Every brewery is on a journey. They take on a life of their own and despite thousands of breweries the world over, no two are alike. Each will have its own signature routine for mashing in, the types of tanks it has, cleaning routines, bottling lines, what hops it uses, smells and of course, beers. We’re unlike any other. We do things our way, sometimes the hard way but that’s part of who we are. As the brewery evolves, some things will drop off the list below, some will get added – but at this moment in time, a craft brewery to us is;
– Hauling 25kg bags of malt over the shoulder
– Mashing in with your custom paddle
– Smelling the aroma of a brimming mashtun, packed with flavourful malts
– Weighing out the hops in precise quantities
– Being mesmerised by floating hops and steaming aromas from the kettle
– Having a mashtun you empty by hand
– Ringing the local farmers to collect the spent grain for the pigs
– Hugging the fermenters as yeasties work their magic
– Knowing its an art form to pick the right moment to bottle
– Spending 10 hour days with friends bottling manually
– Popping open bottles to test conditioning and carbonation
– Satisfaction knowing now is the time to send your beer to the market
– Feeling like you know your beer better than any machine
– Wondering if you qualify for a degree in cleaning
– Using only natural ingredients
– Giving the beer time until perfection
– Not charging a premium price for watery swill
– Knowing how to strip, clean and assemble every piece of machinery. Personally.
– Not pretending your beer is carted around by shire horses
– Being brave enough to call it like it is
– Dumping batches you’re not happy with
– When bars and off licences have your work, home and mobile numbers – Just so you don’t miss an order.
– Investing everything you earn back into your craft
– Being in awe of the people that drink your beer
– Being an expert in plumbing, electrics and repairs
– Knowing the people at the bars and off licences that support you
– Buying as much as you can locally
– Refusing to cut corners for profit
– Swearing some day you’ll buy a pallet truck
– Wishing you’d studied graphic design, video production and accounting in some past life
– Not knowing where tax havens are
– when a new tank is a BIG deal
– Dealing with sales along with brewing, cleaning and plumbing. In the same day.
– Praying today is the day the pump won’t fail
– Knowing that brewing is damn hard work but loving it anyway
– Tasting your beers before breakfast so the palate is clean
– Walking in and seeing 100 parts you built yourself
– Feeling guilty for missing family life so much
– Losing count of the tiny variations of the same recipe until YUP! That’s the ONE.
