The New Unique Australian Beer

[Thirsty Boy]

I wasn't around while all the hoohaa was happening but I thought Pistol Pete and Thirsty Boy really pioneered the whole thing?

Hell no - not me. I've just got a big mouth that I'm not afraid to use. I've talked about it a lot (cause I like the sound if my own voice) bt no credit ot me for thinking of it or pioneering it in any way.

As far as the OP reason for this post -- I kind of like the notion of a wheat based beer with Galaxy hops - I'd put POR in there, but its an essential part of the one current "aussie" beer style - so lets go for something different.

I brewed a beer last Christmas that was 50% BB pale - 50% JW wheat and had NS and Galaxy Hops - it was a cracker and went down a treat over the hot x-mas period, even all my macro drinking relos and mates loved it.

So. Wheat - Aussie, Galaxy - Aussie, Nelson Sauvin .... NZ - BUT - is there anything more Aussie than pinching a successful Kiwi thing and calling it "Australian" ??? - and Coopers Yeast. I used US56 ... but am dead sure the coopers profile would work well.

Light body and plenty of flavour so you can drink it ice cold - but its still got a bit of character

Aussie Wheat... that leaves room for wriggling on the hops and give a point of difference with an Aussie pale.

But for Christ's sake- lets make it a kristal - I've had enough of bloody cloudy beers.

TB

 

[Katherine]

The history of BIAB is all on AHB... fantastic read if you ever get around to it.

and its PISTOL PATCH... not PETE!

Thirsty and Spills did a fantastic interview which I found very informative and interesting... the link for that is also on the BIAB thread.

 

[tcraig20]

i didnt think so. but they might be. i'll admit i havent investigated. so i guess its a legit question someone can answer.

Id say that they arent 'Australian' in any stylistic sense of the word.

All real styles of beer have commercial examples. Show me one commercial brewery that uses either.

Australians may well have come up with them, but they are convient tools for home brewers, not a novel form of commercial production.

 

[bum]

I was really just making a joke with the BIAB/no-chill thing. Sorry it seems inappropriate now that people are taking Chappo's concept a little more seriously (than he intended?).

 

[Adamt]

Nothing wrong with discussion, bum. I was just trying to ensure things are steered in the right direction if it was serious!

 

[bum]

Nah, I'm not having a go at anyone. I'm quite enjoying the discussion. Was just pointing out I wouldn't have made glib comments had I thought the topic would move towards actual submissions as a standard, etc.

 

[Renegade]

The history of BIAB is all on AHB... fantastic read if you ever get around to it.

and its PISTOL PATCH... not PETE!

Thirsty and Spills did a fantastic interview which I found very informative and interesting... the link for that is also on the BIAB thread.

Wow, I suspected it was an Aussie pioneering effort. DOing a quik historical search. could this thread be the birth of the idea that was put into practice by Pistol Patch ? Member James Squire, does he get free beers for eternity ?

 

[kabooby]

I posed this question in an other thread (sorry Pumpy for the wee hijack) but I am very interested in everyone's thought's on what we could come up with as craftbrewers as being uniquely Australian in style.

I just wonder with all the grains, yeasts and hops available to the Aussie brewer would it not be possible to pioneer a new uniquely Australian style of beer? I wonder if there is an opening between all the various styles to come up with something, well Dinki-Di Australian?

I guess it would have to be an easy drinker, something for the hotter months and would need to appeal to the greater masses as well. So what would be your suggestion for an unique Aussie icon beer?

I like the SMASH idea of James Craig's with a single BB pale malt and Galaxy but instead with a clean lager yeast like 34/70?

What's your suggestion?


Chappo

It's not new but I would think that AABC style guide 2.1 Australian Lager would tick all of your boxes Chappo. It's uniquly Australian, easy drinking, and appeals to the masses.

Even if the more educated among us don't like the stuff

Kabooby

 

[chappo1970]

It's not new but I would think that AABC style guide 2.1 Australian Lager would tick all of your boxes Chappo. It's uniquly Australian, easy drinking, and appeals to the masses.

Even if the more educated among us don't like the stuff

Kabooby

I would agree Kabooby but we have styles such as APA which from my little knowledge usually dominate most competitions. Why is that? I'm more interested in a Uniquely Australian style that has that appeal not only to the masses but to us being the forefront of the brewing community. Something we are wanting to brew and call it Aussie.

As for what that style is I don't know but I do know this is the right place to plant that seed.

Cheers

Chappo

 

[mash head]

Nothing more aussie than pinching stuff from all over the world mixing it up a bit and calling it Australian :lol: Greg

 

[Tony]

I might as well be the one to ask the stupid question: what would make it a style?

Making a decent beer is one thing, making something that adds to the brewing nomeclature is something else.

Very true.

I think only one other noted this very important point that was made early on in the piece.

We can formulate recipes till the cows come home but what will make it a "style"

So far all i see is recipes for Aussie ale.

Now the way i see this is that i can brew a Kolsch.... but its not actually a Kolsch because it wasnt brewed in Cologne!

Therefor to define the style.... maybe you need to state that its not an Aussie ale if its not brewed next to a lit BBQ cooking snags while wearing thongs and a "Kiss the cook" aprin.

Another idea.......... years ago i smoked some malt over Ironbark chips. The beer tasted like an Aussie bushfire. It was not what you would call......... mainstream, but where else in the world can you drink a beer that tastes of Ironbark smoke?

I must do that again while i have itonbark out the back for the fire.

cheers

 

[Josh]

If we are looking at "creating" a style unique to Aussies. We can do this as homebrewers. It's just deciding what style of beer to brew and then we as homebrewers can develop our own recipes to fit in with the style.

The way I see it, it's about making something up, not going with the current styles that already exist eg Australian Lager, Australian Ale.

I'd also take into consideration that most major cities in Australia have a good water supply, so we don't necessarily need to go with too high a hop dominance or darker beer as a high sulfate or carbonate water might tend towards. So a light coloured, moderately hoppy beer would suffice. Australian hops would such as PoR and Galaxy would be ideal.

Wheat and sugar are in abundance so we can definitely lighten the colour even more there, and thin the body out a bit.

I would want to use Coopers yeast, but I wouldn't want to limit style to one particular yeast. So I would just say that in the style there is a noticeable ester profile, which pays homage to our origins as a British colony (Jase71 butt out).

So I think it's an Australian Wheat Beer
OG 1.046-1.052
FG 1.008-1.012
IBU 15-25
Low-medium hop aroma - Australian hops
Low-medium hop flavour - Australian hops
Low-high esters from fermentation
4.5-5.5 abv

Given all that, here's the recipe I might have to brew.

20L
50% JW Pilsener malt
50% BB Wheat malt
mash at 66C aiming for a 1.048 OG

20g Galaxy flameout
20g PoR 15 minutes
PoR bittering to 20IBU

Coopers yeast fermented at 20-22C for some banana ester production.

Thoughts?

Another idea.......... years ago i smoked some malt over Ironbark chips. The beer tasted like an Aussie bushfire. It was not what you would call......... mainstream, but where else in the world can you drink a beer that tastes of Ironbark smoke?

I must do that again while i have itonbark out the back for the fire.

I was thinking of this today. You could also use Australian honey which can only be made here in our bush and forests.

 

[jayse]

snipped>

I think only one other noted this very important point that was made early on in the piece.

We can formulate recipes till the cows come home but what will make it a "style"

So far all i see is recipes for Aussie ale.

I think some are waiting for the cows to come home :unsure:

It is already a style I think, this new style is one that everyone is already making all over the world, its the brewers not making pale ale that fit the bitter style but they are not APA either nor are they any other style, its a balance of local hops with any number of malts made into a 5.0% flagship beer.

If we are looking at "creating" a style unique to Aussies. We can do this as homebrewers. It's just deciding what style of beer to brew and then we as homebrewers can develop our own recipes to fit in with the style.

The way I see it, it's about making something up, not going with the current styles that already exist eg Australian Lager, Australian Ale.

I'd also take into consideration that most major cities in Australia have a good water supply, so we don't necessarily need to go with too high a hop dominance or darker beer as a high sulfate or carbonate water might tend towards. So a light coloured, moderately hoppy beer would suffice. Australian hops would such as PoR and Galaxy would be ideal.

Wheat and sugar are in abundance so we can definitely lighten the colour even more there, and thin the body out a bit.

I would want to use Coopers yeast, but I wouldn't want to limit style to one particular yeast. So I would just say that in the style there is a noticeable ester profile, which pays homage to our origins as a British colony (Jase71 butt out).

So I think it's an Australian Wheat Beer
OG 1.046-1.052
FG 1.008-1.012
IBU 15-25
Low-medium hop aroma - Australian hops
Low-medium hop flavour - Australian hops
Low-high esters from fermentation
4.5-5.5 abv

Given all that, here's the recipe I might have to brew.

20L
50% JW Pilsener malt
50% BB Wheat malt
mash at 66C aiming for a 1.048 OG

20g Galaxy flameout
20g PoR 15 minutes
PoR bittering to 20IBU

Coopers yeast fermented at 20-22C for some banana ester production.

Thoughts?


I was thinking of this today. You could also use Australian honey which can only be made here in our bush and forests.

I would say the style can be much maltier than that and hops medium to high, any yeast.
As far as aussie ingredients its a new 'style' any arguments that it would have this or it would have that is a bit off. We go to all sorts of lengths to get the best ingredients to go with this great pale ale we are going to make with these lovely local hops, and you can use lots of hops in this beer.


OG 1.046-1.058
FG 1.008-1.014
IBU 25-40
medium - high hop aroma - Australian, New Zealand or any new world unquie hops
medium - high hop flavour - Australian hop same
Low-high esters from fermentation
4.5-5.5 abv

Malt and colour can be pretty wide some use marris otter some have munich, the greater proportion use crystal malt and some even use some choc malt.
These are New World pale ales, everyones doing it.

 

[mfeighan]

how about something like emu export

still cant forget a quote from one of my dodgy uni mates, all he drank was export and i asked why.
He says "its the only beer that it doesn't matter if you drink it warm"

 

[chappo1970]

Jayse, Tony, Josh and Adamt,
I agree that a style needs to be defined and then the recipes will flow. I see gaps currently in the style guidelines that a distinctly Australian beer could sit:

1. Australian Bitter Ale
2. Australian Porter
3. Australian Amber
4. Australian Pils
5. Australian Pale Ale
6. Australian IPA

The last three IMO is were the glaring holes are that I know we can work on.

Toughts, comments?

 

[joshuahardie]

Has anyone tried the crown lager ambassador?
It screams all australian style to me, all aussie ingredients, and not really in any current style.... hmmm imperial Australian lager?


although, i should probably be shot for even mentioning the crown word
:icon_cheers:

 

[Supra-Jim]

Would need some other distinctly Aussie elements to i would think.

Maybe instead of fancy stainless/copper brewery equipment, a true aussie beer could be brewed/fermented in a converted corrugated iron water tank??? Mash paddle fashioned from a stick and an old thong? ( h34r: perhaps an aussie lambic from said thong????)

Enjoying the ideas being thrown around in this thread.

Cheers SJ

 

[chappo1970]

I think some are waiting for the cows to come home :unsure:

OG 1.046-1.058
FG 1.008-1.014
IBU 25-40
medium - high hop aroma - Australian, New Zealand or any new world unquie hops
medium - high hop flavour - Australian hop same
Low-high esters from fermentation
4.5-5.5 abv

Malt and colour can be pretty wide some use marris otter some have munich, the greater proportion use crystal malt and some even use some choc malt.
These are New World pale ales, everyones doing it.

I like where this is going Jayse. Purely personal taste but I would like to see the beer go in the opposite direction to what we currently have on offer which has no balls in the hops or the malts department, yeah? Basically not offensive, characterless and as boring as hell would sum up Aussie Lagers and Ales.

I'm not talking brash in "yaw face" Americana or subdued "I wish the sun would shine" Pommy either. But I know within myself that I would like to see a beer brimming with character like Australians are. I like Josh's Wheatie idea I reckon it's got merit but on the same hand a true aussie AU-PA gets my rocks off.

I'm really enjoying this thread BTW guys.

Cheers

Chappo

 

[Bizier]

I agree that you really need to differentiate this from an APA, and Galaxy hops are very American-ish.

How about 100% pilsner
35 IBU of Galaxy
Fruiter ale yeast

Hang on... this is a CSA clone with Galaxy

I really think that POR is a definitive and recognisable Australian flavour. I recently used a bunch late in a wet-hopped beer, and the result is quite interesting.

BTW, I can't breed without a male *cough* all I have is a healthy young randy nubile female harem for one lucky humulo-suitor.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

I like where this is going Jayse. Purely personal taste but I would like to see the beer go in the opposite direction to what we currently have on offer which has no balls in the hops or the malts department, yeah? Basically not offensive, characterless and as boring as hell would sum up Aussie Lagers and Ales.

I'm not talking brash in "yaw face" Americana or subdued "I wish the sun would shine" Pommy either. But I know within myself that I would like to see a beer brimming with character like Australians are. I like Josh's Wheatie idea I reckon it's got merit but on the same hand a true aussie AU-PA gets my rocks off.

I'm really enjoying this thread BTW guys.

Cheers

Chappo

Take your notion further Chappo. The only "real" American beer is pumpkin ale and it probably isn't authentic american anyway. All those other "american" styles are pale ales / lagers etc adapted to suit local products.

So, what is "our" pumpkin ale .. what is native to Australia that we can use in a a brew as a style ?