Every autumn, the small Victorian alpine town of Bright becomes a mecca for brewers chasing one of beer’s rarest and most revered ingredients: fresh hops.
Out of this seasonal pilgrimage came a limited release from Felons Brewing Co and Bright Brewery, with a name to match its bold, fleeting nature: the Fresh Hop Heist Hoppy Pils.
The partnership was a natural one, sparked by a shared passion and proximity to one of the most important resources in brewing: hops.
As Lincoln Gibbs, Head Brewer at Felons, put it: “Bright Brewers are nestled within Australia’s largest hop growing region and are arguably the go-to brewers for experience with fresh hops. When they reached out to us and suggested the collaboration, we couldn’t say no to the opportunity to visit the region and brew some liquid gold.”
Bright Brewery’s own Head Brewer, Lewis Kerr, echoes the enthusiasm, saying: “We were looking for a keen partner to join us in Bright to work on this collaboration. For many breweries, working with fresh hops is a rare opportunity that doesn’t come around too often so Felon’s jumped at the opportunity when we approached them. They jumped so hard, it was awesome!”
Brewing with fresh hops
Described by Gibbs as “symbiotic”, the collaboration was more than just a co-branded beer – it was a full-bodied exchange of knowledge and techniques.
“From the outset to the brew-day, we were sharing ideas and learning from each other. It brings a whole new meaning to sharing a beer,” he said.
Felons sent a five-person team down to Victoria during the harvest, including Gibbs, Gareth Cooper, and Jared Palu to visit the hop fields managed by Hop Products Australia (HPA).
“It’s a really exciting time of the year for those in the know. The ability to get into the hop fields and sample some hops straight off the bine is truly an eye-opening experience,” said Gibbs. “The aromatic qualities of a fresh, wet hop really pop; you can see why a brewer would want to make a beer that harnesses that character. Therein lies the challenge.”
Brewing with fresh hops isn’t just a plug-and-play process. Unlike processed hop pellets, fresh hops bring complexity and unpredictability.
Kerr explained that there are a couple of intricacies at play when brewing with fresh hops… you need to be ready to roll with the punches and changing harvest windows.
He said: “Fresh hops tend to behave a little differently than pellets due to the amount of green mass you’re introducing into the brew. The hopping volumes are different, the water profile is different, the timing of the brew is different… The largest variable we probably have to consider is the oil content of the hop… we don’t know one of the most crucial data points for hops, their alpha acid content.”
In this brew, Ella and Eclipse were the stars – two lesser-known hop varieties with unique profiles. With such fresh and volatile ingredients, recipe design needed to be thoughtful and deliberate.
While fresh hop beers often take the form of bold IPAs, Felons and Bright opted for something more restrained and nuanced with their collaborative release: the Fresh Hop Heist Hoppy Pils.
“Felons’ number one seller is our eminently drinkable Crisp Lager, so we brought some of its DNA,” said Gibbs. “We settled on a sessionable pils recipe, which bears a rich golden hue, a soft, biscuity malt, and a fantastically balanced aroma of citrus and herbaceous notes.”
Kerr added: “We really wanted to do something different and focus on a clean subtle beer that exhibited these two unique characters… It’s a clean and biscuit-like pilsner base with a healthy whack of German lager yeast, with subtle notes of mandarin, spice and florals to top it off.”
From the farm to the taproom – fast
The whole point of a fresh hop beer is immediacy, and the Fresh Hop Heist Hoppy Pils made it to the taps in record time.
It’s a super limited tap-only release, now pouring at Felons Brewing Co. and Felons Barrel Hall in Brisbane, as well as at Bright Brewery.
The early feedback has been positive, with Gibbs saying: “What can I say? They’re loving it of course!”
And for Bright, it’s a fitting way to mark the end of the busy summer and harvest season.
“This time of year is really special in Bright… our town is slowing down and taking a breath after a hectic summer,” said Kerr.
“It’s a really cool opportunity to have three beers on tap that were a direct result of the hard work of harvest community, on tap only weeks after they picked it for us in the first place.”
While both brewers clearly enjoyed working together, there’s no official word on whether they’ll collaborate again next year.
As Kerr said: “Next year we’ll knock out another handful of fresh hop brews with some special guest, but who knows where that will take us just yet.”
One thing’s for certain – Fresh Hop Heist Hoppy Pils is a one-of-a-kind beer brewed in a one-of-a-kind moment. And if you want to taste it, you’d better act fast.