Craft Brewers

NEW CRAFT BREWER CLUB

quillskablooey — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:42:38 +0000

East Coast Brewers is the new craft beer club formed for KwaZulu natal brewers.

inaugural meeting will be held at the 1000 Hills Chefs school on the 19 October

any interested home brewers please call 031 7771566 for more details

WHOLE FLOWER HOPS

quillskablooey — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:39:31 +0000

Here at the Porcupine Quill Brewing Co. we only use whole flower hops in the production of our real ales. Real beer if you like.

We like to stay as close to mother nature as possible and using whole flower hops as opposed to pelleted hops is the way to do that. It is certainly more convenient to use pelleted hops but if you want the best possible tasting beers whole hops is the way to go.

When hops are used in their raw or unprocessed form, directly from the bale, they are designated as whole, raw, or leaf hops. Although whole hops are not as popular today as in the past, some of the world’s major brewers, as well as some craft brewers, use them in the belief that whole hops provide the best aroma. Brewers who use only whole hops believe hop products cause unacceptable flavor change in the beer. Processing the hops is believed to change the chemical composition and, therefore, the nature of the product. Whole hops require a longer boiling time to extract the oils and resins. In using whole hops, it is very important for the brewer to use fresh and well-cared for hops. The examination of a sample of hops by hand can reveal much about the sample that is not readily accessible by chemical means. Whole hops should be relatively intact. Pressing down the palm of the hand on the sample should show the elasticity or spring of the hops. Old hops, and in particular those poorly stored, become brittle and lose their “bounce.”

The Brewery

quillskablooey — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 08:43:21 +0000

The brewery located in the deli building where we have our own cheesery, bakery and sausage making facility. We also have a smoke house where we cold smoke some of our meats and fish. I built this building in 2010 and with up and downstairs it is a 1000 square meters. Took 65 weeks to complete using a local builder and devoured cement at an alarming rate. The supporting walls had to be very thick as to the engineers specifications.

OUR VIEW

The Porcupine Quill Brewing Company is located in the Valley of a 1000 Hills just outside Durban, South Africa. We are located on the 1000 Hills Chefs School property and the second year advanced pastry students do a brewery course as part of their second year studies. We look out over the valley and can see the Southern Drakensberg that will be covered in snow during winter.