Hop Harvest 2022

The 2022 hop harvest is on now, and the backyard harvest has been a ripping success at Suburban Brewing.

The HPA Virtual Harvest is well underway, and the harvest in our own backyard is finally upon us.

Of course, there was cold beer in (gloved) hand as we rummaged through the ample growth of the Saaz hops that have done so well this year, and picked all of the winners and dropped them into our bucket.

We also had cascade and perle in the ground, but due to late planting times and conditions (ie: lacking sunlight), they did not have any significant harvest this time around.

We filled about a quarter of a 20 litre bucket off the one plant, and think we should have enough for a couple of brews.

With only one squealing spider sighting under our belt, and two ice cold beers in the rear view mirror, we’d picked about all we could.

Because of some time pressure due to moving house, we had to do all our picking at once rather than across a few days, so we’d let a few early cones turn brown and get thrown back into the soil to compost in.

Also due to time pressure, we won’t get to brew with the hops while they’re wet, so they’ll be drying on make shift rack (that is in it’s normal life a decent sized spit) instead and hopefully the brewery setup will be back in action in the next week or two.

Celebrate the 2022 hop harvest at the the High Country Hop out at Bridge Road brewers.

Update on the Backyard Hops

Back in September I planted some hops in my backyard. Below is quick update on how they’re getting on.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the poor old hop plants unfortunately, the position they’re in is too shady. If I had my time again, I’d choose a better spot for the trellis from the very beginning.

I actually had a similar issue last year trying to grow pumpkins on this trellis, and had hoped the fast growing hop bines would quickly reach a height where they got got both some morning and afternoon sun.

There were two issues with this, firstly the initial growth was surprisingly slow, I can only assume the amount of sunlight was so inadequate it stunted their growth, the other big challenge came in the form of some feathered friends.

My hens didn’t seem to care one bit about the hop plants themselves, but they loved scratching through the freshly turned soil around them. While the Saaz hops managed to stay in one piece and eventually thrive, the Pearle plant wasn’t so lucky, and it got pretty beat up early on.

This meant that the Pearle hops were then behind the eight ball as they were too short to get much afternoon sun, as the Saaz had started grow laterals nicely and was getting quite bushy.

The two photos above are of the Saaz hop cones forming, they seem to be making nice progress, and I think we’ll have enough decent weather ahead for a good little crop for use in a wet hop ale.

While the Pearle hops have now caught up height wise, it seems unlikely they’ll have enough time to form enough laterals and then flower before winter.

During the time in between, I’ve also added Cascade hops in a much better position with full sun most of the day. I expect they’ll miss the window for flowering before winter also, but I’ll cut them back and let the crown reshoot in spring.

Check out my initial hop planting here.

Neoprene Jacket and Whirlpool Arm

Another couple of items off the wish list arrived today, a humble neoprene jacket and a whirlpool arm, both of which are for the the old robobrew.

Firstly the jacket. It’s basically a giant stubby holder, made of extra thick neoprene. I liked the inclusion of some general mash temps and a few pointers for new brewers on one side.

In my setup, this is likely overkill as I really only plan on using the robobrew for boils in my final system. It does however mean if I did choose to run a quick brew through the robobrew itself, it’ll hold mash temps a little steadier.

The whirlpool arm I am looking forward to using. Hoping to get a better result than I do trying to whirlpool manually with the cooling coil in place, as this is quite annoying and I’ve never really loved that step in the process using the robobrew.

Some people claim that it’ll also aid cooling times, but unless this gets a really pumping whirlpool going (which I doubt), I think that’s pretty unlikely.

More info on whirlpool arm here and neoprene jacket here.

New HERMS Coil

This week I was excited to receive a welcome package in the mail, a new stainless steel HERMS coil kit I’d ordered from Cheeky Peak brewery.

This DIY kit has been newly redesigned by the team at Cheeky Peak, and now features tri-clamps throughout, a thermowell designed to accomodate a probe from an ink bird or similar temp controller (I opted to add a traditional dial thermometer as at this stage I’m gas powered), a three piece ball valve, and the all important compact stainless steel coil.

The coil here is a new shape, featuring top and bottom threaded inlet/outlet ports, as opposed to the previous model that had side by side ports that apparently needed a little extra attention to get water tight.

Great to see a company taking on customer feedback and improving their products, and I must say it was a pleasure speaking with the Cheeky Peak team, they went above and beyond to ensure I’d be all setup and running from the get go (I added in a couple of extra hose barbs to integrate this piece into my current setup).

My plan in the coming weeks is to modify my old SS Brew Tech kettle (previously single vessel brew in a bag) to become a full time HLT with the HERMS coil, and eventually add an insulated mash tun in between this and the robobrew (which would then become a dedicated boil kettle).

Initially, I’ll monitor the HERMS out temp via the dial thermometer, and the robobrew internal temp to try and get greater control of my mash temps using a two vessel system (although it may be wishful thinking on my part to assume I can significantly improve on what I already get on the robobrew alone).

For more info on this DIY kit, visit the Cheeky Peak website here (and don’t forget, I added the dial thermometer and hose barbs as extras!).

Lowering Mash pH with Malt

Dealing with alkaline water can often lead brewers to look for additions to lower their pH, but don’t forget about the impact your malt selection has on mash pH.

The aim in all grain brewing for the most part is to have a mash pH between 5.2 - 5.6, but often most residential water supplies are closer to a pH of 7 or above. In my area, the average pH for our drinking water is 7.3, which I need to reduce during the mash.

As always with brewing, there is more than one way to get the desired results, and often times we reach for small acid additions to correct our pH level. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this approach, it is worth noting that certain specialty malts are quite acidic and will have quite an impact on overall pH levels in the mash.

Darker malts have a greater impact when it comes to lowering pH, and of course also impart a number of interesting characteristics on a beer.

What if you don’t want to brew a darker beer? Don’t forget about acidulated malt. This is pale malt that has been processed specifically to increase acid content, and is widely used when brewers want to lower pH without other additions.

Experiment a little, and start measuring and recording mash pH levels as you go. Ultimately, the starting pH of your source water is only the beginning of the story, so don’t be afraid to try adding small specialty malt additions to your beer recipes to see what you can achieve.

These particular malts I purchased at WRG in Geelong.

Let the good times roll at Good Land brewing

This weekend I was lucky enough to make the trek out to Traralgon to sample a few pots at Good Land brewing.

The line up of beers on tap was impressive, with nine different offerings available at the venue. Pots and tasting paddles were therefore the order of the day, and a pop up from a local eatery meant we had some great food to keep us on the straight and narrow.

The lager was crisp and quite flavourful, and the ‘Merica American wheat was a highlight. They had had a sour which I’ll admit isn’t normally so high up on my list, but this one was definitely smashable. The citra IPA was also delicious and noteworthy.

There were a number of craft beer themed books hanging around the joint if you needed a pass time beside consumption, and the shiny brew house and fermenters lined the back half of the building, pumping out an impressive 2000litres per batch.

A fun little destination to visit, great friendly team, and definitely worth stopping by if you’re based in the Traralgon region.

For more info visit https://www.goodland.beer

Nomad Budgy Smuggler Pale Ale Review

Victoria has opened up baby, so chuck on your fave pair of speedos and hit the beach! Don’t forget to smuggle a couple of these budgies (Gotta keep hydrated after all…)

The Good: Nice aromatics, and a crisp finish. Great hop flavour and a lingering bitterness, all topped off with a great white foamy head. This is a pale ale for celebrating, and the weather is certainly cooperating while I knock back this rather jolly pale.

The Bad: If you can’t enjoy a cold beer that has a Hawaiian print and a pair of dick pointers on the can, I’m afraid that beer is probably not for you.

Enjoyment: Hoppy, happy, sunshine in a can. Get on board the Budgy Smuggler bandwagon and have a little fun. These have been around for a while, but they never disappoint.

Pretty obvious this is a perfect one for hot summer days by the water…

Sou’west Pale Ale Review

One of the newer kids on the block in the Bellerine region, Sou’west have produced a great, refreshing pale ale, and even better…? It’s now available by the slab!

The Good: This pale is really nicely balanced, and has some great new world hop varieties that lend the beer a nice floral aroma, while avoiding drifting into any super hoppy XPA territory. In a very positive way, this reminds me of what a pale ale “used” to be in Australia, and when you look at Sou’west brewery’s mission, that makes a lot of sense.

Bitter but not jarring, bright and summery without being sweet, and enough floral/fruit aroma to entice without pretending to be an IPA, this is a perfect beer to crack around a barbie and share with mates in the sun.

The Bad: I suspect I am pretty biased given I live about 15 mins from the brewery, but I must say this is one brew I’ve been keeping in the fridge pretty regularly. Not sure I can pinpoint much besides the fact it’s a little hard to come by at the moment when out and about, but I doubt that will last long.

Enjoyment: I really rate this beer. Being so close to the brewery, I’ve made more than a couple of visits, and it’s this Pale Ale and the Hefeweizen that really jump out for me. It’s one that I’ve had by the pint on-site at their venue with dinner, and that I’ve stocked in my fridge at home (I still have a six pack in the pantry that’ll be moved into the fridge when needed).

It’s the first beer I shared with my family when we were allowed to visit each other’s homes again, and it’s one I intend on buying for a long while to come.

As a nice straight forward pale to share with others, this one is up there for me.

For more info visit https://www.souwest.com.au

Planting Hops at Home

Growing hops at home is a great way to access the freshest hops available for your home brew, and also a fun way to expand your beer making skill set.

I was lucky enough to pick up a couple of seedlings between lockdowns, and today I plated them under an “A-frame” trellis in my back yard (Hoping I have better success than I did growing pumpkins up this trellis last year).

The hops will grow up an “A-frame” trellis.

The varieties I selected were Saaz and Perle, although this was mostly based on what I was able to source easily. I dug the holes for my seedlings approx. one and a half times the depth of my trowel, and added a decent amount (a few double handfuls) of my home made compost.

I dug the hole about one and a half times the length of my hand trowel.

Once the seedlings were in the ground and fed with some of the well rotted compost, I backfilled some soil across the top and covered with a light mulch. The final step was to water them in thoroughly.

Watering in the hops after planting.

Hoping to get some good growth up the trellis, and fingers crossed a decent harvest of hops I can use in a “wet” hopped ale.

Hops grown like this at home should offer a decent crop and will make a nice addition to the yard. They will grow a thick climbing cover, and the scent on a hot day is something else. Serious growers use 10 meter vertical strings rather than a trellis, but for my purpose this is sufficient.

Remember, even though I plan to use these hops “wet”, they can easily be dried and stored later as whole cone hops.

I got my plants from diggers, for more info visit https://www.diggers.com.au or try elsewhere for a great selection of hop varieties.

Stone & Wood sell to Lion

In sad news for fans of independent Australian craft beer, Lion have acquired the Fermentum Group, which includes Stone & Wood, Two Birds and Fixation amongst other beverage brands.

Reports emerged today that the sale has gone through for an undisclosed amount, with final details still subject to regulatory approval.

Impacts of the sale will be felt throughout the independent brewing industry in Australia, as yet another flagship indie brand is snapped up by big corporate.

Stone & Wood have had a great deal of success and their Pacific Ale is by many considered a benchmark of modern pale ales in Australia, and bringing the magnificent galaxy hop to many a beer lovers attention. The sale also includes Two Birds, whose Taco is one of, if not our outright favourites here at Suburban Brewing, and Fixation’s range of IPAs are also highly regarded. The sale of these brands will no doubt be felt as a loss by those who actively seek out high quality independently owned craft beer on a regular basis.

Relive some of the golden days in our previous reviews below:

• Two Birds Taco Review

• Fixation IPA Review

• Stone & Wood Pacific Ale Review

East Bendigo Brewing Co. Xtra Pale Ale Review

When your Pale Ale just isn’t enough, add a little Xtra with East Bendigo Brewing Co.

The Good: A deep golden almost rust colour on pour, and great cream coloured head. Subtle aroma more than a sock knocker, but a really interesting flavour, as malty as it is hoppy in a sense, and a sharp bitterness pulling it all together. When they say Xtra, I think they’re talking about the 5.5% ABV, it’s not going to melt away your brain, but at 1.6 standard, it’s not exactly a day-long session beer either. Just a really pleasing beer to drink, especially on a sunny afternoon in early spring.

The Bad: I expected to be slapped in the face with hop aroma, and if all you want is a hop bomb, maybe keep moving. I actually really dig this though, it’s far more of an interesting beer than I anticipated.

Enjoyment: Passes the “would I go again” test with flying colours. Great sipping in the warm late afternoon sun. I’d love to try this on tap, I think it’d be an absolute killer in a beer garden. I can also see a few of these in an eski lakeside while dipping a line in with some mates. Highly recommend giving it a crack, I feel like they’ve done quite a good job here balancing this brew, and I will certainly be keeping an eye to pick up some more offerings from the East Bendigo Brewing Co. in the near future.

For more info visit https://www.ebbrewing.com.au/ (At the time of posting this page is still in development, but you can visit the East Bendigo Brewing Co. Facebook page here).

Blackman’s Happy Tears West Coast IPA Review

Getting through the last of the beers I received for my bday, I decided it was finally time to break out the Happy Tears IPA from Blackman’s…What’s that? No I’m not crying about almost finishing all my beers, I just have something in both my eyes.

The Good: Highly aromatic, clean pouring golden brew. This IPA has some serious piney aroma, it is strong. It is also bitter. Like really bitter, but the high ABV (7.5%) cuts through with a boozy kick that balances the whole thing out. This one is all about the hops, and at two standard drinks per can is sure to get any (lockdown) party started!

The Bad: If you’re a fan of west coast IPA’s, then this need not apply to you, but could be pretty damn bitter for the non-initiated. Works for me, but could see it stumping the part time beer drinker.

Enjoyment: I’m always a big wrap for Blackman’s beers and for IPAs, so this is right in my lane. I’ve already seen enough warm weather in August to dip a toe in at Torquay (legally - us Geelong folk had a brief reprieve from lockdown) and crank up the BBQ in the backyard and break out the picnic blanket, and this is exactly the type of beer I like to do so on those warm sunny days.

For more info visit https://blackmansbeer.com

Stone & Wood Stone Beer Review

Enjoying the last of the glory days for dark beers this month in Melbourne, what other way to wrap up the cold winter weather than with Stone & Wood’s “wood fired porter” Stone Beer.

The Good: Exceptional roasted flavours, rich chocolate and some coffee, this is one beautiful, boozey Porter. Again showcasing why Stone & Wood are one of the premier breweries in Australia. Love the maltiness and lasting aroma on this one. An edgy bitterness keeps you thirsty and coming back again and again, and a robust 1.7 standard (6.4 ABV) gives a nice red flush to the cheeks on a cold evening.

The Bad: It’s not available year round…

Enjoyment: Another touch down for Stone & Wood, this year’s Stone Beer is a fantastic Porter that is sure to impress any dark beer lover. I think the Wood fired stones are a lot of fun, not sure exactly what they’re doing to the final product, but this is a great beer and I’m all for this fun tradition they’ve got going.

For more info visit https://shop.stoneandwood.com.au/products/stone-beer

Mountain Culture Trust Falls Decoction Hefeweizen Review

Trust Us! If you can still get your hands on this Hefeweizen, let your reservations fall and give it a crack!

The Good: A really pale colour, great yeasty aroma, and an awesome taste as a Hefeweizen should have. Very cool that Mountain Culture got a batch of under modified wheat malt for this brew so they could do a traditional decoction mash. As a home brewer I’m very impressed, would love to give this a crack myself at some point.

The Bad: When I picture a Hefeweizen, I think of a nice cloudy unfiltered brew. I’m not sure I can claim the clarity here is bad, maybe just unexpected. The final pour did cloud up so maybe I’m just no good at pouring beer…(Seems unlikely given all the practice I’ve had).

Enjoyment: Have been saving this one up during lock down, and today was finally the day I got to crack it open. Wonderful yeasty aromas you’d expect. I found mine very clear until I emptied the last of the can into my glass, maybe I’d inadvertently cold crashed it because the last pour actually clouded up nicely like I’d expect from an unfiltered beer (which in my view a Hefeweizen should be). Loved it, I love wheat beers, I love the effort put into the traditional style, for me that is the perfect representation of the “craft” in craft beer. Would go back for more in a heartbeat (instantly in my memory I’m getting merry with Paddy around many a long wooden table with a stein in hand into the wee hours), but I’m not sure this one is around for all that long. Give it a burl if you can still get your hands on it, a fine representation of the style from a quality Australian brewery.

For more info visit https://mountainculture.com.au/products/trust-falls-decoction-hefeweizen?variant=39501814366384

Salt Brewing Co. Ink Coffee Infused Stout Review

Salt Brewing Co’s Ink Stout is “Cold Drip Infused” for an intense coffee flavour that lingers long after the first sip.

The Good: This stout pours jet black, with a nice cream coloured head. It’s rich roasted and coffee flavours really emphasise the malt which is great. Just the slightest “creaminess” to the mouthfeel too. The perfect stout to sit on and really savour.

The Bad: If I’m being honest, I think the bitterness on this one was just slightly astringent. Not too unexpected in a stout, especially one that’s coffee infused, and nothing that’d stop me from coming back for another.

Enjoyment: This is a very tidy stout, I’d happily sit on one of these watching a movie on a cool evening, or while reading a good book in the afternoon. Nice ABV at 5.8% keeps it where you’d expect for a beer this imposing. I’d really recommend this If you’re née to stouts, it really is very enjoyable and pleasant.

For more info visit https://www.saltbrewing.co/beers/ink

Bells Beach Brewing now open off Little Malop street Geelong

Bells Beach Brewing have taken over where Blackman’s Good Beer Bar left off, and in grand style…

One of the great losses of 2020 for me was the closing of one of my favourite venues, the Good Beer Bar in Geelong. Needless to say, when I heard that the site was reopening thanks to the team at Bells Beach brewing, I was more than just a little excited.

I swung by on my way home last night just to see if the rebuild was complete, and was delighted to find that not only was it complete, but it was awesome, and even better, the bar had reopened!

While I was there I had a quick pot of the delicious session ale and a chat with Bells’ own Adam behind the bar, and I must admit, I might like the new setup even better than the old!

Casual and cozy vibes, a great fit out with a nice booth added in a space I wouldn’t have dreamed could accomodate, and an awesome range on tap means I will be back very soon to continue sampling the wares and getting to know a little more about these delicious beers (and next time I won’t be driving!).

Head on over if you’re in the area, this truly is a hidden gem, just off my favourite street in Geelong.

More info at https://bellsbeachbrewing.com.au

HPA Virtual Harvest

The good folks at Hop Products Australia (HPA) are hosting a series of very interesting webinars through their “Virtual Harvest 2021” initiative.

Full of technical advice, industry leaders, farm tours and much more, these free webinars look pretty bloody interesting if you ask us.

If you want to be part of the action, and learn more about the Virtual Harvest, visit: https://www.hops.com.au/virtual-harvest/

Sampling the Pacific Ale Clone

Quick update on sampling the pacific ale clone we did in Jan.

The beer pours a little darker than a Stone & Wood, but I must say I prefer it. Great fruity aroma you’d expect, and a nice bitterness make this one a winner in terms of the simplicity of a humble kit can brew.

Final gravity was 1.010 on hydrometer, giving an approx. ABV of 4.7% which is quite suitable, if a touch high (I didn’t adjust for temp so this is indicative only).

I would definitely do this again based on the ease of use, it’s actually got a great colour and clarity, taste and smells nice, and I reckon will age well through autumn as well.

See the details of the brew here.

Dry Hopping the Pacific Ale Clone

The Morgan’s clone kit comes with some semi-dubious looking hop “infusion” bags that suggest steeping in boiling water for ten minutes. This sounds ok if used as a flavour addition at the time of pitching, but I’m not particularly keen on this approach for dry hopping, so I grabbed a couple of stainless steel hop tubes instead.

Normally I’d use some small fine mesh hop bags for dry hopping, but the only ones I could find at Suburban Brewing headquarters are looking pretty average and have a permanent green stain these days, so the lovely GF swung by Grain & Grape on her way past and picked me up a couple of stainless steel hop tubes.

I have a brewing mate who swears by these tubes so I’m going to give them a go rather than the bags I normally go for. Tomorrow, the contents of the Morgan’s infusion bags (2 x Galaxy, 1 x Cascade) will be tipped into a sanitised tube and dropped into the brew bucket for the last couple of days of fermentation.

If you like the look of these hop tubes, pick one up at Grain & Grape here.

See the kit we used here.

Pacific Ale kit clone

Knowing I’d have such limited time to visit a home brew shop over Christmas, for the first time in years I picked up an extract kit brew kit from a local home brew store ahead of time. This Pacific Ale clone kit caught my eye, and we’ll see how far it goes towards recreating this popular brew.

Contents of the kit cans added prior to topping to 23 litres.

I was lucky enough to score a couple of new hydrometers, a refractometer and a digital thermometer on Christmas morning, so I decided I’d give these their first run on this extract kit brew prior to breaking them out for my next all grain effort in the robobrew.

Blow off already bubbling over with Star San.

With both the Pacific ale and wheat malt cans cracked opened and poured into the brew bucket, I was able to get to around 21.5 C° at the time I pitched the dried American ale yeast. The aroma was very much reminiscent of the coopers kits I used to do many moons ago, but I was happy with the overall effect. The instructions from the kit said I should expect an OG of approx. 1.044, and my starting gravity was actually pretty close at 1.046. I’ll take a few more readings later in the week to see how I’m going.

Temp controller sitting at 18.8 C°.

The next morning the temp controller was showing 18.8 C°, which is well within my target range. I have a couple of packets of Galaxy and one of Cascade to dry hop with on the fourth day of fermentation. Within 12 hours I already had steady activity out of the blow off so I think this whole clone kit endeavour will only take a week to complete.