Nat Fryar is one of our three technical committee on tour with our scoping study.  Nat was lucky to visit the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at UC Davis.  The water tanks, and the teaching-and-research winery they support, are showing students and winemakers throughout the world how to reduce processing costs, improve wine quality, and protect the planet’s dwindling natural resources.  This is an interesting way to use technology and for dry places on the planet like Australia, it is really important knowledge.  One of the great stops on the journey as our team explore the best of fermentation opportunities overseas.


Tom Lewis on the other hand, well, he has learned that microbrewery in Germany is about size! The German definition of a microbrewery is less than 1,000,000 L / yr.And.....well...apart from size, it is all about the microbes.  He has discovered in Munich that the increasing effectiveness of bottling systems at eliminating oxygen from bottles is increasing the incidence and influence of off-flavour producing bugs. As strict anaerobes, these were in earlier times not such a problem, but are now rearing their ugly and off-smelling/ off- tasting / slimy heads (this last one makes beer pour like honey) in greater numbers. There's also evidence that they are becoming more tolerant to higher ethanol concentrations, and so are broadening the range of products they are tainting.   

Tom also met with Dr Mathias Hutzler of the Weihenstephan Research Centre for brewery and food quality. An amazing setup. A private centre within a university. Income mainly from analytical services and interpretation. Competitive neutrality law requires them to be more expensive than private competitors, but they succeed due to quality and experience. 

Anna Carew has not only been checking out all things fermentation, she has an interesting observation at the use of buildings and space.  Fermented beverage production has supported the rescue and repurposing of valuable architectural heritage for new ventures. The oldest brewery in the world. And a University-based brewing and yeast research and consulting centre just across the quadrangle. How cool is that?   

Apart from the architecture, Anna has been learning about IOC Analytical Services Epernay where they process 40,000 Champagne samples each year.    They have a mobile Champagne processing service with a fleet of 25 trucks which are fitted out from the equipment bank.  

Just to make sure it is not all about fermented beverages, Anna has also been to Ostehjornet cheese shop where they have 150 distinct outcomes from milk meeting microbes - imagine the aroma!

​Check out the learnings captured on Instagram - great questions and learnings.  THANKS TEAM

Tom, Anna and Nat as part of our travelling trio and Technical Committee are well underway on the scoping study.  Its all about looking at value proposition with different products, exploring different models for training, education and skill development to meet industry needs, how industry works in partnership with these approaches.  London, Holland, Sweden...its all about fermentation.  

At Eldrimner (the Swedish national centre for artisan food), a hard working couple established a catering, bakery and brewing enterprise.  A great case study for future work.   Keen interest, time and willingness for financial risk, coupled with available and ongoing training and support....a new business arises. 

Check out the instagram account to follow their progress and ask questions

 Our next phase is underway.   
The Technical Management Committee members Tom Lewis (Exec Director of FermenTasmania, business consultant and microbiologist), Natalie Fryar (winemaker extraordinaire, entrepreneur and distiller) and Anna Carew (UTas wine and cider researcher and all round great gal) have booked their tickets and are busy packing, getting ready for their international scoping work over 3 weeks in October.  This is where we will not only be finding out who is doing what and seeing what success can look like but importantly making inroads into potential international partnerships.  These people have graciously offered their time to do this essential work and FermenTasmania can’t thank them enough for agreeing to help and make those important first points of contact with some partners who we will work with into the future. Bon Voyage to the team and we look forward to following you on Instagram and @fermentasmania  and  Facebook during your travels!
 
By the end of the year we will have our scoping work done, the industry consultation complete and the potential business models finalised.  With potential investors already knocking on the door, we hope to be breaking ground for the bricks and mortar part of the project in 2017!

HOT OFF THE PRESS - 3 October 2016:

Tom has been busy in the UK already meeting with @BritishCheese and @YeoValley learning all about the 2,500 tonnes per week of yoghurt they produce as well as Lye Cross Farm who produce a massive amount of Cheddar for a family based operation.  Next he is off to The Orchard Centre at Hartbury and seeing the cider facility, the training programs as well as and hearing about the community trust model.  THANK YOU to all of the people who have been generous of their time in sharing their knowledge, experience and fermenting passion with FermenTasmania!