Compiled by Patrick Baggoley

People get into serious home brewing for many different reasons. They might enjoy the creative side of learning new recipes, the engineering side of solving process issues or building equipment, the material side of collecting gadgets and toys, the sharing good beer with mates, or just the challenge of creating a quality product from first principals.

Chris De La Rue, aka Growler, is one person who ticks all those boxes, and more. To say he is passionate about beer and brewing is an understatement. Some may say he's obsessive, and who are we to say that’s a bad thing!

Meticulous is the best word to describe both Chris’ brewing and his home brewery. On a brew day, everything is polished (literally) and planned to the nth degree, an impressive sight. The equipment is carefully thought-out, and you know he’s spent just as much time planning the recipe as he has working out the process.

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Growler's supplies, enough to rival most home brew stores!
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Growler's 50L mash tun, with ball valve and cam-lock fittings.
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When I went out to see him during a brew day, he’d already notched up 32 beers since switching to all-grain, and every one of them was a different style, and all his own recipe. He designed these recipes by carefully studying several other recipes, and working out common threads between them.

Determined to never get caught out with the wrong ingredients, he’s amassed a stock of specialty grains, base malts, hops and yeasts to rival most brewing suppliers. There is the vacuum sealer to keep everything fresh and the laminator to polish off his fantastic home-designed labels (his avatar on the club forum is an ever-changing gallery).
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Inside Growler's keg fridge, fine imported beers and yeast at the ready.
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And where often the number of shiny toys rarely shows up in the finished product, the beers are fantastic. The passion is followed through into the beer, and as he starts going back brewing some of his beers a second time, they’re bound to get even better.
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Growler keeps everything neat and tidy – and spotlessly clean – during the brew session.
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Name: Chris De La Rue (Growler)
Suburb: Belconnen
Age: 49
Occupation: Agency Security Adviser
When did you join the club: August 2009

When, and why, did you start brewing?

December 2008. My wife had to have two major surgeries in 2008. Because I had to care for her I couldn’t go fishing so I had to find a hobby that kept me at home. My wife purchased me a Brewcellar kit for Christmas 2008. God love her J and the rest is history. 

What is your favourite beer (commercial or home-brewed) and why?

Without a doubt Wig & Pen – Rumpole

What brought you to the Canberra Brewers?

Paulanski’s car… LOL, actually Paul (Paulanski) and James (Peteoz77) highly recommended the Canberra Brewers to me. I met Paul via AussieHomeBrewer (AHB) and James via Brew Your Own At Home in Kambah.

How (kit, extract, grain etc), and what, do you normally brew?

For the first 12 months I was a kit and kilo brewer, after having nightmares about the letters AG, I placed a post on AHB web site asking someone to show me an All Grain setup, Paul (Paulanski) was the first to reply… What a Bloke! As of December 29, 2009, I have been an All Grain Brewer. In 2010 I brewed 26 different style of beer, now I have more than 32 AG brews under my belt, and loving it. 

Explain your set-up and process, from ingredients to packaging, and an average brew session.

I generally brew every fortnight. I now have a fully portable gravity-fed system that feeds all the way into the fermenter. System consists of a 40L urn HLT, round 36L and rectangular 50L mash tuns (eskies with false bottoms) and a 50L boiler (keggle with sight glass and tap over a Rambo burner). I brew single batches and package into kegs and a few bottles. 

What is the most complicated, or unusual, beer/technique you've tried? (and did it work?)

A double-infusion mash, yes. It’s difficult to do much more than that without a HERMS or RIMS system.

What is your favourite or most-prized piece of brewing gear and why?

I’d have to say all of my gear because it reflects who I am. But if I have to pick one thing, I’d have to say my rig, I spent a long time mulling over its design and now that is operational I couldn’t be happier.

What is the best piece of brewing advice you've ever received?

There are three things that come to mind:

1)     Keep it simple (Stagger)

2)     Take small steps (Richard Watkins, Wig & Pen)

3)     All the advice Darryl B has given me when I’ve called for help.

What do you hope to get out of being in Canberra Brewers?

Friendship, new mates, and the opportunity to share brewing experiences and techniques.

There are more photos of Chris' setup over on the clubs flickr page. 

Recipe

Exxon Valdez Baltic Porter

Brewer: Growler, Asst Brewer: Trinny the wonder dog

Batch Size: 23L 
Boil Size: 33.48L

Estimated OG: 1.074
Estimated Color: 59.9EBC
Estimated IBU: 40IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75%
Boil Time: 60 Min

Ingredients:

6.60kg (91.16%) Maris Otter 7.9 EBC
0.31kg (4.28%) Crystal Dark 77L (147.8EBC)
0.22kg (3.04%) Chocolate Malt (886.5 EBC)
0.11kg (1.52%) Black Malt (1339.6 EBC)

45g Northern Brewer (8.50%) boiled 60min 34.7IBU     
22g Styrian Goldings (5.40%) boiled 15min 5.3IBU      

10g Yeast nutrient boil 15min

Yeast: White Labs English Ale (WLP002)

Mash: 66 degrees for 90min