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A Yeast For The Senses: Life Inside A Sensory Lab
Getting paid to drink beer - that's the dream, right? "It can be very tough, I tell you, to do beer evaluation in a cage for one hour..." See what sensory analysis is really like with Gabriela Montandon, head of sensory at Fermentis.
Episode 009: Talking Terpenes with Sam Bethune & Scott McKinnon
Terpenes are hot property in the brewing world right now, providing brewers with another tool as they set about creating new beers. But what are they, where do they come from, and why the excitement around them?
A Taste Of Old Blighty
Long-unfancied British beer styles have been enjoying a revival in 2024. So what's behind the rise of bitters, browns and ambers? And will it last? We chatted to a couple of brewers hoping it will.
Episode 008: Derek Lacey of Bluestone Yeast
While spending time as a stay-at-home dad, medical researcher Derek Lacey had a "Eureka!" moment that inspired him to launch Bluestone Yeast. As he puts finishing touches to his new yeast production facility, we invited him for a chat.
In Hop Pursuit: A Guide To New Hop Products
Innovation within the world of hops has been in hyperdrive *checks that's not a trademarked term* with heaps of advanced hop products with funky names firing up your beers. So let's attempt to demystify this fragrant new world.
The Story Of: Red Hill Imperial Stout
When it comes to beers that are both cherished and have staying power, few compare with Red Hill Brewery's Imperial Stout. As we make our way through the depths of winter, here's the founders with the tale of how it came to be.
Closing Loops And Brewing Shrooms – Australia's Most Sustainable Beer?
Breweries love to collaborate and many are putting greater focus on brewing more sustainably. Now a new project in SA is exploring just how green brewing can be.
The Breeders Bringing New Brewing Yeasts To Life
In June, brewers given a new yeast to play with called LalBrew Pomona. To find out how new yeasts like this hybrid come to life, we chatted to one of its creators at Escarpment Laboratories in Canada.
Down The Barrel Hole With Fox Friday
Winter's chill makes it a perfect time to enjoy barrel-aged beers. Ahead of Fox Friday releasing beers from their first ever foray into this field, we spoke to the team – no strangers to working with oak – about their approach.
Summer Of The Seventeenth Hop
After a lengthy career in beer writing – publishing books as well as a regular column in the Sydney Morning Herald – Willie Simpson swapped pen for mash paddle. Here, he returns to his former profession to look back at his time growing hops.
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Ryefield Hops' Certifiably Sustainable Growth
Ahead of this year's hop harvest, we paid a visit to Ryefield Hops, the family-run hop farm in the south of New South Wales, to see firsthand how they're putting sustainable practices at the heart of everything they do.
Turning Towards Terpenes
Hops are loaded with terpenes: aromatic compounds that drive much of what appeals to beer drinkers. As brewers look to use them to enhance aromas in their beers, we chatted to some of those exploring this new territory.
AMSAT: Adelaide's New, Locally-Focused Maltster
AMSAT Character Malts is a new malting company based in South Australia which has just launched a range of specialty malts for craft brewers and distillers. But it's also steeped in malting history.
The Hop Selectors: Harvest Time In The Pacific Northwest
Some of Australia and New Zealand's top brewers have been in the US, touring hop regions and selecting the hops they reckon will work best in their upcoming beers. We chatted to two of them on their return.
8 Wired's Wild Success
8 Wired beers have been found – and much-admired – across Australia for well over a decade now. After the brewery claimed both top trophies at the 2023 NZ Beer Awards, Michael Donaldson chatted to founder Søren Eriksen.
Beer Basics: Yeast Part II – Time To Get Funky
Having looked at the world of common brewer's yeasts and what they do to beer in Part I of this Beer Basics feature, here Nic Sandery of Molly Rose helps us get funky.
Dexter-ity – Crafting A Greener, Leaner, Local Malt
The rise of craft beer has changed the landscape in many ways, and the launch of Dexter Malt today highlights many of those. It's a project involving collaboration, innovation, sustainability, provenance and, of course, beer.
HPA Eclipse Past Years In The 2023 Hop Harvest
As they release their 2023 crop report, we spoke to Australia's largest hop grower, Hop Products Australia, about their faith in their latest commercial variety, Eclipse, what's on the horizon, and the wider world of hops.
So Fresh: The Rise Of WA's Hop Growers
The South West might be best known for wine and beaches, but now it's not just the brewing community that's growing fast: these days the region has multiple small-scale hop growers making an impact on the local beer industry.
High Country Hop Technical Symposium – The Presentations
Ahead of the 2023 High Country Hop festival, Bridge Road Brewers put on a Technical Symposium sponsored by the Independent Brewers Association. We MC'd and recorded the day, and you can listen to all of the sessions here.
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Jarrah Boy Brings Native Ingredients To The Fore
A new Sunshine Coast-based brewing company showcasing native ingredients is set to launch later this month. Jarrah Boy is the latest venture from Dale Vocale, an Indigenous chef, entrepreneur and proud Monero Ngarigo man.
The Collaborators: South West Hops
It's not just the brewing scene that's expanding apace in WA's South West – there's a growing number of local producers supplying brewers too. Among them is South West Hops, who significantly stepped up their output in 2022.
HPA Invest In Major New Pellet Plant
The country's largest hop grower is investing in a major pelleting plant in Victoria which will allow them to keep up with their expanding farm capacity. Hop Products Australia also believe it will provide more consistent hops for brewers.
The Collaborators: Freestyle Hops
If you love limited release hazy beers, you might have spotted the name Freestyle Hops on a can from your favourite brewery. We caught up with the managing director of the NZ grower to find out what the Freestyle life is all about.
The Collaborators: Mogwai Labs
Wollongong and surrounds already have a vibrant local beer scene; now adding to its crafty credentials is a new liquid yeast manufacturer, Mogwai Labs. We spoke to founder Josh Allen about foraging yeast and his plans for the business.
Fake Merch Enters The Beer Bubble
Much like metalheads and footy club fans, craft beer lovers often like wearing merch from their favourite breweries. But online marketplace Redbubble has created concern for some breweries with non-approved items appearing on the site.
The Collaborators: Mortlock Malt
After studying brewing at ECU and gaining brewing experience at Little Creatures, Rex Rowles moved back to the family farm to combine his love of brewing with his experience growing barley to create Mortlock Malt.
The Collaborators: AC Hops
AC Hops was launched late in 2019 by a couple with little experience in growing hops but a lot of ideas about farming and passion for craft beer. Following their latest harvest, we caught up with Victorian growers.
Native Flavours. Great Intentions
Spinifex Brewing Co is an Aboriginal- and veteran-owned brewing company aiming to showcase native flavours to the world, all while supporting military mental health services.
Total Eclipse Of The Hop
Seven years after the launch of Enigma, Hop Products Australia today unveil the latest` hop variety to graduate from their breeding program. Eclipse is a sibling of star pupil Galaxy set to bring a hit of mandarin to an IPA near you soon.
Dark Emu – Telling Stories With Beer
Sailors Grave are among the country's most avid and adventurous collaborators and harvesters of all things local to East Gippsland. But the Orbost brewery's latest collab really gets to the heart of the brewery.
Beer Basics: Hops
Hops are the star in many of the big hits of the modern beer world. In the second of his Beer Basics articles giving readers an introduction to beer and brewing, Molly Rose founder Nic Sandery moves from malt to hops.
The Collaborators: Native Flavours
As they prepare to launch their seventh collaborative Native Series beer together, Jono Outred spoke to the people at Beerfarm and Fervor driving these unique beers and the educational aspect that surrounds them.
Beer Basics: Malt, Malt, Malt
A couple of years back, we launched a new series aiming to teach people about the basics of beer and brewing. It slipped through the cracks but is now back, ready to boost your beer knowledge and enjoyment.
Atomic Beer Project Opens In Redfern
After months of delays due to COVID-19, Atomic Beer Project's new brewery and venue is ready to open in Redfern. It represents a major East Coast move for the Good Drinks group formed by WA's Gage Roads.
My Favourite Hops
Few things in the world of beer excite people as much as hops. So we got in touch with a bunch of growers, sellers and hop-lovin' brewers to find out which varieties they love the most and whose mastery of hops impresses them most.
The Collaborators: White Labs
Chris White is a hero among brewers worldwide. His White Labs operation has been supplying a growing number of yeasts to brewers (and winemakers) for decades. We caught up with him when he was speaking at BrewCon.
Supermarket Success At The World Beer Awards
One of Coles' beer brands has picked up a trophy in the World Beer Awards in London. Tinnies Pale Ale was one of two Aussie category winners, with Sydney's Redoak collecting the other for their Chateau Sour.
Our Man In NZ: The Yeast Starters
They've been mates since they were 12 and have brewed together for years. Now Simon Cooke and Ryan Carville are looking to change the NZ brewing industry via Froth Technologies.
Meet The Hop Doctor
Dr Tom Shellhammer is a world-leading expert in hop chemistry helping brewers understand how better to use hops. We caught up with him in Tasmania as he gives a series of talks in Australia.
The Milkman Of Human Kindness
For the past century, you were only ever likely to find lactose – AKA milk sugar – in the occasional sweet stout. These days, it's cropping up everywhere. Brewer and beer scholar Chris Brady examines why.
Going Green: Carbon Reduction
Brewing beer is intensive in many ways, from the amount of energy required to the use of water. Hannah Louise Grugel caught up with the team at Batch to find out how they're working to be a more sustainable brewery.
Spirituous Away
The rise of craft brewers and distillers is creating ever more chances for cross-pollination. As Wolf of the Willows launches its Barrel Exchange Program with Lark, we speak to them as well as the small Gippsland operation blending boozes in house.
The Collaborators: Big Malt Thinking Small
The rise of craft beer continues to have an affect on the industries surrounding it, with large scale malt producers Joe White and Barrett Burston both introducing new lines designed with small breweries in mind.
Around The Blend
There will be many new beers launched at Good Beer Week and GABS next week, but none quite like Woods Of The North: it's a blend of barrel aged beers from five Australian brewers. We chatted to two of the brewers involved about the art of blending.
The Educators: Being Better At Beer
As the beer world becomes ever more diverse – not to mention competitive – there's an ever greater need for education throughout the industry. Nick Oscilowski speaks to those involved in providing education plus a brewery that's reaped the rewards of education.
Fresh, Wet, Green & Hoppy
Hop harvest has started across Australia, with the first fresh or wet hop beers already hitting taps and fridges. But what are they and why are more and more brewers looking to brew them every year?
Behind The Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers Of 2017
There were plenty of stories within the second GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers countdown, from Panhead holding on to top spot to Garage Project supplying almost one in five beers and Liberty claiming the highest new entry. But we're going to tell three different ones.
Price Wars Revisited
Back in May, we ran a two-part Secret Brewer feature looking at the price war going on in parts of Australia. Six months on, it's intensifying and spreading, according to a number of brewers we've spoken to.
Cans, Bands and Beer Lands
The combination of good music and craft beer has become a common sight at music festivals across the United States. In Australia, progress is slower, but the ironclad grip of the big boys is slowly loosening and local Australian breweries are sneaking their way in.
