Science, Made Tasty.

Beer Geek Wednesday

Beer Geek Wednesday is our Head Brewer Mark Howes’ weekly excursion into the science, history and occasional absurdity behind beer. From hops, malt and fermentation to flavour perception, brewing chemistry and whatever obscure technical rabbit hole he’s disappeared down this week, no subject is too nerdy and no detail too insignificant.

Some weeks it’s practical. Some weeks it’s historical. Some weeks you’ll learn considerably more about yeast metabolism than you ever intended.

Kettle Sour Beer: How Quick Sours Are Made

Kettle Sour Beer: How Quick Sours Are Made

Learn how kettle souring uses Lactobacillus to acidify wort before boiling, creating a clean sour base ready for fruit, hops and other additions.
West Coast IPA: The Origins of American IPA

West Coast IPA: The Origins of American IPA

Trace West Coast IPA from Anchor and Sierra Nevada to the modern style, with classic American hops, firm bitterness and a dry, aromatic finish.
Rye Malt in Beer: Spice, Body and Better Foam

Rye Malt in Beer: Spice, Body and Better Foam

Discover how rye malt adds spicy flavour, body and foam to beer, plus the sticky mash challenges created by its huskless, gum-rich grain.
Hop Stand Brewing: Building Aroma in Hazy IPA

Hop Stand Brewing: Building Aroma in Hazy IPA

Learn how a hop stand extracts aromatic oils before fermentation, supports biotransformation and builds the intense hop flavour expected in Hazy IPA.
Red Malt: How Brewers Create Colour and Malt Depth

Red Malt: How Brewers Create Colour and Malt Depth

Explore how maltsters create red and aromatic malts through kilning and stewing, and how brewers use them for colour, sweetness and rich malt flavour.
HDHC: High-Density Hop Charge Explained

HDHC: High-Density Hop Charge Explained

Discover High-Density Hop Charge, a brewing approach using concentrated hop products to maximise aroma and flavour while reducing vegetal matter and hop burn.
Why Small-Batch Beer Deserves Small-Batch Malt

Why Small-Batch Beer Deserves Small-Batch Malt

Explore how barley variety, malting and kilning shape base malt-and why Australian and New Zealand craft maltsters matter to small-batch beer.
Carbonic Maceration: Using Winemaking Techniques in Beer

Carbonic Maceration: Using Winemaking Techniques in Beer

Learn how carbonic maceration transforms whole Shiraz grapes under CO2, creating vibrant fruit character for our beer and wine hybrid.
Shiraz XPA: Brewing a Beer and Wine Hybrid

Shiraz XPA: Brewing a Beer and Wine Hybrid

Discover how we co-fermented a pale XPA with fresh Shiraz juice and native wine yeast to create a bright, fruity beer and wine hybrid.