Hugh Dunn

BREWER OF THE MONTH – AUGUST 2006

Breweries worked at and now:

Working at Lion Nathan allowed me to fiddle about in quite a few breweries but I have really only worked for any length of time at Castlemaine Brewery (12 years), Swan Brewery (6 years), Old Swan Brewery (3 years)

How you started brewing:

I was studying for my chemistry degree part time while working for Mount Isa Mines Hydrometallurgical Research Laboratory. Castlemaine was offering a scholarship for final year students in applied chemistry. It sounded interesting and brewing was easier to spell than hydrometallurgical so I applied. The rest is history.

Favourite beer you’ve brewed:

Last year’s oak cask conditioned dark ale. I used whiskey soaked fruit and dry hopping as part of the cask conditioning process. The beer was quite good but the whole process was a lot of fun.

Favourite beer you haven’t brewed:

There are a few beer styles I haven’t brewed that I would like to for the experience but not necessarily because I am a fan of the style. As for a particular beer - I’ve never brewed Guinness. I think I would like to for the taste session at the end if nothing else.

Greatest beer achievement:

I guess you don’t mean how many beers I drank at my 18th. How about Best In Class for the OSB Porter at the 2005 AIBA

Favourite brewing website:

Hmm …. The WABA website?

How you see Australian Microbrewing industry:

Very healthy, particularly in WA. We haven’t seen the end of microbrewery openings in WA yet but then we haven’t seen the closing of too many either. We will, but on the whole I think the industry is here to stay this time unlike the blip in the 80’s. The issue for us as an industry is how we train the number of brewers required to meet the needs of the industry.

Brewer you most highly respect:

Over 20 years in the industry I have worked with some fantastic people both in large breweries and in micro brewing and I really don’t think I could single out just one. I think the one common trait in all the brewers I know is the passion and enthusiasm they have for what they do. You’ve got to respect that.

Editorial comment:

When I have a brewing question, Hugh has always got an answer (as well as Roger (Barry), Brendan and Jan). Hugh inputs a large amount of his time into the future of the microbrewing industry with IBD, WABA, RSA Beer Comitee Hugh not only pushes Australian microbrewing’s future but does it in style and enjoyment.

Hugh is no longer at Swan and is now the Head of the Brewing Degree at Edith Cowan University Perth.