Smart by name and smart by nature
The Smart Brothers Brewery, led by an environmentally conscious entrepreneur with a passion for chemistry and engineering, embodies the spirit of craft brewing. With humble beginnings with a modest small batch 200L system, brewing to provide for the locals from their taphouse venue in Somerville. Their commitment to the community, stemming from the desire to recreate the local pub vibe they experienced growing up in England, was clear. They are fostering relationships and collaborations with nearby distilleries, wineries, food and beverage producers.
“We only ever wanted to create a small, locally focused venue, similar to brewpubs we could go to with the family in England,” he says. “We wanted to open up, brew in small batches, and have the vast majority of our products running through our taps.”
Now with the vision to grow, the latest chapter for Smart Brothers Brewing is the opening of their venue in Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula. The result of meticulous planning over two years, the venue is located strategically on the Frankston-Flinders Road on the edge of Hastings. It offers the perfect community hub for locals and tourists alike with family friendly spaces, function room for larger groups and a 40-seat beer garden bathed in afternoon sun.
With 14 taps showcasing their own beers, 2 of which are nitrogen gassed and the non-beer offering featuring local Peninsula wines and spirits, there is something for everyone on the menu.
Speaking of menu, from thin crust pizzas baked in a traditional wood fire oven, to slow cooked burgers with seasonal produce to classic bar food, the Smart Brothers kitchen has plenty of tasty accompaniments to suit their beer range.
This brewery, a 10-hectolitre system from PMG, suited these Smart brothers perfectly. Ben explained they wanted to showcase ‘the stainless’ so customers could see exactly where their beer is crafted, so the aesthetic appeal was important.
“We found the tanks looked a lot better than some others we had seen. The system was affordable, and the local Australian support has been really good. There weren't any language difficulties or any issues with buying from China, the assistance from Chris and Mike has been great.”
With the entire brewing set up on full display, the Smart Brothers PMG Brewpub system is world class and was custom designed to suit both their brewing needs, as well as the unique brewery space. It is kitted out with all necessary componentry: glycol cooler, glycol water tank, hot and cold liquor tanks, 2 vessel brewhouse (mash lauter / kettle whirlpool, heat exchanger, and a row of unitanks with automated temperature control panel.
Their PMG mill is in an adjacent room and augured into the mash/lauter tun through a wall. And for the clean-up, PMG also supplied the Clean In Place (CIP) system for tanks and brewhouse and a semi-auto keg washer.
All the pumps, piping, glycol loop, fittings and accessories are all of the highest quality PMG offers and has provided everything the Smart Brothers needed to brew premium quality craft beer.
Smart Brothers Brewing is a celebration of all the good within this industry, bringing a background in science, their creativity and an unwavering passion for crafting exceptional beers. Their journey symbolises the spirit fueling the craft beer revolution on the Mornington Peninsula, building a community and setting the stage for continued success in craft brewing.
Head to their venue to see the PMG kit in action and try the Smart Brothers beers for yourself — particularly their Red Rye IPA — it’s a great demonstration of this modern IPA style with the right balance of complex citrus hops flavours and spicy rye undertones. PMG are proud to be part of the Smart Brothers journey and will follow their future success story very closely.
