More people have been brewing beer at home during the COVID lockdowns and the team from Firkin Cellars has been there to guide them.
“There have been new people wanting to learn how to brew, through to current home brewers upgrading equipment into all grain brewing, and brewers trying new ingredients and different processes,” Firkin’s Karl Bennett said.
“We’ve been creating custom set-ups of beer dispensing equipment to suit their budget and their space, from simple portable systems and in-house set-ups to man cave set-ups, including restaurants, cafes, sporting clubs, bars and pubs.”
Firkin Cellars, in Morwell, offers everything the home brewer needs - ingredients, equipment and beer dispensing gear – to craft their own beverages at home, whether it be beer, wine, soft drink, mead and more.
“We carry a great range of beer extract tins, beer enhancers, hops, yeasts, essences, grains, all grain brewing systems and kegging equipment, including a complete beer dispensing system set-up.
“We can set people up with a simple brew kit or if they have problems, we are here to help solve them.”
Latrobe City Council’s Business Development Team helped the business to establish in 2013 when it was home-based, and selling beer and spirits collectible memorabilia: tap tops, advertising, drinkware and licensed merchandise barware.
“We initiated our business by operating on eBay and Facebook, and grew our business locally by attending Sunday markets across Gippsland from as far as Berwick to Bairnsdale,” Karl said.
The business now largely services Morwell, Traralgon, Churchill, Moe and surrounds, but also has customers further afield.
The onset of COVID-19 has forced Firkin Cellars to adapt to meet government guidelines; they’re now preparing phone orders for customers to collect, offering local home delivery, and shipping orders to customers who are out of town and interstate.
“Being in Latrobe City, we are spoiled with such a diverse cultural community, and fantastic government and council support programs that encourage anyone with a great business idea to bring it to life,” Karl said.
In-store customers are intrigued by the great wall of beer cans from across the world, including from brands that are no longer but still appeal to home brewers wishing to recreate them.
“We have thousands more cans stored away, including beer coasters, beer labels and genuine pub memorabilia. In the near future, we hope to be able to display them entirely in Latrobe City’s first ‘beerzium’ and to be the biggest home brew store in Gippsland to feature such a display.”
Karl is joined in the business by his wife Sharna and brother-in-law Jay.
With stage three restrictions in place, Firkin Cellars is open seven days a week with limited capacity in-store at 95 Buckley Street, Morwell, and is fulfilling online orders via its website and eBay store.
P: (03) 5135 6712, E: firkincellars@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firkincellars/
https://www.ebay.com.au/str/firkincellarshomebrewsupplies
firkincellars.com.au