Little Creatures

[dig]

My dad worked for LN for many years and i remember hin getting a 6 pack of the origional James Squire Strong Ale. It wasnt released to the public at all and was only a 200 or 400 case batch.

You may be thinking of another beer Tony

I did the first trial brew of JS Strong in the back yard of my mate Brucie's place in Manly. We tweaked the recipe, brewed 10 or 11 batches at MSB, packed it all out (6,000 cases), did a launch upstairs at the Hero of Waterloo in The Rocks and then sold it all. I have a photo of me bent over an AG rig in his backyard that I'll post up tomorrow.

 

[Tony]

YEah that could well be the brew! my memory has faded on the figures my dad gave me years ago.

It was the beer that got me into brewing. I never forgot the beer and how bloody good it tasted.

It definatly had a home brew feel to it with a touch of haze and that wow factor that you get when you make a great beer.

That would be around 8 years ago now wouldnt it..... give or take a year or 2

If it is the same beer we are talking about i do thank you for the most wonderful beer i have ever had from a comercial bottle!

cheers

 

[HoppingMad]

Knowledge was a limited release, just after a hop delivery (it was not bottled). Apparently there not getting a one hop delivery any longer.

You guys in WA are lucky to get these tasty kegs of limited releases. They never see the light of day in Vic, but I guess we can't whinge too much plenty of interesting micros about to keep us occupied and plenty more springing up. Always been a fan of the Matilda Bay stuff too from out your way, but just chuffed that some little creatures brewing talent might be heading our way. If they bring out more beers, that's fine by me, Rogers, LCPA, LCBA it's all good.

I like the sound of Ramification. That's a cool name.

Hopper.

 

[tfxm]

i tried the knowledge in victoria ... at the GB in richmond.
i think that was the only place that had it tho. one keg maybe.
i was hoping for more hops.

i though russian river had copyrighted all beer names ending in "ation"?

LWB have some serious cash going on.

 

[dig]

I think it was 2001. My memory is fading too. I think the key to that beer was loads of quality specialty malts, an experimental hop from Tassy called A29 or something that may or may not have become a commercial cultivar, and Fullers ESB yeast. Shocking hangovers from that beer...

 

[kook]

You guys in WA are lucky to get these tasty kegs of limited releases. They never see the light of day in Vic, but I guess we can't whinge too much plenty of interesting micros about to keep us occupied and plenty more springing up.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...mp;#entry287357

The availability in Vic was posted a thread here when it came out

 

[dig]

i though russian river had copyrighted all beer names ending in "ation"?

Stone make an IPA called Ruination

 

[Osangar]

I loved Little Creatures both the pale and the bright ales

However, on the weekend I went to the Inglewood, and asked for a bright, had a taste and thought this is like VB.

 

[Katherine]

SO do you have any info regarding it Katie?

NOTHING in stone Sinkas... just rumors...

 

[sinkas]

However, on the weekend I went to the Inglewood,

Enough said.

 

[reviled]

To my knowledge when JSGA was good it was brewed at Malt Shovel at Pyrmont in Sydney. It first changes flavour when Lion Nathan took over production at Lidcombe. Even though it's the same recipe it just doesn't replicate on a bigger brewhouse. (unavoidable) Then the shortage of hops in the commercial brewing world meant a change of recipe as volumes of Amarillo are just unavailable hense the current version. Same thing happened with JS Pilsener. Good at Pyrmont, not so good at Lidcombe, back at Pyrmont and back to it's best.

That's my thoughts based on my limited commercial brewing knowledge.......

Cheers

Dont you just hate Lion Nathan!!! <_<

 

[Katherine]

Dont you just hate Lion Nathan!!!

They broke my heart....

Im tough though I brewed my own.... two more weeks two more weeks.....Im squeezing the bottles every night.

 

[HoppingMad]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...mp;#entry287357

The availability in Vic was posted a thread here when it came out

Ah! Before I joined AHB! Should have got onto this forum earlier. Would have been drinking the good stuff sooner!

The GB is a fave haunt of mine too. They stock the range of LC on tap, the Snowy Pale, and good clean coopers beers - was there last week so it's still all good. Never had a dud brew there - those gals know how to keep the lines clean (thank god cos there are so many around Melb who don't)! I'll be keeping an eye out if some mystery brew pops up!

Feeling a little silly. Looks like Kooks earlier post was pointing to the White Rabbit brewery (dig's place) that was next door to Giant Steps where little creatures are possibly proposing their Healesville Brewery. I have my head straight on it now that I took the time to read the link properly. Was a bit of a jigsaw puzzle but think I've put it together

Hopper.

 

[Alex T]

Hi guys,

I had this forum posted to me and thought I would join in. Coming from originally a homebrewing background (Westgate Brewers in Melb), and now commercially involved in brewing as Chief Brewer of Little Creatures, I am interested in your comments.

I have been at the brewery since 2004, and I can attest that we still do things the same way we did back then. Still the same blend of hops, same malt grist, same bottle conditioning, same yeast strains. With regards to the spec's of the beer, we are still making beer that is ~38IBU, 5.2% with a final gravity of around 3degPlato (1.012).

But, things do change! That is one interesting aspect of being a craft brewer. Hops are changing every year, as well as malts. The hoppiness we have been getting in the pale ale out of our old brewhouse was probably a bit lower than we had hoped for. Now in our new brewhouse, it is a different story.....

Which brings me onto other things that have changed. Our new brewhouse. If anyone lives (or is going to visit) Perth, you have to check this thing out. Brewing has been going for a couple of months, and all will be able to view it in another couple of weeks. The brewhouse produces much cleaner wort (lower DMS, better extraction from the hops, less astringency, etc), the hopback is around 4times the size of the old one (so we can fit more in) and we also have installed an RO plant (in Perth the water is bloody salty). So currently we believe the beers have really cleaned up a lot, the hop and fruit is coming through better than before, and it is heading in the right direction. But no doubt we are still tweaking and are in fact doing a tasting tomorrow to decide the direction - more hops???? Of course these changes take a while to hit all of the bottleshop shelves, so I guess keep watching what goes on with the beer.

I guess what I am trying to say is that our entire crew is keen-as on making wicked beer, and APA is what we are about, so ride out the bumps and your tastebuds will be happy .......

and keep your tastebuds ready for what we will do in Healesville - many discussions are being had behind closed doors, and we intend to strech the limits a bit more.....

Cheers,

Alex

 

[Muggus]

Hops are changing every year, as well as malts. The hoppiness we have been getting in the pale ale out of our old brewhouse was probably a bit lower than we had hoped for. Now in our new brewhouse, it is a different story.....

Thanks for posting that detailed message Alex! I had a sneaking suspicion seasonal changes in hops and malt could contribute to changes in a beer, and it seems like the overall character of LCPA may change over the years due to that.
Can't wait to see what you guys have in the works!

 

[devo]

cheers Alex

I personally don't think much if anything has changed for the worst with LCPA and think it's still an excellent drop.

keep up the good work.

 

[MVZOOM]

Awesome Alex, thanks for posting. LCPA is one of those one in a hundred beers that just works - I reckon most of us have seen our favorite beers change, get 'commercialised' or merely cease to exist. I for one am impressed that this isn't the case with LCPA, as it is one of those beers that provides the catalyst for drinkers to become brewers.

Cheers - Mike

 

[MVZOOM]

Oh and BTW, it's great to get a commercial brewer on here that doesn't look down their nose at what we're doing, or the comments that are being made.

Cheers - Mike

 

[Tony]

Hey Katie..... what was your Golden ale recipe? Im brewing one soon. I ordered 2 packs of NZ Styrian goldings flowers a while back from ross and got Amarillo pellets in stead so its the obvious option.

Next oportunity im going to get a bottle to try from the local. I havnt tried a JS golden ale in years. I remember it being fairy sweetly (honey caramel) malty with a bitter hoppy finnish of amarillo.

A good home brew "clone" is always going to be a bigger better "improvement" on the origional though isnt it Why else would we bother

cheers

 

[pbrosnan]

Thanks for that info Alex. Personally I don't have a very sophisticated beer palate. It either detects "beer I love", "beer I can live with" or "bugger me I can't drink this". LC definitely falls into the first category.