The New Unique Australian Beer

[chappo1970]

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.

Bizier we need you step up your hop campaign BTW mate. I only read thru that thread last night. I love the idea and it really is a worth while pursuit. Had much luck yet? I see someone was offering seeds?

Cheers

Chappo

 

[tcraig20]

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

Macadamia nuts. They are the only Australian foodstuff grown on any real commercial scale.

Hmmm... Aussie Frangelico... but that would be another thread!

 

[jayse]

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?

I think your thinking on the same lines as me now, although I think this thread has two very different sides, those talking about basically inventing a style on the spot one of which has not been brewed before and as lovely as brewing in your thongs and filtering through some merino wool might be that style isn't gunna take off.

For this style I would say bitter, amber, pale and even IPA would all be in the same catergory with broad guidelines that covers beers that losely fit american pale and amber plus english bitter and pale but the hop character is more like new zealand and australian varieties such as bsaaz, dsaaz, NS and galaxy etc.
The style is fairly well balanced, commercial example could/would be to name a few of the top of my head, hargraeves hill ESB, Macs sazzy red, stone and wood draught, brewboys maiden ale, holegate Mt mac, white rabbit, gippsland gold, mildura storm, hop thief, bright ale, wicked elf pale, nirvana and the list is nearly endless and it is broad.

So the style is there it is being brewed yeah some may fit APA alright also and some may fit bitter OK but its a local style of the beers that are being brewed.
This is real its happening its not some crazy homebrew forum idea, its a new evolving style.

 

[Supra-Jim]

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

That's a tough one. We've got plenty of unique bush spices and berries and such, however you would struggle to describe these as mainstream, as they're really only starting to appear in shops/fancy restaurants now. Where as pumpkin/sweet potato is pretty widely accepted/appreciated across America.

Kangeroo Stew Stout? Can't imagine that one getting popular quickly.

I do like the idea of using wheat, but not a wheat beer.

Cheers SJ

 

[FNQ Bunyip]

like the sound of Tonys Iron bark smoked malt ,,, I'm a smoked malt fan ..

what about Wattle seeds , Lemon Myrtell (sp), Eucaliptus leaves...

salt bush & Fort Bourke gypsum, for water chemistry

cheers

 

[bconnery]

Macadamia nuts. They are the only Australian foodstuff grown on any real commercial scale.

Hmmm... Aussie Frangelico... but that would be another thread!

Holgates latest brown ale is apparently a macadamia nut brown. Haven't tasted it yet but there you go, it's already been done...

 

[chappo1970]

<snip>...I think your thinking on the same lines as me now....

I am and I am starting to see your original reference points. I agree that the style should also support the NZ hop varieties as they are not only from our neck of the woods, so to speak, but also a major importer and hop influence here in Oz are they not? NZ hops also have a character that is subtly different from Yank hops IMO.

Chappo

 

[Bizier]

I see someone was offering seeds?

Cheers Chappo,

I just had a 'special' moment where I couldn't find my own thread with a google search...

 

[peted27]

like the sound of Tonys Iron bark smoked malt ,,, I'm a smoked malt fan ..

what about Wattle seeds , Lemon Myrtell (sp), Eucaliptus leaves...

salt bush & Fort Bourke gypsum, for water chemistry

cheers

mmmm Eucaliptus leaves, they smell tasty. anyone tried chucking this in as a hop addition??

 

[PostModern]

mmmm Eucaliptus leaves, they smell tasty. anyone tried chucking this in as a hop addition??

Apart from shuddering at the thought of making beer that tastes like Anticol, I found this on the web:

Poisonous Part of Eucalyptus:
Leaves, bark.
Symptoms :
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, coma. Skin redness, irritation, and burning from handling leaves and bark. Eucalyptus oil is extremely toxic if eaten.
Toxic Principle:
Eucalyptus oil and cyanogenic glycoside.
Severity:
TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR, OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES.

Adds a whole new meaning to the shout question, "What's your poison?"

 

[peted27]

Apart from making beer that tastes like Anticol, I found this on the web:



Adds a whole new meaning to the shout question, "What's your poison?"

takes care of that idea

edit:

ive eaten thousands of these (falvoured with Eucalyptus Oil) http://www.candystore.com.au/product.php?id=10&cat_id=5 and am still here to tell the story... so cant be that bad

 

[Mercs Own]

A uniquely Aussie style???? you mean like this http://stoneandwood.com.au/blog/draught-ale/

Another unique style that comes to mind is American Wheat beer - it has wheat in it but doesnt use a wheat yeast to ferment. They use an ale yeast so doesnt that make it an Ale, or a pale ale (but not of course an American Pale Ale) but it is not a wheat beer in my mind.

"American wheat beer is a brand new style, invented by specialty brewers in the United States only about 10 years ago. It may even stretch the definition of "style," for nowhere is the creativity and diversity of America's craft brewers better displayed than in the new wheat beers.

American wheat beer does not use the traditional German weizenbier/weissbier yeast. The whole point of American wheat beer is to avoid the typical spicy/phenolic character of German wheat beers, which many brewers and beer drinkers find objectionable or unsaleable. Most micro and pub brewers use a conventional ale yeast, but doubtless there are bottom-fermented versions in use."

Uniquely Australian - VB, Fosters, Tooheys New, Tooheys Old, Emu Bitter, Coopers Ale etc they are already undique to Australia are they not? Stone and Wood Draughts seems to me to have been designed to be something a little different and therfore unique.

It may be possible to make something uniquely Australian (Barons Wattle Seed ale) but I would hate to see a style created that is similar to the American Wheat which to me is not a unique style at all - we all make ales with plenty of wheat malt and ale yeast and those who started doing this 15 years ago didnt even know they were brewing a uniquely american style??!??

How about a witchety grub wheat using, BB, Aussie hops, Aussie rice and a lager yeast at an ale temp that would be unique?

The point is what are we already making that is unique to us?

I may be in a slightly cynical mood as I am out of work - time to get brewing.

 

[PostModern]

This bit:

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, coma.

reminds me of my local pub. Maybe they have a secret eucalyptus beer on tap out the back?

 

[Bizier]

A uniquely Aussie style???? you mean like this http://stoneandwood.com.au/blog/draught-ale/

I think you are near spot on here Mr. Merc.
I thought that this beer nailed an ethereal Australian 'vibe', even if it did not particularly appeal to my sensibilities.

 

[winkle]

It may be possible to make something uniquely Australian (Barons Wattle Seed ale)

Rosella wit (for want of a better name) coming soon to a hogshead brewery near you
Hopefully I can get the fruit for less than $10 a kg (effing Toowong prices) - I'm growing my own next year.

 

[Bizier]

Rosella wit (for want of a better name) coming soon to a hogshead brewery near you

How do you plan on getting a Rosella in your mashtun?

 

[winkle]

How do you plan on getting a Rosella in your mashtun?

They follow the grain in. <_<

 

[Fatgodzilla]

1.A uniquely Aussie style???? you mean like this http://stoneandwood.com.au/blog/draught-ale/


2. American wheat beer does not use the traditional German weizenbier/weissbier yeast. The whole point of American wheat beer is to avoid the typical spicy/phenolic character of German wheat beers, which many brewers and beer drinkers find objectionable or unsaleable. Most micro and pub brewers use a conventional ale yeast, but doubtless there are bottom-fermented versions in use."



3. I may be in a slightly cynical mood as I am out of work - time to get brewing.

Three interesting points from MO.

1. I like the usage of malted and unmalted grains in the stone & wood blurb. If we are to have a "new" and "unique" style, we need to think outside the square on ingredients. Forget rosellas, seagulls and wattle - whilst all plentiful, they are not commercially available in numbers to warrant thinking about. But there must be something ..

2. American wheat is a style through adjustment of an old recipe adapted to suit a new market. I have made a number of wheat based more on the american style than european (remember my dark american wheat that used Wyeast scottish ale in a past case swap). Maybe the unique australian concept beer will also be a major variation on an existing beer.

3. Didn't you have a member of your family that told you to forget acting and get a real job ?

 

[tcraig20]

Three interesting points from MO.

1. I like the usage of malted and unmalted grains in the stone & wood blurb. If we are to have a "new" and "unique" style, we need to think outside the square on ingredients.

Stone and wood draught is sort of where this all started from (post 9). Im not sure that you could call it a unique 'style' of beer or not.

Ive had this before, and its a decent enough drop. Quite thin, which you'd expect from Aussie beer. I didnt really pick up the wheat, or the unmalted grain (although my palate is probably not sophisticated enough to recognise unmalted grain).

What really sets it apart from the macros is that it has flavour and aroma. I was very pleasantly suprised when I placed the first schooner under my nose caught a strong wiff of beautiful hop aroma.

I agree it doesnt really fit with the 'low aroma' beers typical of Australia, but is it really a new 'style'?

 

[PostModern]

Stone and wood draught is sort of where this all started from (post 9). Im not sure that you could call it a unique 'style' of beer or not.

Ive had this before, and its a decent enough drop. Quite thin, which you'd expect from Aussie beer. I didnt really pick up the wheat, or the unmalted grain (although my palate is probably not sophisticated enough to recognise unmalted grain).

What really sets it apart from the macros is that it has flavour and aroma. I was very pleasantly suprised when I placed the first schooner under my nose caught a strong wiff of beautiful hop aroma.

I agree it doesnt really fit with the 'low aroma' beers typical of Australia, but is it really a new 'style'?

Galaxy hops will do that. Hit you with their presence, and they're not an unpleasant hop. Thing is, a lot of micros are using Galaxy now, which is not a bad thing in some ways, but it does mean that many many local beers have the same hop profile.

I haven't tried Stone and Wood yet. Would love to, tho.