Well it is that time of year again and I have to say a big thank you to lots of people who have helped thoughout the year. And of course let you all know when I will be closing for the Christmas, New Years break.

I will be closing the shop on the 24th Dec at 3pm and reopening on the 28th, 29th and 30th, then reopening on the 4th, 5th, and 6th, then I will be away for a weeks holiday which will get me back again on the 17th January 2012. then it will be back to brewing  full steam ahead.

I hope you all stay safe for the festive season and my wife and I wish you all the very very best.

Merry Christmas and a happy happy New Year.

Jeffrey & Saori

The next element is to age your beers properly, most of our beers will improve with age but you will find that beers of 7% or above will actually age and mature for longer giving you a smoother more mellow beer. Also the darker the beer the better it will age.

Don’t try to recap your beer as it will not store properly and the carbination will not hold leaving you with a flat beer. If you cannot finish your beer keep it for cooking purposes. One idea which my father showed me  just recently is a beer battered fish. Pat dry the fillets with a paper towel, and then just wash them lightly throught a small dish of a nice flavoured beer ( the richer darker beers work very well for this) and then coat then in a very course bread crumb. Shallow fry and season to taste.. this is a great way to enjoy the taste of the fresh fish and also to savour that left over beer.

PS you can also use fresh beer if so inclinded… that way you can drink the remainder with the excuse that you do not want to waste it…

Bon apetite..

Now, we can help them make a beer that will exceed their expectations, and at a price that allows them to have a drink when they want to, not when they can afford to.

Red Bay brewery thought this situation was worthy of finding a solution.

After many trail batches, a suitable recipe was developed, a Golden Ale, with crisp, citrusy undertones, with a keen hop aftertaste along with a lovely amber colour. This gluten free beer is even enjoyed by people who are not gluten intolerant, which is testermant to it’s great taste and appeal.

At a cost of less than $35 per carton of beer, the Gluten-free beer makes drinking a possibility for Coeliacs, at a price cheaper than what can be bought at your local shop.

(Due to licencing laws a minimum order of 50 litres, approx 6 cartons is required, but don’t worry we can keep some of it for you in our fridge)

Only 8 weeks left before Christmas
Hi everyone, well we are still here and working hard to make the most out of the coming hotter months.
And once again I appologise for this taking so long to come out, but work does get in the
way along with alot of other things….
Which brings me to my quest for this
month, now I have heard that you guys are looking to make the end of this year a
great time now that summer is here. So what I would like to know is, what are
your thoughts on the ownership of our Fosters Brewery now having been sold to
the South Africans? With the only major aussie brewery left in the country being Coopers.
That and of course what you like to drink from Red Bay Brewery, also
Aussie owned…
Now I have heard that it could be the Easy Dry or the St Ellas Lager, or even the Skinny Goat but what I would like to know is what really rocks your boat.
Let us know the next time you are in..
.,.. …   Now I am well aware
that you are all wondering when the next open day will be . Well it is going to
be on the …………

More tasters needed for the Movember
Beer Appreciation Afternoon
Yes that is correct, we need you to taste test
the beers and give us feedback, so we can make them even better.
So come down and help us, on Saturday the 19th November from 2pm – 5 pm at the
brewery. We will try to make it an even better day than the last one with your
support.  Entry is Free.
As per usual the list of beers on tap on the day will be kept a secret
except for the beer of the month which will be making an appearance, once again
it is a new addition to the vast list of beers available. Our rendition of
the Heffeweizen which we have aptly named the “Wilder Heffe” this is a fantastic
easy drinking light coloured pale ale with a nice medium bitterness, coupled
with the aroma and destinct flavour of the hop makes this beer a real winner. I
look forward to the feed back on this one !

NOTE: All brews ordered
on the day receive a 10% discount voucher for use on your next visit.
So get the gang/ family/friends etc. together and come on down, and enjoy the afternoon
with us. It promises to be bigger and better than
ever.

Brew Fact:

The first US lager was brewed in 1840 by John Wagner,
who had a small brewery in the back of his house on St. John Street in
Philadelphia. Wagner brought the first lager yeast to the United States from a
brewery in Bavaria.
Historians report that during the Middle Ages, when monks
were brewing their beer in their monasteries, each monk was allowed to drink 5
quarts of beer a day.
Legend has it that Gambrinus, god of beer, challenged the devil to produce a “wine without grapes.” The historical origin of the concoction we know today can be found in 12th-century Belgium, although the Egyptians had already created fermented-grain beverages well before then. The pursuit of beer changed the course of humanity forever in 5000 BC. Neolithic
people abandoned their wandering lives for farming, to grow grain for brewing
beer.

Cider and Ginger
Well we listened to you on the last open day and are glad to say that we will be working once again on our new Apple Cider recipe, which will be ready to taste on the 19th, it has all the makings of a full flavoured dry draught Cider , great aroma and that real taste of apples. Our famous ginger beer has changed a little bit, so get your name on to “The Red Board” for your share of the batches. Sharing the brew is a great way to get a carton of the good stuff without buying the whole 50 litres.
Coeliac Friendly Beer
If you know someone that suffers, then let them know and send them in to us, as it will save them a whole hop load of money and with no preservative or chemicals it will be much better for them.. It is a Golden Ale ,with crisp, citrusy undertones, with a keen hop aftertaste along with a lovely colour .

Note: As always I will have a few extra beers in the fridge for those that run out, so give us a call and see what is available.
Well that’s all for now and happy brewing, stay safe and drink responsibly.
Cheers
Jeffrey & Saori

NAMES
David H
Michael V
Gordon
Shane S
Felix F #039
Leon J #088

 I believe everyone that enjoys either craft or Microbrew beers, need to have their say and help make the changes to the laws so that you can taste even more fantatic clean fresh and tasty beers 

Do you love CRAFT BEER?

Would you like to taste even more?

Show that you care for the future sustainability of our small brewers and reply to this post with a message or comment showing your support.

Australian small brewers are slowly being stifled by excise tax. Approximately 25% of all sales income is paid on top of the regular expenses small businesses face based on alcohol level and packaging above 30,000 litres.
Following is an exert from our cover story on Excise Tax and Craft Brewing in Issue 16 autumn 2011 of Beer & Brewer magazine…on sale February 16, 2011.

With consumer interest high there has never been a better time for a start up craft brewery in Australia and New Zealand but ironically our small brewers cannot grow their businesses affectively due to excise tax. They are brewing to pay taxes.

Small brewers particularly in Australia need a better excise tax system so they can thrive, rather than just surviving on the current system. With a new system smaller brewers will make profits – leading to paying more in company tax, income tax and generating more GST revenue for the Government from increased beer sales (craft beer consumption is growing whereas that for commercial beer is declining) and tourism expenditure. A volumetric excise tax system based on the volume of beer produced is a WIN-WIN scenario for small brewers and the Government.

Paying company tax, income tax, GST and even excise
tax are an accepted and vital contributor to any economy.
However it is the excise tax in Australia that is stifling the small brewers not allowing the 120 small brewers to run sustainable businesses.

From a carton of beer, approximately $13 is paid straight back to the Government in excise tax. In the US it is more like $1.10. On average in the USA, regardless of alcohol content excise on a 500L batch of beer equates to $35 federal excise and in the case of Washington State, $24 in state excise (this varies from state to state) making it a total of around $59. In Australia a 500L batch costs $700 for a 5% ABV beer meaning in the USA excise is only 10% of the value of the Australian excise system.

Breweries must pay excise tax every 7 days, largely before they are actually paid themselves posing severe cash flow problems especially when you consider excise is paid after GST, this makes GST a tax on a tax. In New Zealand breweries at least have 30 days to meet their payment deadlines.

Brewers are effectively penalized for selling beer in small kegs and bottles as beer in containers less than 50L (bottles, cans, small kegs) attracts a large hike in excise tax of around an extra $0.50 per litre of full strength beer. Small brewers are already paying premiums for their ingredients without the economies of scale as the major brewers so the cost to produce a litre of beer is significantly more expensive for them. Small brewers would much prefer to sell beer in 20L or 30L kegs and in bottles, which are also great for promoting moderation and a healthy lifestyle, but all of these attract the highest excise rate possible.

A scheme along similar lines in the US would be a boon to craft brewers in Australia creating fair competition and lifting the segment from 1% to perhaps the 5-10% we see in countries where excise rebate schemes are in place. It can be done; and if you want a precedent in Australia, talk to the small wine producers who pay absolutely NO tax on their wine until they’ve sold about $1million in any year. And as for the health debate, why does a 4L cask of wine (about the same standard drinks as a case of beer) attract a tax of around only $3?

The purpose of this article is show the Australian Federal Government and Treasury along with our Readers that the current excise tax system doesn’t work for small brewers. It is not sustainable and not supportive of this small business segment that employs people across Australia in over 120 microbreweries, brew pubs or companies. A volumetric system by litres, not by container size, with tax exemptions up to approximately 150,000L will allow small brewers to get established and thrive rather than survive. A business that thrives can comfortably employ more staff,
create local tourism, pay company tax and pay excise tax.

Craft brewing is labour intensive and generally regional and rural; jobs in the country and payroll and company tax to the states can only be a good thing. Why are we paying so much tax on our beer? Ask your local MP what he or she drinks.

The other brew that has come along way and is now a smash hit is the Red Bay Ginger Beer, once again there has been quite a few minor changes to this recipe and we now believe it is the best Ginger beer you can buy.

Also the Apple Cider is almost ready and we believe it will be a very nice brew. I will post the results up as soon as I have filtered and carbinated it and of course done the tastings.