The Cat's Out Of The Bag...

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Andrew

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This will be a fairly long ramble, so relax, and have a home brew.

In Thursdays copy of the Victor Harbor Times newspaper there will (should) appear a category 3 notice on the construction of a new brewery in what was originally the railway goods shed at the wharf in the River Port of Goolwa tourism precinct. As the DAC has ruled that it is non-compliant (a light industrial venture in a specialist tourism zone), it is inviting public comment on the project. The Development Application proposes a 20 hl microbrewery and bottling plant producing initially around 30,000 litres of beer in its first year.

To quote from the original plans sent to council
The Goolwa Wharf Precinct provides the ideal location for a microbrewery complex with unique, high quality hand crafted beers available for tasting in a warm friendly atmosphere. A relaxed ambience would be reflected through the charm and character of a building tastefully decorated to combine the local vernacular style architecture of a working river-port with the bold contemporary elements of a gleaming microbrewery. Customers would be able to take tours, try product tastings, or purchase packaged beer and associated souvenirs while watching the beer they are sampling being produced. The microbrewery concept is one that offers a high-profile combination of tourist destination and manufacturing business well suited to the Wharf Precinct, while adding value to the future potential of the site.
And,
The Railway Goods Shed, a building of some 520 square metres of floor space physically dominates the Precinct. The Shed is 31.7metres long by 15.3 Metres wide, and 9.3metres tall at the peak of the roof. Its use as a brewery ensures that the Railway Goods Shed gains the specific restoration and maintenance attention it deserves without extensive modifications. It would assist in protecting and enhancing the colonial and cultural heritage of the precinct, and ensure a living history is presented through to the present day. It is envisaged the internal refitting of this building will create a showpiece featuring natural lighting, high ceilings and the preservation of its original wooden floor and usable railway sideline into the building. Brewery operations prominently displayed in the brew house would be dramatic testimony that fine ales are brewed on premise. As a 7-day tourist destination visitors would be able to view a full all-grain mash brewery in operation, sample and purchase products and take guided tours of the operation, whilst learning more about the importance of the river port of Goolwa in the rural history of inland Australia.

Ahhhhh nothing like a bit of spin-doctor work, a bit of a strength of mine you might say. :D

The Alexandrina council will spend several hundreds of thousands of dollars (a lot of it has been obtained from state heritage funding) in stripping and re-cladding the entire building, and fitting all the lights and wiring for emergency exits, fire-fighting equipment etc. They are also constructing a large outdoor platform/deck area attached to the north side of the building, and wheelchair access ramp facilities.

The building is heritage listed, so constructing toilets in it would be a major bureaucratic headache. Fortunately, it just so happens (absolute coincidence really, trust me) that the council is currently spending around $145,000 on building new toilet facilities less than 20 metres from the front door of the hopefully soon to be new brewery. It is hoped the restoration and additional construction work will start soon after the Wooden Boat Festival weekend in March, and be completed in August or September.

The Encounter Bay Brewing Company Pty Ltd will be responsible for constructing/installing and operating what will be known as the Steam Exchange Brewery into this shed.


Whats that got to do with me?


Well..I own the company.


So a homebrewer is going to attempt to go pro? Yahooo! :beer:

Well.yes, but not quite. :rolleyes:

To be honest this project began long before I actually got back into home-brewing.

On this project I am using a range of people with the right experience. Ill be bringing in a pro to deal with the brewing sector of the business, Who? He can tell you when it suits him. Ill be his asssistant, when needed, allowing me to spend most of my time on the very necessary but far less pleasant array of other operating factors, business structures, marketing and sales etc, the list is endless.

This forum has helped me to rapidly acquire a massive amount of knowledge in a relatively short space of time, which will allow me to better communicate with and understand what the brewer wants.

Knowledge generously given by all of the active posters on this forum.

Many, many, thanks to all of you. May your yeast never mutate and your head be plentiful. :lol:

If youre interested, Ill keep you posted as things unfold.

Cheers!
 
Absolutely.... I'd love to hear the tales (goos & bad) along the construction road...

Good luck (toast to you)

Asher for now
 
OK....

I hope it will be congratulations when it is all thru Council... :beer:

Some Questions

A) How much are Shares...

B) Do X amount of Shares come with "Brewing for a Day" rights... :super:

C) Since we as a forum have helped so much - AHB Discount should apply :chug:

D) Have u done the company logo yet....(can we fight "Hopping Mad" in there somewhere.

E) What number and type of beers are u going to produce.....

F) As Big Kev said - I'm EXITED!!!! :rolleyes:
 
Andrew said:
This forum has helped me to rapidly acquire a massive amount of knowledge in a relatively short space of time, which will allow me to better communicate with and understand what the brewer wants.

Knowledge generously given by all of the active posters on this forum.

Many, many, thanks to all of you. May your yeast never mutate and your head be plentiful. :lol:

If youre interested, Ill keep you posted as things unfold.

Cheers!
[post="45201"][/post]​

Hopefully I'll get some share options.

We should organise an official sponship deal :D

Keep us posted!
 
Its absolutely brilliant to hear about news like that. :beer:
Look forward to visiting your brewery once its all up and running.
An AHB annual get together venue maybe......

Cheers
 
best of luck with the venture andrew hope all goes well.do keep the forum members up to date on your progress.

cheers
big d
 
I used to play in that shed when they shunted trains in there

Goolwa was a second home for me , all my relations lived there , I would love to see the old shed a micro

All the best Andrew

I was back there in Sept. , but may never visit it again :(

Batz
 
Glad we were able to help. Just a pint or two if we ever venture east will surely make us squits!
Good Luck!
 
A big congratulations Andrew.

We need more of this in SA.
Do you know anyone who wants to build a microbrewery on the Eyre Peninsula :D
I can only hope!

Cheers and good luck
 
Fanastic Andrew.
Wishing you all the best.
Maybe through your postings of the projects progress we can get an AHB case study of going from home brewing and a hobby to a successful business.

Beers,
Doc
 
Nice one Andrew,
You do realize you have made us all insanley jealous.
All the best in your venture.

cheers
johnno :chug:
 
All the best! Looking forward to hearing how it develops.
 
Great stuff - good luck with it Andrew. And yes - keep us posted on the your progress....

( can Dane set up a Blog & Webcam for it on AHB ? )
 
Hope it all goes well as we need more goood micro here plus if you want a good deal on roofing products ,sheds ect for the building rainwater goods and old heritage style let me know as me work supplies at a good price or give the fielders a ring and see what we can do... and dont use the river murrays water for the beer
 
Great stuff Andrew, all the best mate. You can count on Goolwa soon becoming my favourite sunday drive B) --- along with Hahndorf :D

I'm sure the local brewing community will be straight down there / in the bottle shops giving their support - I know I will be.

If you get the time, keep us all informed how you're going, it'd be great to hear.

Cheers :beer:
 
yew bewdy Andrew,

seriously - awrabest, lang may yir lum reek!
 
Thanks for the support, much appreciated!

I't'll be a while yet, but looking forward to meeting a lot more of you in person (how many of us are there on this forum now?).
And shouting you a beer, of course!

Cheers
 
GMK said:
F) ..... I'm EXITED

Ken,
You haven;t left have you you ken :p :ph34r:


Andrew,

Top stuff mate. Here I thought one day I would drop into your mini micro at Middleton to see the water cooled work of art(i see that was the pilot plant for the real deal :blink: :blink: ), and it you have leapt to the micro world.

Best of luck with it and If you get a spare micro second to spare, would be keen to hear of the progress and see some work in progress pics.

Well done - the journey has begun.

Cheers
Roach
 
And can the mystery brewer please put their hand up??????

:unsure:
 
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