Yeast & Fermentation

XXXX Bitter is a bottom-fermented lager, brewed with a yeast that works in the cold. Brewers hold such beers at around eight to thirteen degrees Celsius, and fermentation takes weeks. The result is a clean, smooth beer without fruity side notes.

In a region with hot, humid summers, that demands technology. The fermentation tanks at the Milton brewery are refrigerated, as are the lagering tanks afterward. The Fitzgerald brothers' first beer from 1878 was still an ale—top-fermented—and ale yeast tolerates warmth better.

Today both worlds share the landscape. Craft brewers like Felons, Ballistic or Green Beacon brew both lagers and ales, choosing their yeast according to style. More on that in the beer styles section. What both camps share is that refrigeration accompanies the entire process, from tank to tap at the pub.

Bundaberg Ginger Beer has its own fermentation story too. The company is based in Bundaberg and was founded in 1960 as a bottling and fermentation operation. It has carried its current name since 1995. The brewers combine ginger, cane sugar and yeast, and let the mixture ferment for three days, according to the company.

The result still isn't beer, though: all drinks from Bundaberg Brewed Drinks are non-alcoholic. The company also has no connection to Bundaberg Rum. That distillery was founded in 1888 by sugar cane farmers and belongs to a separate company.