Category: Editor’s report and club news

The Canberra Brewers have been regular stall holders at the National Multicultural Festival since 2012.

For the first time after more than 10 years of serving delicious local beers at the National Multicultural Festival, the Canberra Brewers will sell beers specially made by some of the region’s best homebrewers.

Visitors to Canberra’s biggest yearly festival from February 7-9 will get a chance to ‘think global and drink local’ with beers designed and brewed by members while chatting with brewers about all things beer and home brewing.

It will be the club’s most diverse tap list yet, selling beers that will only be available at this year’s festival.

Ever since hosting their first stall at the festival in 2012, selling the legendary beers made by Richard Watkins at the Wig and Pen, the Canberra Brewers have been using the festival to showcase the region’s best beer.

Since then, the lineup has been curated to highlight the club’s relationships with Canberra breweries, selling wares from BentSpoke Brewing Co, Zierholz, Cypher Brewing Co and Capital Brewing Co.

World class, home brewed

This year, the club is proud to be serving a range of beers specially brewed by some of its award-winning homebrewers on a pilot system at Zierholz Brewery in Fyshwick, thanks to the support from owner and former club champion Christoph Zierholz. The beers will represent styles from around the world including:

  • Dortmunder Helles Lager (Germany)
  • British Golden Ale (UK)
  • Tropical Fruit Sour (Brazil)
  • Table Saison (France/Belgium)
  • American Amber Ale (US)

Ingredients for these beers were all sourced through local homebrew suppliers Brew Your Own at Home in Kambah, Belco Brew Supplies, and Mashematics.

Best of the best

Alongside these will be two beers from the multi-award winning BentSpoke, made with club members after winning the ACT Amateur Brewing Championships yearly trophy for beer of show, the BentBrewer Award.

Continuing a tradition he started while at the Wig and Pen, BentSpoke co-owner Watkins helps judge the award, and then brews the winning beer with the winner and co-owner Tracy Margrain at their Braddon Brewpub.

Rob Barnsley won BentBrewer 5 in 2023 with his oak-smoked wheat beer, inspired by a traditional Polish grodziskie while Craig Evan’s won the BentBrewer 6 late last year with his American light lager. The smokey wheat beer is sure to be a great match to the festival’s rich, smokey foods while the light lager will be a smash as temperatures head into the 30s.

Two men standing, talking, in a commercial brewery. One is holding a beer
BentSpoke Brewing Co co-owner Richard Watkins with Bent Brewer 6 winner Craig Evans.

Complementing this line-up will be beers from club supporters Zierholz, Cypher and Capital, and BentSpoke’s Crankshaft, again voted Australia’s favourite IPA in the 2024 GABS Hottest 100 beer poll.

Find the Canberra Brewers at stall H27 – in Bundah Street between Akuna and Petrie Streets!

Two men standing next to large, polished stainless steel brewing pots
Canberra Brewers members Daniel Davenport and Jason Reilly brew on the pilot system at Zierholz
People stand around three large brewing pots, one man peeking over the rim with his nose poking into the pot, another adds ingredients to a pot.
Who nose: Canberra Brewers members brewing beer for the National Multicultural Festival at Zierholz brewery in Fyshwick.
Two men beside a stainless steel tank
Corey Fisher and Jason Reilly brewing for the National Multicultural Festival at Zierholz in Fyshwick.
Three stainless steel brewing pots on a stand, in front of the larger brewing system at Zierholz
The pilot brewing system at Zierholz brewery in Fyshwick

Canberra Brewers invites you to the combined December meeting and Christmas Function, 3pm-7pm on Sunday 15th December at The BentSpoke Cannery (79 Lysaght St, Mitchell). We would like to thank and acknowledge BentSpoke’s support and sponsorship of the Canberra Brewers throughout the year, the club and the Christmas function wouldn’t be as great without them.

We will have the miracle boxes setup for members to bring beers. Richard has kindly offered to provide some of BentSpoke’s best so we can give the Club Bars a test-run leading up to the 2025 Multi-cultural Festival.

The Club will be putting on a simple BBQ and, following a bit of a club tradition, members are encouraged to bring a gourmet addition such as salads, snacks or desserts. A club forum post will be setup for that.

While the Christmas function is aimed at financial members of Canberra Brewers and their families, non-members will be able to come along and join-up on the day.

Please let us know if you plan on attending to help with catering. You can do this by accepting the Facebook invitation or by responding to the Forum post.

The 2024 Case Swap

This is still on for December, but will now happen at the Christmas function – more details to follow, and arrangements can be made to drop off and pick up your beers separately if needed. Sign up on the forum. There some great prizes for getting involved – least of all 24 beers from Canberra Brewers!

With huge thanks from our amazing sponsors:

Sponsor lucky draw prizes:

  • Mashematics – 25 kg bag of grain
  • Brew-your-own-at-home Kambah – 60 Litre Fermzilla Unitank
  • Belco BrewSupplies – 25 kg bag of Simpson’s Golden Promise, 240g Superdelic Hops, 3 x twin packs of London ale yeast

Local Canberra brewing companies each sponsoring a carton each:

  • Zierholz – carton (Premium Lager)
  • Wild Polly – carton (gluten free – Hop Harvest Ale)
  • Mountain Yetti – (Gurkha)
  • Cypher – carton (new Dream Collision)
  • Capital Brewing – carton (new Haze Oasis)
  • Bentspoke – carton (Bract to the Ditch)
  • Ale Mary – carton (Hazy IPA)

The next club meeting is on 7 November 2024 and we will be back at the Polish White Eagle Club again.

Kurtz is MIA in November, so instead of an education session we will be making time for the awards presentation from the ACT Championships and Champion Brewer. We should also have the results from Nationals to celebrate too!

FishFrenzy has the six pack swap already running (Sign up on FB or on the forum) and the raffle will have a range of amazing prizes up for grabs. Plus don’t forget to bring your latest and greatest brews to share!ee

Upcoming Events

December 2024 – Carton Swap

Last year was big and it’s happening again at the December 2024 meeting. You can find out more details and sign up on the club forum.

February 2025 – Multicultural Festival

Multiculti is happening earlier in the year and Chuck has already started planning the Club’s stall and seeking expression of interest from members who want to assist. So if you’re interested in giving back to the club you can find more information on the Canberra Brewers Members Facebook Group or on the club forum.

Oktoberfest is set for 28th September and you need to book your seat by 18th September.

Come along for a great afternoon of festive celebrations with music, great beer, awesome food company, kicking off 4PM at the Zierholz Brewery in Fyshwick

Members price is $50 and Non Members are $75, which will get you… your first three schooners from Zierholz (with discounted rates after that) and an Oktoberfest banquet of Bratwurst, Weisswurst, Double Smoked Kransky, Roast Pork, sides and dessert. Vegan options are available on request.

You’ll also get to sample members beers (noting this is the week after ACT ABC and we will probably have many awesome beers on tap),  you can enter your german beer in the Oktoberfest competition or go into running for a best dressed (M & F) prize!

Limited Numbers – Register you attendance on Forum. Non-members wishing to attend need to have a member add them or send a PM/email to president@canberrabrewers.com.au

October meeting

The next club meeting is on 3 October 2024 at the Zierholz Brewery in Fyshwick 7/19-25 Kembla St, Fyshwick ACT 2609.

The education session is back, share your brews in the six pack swap (sign up on FB or the forum) and the raffle will have a range of amazing prizes up for grabs. Plus don’t forget to bring your latest and greatest brews to share!

Education

For October’s education, Kurtz will be running a general discussion around density and ABV, including some of the newer thoughts and a practical calibration exercise/interactive session.

Audience participation is highly encouraged, so don’t forget to pack your hydrometers, refractometers, Pills, Hydroms, Spindles, etc and check them against some of his Anton Paar premium analytical equipment, including the Easy Dens https://www.easydens.com/ AND Smart Ref https://www.my-smartref.com/

The ACT Amateur Brewing Competition

Big thanks to Ed and Nic for running another excellent competition, congrats to the winners and best of luck at Nats! The Canberra Brewers Champion Brewer will be announced at the October meeting, with the medal ceremony in November.

Carton Swap 2024

Last year was big and it’s happening again at the December 2024 meeting. You can find out more details and sign up on the forum here.

See you all at Zierholz this Thursday!