Sam Martin's Great Hops Brewing Co. won a silver medal and three bronze medals at the Australian brewing industry's biggest event, BrewCon19.

"We entered the Independent Brewing Awards, the Indies, this year not expecting to win anything," Mr Martin said. "The Great Hops brew crew entered mainly just to go along and meet some of the craft brewing community.

"When we found out that we had taken a silver medal for our Longhorn Larry Amber Ale (as well as three bronze medals for our Doppelbock, Coffee Stout and AR-MID-ALE), we just couldn't believe it."

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Mr Martin said he'd always thought these medals only went to the 'big guys' like Balter, Black Hops and Stomping Ground.

"The awards mean a lot to us," Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin, a biochemist and microbiologist by training, started the brewery at 33 Old Inverell Road in 2011.

"The taproom is now open to the public, and we know that the beer patrons are tasting great beer," Mr Martin said.

Longhorn Larry Amber Ale is a lightly hopped English brown ale with a nutty caramel flavour, Mr Martin said.

The Tattersalls Hotel, the New England Hotel, the Whitebull Hotel, and the St Kilda Hotel all serve Great Hops beers.

BrewCon19, the seventh annual Australian Brewers Conference and Trade Expo, was held at the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre. Presented by the Independent Brewers Association, the conference exists to build excellence and best-practice in the Australian beer industry.