Even the very best beer is up to 95 per cent water. Knowing what to do with the other small proportion is everything.
For Canberra's growing beer industry, a skills shortage and limited access to training prompted BentSpoke Brewing Co to pitch a new plan to the ACT government: what about help to teach a new cohort of brewers?
BentSpoke co-owner and head brewer Richard Watkins was excited by the course, announced on Thursday, and was keen to share 27 years of experience.
"In the Canberra region, good beer might start with good ingredients, but it needs good brewers and it's going to be great to see the next generation of brewers and breweries, brew breweries that open in Canberra," Mr Watkins said.
"But also then the brewers that will work from them will come from local training."
Twelve students employed in Canberra's brewing industry will form the first cohort, which will be taught by an expert brewer who will be trained to teach the course.
The program will be run by the Canberra Institute of Technology, working in partnership with local Canberra brewers, and funded by a grant worth nearly $80,000.
ACT Skills Minister Chris Steel said the government understood the skills shortage in brewing and the new training model offered a more flexible way to support emerging industries in the ACT.
"BentSpoke came to the ACT government and the Canberra Institute of Technology last year and explained the need to build skills in their industry to make sure they can continue to operate, but also so they can continue to operate, but also so they can continue to innovate and thrive," Mr Steel said.
Mr Steel said the training model for brewers was unique and responded to the challenge in smaller industries, where they often lacked the size and scale to development training qualifications through registered training organisations.
If successful, the brewer training course could also provide a template for other small, speciality industries that need to train more workers, the government believes.
The government hopes the brewer training could expand to a full certificate IV qualification in artisan fermented products, part of a qualification available through the Canberra Institute of Technology, Mr Steel said.
"We think there will be demand, not only from the ACT for this training here, but also from regional NSW, to come here and learn how to brew beer, but potentially in the future those other fermented and distilled products as well," he said.
Students are expected to start in the program from April next year.
