industry between traditional and new found breweries and changes over time. A comparison between beer character from traditional and newly established breweries indicated no significant difference suggesting that contemporary breweries were following traditional style directions. Secondly a time profile of colour and bitterness suggested that beers had become lighter and less bitter in the five years between 1995 and 2000, Figure 2, although the differences were not significant. This analysis is, of course, now historic but the topic is still relevant and in 2018 we revisited it to determine what
styles: mild, bitter, best bitter, strong bitter, brown ales,
changes, if any had occurred as a result of the explosion
scotch ales, India pale ale, porter, stout, old ales, barley
of breweries and beers since. In effect to answer the
wines and winter ales. We were able to provide a basic
questions “are beer styles consistent” and “how do they
fingerprint based on easily measurable parameters – ABV,
reflect the contemporary industry”?
OG, PG, pH, colour and bitterness. Of these parameters
64
March 2020
For this we analysed the data of 1,469 beers from 22
Brewers Journal
beer
Above: Figure 3. Cluster analysis of beer styles 2017. Heat map colour indicates intensity of each parameter.
styles
s c i e n c e
increased by 6%. ABV varied less extensively by only 1.2% but is more constrained by style definitions. One conclusion is that beers today are lighter but more bitter than previously – possibly reflecting the trend of
breweries representing the small scale brewing industry between 2006 and 2017. The range of styles differed with
international beers. One additional analysis of this data was to compare
the inclusion of lager, blond ales, Saison and strong ales.
the measured ABV against the declared ABV to
Scotch and brown ales were not included as very few
determine the extent of compliance within HMRC
were in the cohort in the period.
requirements. Overall when the positive and negative
The result was quite similar to that for 2006, as shown
differences were considered an average difference of
in Figure 3. The dark beers, milds, porters and stouts
0.17% was noted. While this is less than found in some
group together again along with winter ales. Some
other studies it is greater than that required by HMRC
differences are evident, however, with best bitters
for revenue declarations. Nevertheless, this will not
separating from ordinary and strong bitters and aligning
be a contravention if breweries are assiduous in their
with blond ales, barley wines, golden bitters, dark ales
measurements and report actual levels for specific beers.
and strong ales. Looking in more detail at the differences allows
One limitation of this analysis is that the beers were from established breweries and do not necessarily reflect
specific style comparisons to be made and also for
the wave of novel and adventurous creations of more
general trends to be identified. Table 1 (overleaf)
recent establishments. To assess this we looked at two
summarises the data from 2006 and 2017.
areas of innovation. One was experimental beers from
Overall analysis indicates that in eight out of ten styles colour has reduced and bitterness increased. In fact colour decreased overall by 22% while bitterness
brewersjournal.info
these breweries and the second using examples of a more recently popular style, sours. Today breweries are increasingly trialling novel recipes
March 2020
65
s c i e n c e
beer
styles
Table 1. Comparison of style data between 2006 and 2017 Style
N=
Alcohol by volume
Original Gravity
Final Gravity
Bitterness
Colour
Barley Wines 2006
14
8.5
1083
1017
32
70
Barley Wines 2017
9
8.9
1084.6
1017.5
43
34
Best Bitter 2006
106
4.2
1042
1008
29
28
Best Bitter 2017
357
4.3
1041.3
1008.4
32.1
26.6
Bitter 2006
104
3.7
1037
1008
27
25
Bitter 2017
366
3.8
1038.4
1008.6
28.6
20
India Pale Ale 2006
15
3.9
1039
1008
29
24
India Pale Ale 2017
20
4.3
1042.6
1009
30
34.2
Mild 2006
48
3.6
1036
1008
22
86
Mild 2017
23
4.2
1044
1011
27.2
52
Old Ales 2006
22
6.3
1063
1013
29
71
Old Ales 2017
27
6.6
1063.9
1013.6
37.5
101.5
Porter 2006
23
4.9
1049
1013
33
121
Porter 2017
32
5
1051
1012.4
27.9
95.7
Stout 2006
23
4.5
1046
1012
34
142
Stout 2017
55
4.9
1047
1009.5
35
111.5
Strong Bitter 2006
66
5
1050
1010
29
35
Strong Bitter 2017
134
4.6
1045.7
1010.3
34.8
28.5
Winter Ales 2006
13
5.3
1054
1012
29
76
Winter Ales 2017
13
4.17
1040
1007.6
21.6
39.7
Values are averages for each parameter
to anticipate trends. We analysed 81 of these to gain
low (1001, 1003, 1007) or high (1010, 1013), Fig 5. Acidity
an idea of their variability and plotted the results in Fig
was almost exclusively from lactic acid (0.24 to 2.01%) and
4. In summary these trial beers indicate that ABV and
all samples contained yeast or bacteria or both.
bitterness had the greatest range compared to colour.
The data shown here is, of course, only a snapshot
ABV ranged from 0% to 10.3% suggesting beers with both
but does provide some indication of the char-acter of
low and high alcohol are being developed. Bitterness
craft beers in general. Customers do still purchase
was also broad in range and probably reflects interest in
using styles as a guide to their prefer-ence but are
the many hop varieties now available. Colour range was
increasingly responsive to ingredients, broad flavour
more restrained but would be interesting to investigate
descriptions and brand image. Moreover, studies suggest
further with a broader wavelength spectra to indicate the
that diversification of beer character is correlated to the
character of the colours and their ingredients.
development of the microbrewery industry.
To assess the specific style of sour beers we analysed
Styles provide a guide for many, but not all,
six retail samples from cans and bottles. Overall these
brewing competitions and may assist in trading stand-
beers followed the characteristics of the style to enhance
ards disputes. With 152 styles listed by the Brewers
growth of souring microbes with low ABV and low
Association in 2019 there is plenty of oppor-tunity to
bitterness - excepting one beer with a BU of 18. Colour
expand the market and it is likely that many beers will also
was also lower than for most other styles and PG either
be developed as combinations of styles. We look forward
66
March 2020
Brewers Journal
beer
styles
s c i e n c e
Above: Figure 4. Variability of unspecified beers
Above: Figure 5. Variability in retail sour beers
to monitoring the next wave of invention as the industry
British Beer Styles: Where are they heading? British Food
becomes even more sophisticated.
Journal, Vol 122 No. 1, pp, 60-74.
Further reading
u Šušteršič, , and Snežana s. Do Consumer Tastes Evolve with Competition? The Case of the Slovenian Beer Market. Kyklos 66, No. 2, pp, 306–16. u Thomas, K. (2006), British beers: a survey of cask ale
u Brewers Association. www.brewersassociation.org/
character, British Food Journal, Vol 108 No. 10, pp, 849-
edu/brewers-association-beer-style-guidelines.
858.
u Parker, D, Taylor M, Johnson J R, Thomas, K R, (2019),
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d at e s
&
e v e nt s
events 17 April 2020 - 18 April 2020
GUisBoroUGh Beer festival Guisborough Parish Hall www.clevelandcamra.org.uk 22 April 2020 - 25 April 2020
Great Welsh Beer Festival, Cardiff Sophia Gardens, Cardiff www.gwbf.org.uk 23 April 2020 - 25 April 2020
Farnham Beerex, Surrey Farnham Maltings www.farnhambeerex.org.uk 30 April 2020 - 3 May 2020
Poppies Beer Festival The Brewers Lectures take place in Norwich for the first time on March 18th. Turn to page 26 for the full preview.
6 March 2020 - 7 March 2020
north sUsseX Beer & cider festival Drill Hall, Horsham northsussex.camra.org.uk 13 March 2020 - 14 March 2020
winchester real ale and cider festival Winchester Guildhall www.winchesterbeerfestival.org.uk 18 March 2020
Brewers Lectures norwich Dragon Hall, Norwich lectures.brewersjournal.info 3 April 2019 - 4 April 2019
north leeds charity Beer festival North Leeds Cricket Club, Leeds www.northleedscharitybeerfestival.co.uk 3 April 2020 - 4 April 2020
caMra MeMBers weeKend and aGM Central Hall, University of Yorkshire www.camra.org.uk 9 April 2020 - 11 April 2020
isle of Man winter Beer festival The Royal Hall, Douglas www.iombeerfestival.com
70
March 2020
Latimer Park, Kettering www.pratsktfc.com 1 May 2020 - 3 May 2020
Kingdom of Fife Real Ale Festival Rothes Halls, Glenrothes www.kingdomoffife.camra.org.uk 7 May 2020 - 10 May 2020
Reading Beer & Cider Festival Christchurch Meadows, Reading www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk May 2020
Brewers Lectures brighton Brighton lectures.brewersjournal.info 11 June 2020
Brewers Lectures nottingham The Canalhouse, Nottingham lectures.brewersjournal.info October 2020
Brewers Lectures Bristol Watershed, Bristol lectures.brewersjournal.info 8 December - 9 December 2020
brewers congress The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London congress.brewersjournal.info
Brewers Journal
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