This episode we hang out at Innate Brewers in Spearwood surrounded by their new 12 hec brew kit and speak with their head brewer Joel Nash, along with Otherside Brewing Co head brewer Rhys Lopez, about what it’s really like to start a new brewery. From designing the kit, inspecting the equipment, changing designs and just getting the tanks into the brewery to brand identity and responding to the market and what drinkers want, it's a good long chat!

Innate Brewers are production only, meaning they don’t have a venue or bar open to the public. This new kit is a significant upgrade from their “glorified home brew kit” and Joel is planning to make a lot of different beers so expect the rate of release on their single batch beers to jump significantly. On top of this, Joel’s planning an XPA as a permanent beer in their range, alongside their Pivo Pils.

“We just need to fill up the tanks,” Joel says when we ask what the plans are now he’s got a new brew kit. “And I’ll keep doing that until I’m dead,” he laughs.

Otherside Brewing will be opening the doors on their new brewpub in the next couple of weeks after gypsy brewing at number of breweries. After a few council rejections, Rhys is stoked with their space in Myaree and has a hectic brewing schedule ahead with plans for Black Vinyl and Folk Brown to return, a release of the Anthem IPA in cans and a Double IPA following a successful test run earlier. Rhys is thinking about brewing the beer they had planned for GABS that had to be cancelled due to the brewery build running behind. It was going to be a kettle sour red with rose water, raspberries and vanilla to emulate a Red Creaming Soda.

We talk a lot about equipment, stainless steel and pipework and how quickly the guys had to learn about much more than just brewing. We hear about how Rhys and Joel learnt what a “jib” is and how they are both concerned about useless millennials. Rhys puts the call out for anyone who might want spent grain from their new brewery when it’s up and running and Joel suspects he’s a better cook than a brewer, making us instantly want to go to his place for dinner.

We chat about the importance of knowing what beers you want to make and who you’re making them for. Everyone agrees that you can’t be a new brewery who makes good beer with good ingredients, that is just not enough anymore.

Don’t forget to listen right to the end where you’ll hear a snippet that was too good not to leave in.