WA’s Nail Brewing has been at the forefront of the state’s craft beer industry for well over a decade now. Its founder, John Stallwood (pictured above), has also been instrumental in the rise of the W.A. Brewers Association, the Perth Royal Beer Show and much else that has promoted better beer locally and across Australia. Now, as of today, the brewery is taking possibly its boldest step yet to bring craft beer to the masses. It has hooked up with the local water board for a pilot scheme that will see the brewery’s popular Nail Ale pumped straight into almost 200 households local to the brewery in Bassendean.
Alongside the Water Corporation and the Town of Bassendean, that they will test 182 fixed beer lines into private home kitchens. The operation, which has been two years in the planning, will start pouring Nail Ale today.
The idea was sparked over a beer between the brewers at Nail Brewing and Andy Nylund from Water Corporation and, to date, has seen $1.1 million invested.
Brewer Dan Turley believes it will be “revolutionary”, with the aim to reach an estimated 100,000 people in Australia by 2017.
Dan checking out the tap supply before the pilot went live today
Investment was focused on factors such as:
- Cooling the beer before pouring.
- Keeping beer stability in stagnant lines.
- Recording volume of beer.
- Cleaning and rinsing pipe work.
- Legal licensing issues
Dan says: "It’s good for the environment with less glass and less transport. Because we use less packing, less transport and excise on draught beer is cheaper, the consumer will end up saving the equivalent of about $8.85 per carton."
To achieve those savings, an average household will need to drink the equivalent of three cartons per week. Once the trial to the 182 homes has been completed, Nail aims to supply fresh beer to homes within 5 km of its brewery. Beyond that, each suburb will be installed with refrigerated serving tanks which can service approximately 1800 houses per week in a 5km radius.
Western Australia has a history of pioneering in craft beer, with the Sail & Anchor being the first microbrewery in Australia. This first shows their pioneering spirit remains intact.
An excerpt from the Water Corporation’s plans for Bassendean
