Members at The Carlton BrewHouse Meeting

Guide Melissa	The Carlton Brands	Serious Contemplation

The meeting on Tueday October 16 was different.    Esteemed members of our  Vocational Directorate,  Ian Stoney and Geoff Wright, had arranged for the meeting to be centred around a tour of the CUB brewery.   A popular decision.

Complete with tasting, one could choose 4, albeit small, glasses from the various taps to consume beer with lunch.  Fellowship flowed easily here after an interesting tour of the processing and packaging parts of the complex.   The Shadow   noted at lunch that Pear Cider was the  chosen drink by the demure, and yet that others could never be seen without a glass in hand.     Some even suggested it would be prudent to round up and consume  the untouched samples of  those who had not chosen to drink their full quota of 4.

The tour itself started with an explanation of the brewing process, and we learnt of Mash, Wort,  Soluble Sugars , Yeast and even Alcohol.  It was explained that the spent yeast was the precursor and raw material for vegemite.

Climbing 6 flights of stairs and quickly skirting a catwalk supposedly at 40 degrees to look down on the huge brewing units was complemented by a succinct description of the process  by our friendly guides.     Once in the viewing room we  tasted processed malt and sniffed hops as we listened to our guide! 

The filling and packing area was a fascinating array or myriads of conveyer belts carrying beer bottles through rinsing, filling, cleaning, pasteurizing, labelling and packing units.  The Shadow noted the wistful look on a few ( was one a Stewart? )  as the scene clearly invoked fond memories of train sets, and railway yards  and presented an ever changing scene which one could watch and be happily entertained for long periods.   In some (Hanson?) perhaps  it was rather the memory of university holiday employment at said brewery when beer was freely provided on the hour! 

A great interlude.    Thanks to Ian and Geoff.