Brewer

• Mash Brewing

ALCOHOL ALCHEMY
Brewers have the fun job of transforming four ingredients - malted wheat or barley, yeast, water and hops into beer. Their duties are dependent on the size and setup of the brewery. Those in large breweries manage a production team and are responsible for quality control and process efficiency. Those in smaller breweries (microbreweries) have a hands on, beer making role doing everything from fixing the pumps to marketing the beer.

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To become a brewer usually requires a degree in brewing or a science background such as biochemistry, microbiology, or engineering. Some brewers have no qualifications and have learnt their skills on the job or moved through the ranks from brewing technicians' positions. Locally, the University of SA offers a Bachelor of Applied Science in Food Technology which incorporates some aspects of brewing. For further information on the Bachelor Applied Science, Food Technology Please contact:

University of South Australia,
General Enquiries: PH: (08) 8302 6611
Web site: http://www.unisa.edu.au

TAFE SA offers a short course on brewery. For information, visit the website on www.tafe.sa.edu.au

Further a field, Edith Cowan University offers a three year Bachelor of Business (Microbrewery Management).

THE KEY TO TASTE IS TESTING
Its like following a recipe but much more involved. There are many variables. For example, if you alter the gravity it can affect the alcoholic content, or if the power fails, then the temperature changes affecting fermentation (yeast will not act on sugar below eight degrees). You need to know when to halt the fermentation process, either by fermenting until there is no sugar or yeast left, or by cooling the beer. This is the process by which the alcohol by volume of the finished product is set. Testing is paramount in this job and a precise, scientific approach is the key to brewing. Carbonation and sugar levels can be checked using equipment such as ebulliometers and hydrometers. Computer software programmes are used to chart and track statistical control and conduct quality analysis. The most important tool though, is the brewer's tastebuds. But before you get too excited by the prospect of tasting beer all day long, be warned, the novelty can wear off! If you are continually tasting the beer at every stage in the business, tasting the wort from the time it leaves the brew house until it is packaged, the novelty does wear thin. "For an experienced taster there can be eight or nine tastings in a week and this becomes an important and necessary part of the job,'' says Steve.

Cultural and Recreational Services,  Manufacturing

So how does a brewer design a new beer? The beers are designed from scratch. First, you may try world class examples of the style and then research the beers in books. Next you need to examine your raw materials and determine how they will perform in your brewery. You need to design a recipe to emulate the style and this is where the craft element comes into the picture. There are so many variables in producing a beer. Given the wide range of characters and flavours no wonder there's an art to it. The colour can vary from pale yellow to a black stout, or liquid amber to brown. Beer can be effervescent- spritzy and light or utterly flat like an english bitter. What you want is a balanced complex palate and different notes in the beer to complement each other. Is it a sweet beer, or a citrusy beer? Does it have a malty, roasty, caramel, or hop aroma?'' Most microbreweries employ a handful of staff to cover all aspects of the brewing business. Peter had to literally be a jack of all trades. There are the raw materials to be sourced, the recipes to be designed, the beer made and the ongoing maintenance of the plant equipment. It can be hard physical work, too. Imagine mixing 300 kilos of grain with 800 litres of water and then digging out the mash and wheeling it in bins. Peter entered the competitive world of brewing in the most common way for microbrewers - through a passion for his subject. A political scientist by training, he ended up working for a gourmet coffee company where his interest in the quality and complexity of food and beverages came to the fore. He then landed a job as an assistant brewer and then moved onto the position of head brewer, where he had the privilege of also meeting his patrons. ''You get to know your regulars and they are very intimate with your product. If you make a change, they can notice it straight away and give you instant feedback. ''And for some beer aficionados, this is serious stuff!

AN ANCIENT SCIENCE
''Contrary to popular perception, the process is still the same one that has been used for thousands of years. You're still at the mercy of your raw materials, the quality of the water, grains and hops,'' says Steve. No matter the size of the brewery, the beer making process begins with a malted grain, usually provided by a malting company. Malted means that the barley or wheat has been steeped in water until it sprouts, making the starches easier to convert into fermentable sugars. It is dried either naturally or in a kiln. How the malt is roasted and the type of barley chosen affects the ultimate taste of the beer. It is the brewer's job to choose the best quality and type or blend of malt. For example, floor dried malts are used in Pilsener style beers, the darker, strong tasting beers are made from well roasted malt. The brewer receives analysis sheets from the maltster and these record the amount of starch in the grain and colour specks. Even the water can significantly alter the taste of the beer, so its important for the brewer to test and analyse the water used throughout production.

MONSTER MASH
The malted grain is milled to break it into grist and this is mixed with hot water at a temperature suitable for the particular beer style. For example, an Australian lager is heated at 69 degrees. This all takes place in the mashtun and this process, known as mashing, is where the starches in the malt are converted into sugar. The resultant mixture is called the 'wort' (pronounced as wert) and has a consistency like thin, hot porridge. When the brewer is happy with the degree of mash conversion, the grain material is removed from the mashtun and the filtered wort runs into a second brewing vessel, the kettle and is boiled for up to two hours. At this point, hops are added. Hops are a vine growing flower which impart the bitterness to the beer. As they are a flavouring agent, the type of hops chosen also affects the style and flavour of the beer.

CHEERS
The brew is transferred to a whirlpool where the undissolved hops and proteins are trapped (called the trub) and the clarified wort cooled down to a temperature suitable for fermentation. Yeast and oxygen are added so that fermentation can begin. Fermentation takes seven days and once finished, the byproducts of the yeast's growth are carbon dioxide and....voila, alcohol. After tasting and laboratory analysis, the brewer can then decide if the fermentation process is complete. The beer is then cooled down further, the yeast drops to the bottom of the tank and is removed or reused. Beer is transferred into maturation tanks for lagering or storage, or racked by gravity flow. After a specified time (days or weeks, depending on beer style), beers are filtered, or in some cases, more hops, sugar or clarifying agents are added. Beers are then packaged and ready for distribution or tapping.

Brewing is around the clock and thus can involve shift work. The production area can be noisy, so ear muffs are usually worn along with protective clothing and safety glasses and shoes. Brewing suits those individuals with an interest in science, a passion for beer and excellent communication and managerial skills.

COMPETITIVE AND SMALL INDUSTRY
Although the brewing industry has suffered reductions in employment because of technological change and changes in the public's drinking habits, yet still Coopers last year increased its National sales by 16% and its sales of kegged beer to the eastern States increased by 55%. Opportunities in brewing are dependent on the number and size of breweries. Currently, there are two large breweries (Coopers and Southwark) and some microbreweries in the State. Brewers in larger companies can start out as brewing technicians and be promoted to a brewer. Other career progressions include becoming a brewing team leader and a brewing manager. Salaries range from $50,000 to $70,000 per year at the larger breweries depending on experience and shift work penalties. Brewers in microbreweries can earn between $30,000 and $50,000 per year.

For further information about all TAFE SA Courses, phone 1800 882 661 or email tafeinfo@saugov.sa.gov.au