SIMON CHAMBERLAIN
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THE RISE of boutique beer brewing has turned carpenter and beer enthusiast Ben Joseph into someone who not only enjoys being a consumer but also the production - he now makes up to 18 different varieties of the liquid refreshment.
Spending his teenage years in Yeoval, Mr Joseph headed for Sydney’s northern beaches and inner west to undertake a carpentry apprenticeship.
Instead, getting the job helping fit out the building now known as Young Henrys changed his life direction.
The initial development application had been for the boutique brewery with an associated restaurant and bar.
“We had some trouble getting that through [the] council,” Mr Joseph said.
“I was going to be involved with the hospitality side of the brewery.
He undertook TAFE courses in hospitality to further widen his skills base to prepare for that challenge, however, until the next step can be taken he works in the brewing side of the business and it’s a labour of love.
“I certainly had been a consumer [of beer],” he said.
Like most great adventures, Young Henrys was started with a conversation over a beer.
In this case it was lovers of great beer getting together to discuss hopes and dreams for the Australian craft beer industry, particularly its growth and development in Sydney.
Young Henrys has just celebrated its first anniversary of brewing beer and its uniqueness is netting an appreciative audience who, like wine lovers, are seeking flavour and craftmanship.
Mr Joseph said Young Henrys has four main varieties of refreshment including a real ale, a hop ale, a real lager and a cloudy cider. But individual types of beers are only limited by the imagination.
Recently the brewery created the Newtowner beer, part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the suburb.
But other craft beers might include green tea flavours, red beers or Japanese style beers. Also brewed is a chipotle chilli porter and a smoked beer variety.
The Young Henrys beers are yet to cross the great dividing range, even though, Mr Joseph is a regular visitor to Dubbo.
He said there was interest from the Blue Mountains and Bathurst in the brewery’s products but it could take some time to get as far west as Dubbo.
“I was seeing a girl from Dubbo, but she’s now in the US working in the film industry,” Mr Joseph said.
“I was back there a couple of months ago, visiting her and her family.”
Mr Joseph said the craft brewing industry followed in the footsteps of the boutique wine producers.
“People who drink craft beers want a genuine point of difference,” he said.
“People are happy to pay a bit a buck for something different.
“These beers are made from natural ingredients and have no preservatives.”
Mr Joseph said four main ingredients make up beer: barley, hops, filtered water and yeast.
“We use a blend of Australian and English malted barley,” he said.
Some of the Australian barleys do not offer the flavours the UK varieties give, he said.
However, the hops are all sourced from Tasmania.
He said Young Henrys’ modest start had been preceded by brands like Coopers and Little Creatures so there was confidence in the product.
Doubling of the capacity of the brewery over the Christmas period has resulted in a bank of five 2400-litre and two 1200-litre fermenting, copper-coated vats.
It gives the building an atmosphere with the liquids being cheek by jowl from the vat to the chiller.
Its also a great way to put away an hour or two while in the big smoke.