Lobethal Bierhaus: Lisa enjoys a beer in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia
The pretty little town of Lobethal has a number of claims to fame... it's Christmas light show is legendary... so to its famous Onkaparinga Woollen Mills. For more than a century, this landmark building in the main street churned out some of the finest woollen blankets in the world.
Sadly, the mill closed down in 1993 but it seems the old woollen mills that made the town so famous are only part of the story. Lobethal's first major industry wasn't wool processing - but brewing.
Tucked away in a pretty valley at the back of the Adelaide Hills, Lobethal means 'valley of praise' - a name chosen by its German settlers in 1838. Lobethal lived up to expectations and prospered - so much so that it could support its own brewery. So in the case of the Lobethal Bierhaus it's a case of turning back the clock.
History is repeating itself thanks to Alistair Turnbull and his business partner, Phil Jones. They've converted part of the old woollen mills into a micro brewery which, not surprisingly is a little more state of the art than the original operation.
Alistair Turnbull, Lobethal Bierhaus: "The brewery operated on this location prior to the woollen mills between 1851 and 1869. The brewer at the time was also the Mayor of the town, a gentlemen by the name of Mr F.W. Kleinschmidt..."
F.W. Kleinschmidt ran the brewery for 20 years, which naturally enough spawned another local industry... hop growing. It seems unlikely today, but in the 1850s hop growing was a major agricultural pursuit around the Lobethal Hills and the locals were rightly proud of the quality of their local crops.
Today, the Bierhaus range includes five different brews ranging from the exotic to the more traditional pale ale. It's on tap in the restaurant but if you want take away and if you've got a big thirst, they produce the giant Growler - two litres of your favourite brew - that you can bring back for a refill!
The bottles might have olde world labels but there's nothing old in the brewery. Plenty of stainless steel and technology out here but the principles are the same as they were in the days of F.W. Kleinschmidt.
Phil Jones, Lobethal Bierhaus: "The process begins in the milling room where we start with the raw ingredients including barley. After being milled the grain comes into the grist case where it gets hydrated with local Adelaide water into the mash tub. That is where the conversion process from starch into glucose takes place."
It then gets boiled in a giant kettle; in go the hops, yeast and oxygen. Next step is the fermenter where it can stay brewing for weeks.
The Lobethal Bierhaus is at number 3A Main Street - part of the Old Onkaparinga Woollen Mills. The brewery, restaurant and cellar door is open Friday - to Sunday and public holidays. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Lobethal Bierhaus
3A Main Street
Lobethal
Fi & Sat 12noon - 10pm Sunday 12noon-6pm
Ph 8389 5570Published 13th April 2008
