Well, it’s been quite a while since we updated the brewer’s log, mainly because we have been so busy producing more and more PALE ALE!....... 

We have been very (extremely!) busy over the past 7 years brewing up a storm.  To help us make even more, we have completed three capacity upgrades in recent times.  The first was completed in August 2004 with the addition of four 10,000 litre fermenters, one bright beer tank, and another yeast tank to help produce the lovely, special yeast we use in our beer.  The second upgrade was completed in September 2005 and involved the addition of our first two “big boys” (20,000 litre fermenters), along with some fancy upgrades to the brewhouse to allow even more daily production.  In 2006 we had our third “re-birthing” with the addition of a further six fermenters, and the commissioning of a full state-of-the art packaging line which is located in Fremantle, about 5km from the brewery.  All of that work, combined with the ever expanding love of PALE ALE, has meant us brewers haven’t had much time to get bored……  And soon we will be making even more – we are currently designing and are about to commence construction on our new brewhouse which will be situated at 42 Mews Road, directly next to the existing site.  So watch out!  More beer to come at the end of 2008….. 

The brewing day at Little Creatures starts (sometimes painfully!) at 5am in the sleepy Fishing Boat Harbour of Fremantle.  As the brewing team wipe their eyes and stretches their arms, the first mash is already underway.  The first 5000 litres of glorious beer is being created…  By the end of the day, there would have been two brewing teams at the helm, and they would have created six of these babies.  The early guys get the pleasure of seeing the sun rise over the fishing boats, and the late guys get the pleasure (I’m being cheeky now) of seeing hundreds of our loyal fans indulge in the glory of a pint of PALE ALE.  Sometimes it’s hard watching the party from the other side, but we have a serious job to do… make glorious beer. 

But the work doesn’t stop at the brewing.  One of the team will be fastidiously cleaning tanks, completing lab analysis to make sure everything is in order, and transferring beer from tank to tank.  Another one of team will be charged with filtering the beer to get it ready for serving.  There are even a few more of us behind the scenes planning for the present, planning for the future and just generally trying to help the machine along.

Just after lunch, the brewing team will have loaded up another road tanker full of 19,000 litres of beer, ready for dispatch to the packaging guys.  The packaging team eagerly awaits this beer as they know there are thirsty punters all over the country waiting for more PALE ALE.  After unloading into one of our bright beer tanks, the hardest working packaging team in the country will package this beer into 330ml bottles, pint bottles or 50L kegs.  This is where the rubber really hits the road, as at Little Creatures we are unique – we are not pasteurizing our product like “normal” brewers, so from woe to go we have to be scrupulous in our technique to ensure that we deliver a prime bottle of beer to you, our thirsty friend. 

So, once the beer is brewed, fermented, analyzed, filtered, packaged, conditioned, and dispatched, it is time for the crew to sit back, have a well earned pint (or sometimes two!) and reflect on another day of making the best PALE ALE in the country… or maybe the world (we’re allowed to say that).

Cheers!
Alex Troncoso – Chief Brewer