Brewing a Mudgee Beer
Boutique beers and micro-breweries, such as Mudgee Brewing Company and Mudgee Brewing Co Beer, are rapidly populating in the landscape of Australian alcohol production. Not only are these types of products giving Australian consumers a wide range of unique and locally brewed beverages to choose from but the export potential for Australian-made boutique beers offers infinite opportunities for growth both here and in overseas markets.
Mudgee Brewing Co Beer and other boutique beers differ somewhat from the mass-produced brewed beverages that once dominated the marketplace. Whilst the ingredients of both products are essentially the same, the brewing process and combination of flavours varies from one micro-brewery to the next and even within one brewery from each style of brew to the next.
Mudgee Brewing Co founder and chief brewer, Gary Leonard, believes that two things influence the way a genuine boutique beer is crafted - local water and local tastes. With that in mind, Gary and the team at Mudgee Brewing Co have created a great range of beautifully balanced beers and the locals give them two thumbs up.
For those of us who may not be as 'beer-wise' as Gary, here are some of the important things to know about brewing the perfect boutique beer.
1. The main ingredient of beer is malted barley. The malting process takes place before we purchase the grain and involves wetting and sprouting the barley, then dry roasting it. Dark malts, as used in the Mudgee Brewing Co Porter have been roasted longer or at a higher temperature than light malts, like we use for the Mudgee Brewing Co Wheat and Mudgee Brewing Co Pale Ale brews.
2. To start the brewing process bags of various malts are specifically chosen depending on the product that is being brewed. The required malts are then milled in the grain mill, which crushes the grain between two adjustable steel rollers which crack the grain and separate it from the husk.
3. Next, the ground grain (grist) is placed into the 'mash tun' where it is mixed with hot water. The brewer stirs the soupy liquid with a paddle to aid the mashing process. This process activates enzymes in the malt and converts the starch from the malt into sugars. The sweet syrupy liquid that is produced (wort) filters to the bottom of the 'mash tun' and is then pumped to the kettle, ready for boiling.
4. The wort in the kettle is brought to a rolling boil and hops are added to impart the required amounts of bitterness and aromatics to the beer. After approx 90 minutes of boiling, the wort is circulated to form a whirlpool. This results in a cone shape forming on the bottom of the kettle which contains unwanted proteins and hop residue.
5. The wort is then transferred from the kettle to a fermenting vessel (large stainless steel container) passing via a heat exchanger to quickly lower the temperature.
6. Yeast is added to the cooled wort in the fermentation vessel. This is where the fermentation process begins as the yeast turns the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The primary fermentation time is approximately five to seven days. The yeast is then separated from the beer and the beer mixture is transferred to stainless steel conditioning tanks and cooled approx two degree Celsius for about 4 weeks.
7. After the appropriate conditioning time, the beer is packaged into kegs or bottles.
8. After chilling to the required temperature, the beer is then ready to be enjoyed by all.
For more information about how we brew our Mudgee Beer or if you have any other questions about what happens behind the doors of the brewery let us know by completing the Ask Gary form or call Gary on 02 6372 6726! Complete the registration form above to receive our regular updates and keep on top of everything that is happening in the world of beer and the Mudgee Brewing Co.
In this section of the Mudgee Brewing Co website you can find out more about Mudgee Brewing Company beers in general and our signature brews Mudgee Brewing Co Pale Ale, Mudgee Brewing Co Porter, Mudgee Brewing Co Wheat and Mudgee Brewing Co Special Brews.