Pete and Matt are on the road to the Sunshine Coast this week. They sit down together to discuss:
- What it means for a beer to be truly local
- Endeavour hitting its crowdfunding target
- Our writer Megan asks the question "Have you noticed any changes in the number or prevalence of pokies machines in your area in pubs? If so, has craft beer had anything to do with the change?”
And we have a full mail bag.
The letter of the week is from Luke Pomery:
Hi Guys,
Have been listening to and enjoying your show for quite a while now so thought it was time to send you a quick email. Recently I was on my honeymoon and whilst at a stopover in Antwerp I found something I thought was amusing. There in a train station convenience store in Antwerp, Belgium was none other than Australia's own Pure Blonde. Except this wasn't the regular Australian Pure Blonde as released by CUB, this was branded as Pure Blonde by Jupiler. Not sure if this is the same stuff made in Melbourne, re-sleeved for a Belgian audience or if Jupiler are making it themselves using the combined CUB/AB InBev properties. The most amusing part of this story though is that this stock was actually located in the bargain bin. A very small sample size I know but perhaps Belgians don't buy into the low-carb hype!
On another topic I've just come back from work in south-east Queensland and while there I tried some of the excellent Green Beacon, 3 Bolt Pale Ale.
However I was a little disappointed to see that the ones I bought had been canned around 9 months earlier so probably weren't as fresh as they could've been. This was made more disappointing by the fact it was only brewed an hour or so away from the Dan Murphy's store in which I bought them. Nevertheless it was a great beer and I hope the age of the cans didn't negatively affect the product.
Thanks for making the show and never forget the importance of the Cook limit!
PS - apropos Pete's comments regarding male/female signs on toilet doors, I was recently confronted by a tricky one while visiting Het Anker in Mechelen (after several very high alcohol tasters) as on their doors they had only the astrological signs for male and female. I think I used the right one..!
We also heard from Shane McNamara who sent us this article on NEIPAs:
The compound known as Geraniol may just be the key to a great NEIPA
One of the hottest new craft beer styles being brewed in the United States is the New England IPA, also known as Hazy IPA or Juicy IPA. When brewed properly these beers can taste fruity and juicy, making them extremely unique. How do they manage this?
For starters getting the grain bill right is important. Brewers generally use a mixture of oats and wheat, which usually makes up 10% to 50% of the total grain bill. This combination of oats and wheat is important because it allows the beer to be hazy and it’s been reported this haze captures non-polar hop compounds and most likely other unique flavors. What hops are used and how they’re used is also important. As much as 3 to 4 pounds of hops per barrel of beer are added to the fermenter incrementally over 3 to 4 days, usually, 24 to 48 hours after the yeast is pitched. Hops are added to the fermenter to take advantage of the biotransformation that can take place when yeast converts oxygenated hop compounds into fruity tasting esters, acetates, and other flavor compounds.
Our research in association with several craft brewing partners believe that hop varieties rich in geraniol might be driving these fruity/juicy flavors. In fact, our research suggests the hop essential oil geraniol could be responsible for much of this biotransformation. Hop varieties rich in geraniol include Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, Crystal, Bravo, Brewers Gold, and 06277 (formerly Denali) to name a few. Our research has also indicated linalool rich varieties in combination with geraniol rich varieties work synergistically for enhancing hop aroma. Further explanations for this can be discovered in Dr. John Paul Mayes latest research titled "Hidden Secrets of the NEIPA."
Brews News Week is Proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt has been bringing you the world’s best local and imported malts. Your premium brewing partner and proud supporters of Brews News.
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All letter writers will receive a brews news bottle opener and go into the draw to win a mixed six-pack thanks to our good friends at Beer Cartel who sponsor our letter for the week.
