Fair dinkum, when we stumbled across Jon Martin's home brewery setup, we knew we had to share his story. This isn't your mate's weekend brewing corner – this is the kind of setup that makes serious brewers stop and take notes. Jon's Marfly Brewing Co. represents everything we love about passionate home brewing: family heritage, meticulous planning, and absolutely cracking results.
Jon's journey from his grandfather's brewing disasters to competition-winning excellence offers lessons for every Australian brewer looking to step up their game. Ready to dive into what makes a truly exceptional home brewery?
From Disasters to Dreams: The Marfly Origin Story
Every brewing legend starts somewhere, and Jon's tale begins with family lore that'll sound familiar to many Australian brewers. His grandfather's one attempt at beer making ended with bottles exploding in the middle of the night – a spectacular failure that ended his brewing career in 1978.
Twenty-five years later, a brewing article triggered Jon's memory of those family stories. "I decided to try making beer for myself, thinking that maybe I could redeem my grandfather's efforts in beer making," Jon recalls. That's the sort of determined spirit that builds great brewers.
Marfly Brewing Company honours the Martin family tradition – "Everything I do in life is always related to my family," Jon explains. It's that connection to something bigger than ourselves that transforms hobby brewing into genuine passion.
The Competitive Edge: Building for Consistency
Jon's approach to building his brewery reflects serious competitive thinking. This isn't about impressing mates with shiny kit – it's about creating a system capable of producing consistent, competition-quality results across every beer style.
"I wanted a system that would allow me to consistently make any style of beer, over and over with little to no differences in taste," Jon explains. After two years of exhaustive research, his choice was clear: the G30.
That two-year planning phase demonstrates the kind of thoroughness that separates casual brewers from serious competitors. Jon evaluated every system available before making his decision – smart investment thinking that pays dividends for years.
Mastering Brew Day: Jon's Winning Formula
Jon's brewing routine is poetry in motion – every step planned, every variable controlled. His systematic approach eliminates the guesswork that causes inconsistent batches.
Pre-Brewing Setup:
- Verify reverse osmosis water tank capacity for recipe requirements
- Pre-measure and organise all brewing additives systematically
- Monitor yeast starter development (prepared 3-5 days prior)
Brew Day Execution (9 AM start):
- Transfer yeast starter to refrigeration for cooling and settling
- Establish iPad connectivity with Grainfather controller
- Conduct comprehensive equipment diagnostics
- Execute recipe programming with precision timing
Fermentation Transition:
- Complete wort cooling using integrated chilling system
- Transfer to Conical Fermenter for controlled fermentation environment
- Temperature-synchronise yeast preparation with wort
- Implement proper oxygenation protocol before yeast pitching
Jon's equipment philosophy is brilliantly practical: "It's better to find a pump that needs attention before you have hot water in the kettle." Prevention trumps disaster management every single time.
Batch Strategy and Embracing Early Failures
Jon maintains consistent 19-litre batches, recognising this as the optimal balance for his system. His reasoning demonstrates experienced thinking: smaller batches create temperature control challenges, whilst larger volumes approach equipment limitations.
What sets Jon apart is his refreshing honesty about early disasters. His first three batches were, in his words, "horrible." Every accomplished brewer has those early learning experiences – they're practically badges of honour in the brewing community.
Style Mastery: Quality Over Imitation
Rather than chasing commercial clones, Jon focuses on perfecting traditional beer styles. "I like to make a style of beer, not necessarily a clone of a commercial beer," he explains. This approach demonstrates genuine brewing craft – understanding styles deeply rather than copying surface characteristics.
His signature style? Saison. "It's the one beer that is easy to make, and all of my friends seem to enjoy." Sometimes the most successful brewing choices are the simplest ones – making beer that brings people together.
Building Your Brewing Tribe
Jon understands that brewing excellence emerges from community knowledge sharing. He never brews alone, recognising that collaborative learning accelerates improvement. "It doesn't matter if the brewer has more or less experience than you. You will always learn something from the conversations you have," he observes.
His mentor relationship with Chris Humble exemplifies the knowledge transfer that strengthens the entire brewing community. Jon credits Chris as instrumental in his brewing development, appreciating the questions answered "multiple times" with endless patience.
Jon's involvement with the Red Rice Brew Krewe demonstrates how local brewing groups become extended families. His practical advice: find your local brewing community or create one. The learning that happens over shared brews is absolutely invaluable.
Blueprint for Brewing Success: Jon's Design Process
Planning your dream brewing space? Jon's methodical approach prevents costly mistakes and maximises functionality:
Stage 1: Comprehensive space measurement and documentation Stage 2: Complete equipment specification with exact dimensions Stage 3: Multiple design iterations using paper sketches Stage 4: Peer consultation with experienced brewing community Stage 5: Continuous refinement until achieving optimal layout
"You will need to make several drawings before you get a good working idea of what will work for the space you have," Jon advises. The upfront planning investment delivers long-term functionality and brewing satisfaction.
Competition Glory and Brewing Ambitions
Jon's brewing pinnacle came with his Munich Dunkle achievement – first in category and third best of show. This recognition validates years of systematic improvement and unwavering attention to brewing detail.
His ultimate brewing goal? "First Place Best of Show" – the kind of ambitious target that drives continuous learning and improvement. With his complete Grainfather system, Jon believes brewing possibilities are genuinely endless.
Post-retirement visions include operating a beer garden featuring his own creations alongside other local brewers' offerings – a dream that captures the collaborative spirit of Australia's thriving craft brewing community.
Perfect Pairings and Final Wisdom
Jon's ideal combination pairs Porter House steak with cold Saison – a pairing that demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how exceptional beer enhances great food experiences.
His essential advice cuts directly to brewing improvement fundamentals: "No matter what level of experience you have in brewing, place your beer in a competition. The lessons you will learn from a seasoned judge are endless."
Competition participation isn't about winning medals (though that's certainly satisfying) – it's about accelerated learning through expert evaluation. Whether you're bottling your first experimental batch or refining decades of brewing experience, competitions provide insights impossible to gain through solo brewing.
Jon's transformation from explosive family brewing stories to medal-winning excellence demonstrates what's achievable with strategic planning, quality equipment investment, and genuine commitment to continuous improvement.
Grainfather Team
