Since its inception in 2012, the South Australian Brewing Club (SABC) has swiftly grown to become the largest and most successful brewing club in Adelaide and the country. The club embodies a diverse membership of individuals with a broad range of brewing expertise, all coming together to share knowledge and enhance their homebrewing skills. Central to the club’s calenda is the popular monthly meeting on the third Wednesday of each month, regularly attended by over 30 participants, thanks to the generous support of The Wheatsheaf Hotel. In addition to these gatherings, the club also hosts special events and brewery visits in Adelaide and the surrounding region. Find out more on our About SABC page.
The Australian Amateur Brewing Championships (AABC) results from this year’s competition in Brisbane have just dropped, and SABC has had another great showing!
At a state level, South Australia has placed third with three Gold, five Silver, and three Bronze awards, achieving a total score of 22.00.
Here’s the rundown of placegetters from SABC
Table 3: Amber & Dark Lager
2ND John Van Der Zalm – Style/Name: Traditional Rauchbier
Table 4: Pale Ale
1ST Sabelo Charles Nzama – Style/Name: Belgian Blond Ale
Table 5: American Pale Ale
2ND Lucas Veitch – Style/Name: NZ Pale Ale
3RD Mark Lehmann – Style/Name: Make Pale Great Again!
Table 6: IPA
1ST Mark Lehmann – Style/Name: Double Cheers IPA
Table 8: Amber Ale
3RD Sabelo Charles Nzama – Style/Name: Son Of The Soil
Table 10: Porter
1ST Darren Williams – Style/Name: Nordic Noir
Table 12: Strong Stout
2ND Maz Ali – Style/Name: Southern Starlight Stout
Table 13: Wheat and Rye Beer
3RD Matthew Kennedy – Style/Name: Plain Beret (Saison)
Table 16: Sour and Wild Ale
2ND Matthew Kennedy – Style/Name: The Goose (Gose)
Table 18: Specialty Beer
2ND Russell Saint – Style/Name: Manuka Smoko
HUGE congratulations to all members who placed by brewing some truly outstanding beers. As club president, I am extremely proud to see both the state and club continue to do very well in the national competition.
The dedication of club members, the quality of ingredients from our LHBS, and the willingness to share advice on how to brew better beer all combine to produce these results.
Next year the competition will be back in Queensland and co-hosted with the Australian National Brewing Conference. It’s not too soon to start planning for 2025 now.
Last week we had another cracking good monthly meetup themed around a show-and-tell of the best and worst brewing tech members have purchased. Facilitated by Sam, we covered all manner of items including pH (pH strips bad, pH meters good!), filters, standard gravity readers, scales and the infamous Kegland Hop Bong! See below for links to some of the recommended items.
We also had a surprise guest appearance with Jon from Yakima Chief Hops dropping in. Jon donated a bunch of hops to the club last year, so we returned the favour with a bottle of the SABC x Pirate Life Barrel Aged Strong!
Xmas brew day and case swap
We can now confirm our good friends at SA Brewing Supplies will host club members* for a Xmas Brewday and case swap on Sunday 15th December at their Maria Street Thebarton store just around the corner from The Wheaty. Jon is keen to start hosting regular brewdays at the store which is a great way to see and learn how others brew their beers.
For this inaugural brew day, we’re doing it System Wars style with a batch brewed 3 ways, specifically trying a different chilling method on each system (immersion vs plate chiller vs no chill). At the January meeting everyone we’ll have a three-way blind tasting to see which method reigns supreme.
The Brew Day will also be the location for the annual Christmas case swap. Refer to the previous newsletter and the Facebook event for swapping details. There are less than eight weeks to go so get those brews down NOW. The event is here to join.
It’s an all-day event and we’re working out the fine details including food. if you’re keen to get involved in the recipe and brewing, sing out info@sabrew.com
Summer competition
A reminder that the Summer Comp has been announced and the theme is Wheat. Refer to the competitions page for categories/dates and drop-off locations.
November meeting
Next month’s meeting, on November 20 at the Wheaty, we’re looking into the best practice of bottling from kegs and pressure fermentors. This is timely with the Christmas case swap coming and you can bottle up some of your best as gifts to your drunk uncles.
Brewing tech recommendations
From the October meeting, here is a list of products members use and recommend.
Carbonation cap: Easily connect gas or beer disconnects to PET bottles. Useful for filling bottles or flushing beer lines. Very useful for getting that last bit of beer out of a disconnect.
Hanna PH meter: Good quality PH meter at a reasonable price
Milwaukee PH meter: A more expensive meter that stores the prob in a solution
Kegland Hop Bong: Initially created so you can purge dry hops before dropping them into a sealed fermenter, Mark Lehman showed us a version he uses for adding fining agents to carbonated beer. Very versatile based on what parts you add to it.
Thanks to everyone who made it to last month’s meeting. It was a great open-flowing discussion with members and winning brewers from ABCSA and thanks to Mark for bringing along some of his best hazy.
We all learnt secrets to success but what happens at brew club, stays at brew club ‘eh!
It’s what you can learn from other members in person rather than anonymous ‘experts’ in forums is the reason we’re all in a homebrewing club. And, of course, it’s a bonus to go to the Wheaty on a school night.
This week’s meeting, Wednesday, Oct 16 is at The Wheaty from 7pm.
The theme Sam is running with this month is ‘Brew tech that is shiny but useless.’
We’ve all been there – caught up in the latest brewing gadgets, only to find they don’t quite live up to the hype. Have you bought something you thought was essential but barely used? Or regret a purchase because you got caught up in the hype or invested in expensive equipment that sits unused.
On the other hand, have you discovered a hidden gem? Share your thoughts and experiences at the meeting. Show and tell if you can bring it in (sell it off too!) Celebrate the wins and commiserate over the flops!
Bottle bingo as usual. Bring in a homebrew bottle to anonymously swap.
November meeting: Nov 20 The Wheaty. Best practice tips for packaging your beer. Perfect before Christmas. Everyone loves your beer as gifts!
Christmas case swap
We’re working hard on an exciting club day on Dec 15 so keep the date spare. Also on that day, we’re doing the Xmas case swap.
This case swap has been a great success in the past. Due to popular demand, it is back.
Everyone registered brews a batch of beer and brings 12-24 bottles and goes home with the same amount but of different beers. Like a beer advent calendar. Nick McAuley is running it. Any questions ask at the meeting or in the FB group. The event is here to join.
How many ppl: 15 to 20ppl, but more would be fantastic
What: 6pack, 12, or 24 bottle/can swap
When: Sunday 15 December. (daytime)
Venue and time TBC
SABC Summer Competition – focus on wheat
The annual club summer competition is just around the corner in brewing terms, and in 2025 we are challenging you to showcase the best of wheat as the main ingredient. Our CD, Gerard Flynn, has selected eight BJCP categories featuring wheat as the star ingredient. The website’s competition page has been updated so you can find it there later.
Competition details at a glance:
Date: Sunday, 9th February 2025
Time: 11:00 AM
Venue: East Torrent Kensington Gardens Tennis Club
Cost: $5 per entry
Details are in the club calendar. Add it to yours via the subscription links.
Categories:
This competition will feature the following BJCP styles:
American Wheat (1D)
Weisse Beer (10A)
Dunkelweisse (10B)
Witbier (24A)
Saison (25B)
Berliner Weisse (23A)
Gose (23G)
Wheat Wine (22D)
Important Dates:
Portal Opens: Thursday, January 9th
Portal Closes: Friday, February 8th
Drop-off Locations: SA Brewing Supplies, Thebarton to COB Friday or at the venue on the day from 10am.
We encourage everyone to nominate to judge or steward.
Stay tuned for updates. We encourage all members to add this event to their calendars and slot in a wheat beer to your schedule.
This is a reminder that our monthly meeting is happening this Wednesday at the Wheaty from 7pm.
This month we’ll be interrogating our medal-winning brewers and generally opening up the floor to questions, feedback and ideas about brewing winning beers from ABCSA.
We’ll glean tips and taste some and learn how they crafted their winning entries.
Congratulations to all the SABC brewers who placed: Percy Balls* (7 places and best brewer of show), Mark Lehmann (4), Charles Nzama (5), Lucas Veitch (3), Lachlan Johnson (2), James Edwards (2), Matthew Kennedy (4), Gary Waters (3), Gavin Pennell, John Van Der Zalm, Brendan Macey, Gus Kingston, Darren Williams, Maz Ali, Aaron Young, Russell Saint.
Judges’ score sheets are now available in the portal for downloading as PDFs.
Thank you to everyone who helped judge, steward and administer ABCSA. It went very smoothly and we couldn’t do it without you.
Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday! Bottles for bottle bingo swapping are encouraged.
New members are welcome to join us.
AABC entry
The Australian Amateur Brewing Championship will be judged in Brisbane on October 26th. To register, visit enter.aabc.org.au and submit your beer(s). If you are interested, SABC will organise a shipment to Qld. Drop your entries with labels affixed to bottles at the September SABC meeting or at SA Brewing Supplies by October 5th. Entries will be shipped on October 8th. Alternatively, you can send your entries directly to the competition. Good luck!
Anyone who placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd at this years ABCSA has qualified for entry into the Australian Amature Brewing Championship which is being held in Brisbane on October 26th. In order to enter you must register via the AABC entry portal at https://enter.aabc.org.au/. Please note you are only elligible to enter into the categories you placed in. AABC coordinators will cross check entries against the ABCSA winners list.
SABC will organise a group shipment of entries to QLD. Please bring your entries with completed labels to the September meeting (Wed 18th @ Wheaty), or drop them off at SA Brewing Supplies by midday Saturday 5th October. Entries will be shipped by road courier on Tuesday 8th October.
If you are unable to make the group shipment you can send direct.
This Wednesday’s monthly club meeting, August 21, is at The Suburban Brewat 26-30 Provident Avenue, Glynde (not Goodwood!). The owner and brewer, Tony will give us a tour of this brewhouse and give us the secrets to producing the Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards Gold Medal-winning Sunday Session Ale.
Formally from 7pm but the taps are open before that of course. Parking is available on site or bus 174, 176, or H33 from the city.
Hello brewers, Here’s what happening next week, soon and beyond.
ABCSA is on like Donkey Kong
The ABCSA Home Brewing Championship for 2024 is open for entry! Formerly known as SABSOSA*, this esteemed event has been celebrating home brewing for over 20 years.
ENTER NOW and don’t leave it to the last minute when your printer is busted. You need a new account in the portal even if you have entered previously.
If you can judge or steward – get involved! Register your interest in the entry portal.
For full competition details, including bottle drop venue and deadlines, visit the website at ABCSA.org.au
Good luck!
*seriously, this is the last time SABSOSA will ever be uttered.
Next Wednesday’s club meeting
Next Wednesday’s monthly club meeting on (August 21) is at The Suburban Brewat 26-30 Provident Avenue, Glynde (not Goodwood!). The owner and brewer, Tony will give us a tour of this brewhouse and give us the secrets to producing the Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards Gold Medal-winning Sunday Session Ale.
A night not to miss. Parking is available on site or bus 174, 176, or H33 from the city.
Xmas case swap – get brewing
We did it last year and it’s on again. Members brew a batch of beer, bottle it and swap the lot for a random selection of other beers. Put 20L in, and get back 20L of Christmas beers bathed in sunshine and good cheer. Put this in your brewing schedule and we’ll get back with more info soon. Swap venue TBC.
SABC members Blessed with good beer in Laura, SA
A bunch of members had a road trip to see the newly minted Little Blessing Brewing in the old church in the small mid-north town of Laura. Completely built from the shell of the deconsecrated church hall, club member Craig Blessing and his partner have done an incredible job building their brewery. All reports are the beers are great and the atmosphere excellent.
Events and meetings
Club dates are below and in our online calendar. After next Wednesday’s The Suburban Brew meetup, we know the September meeting (18/09) we will hear from the club’s best brewers who scored great results at winter comp and ABCSA. Get the low down on their secrets to success and try their beers.
October meeting (16/10) is looking at all the brewing tools, tech, and gadgets you need, you never knew you needed and the garbage ones you wish you kept the receipt for (curse you Temu!).
Beers offered for presentation and member tasting are always welcome, drop us a line and as always, bottle bingo is always on. Bring a bottle, and leave with a bottle. Anonymous or not, it’s up to you.
SABC Is excited to announce the ABCSA Home Brewing Championship for 2024 is open for entry! Open to all residents of South Australia, this competition is your chance to showcase your best home-brewed beer, cider, or mead. Formerly known as SABSOSA, this esteemed event has been celebrating home brewing for over 20 years, and we invite you to be part of this year’s competition.
ABCSA is South Australia’s largest amateur brewing competition and a qualifying round for the Australian Amateur Brewing Championship (AABC). All 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in the ABCSA categories will be eligible to enter the national competition. ABCSA is a fantastic chance to showcase your brewing, get feedback on your beers and win the prestigious South Australian Brewer of the Year perpetual trophy.
As ABCSA is closely linked with AABC, we use the AABC Style Guidelines, which are available on the AABC website. Please review the latest guidelines to understand what the judges will be looking for in both competitions.
ABCSA is entirely volunteer-driven. If you’re interested in entering, participating as a judge or steward, or even if you’re a business considering sponsorship, we encourage you to get involved! Register your interest in the entry portal.
For full competition details, visit our website at ABCSA.org.au
Greetings brewers. We hope you are enjoying the ‘dark beers’ season. The club met last week for some housekeeping, awards announcements and upcoming events. We also tasted an excellent barleywine that was the result of a member-led barrel project. Delish.
Here’s a big summary of what’s happening below. Get your spex out and read on.
Winter Competition: ‘The Euros’ Results
Congratulations to Russell Saint for winning the Belgian class and Best of Show with his Belgian Single. Other class winners include: German: Kieren Vercoe (German Leichtbier), English: Nat Warnock (English Porter), Scottish: Ben Key (Scottish Export), Irish: Brenton George (Irish Stout).
See the full results on the competition’s page. The judges’s score sheets are available to download. And of course, Spain won the football.
Upcoming ABCSA State Competition
The entry portal and website will update in early August. Key dates to remember:
Bottle Drop: closes at drop-off locations, COB August 31 or by 12pm Saturday at The Irish Club.
Judging: Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8 at The Irish Club, Carrington Street
The portal will also invite judge and steward registrations. We need help to run the competition, so any time you can give is appreciated. There’s still time to brew a comp-winning beer. Good luck!
AGM / Committee Update
The Annual General Meeting was held at the club meeting as required by its constitution. The minutes including treasurer’s and president’s reports will be available soon.
Lachlan Johnson was elected as president. He’s supported by:
VP: Sam Beard, Treasurer: Leon van der Linden, Secretary: Gus Kingston. The General committee members are: Chief Steward: Nick McCauley, General Officer: Chris Kerr, IT: Julien Gibson, Competition Director: Gerrard Flynn, Head Judge: Gary Waters
The committee meets bi-monthly and welcomes the contribution of ideas and feedback.
August Meeting Venue Change
The August club meeting on August 21 (3rd Wednesday of the month) will be at The Suburban Brew Glynde. Owner and brewer, Tony, a former club member, will give us a tour of his one-year-old facility. This brewhouse produces excellent beers, including the award-winning Sunday Session Ale, which recently won a gold medal at the Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards.
Transport: Buses 174, 176, or H33 from the city and plenty of on-site parking is available.
Mmmm remember sunny warm days at a brewery
Beer tour to Little Blessings Brewing, Laura
The date is getting close, August 3! Join SABC members for a road trip to Laura in the mid-north on the first weekend in August to enjoy beers crafted by our member Craig Blesing at his brand new (old church) brewery!
Limited spots are available, so please RSVP (or email) if you’re certain you’ll attend. Also, let us know if you’re planning a day trip (about 2 hours drive) or staying overnight. Depending on numbers, we may need separate sessions.
For overnight stays, check out the Laura Caravan Park directly across from the brewery. Everyone gets scones on arrival. It’s a delightful place. When we know more, we can coordinate shared accommodation or rides with fellow members.
Membership Renewals
Many of you might not realise your annual club membership has expired. To renew, head to the SABC Shop and pay to keep access to club events, meetings, competitions, discounts and extras, online group and member brains trust. If you’re unsure of your current status, find out how to check it here. The annual subscription of $60 hasn’t changed in many years and will remain unchanged for the foreseeable future. The club aims to give members the best value for money it can, all for the price of a batch of beer.
What’s in planning: another Southern Vales brewery bus trip!
A reminder the July meeting is this Wednesday and we will be holding the annual general meeting to elect a new committee. After the offical proceedings we will be announcing the winners of the Winter competition and tasting a barrel aged barleywine. The barleywine is the result of a member led barrel project that has been in works since late 2023, and base on the sample I had on packaging day its well worth coming along for!
It’s the week of winter comp so now is the time to get your entries finalised and ready for the knock out stages.
Will you beer perform like Scotland and bow out early, will it sit comfortably mid table or will it perform and soar like Germany and (maybe England) to the top of their groups!
Either way, get those entries registered and get your name down to be steward or Judge. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn from the regulars who have vast experience under their belt!
Bottle drop is 10am Sunday Morning along with judge/Steward registration with judging to begin soon after.
Check the comp portal for entry limitations and deadlines.
The Annual General Meeting for the SA Brewing Club will be held on Wednesday, July 17th at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, George St Thebarton at 7pm.
All financial members of the club are invited to attend. The agenda can be downloaded here. Nominations for committee positions can be submitted by email in advance or will be accepted on the night.
