Ash Hazell - CBCo Brewing

Ash, tell us a bit about yourself & how you became the Head Brewer at CBCo Brewing?

I’ve been brewing for almost 20 years now, but I began home brewing when I was 17 years old because I funnily thought it would be easier than making a fake ID. I was studying chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology at university at the time and knew brewing was what I wanted to do with my life. Once I turned 18 years old, I went into Little Creatures Brewery for the first time and picked up a glass of their pale ale - it just changed my life. I call it an epiphany beer, where you have a beer, and it changes your entire outlook of life. When I picked it up my immediate thoughts were ‘this smells different’, ‘what is this?’ as I compared it to my home brews. In my final year we had to do a research project and I wanted to learn something that was brew related. However, none of my lecturers had any knowledge so I reached the Head Brewer at Little Creatures and asked if he could cosign off the project. In return, he offered me a job and by the time I finished my degree I was a full-time brewer.

My career goal was always to be a quality control manager of a large Australian craft brewery and by the time I was 25 and I had already achieved that. After Little Creatures was sold, I created my own business with their former CEO which successfully ended after 3 years of operating. For the remaining 7 years I’ve been working at CBCo, still learning how to formulate the perfect beer.

What does a day in your life look like as a brewer?

Start the day with a coffee and end it with a beer every day. My role as Head Brewer covers a lot of different aspects of the business, it’s people management, financial management and project management. I have a responsibility to make sure all my team come to work safely and importantly making sure our consumers are safe within the venue. We pride ourselves on our strict procedures, developing a safe product that’s delicious and high-quality for everyone to drink. That also doesn’t mention any breakdowns, repairs and workshops I do for my team teaching them chemistry procedures to help them become better brewers.

Recipe designing is another aspect of the job which I find the most fun. You get to test new ingredients and methods to formulate a sample to incorporate into a new recipe. Sitting down for the first time and trying that beer you’ve brewed for months is still one of my favourite things I do and is all a part of the magic of brewing.  Every day is different and is chaotic but suits my working style.

Give us a rundown of the CBCo range & explain which is your favourite to create and/or drink?

We have quite a diverse range, beginning with our entry level lagers of a full-strength, mid-strength and zero alcohol. Our ales, being the core of the range which includes our small ale, pale ale and IPA. We consider them more flavoursome than your average lager and are a great everyday beer choice. Next is our sour, which undergoes a unique acidification where we add the same bacteria you get in yoghurt to get that real refreshing and quenching flavour. It was definitely a favourite for a long time. There are also some porter’s and cider which we occasionally do.

I love brewing our lagers as they’re quite challenging. For instance, if you’re brewing a big beer there’s enough flavour to hide your mistakes but in a really clean lager there’s no room to make an error and the beer is not going to taste nice. I do enjoy drinking them too but currently my pick would be our Hazy New England Pale Ale. It’s triple the hopping of our core range and is a luscious full body ale.  

What’s unique about your beer that sets you apart from everyone else on the market?

Our sours are unique and special to us. We are considered one of the biggest sour beer companies on the market, as we just nail the consistency and have a specialized process that sets us apart from other competitors. We built our brewery specifically to produce high-quality products that focus on consistency and balance. We’re not at the pointy end of craft beer making the most extreme beers, but we stay true to our range and hone in on what we do best.

What are some of your favourite pubs in Melbourne to go grab a beer?

I’ve just moved to Brunswick, Sydney Road has a great string of bars lined up such as Brunswick Green, The Retreat, Edinburgh Castle and Miss Moses. I am very biased living in Brunswick now, but I believe they have some of the best bars in the country.

When you’re not brewing, what’s your go-to outfit?

It’s pretty much the same as what I wear brewing, which is jeans, t-shirt, a flannel and maybe a truckers cap.

One pair of Wild Rhinos you’re loving at the moment?

Chambers – I think they’re sturdy enough that if I need to wear them around the brewery I can but also stylish enough where I can wear them to a bar after work.

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Early-bird or Night-owl? Night-owl

Knock-off drink of choice? Our 10% Imperial Stout or Porter

Beer or Cider? Beer

Favourite Food? Any Japanese, Thai or Vietnamese cuisine

Introvert or Extrovert? Classically introverted with extroverted tendencies  

Head down to CBCo Brewing in Port Melbourne to grab a quality beer and say hey to our mate Ash and the team!