Working hard at the Cypher brewday.

The cold has finally set in but it is never too cold to venture out to the monthly Canberra Brewers Club Meeting from 7.30pm this Thursday 2 July at The Polish White Eagle Club, 38 David St, Turner.

The format will include the usual, education session, club updates, six-pack swap, plenty of shared beer and of course the raffle (featuring some yummy yeast from our wonderful sponsor Mashematics).

Education session – decoction

Cartoon style graphic of a man with arms reaching into a vessel labeled mash tun 60 C and one labeled decoction 100C. Text 'Decoction madness; Boil it! Boil it again! Mash it! BOIL IT AGAIN!' Speech bubble, 'Decoct the Decoct! Then Decoct it again!!!''

Ever decocted? Heard about it? Think it is the answer to world beer domination? Consider it outdated?

Join in as Stretch takes us through the mysteries of decoction mashing and leave with a much better idea of what it is and what is does and of course how to do it.

Competition update

The Winter Comp will be done, and quite possibly dusted by the meeting and with luck the results will be in.

In the meantime get brewing for the ACT Amateur Brewing Championships to be held on 11-13 September. Remember a placing will be your entry ticket for the Australian Amateur Brewers Championships (24-25 October in Sydney), a chance to win ACT Brewer of the Year and the Bent Brewer Award for beer of show (or all of the above).

Social events update

Cypher brew day

Large group of people standing beside the bar at Cypher Brewing Co
Cypher Brewing Co’s head brewer Matt Theile takes club members through a guided tasting.

We had a great turnout for the Cypher Brew Day on 13 June with Matt guiding us through Cypher’s brewing process and members getting down and remarkably clean in the brewery. We got some guided tastings, tried hop sampling with some special releases sent to the brewery and even sampled a special yet that’s yet to be released.

We “helped” brew Incantation, a Red IPA which had a massive 470kg grain bill (Voyager Atlas, Red X, Voyager Dark Voodoo, Simpsons Black and acidulated malt) and, Simcoe, Citra, Krush, Peacharine hops and some specialised whirlpool hop extract, Yakima Chief’s Citra DynaBoost. It’s finished up at 7% and should be in cans and on tap at the end of the week.

Thanks to Matt, Jimmy and Cypher for the great hospitality!

Sydney Inner West Breweries Weekend

Inner West Ale Trail be warned, a delegation of Canberra Brewers will be heading to the Federal seat of Grayndler, which for many years was held by former, or latter King of Canberra, Fred Daly. This trip will feature many delicious brews and ‘succulent Chinese meal’ at the Lucky Prawn at the Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre.

Set 24 to 27 July aside and start booking accommodation for this momentous tap take over, if from the other side.

Keep an eye on the Facebook members group event page for more updates.

Crossing the line: Canberra Brewers serving it up

Starting the year with Canberra Brewers brewing all of our own beer for the National Multicultural Festival, sold alongside this year’s BentBrewer which was Stretch’s Kolsch (brewed with Richard and Tracy at the BentSpoke) and Mozzie’s Cypher collaboration dunkelweizen, The Silent Void.

We and the good citizens of Canberra are now able to enjoy Mozzie’s Void Beyond dunkel weizenbock at Cypher and in cans (re-brewed after some recalculations), and South Coast visitors can try Amber’s collab with Jervis Bay Brewing, a Baltic porter released as part of the brewery’s Winter Solstice festival.

And next we will have Richard Brown’s Spring Comp winning Scottish ale, Glasgow Kiss, hitting the brewing schedule at Cypher.

Cans of Cypher Brewing Co's Void Beyond' beer, with people standing on a brewery platform in the background.
Cypher’s collab beer with club member Mozzie, a dunkel weizenbock.

See you all Thursday 2 July at the Polish Club

What goes perfectly with a beer? Another beer! And also food. Come along to the meeting for some tips on how to get the most out of your beer and food with the perfect match.

Bonjour Canberra Brewers,

Welcome to winter! Even though the temps haven’t fallen we can still bring out the delicious dark beers. Hoping we can crack a few at our meeting next week (don’t forget to car-pool if you partake in a few RIS’s). Join us on Thursday, 04 June 2026, at the Polish Club in Turner from 7:30pm. We’ll have an informative education session, club updates, and plenty of great beer to share.

Education session – beer and food pairing

Our June education session will be a gustation journey on beer and food pairing. Perfect for those of us who eat and drink beer (so literally all of us). Learn why that burger tastes best with hoppy refreshing pale ales and why chocolate does not. If you are feeling nerdy you might want to dust off your copy of Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer to do some pre-reading.

Competitions update

Massive thank you to Cypher Brewing and those who helped with the Autumn Comp, including Ken and Robin who did a great job organising the comp. It was an excellent turn out with 41 entries across 8 categories. Jeff from Cypher, Gilks and Chuck judged the Best in Show. Massive congratulations to Richard Brown and his Scottish Heavy ‘Glasgow kiss’ which will brewed at Cypher in the coming year.

Can you believe the Winder comp is now upon us?

  • Club Comp 1 (Autumn Comp) – Saturday 9 May 2026 – done and dusted
  • Club Comp 2 (Winter Comp) – Saturday 27 June 2026 (entry closes 20 June)
  • ACT Amateur Brewing Championships – 11-13 September 2026

Get brewing on the following styles for comp 2 – entry registration and drop-off close at 12pm on 20 June:

  • Pale Lager
  • Amber and dark Lager
  • Stout
  • Wheat and Rye Beer
  • Belgian Ale
  • Fruit and Spice Beer
  • Speciality Beer
  • Mead
  • Cider and Perry
  • Strong Ale and Lager
  • Sour and Wild Ale

Watch the socials and emails for details on entering, judging and stewarding or go to the Canberra Brewers Winter Comp 2026 site.

All are welcome!!

Club business & socialising

Amber’s Baltic Porter brewed with Jervis Bay Brewing for the NOOKIE prize will soon be kegged, watch out for the socials for when it will be available on tap. The 2026 NOOKIE prize was won by Kip at the May meeting – congrats Kip!!

BentSpoke birthday bash

BentSpoke will be hosting their 12 Birthday! Head down to the brew pub on the 5 June – we have booked a table from 4pm. Bentspoke will be providing free canapes, birthday cake, limited edition beanies. Read about the event on the Crafty Pint website, and RSVP on the Facebook members group event page.

Cypher brew day

Group of people standing at the Cypher Brewing Co bar while Matt leads a tasting
Canberra Brewers listen in while Cypher Brewing Co head brewer Matt Theile gives a guided tasting during the club brew Day in 2024.

Cypher Brewing will be hosting a brew day on Saturday 13 June for the Canberra Brewers. At a low cost of $35 bucks for members, you will receive beers, food and an entertaining morning. Registration will occur soon through the socials or forum.

June meeting

As always, our monthly meeting is a great chance to catch up with fellow brewers, talk shop, and sample some homebrew. Don’t forget to bring along a few bottles of your latest creation for feedback and sharing or for the six pack swap.

The kegerator will be set-up to host member bought kegs.

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, 4 June, at the Polish Club. Bring yourselves, your attitude and winter jackets, and — of course — bring your homebrew, either a keg or bottle!

Cheers,
Canberra Brewers Committee

BentSpoke co-founders Tracy Margrain, left, and Richard Watkins, right, present Crankshaft Clone Competition winner Corey Fisher with a $500 prize at their Braddon BrewPub.

Congratulations to club member Corey Fisher who took out today’s Crankshaft Clone Competition, hosted at the BentSpoke BrewPub in Braddon.

Corey’s was one of more than 20 entries judged by BentSpoke brewers and co-founders Richard Watkins and Tracy Margrain, along with National BJCP judge Charles Newton and Grand Master BJCP judge David Gilks.

Joining Corey on the beer podium were Rob Barnsley in 2nd place and Dave Cattle, 3rd.

Corey received a $500 cash prize and Rob takes home a case of Crankshaft (to compare with his excellent clone version).

The judges said picking the winner was a real challenge with the final decision coming down to the barest of margins.

Overall, the standard of entries was exceptional with the brewers showing that anyone can produce commercial quality beers at home.

Richard said it was humbling to have so many brewers try to replicate their iconic beer and great to have such high quality entries.

Thanks to all the Brewers who entered, and a huge thanks to the club’s biggest supporter, BentSpoke Brewing Co.

We’ll see you at the BrewPub 🍻

four people sitting around a table, with glasses of beer place on numbered placemats. Only one beer remains on each placemant
From left, Tracy Margrain, Richard Watkins, David Gilks and Charles Newton get down to the final beer in the
Beer glasses spread out on numbered placemats
The entries are laid out in preparation for judging
Four people seated around a table, each looking over 21 glasses of beer placed on numbered placemats.
Tracey, Richard, David and Charles judge the Crankshaft Clone Competition.

12 People standing together, all wearing different coloured Canberra Brewers T-shirts.
The 2026 Canberra Brewers Committee – ready for action!

Dear Canberra Brewers,

There are a few awesome events happening in May for you to get involved with. Join us on Thursday, 7 May 2026, at the Polish White Eagle Club, 38 David St, Turner from 7.30pm for our club meeting. We’ll have an engaging education session, key competition updates, and plenty of great beer to talk about.

Education: Brewing efficiency – what is it good for?

This month’s session will unpack brewing efficiency – what it actually means, why it matters, and how it can improve your consistency and results. From mash efficiency to brewhouse efficiency, we’ll cover practical ways to measure and improve your numbers without overcomplicating your brew day. Whether you’re chasing better yields or just trying to understand your system, this session will have something for you.

Competitions update

The Autumn club competition is almost here, and there are a few important updates:

  • Entry registration has been extended to noon on Saturday, 2 May. Entry drop-offs also close at noon on Saturday. Get your brews in fast.
  • Enter via the Canberra Brewers Autumn Comp 2026 website.
  • Judging will be a morning session only at Cypher on Saturday, 9 May – so the more the merrier when it comes to stewards and judges. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved, now’s a great time. Every comp you judge contributes to BJCP judging points. Register as a judge or steward via the comp site.
  • We will NOT be accepting bottles at the May meeting, as it’s too close to the competition date.

Thanks to everyone who has already put their hand up to help – these events don’t run without you.

Crankshaft Clone Competition – WIN $500

graphic of hands holding a beer, text calling all homebrewers, can you clone a crankshaft?

Don’t forget about the Crankshaft Clone Competition, now open for entries via the club website. This is a great chance to put your brewing skills to the test. Be sure to get your entries in before the closing dates: Registration closes 13 May, drop-off before at the BentSpoke Brewpub before 5pm, 16 May – keep an eye on the website for full details and deadlines.

The winner will be judged and announced at the big homebrewing event at the Braddon Bentspoke brewpub 10am–2pm, Saturday, 23 May, with the winner announced at 2pm. Get there wearing Brewclub T-shirts to promote the club and talk to the punters.

We will set up some brew gear and show off our skills, so if anyone is keen to help, please contact one of the committee members for more details.

2026 Newcastle Or Otherwise Kinda Interstate Experience (NOOKIE) draw

The 2026 NOOKIE prize will be drawn this meeting. The prize includes a weekend way to spend at a brewery up to $1,500. The previous winner, our president, was able to secure a brew day at Jervis Bay Brewing to brew a Baltic Porter. Jae, brewer from Jervis Bay Brewing, was very generous with their time in creating a recipe and supporting the brew day.

Raffle

As always, we will have a raffle at the club meeting, with lots of great prizes including brewing ingredients and beers. Bringing a bottle or keg of beer will get you NOOKIE entries with every raffle ticket.

Social events

Stay tuned to the socials, newsletters and calendar – there are lots of events are being planned including potential brew days at Cypher and BentSpoke, and a trip to the beer capital of Australia – Marrickville!

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, 7 May, at the Polish Club.

Cheers,
Canberra Brewers Committee