# Matilda Bay Brewery



## RobW (23/8/05)

Article about Matilda bay brewery in todays Age

http://theage.com.au/articles/2005/08/22/1124562782199.html


----------



## Steve (23/8/05)

hmmmm noticed there was no thanks or recognition for the beer drinkers that prefer microbrewed alternative types of beer that got them where they are?


----------



## Gough (23/8/05)

At least Willie Simpson still seems to be around and writing. Today is the 6th straight week his column was missing from the SMH Good Living section... The Age and SMH are both Fairfax papers, so he must've just been on holiday. I like his work as a general rule  

Shawn.


----------



## warrenlw63 (23/8/05)

Yep, 

Writes his reviews as your average pub punter. Knows how to appeal to the general masses. Lot more than can be said for some beer writers. You get the feeling the others are a little more part-time.

You got his book Shawn? :unsure: 

Warren -


----------



## Weizguy (23/8/05)

Steve said:


> hmmmm noticed there was no thanks or recognition for the beer drinkers that prefer microbrewed alternative types of beer that got them where they are?
> [post="73393"][/post]​



...and no mention of the gutting/ corporatising of the recipes after the takeover, which caused beer connoisseurs across the country to abandon them in droves...or was it just me?

I remember back to the daze when Dogbolter was still available in the heavy-duty glass 345ml bottles, as well as a tasty limited-release Matilda Bay Malthouse real Ale (or similar name), from which I was able to culture a live yeast.

Aaaah, memories!

Seth out


----------



## Steve (23/8/05)

"daze" being the operative word there seth - nice play one words


----------



## Gough (23/8/05)

warrenlw63 said:


> Yep,
> 
> You got his book Shawn? :unsure:
> 
> ...



Nope. Don't think I've seen it either, although I can't say I've looked?? Any good?

Shawn.


----------



## warrenlw63 (23/8/05)

Only thumbed through it at Dymocks.

Not bad. Just a rundown on beers and breweries in Aus. IIRC I declined because it was as little overpriced. :unsure: Wish I could remember the name.

It's been bandied on this forum because there's a photo of a blackboard at Coopers Brewery with the malts and weights used in their beers.

Somebody would know. :beerbang: 

Warren -


----------



## RobW (23/8/05)

I've got it, it's called Amber & Black. Not a bad read. It's the one with the picture of the Cooper's recipe board. I think I posted the pic last year - just can't seem to find the thread at short notice.


----------



## Gough (23/8/05)

Ah, the famous recipe board! I've seen the pic via links both here and on OzCbrewer forum but didn't realise/remember that it came from this book. Well there you go. I should pay more attention next time  Too busy looking at the board to think about the book :lol: 

Shawn.


----------



## warrenlw63 (23/8/05)

Found it!

Just did a search on amazon.com. Amber & Black is the name of the book. :beerbang: 

Warren -


----------



## colinw (23/8/05)

Has anyone actually brewed anything based on that (in)famous blackboard shot? How did they turn out?

cheers,
Colin


----------



## Plastic Man (23/8/05)

Malt Shovel did a great give away of the book a few years ago. You got a 6 pack of Ale, Pilsner, Porter and IPA plus the book - all in a slab. Great marketing !!!


----------



## Gerard_M (23/8/05)

Great to see that the Mexicans are getting some beer reading on a Tuesday morning. I spent last Thursday with Willie @ Paddy's then, dropped him into The Lord Nelson. I asked him about that photo from Coopers & he had no idea that it was in there. No-one from Coopers has ever said anything to him, he was a bit surprised to see how much info was on it. Look out for an article & photos on the Paddy's Brewing Comp in next week or maybe the week after. 
The articles in the Good Living guide have dried up lately, this morning it really was a skinny little read. Over the next few months things should get going again as a few more beer events like the Good Food month in October & the Beer Festival at the Rocks turn up. Interesting that wine is always well represented in Good Living, and there is always a heap of wine companies advertising. Apart from the occasional Malt Shovel ad, breweries are seldom spotted.
Cheers 
Gerard


----------



## Kai (23/8/05)

I have that book, picked it up cheap at Borders a year or so ago. The grain bill proportions listed are as follows:

DB 5100 pale malt, 80 crystal
export 6200 pale, 240 wheat
pale ale	4600 pale, 40 crystal, 200 wheat
premium	5500 pale, 60 crystal (listed as 'medium'), 280 wheat
dark ale	4650 pale, 200 wheat, 200 black
ale 5900 pale, 40 crystal, 240 wheat
stout	5000 pale, 440 wheat, 600 black
vintage	6200 pale, 60 crystal (medium), 350 wheat

Don't ask me what the medium crystal is, I asked someone wiser than I am a while back, but can't remember what he said.

For more info on how to brew those beers, try searching the digests at http://craftbrewer.org


----------



## colinw (24/8/05)

Kai said:


> I have that book, picked it up cheap at Borders a year or so ago. The grain bill proportions listed are as follows:
> 
> DB 5100 pale malt, 80 crystal
> export 6200 pale, 240 wheat
> ...


Adelaide Maltings are owned by Joe White now. The JW website lists three grades of caramel/crystal malts:

CaraMalt, 30-60 EBC
Light Crystal, 60-120 EBC
Dark Crystal, 160-300 EBC

Interesting how wide the colour spec on these is.

Unless they make specific crystal malts to Coopers specifications?

These recipes would also need about 10-15% simple sugar (dextrose, invert or cane sugar), pride of ringwood hops and recultured Coopers yeast to come our right. I suspect the "pale" malt is probably good old Schooner malt.

--Colin


----------



## RobW (24/8/05)

There was a bit of discussion on Craftbrewer a while back about this. I made a pale with those grain proportions & recultured Coopers yeast but without any added sugar and it was quite a bit more full bodied than a Coopers PA. I may have mashed a tad warm too. Still very drinkable but as a clone a total failure. <_<


----------



## warrenlw63 (24/8/05)

RobW said:


> but without any added sugar and it was quite a bit more full bodied than a Coopers PA. I may have mashed a tad warm too. Still very drinkable but as a clone a total failure. <_<
> [post="73540"][/post]​



As sung by Homer Simpson; :blink: 

Sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.
Honey, ah sugar sugar

Warren -


----------



## colinw (24/8/05)

My only Coopers clone attempt was in my kit days, but actually came rather close to the mark. It was a Coopers Draught kit, 750g of DME, 500g of dextrose, boiled for 20 minutes with 10g of PoR and pitched with recultured yeast from Coopers Sparkling Ale.

The resulting beer was about 5.3% ABV - half way between the (then) 4.8% pale and 5.8% sparkling, and had that distinctive Coopers flavour to the point that my brother-in-law drank one with the comment "mmm.... Coopers" before I told him what it was.

I must have stuffed up culturing the yeast as the last 6 or so bottles went lactic on me - my only ever accidental sour beer.

The 500g dextrose seemed to provide about the right body, from memory FG was about 1.008. The recultured Coopers yeast was wild stuff in the fermenter - you could see it recirculating madly with huge cottage cheese like chunks.

cheers,
Colin


----------



## warrenlw63 (24/8/05)

Colin,

Perhaps some of our Adelaidian bretheren could send you a carboy full of the Murray River's finest?

Nothing like a bit of authenticity.  

Warren -


----------



## colinw (24/8/05)

warrenlw63 said:


> Colin,
> 
> Perhaps some of our Adelaidian bretheren could send you a carboy full of the Murray River's finest?
> 
> ...


On that topic, just as the brewers in Dortmund led the way with water treatment and natural mash acidification, I'm guessing that Adelaide brewers including Coopers probably had some of the more advanced water treatment facilities in this country.

cheers,
Colin


----------



## Borret (24/8/05)

colinw said:


> warrenlw63 said:
> 
> 
> > Colin,
> ...



I don't know about that.  The local sewerage plant looks pretty sophisticated and even they are not a touch on the treatment plant attached to the peoples brewery. :lol: Here we are the forerunners in our field.

Borret


----------



## warrenlw63 (24/8/05)

Borret said:


> I don't know about that.  The local sewerage plant looks pretty sophisticated and even they are not a touch on the treatment plant attached to the peoples brewery. :lol: Here we are the forerunners in our field.
> 
> Borret
> [post="73563"][/post]​



That's why you blokes love brown beers. :lol: 

I've enclosed a pic of your water-treatment officer.  

Whip it! Whip it good!

Warren -


----------



## Borret (24/8/05)

warrenlw63 said:


> Borret said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know about that.  The local sewerage plant looks pretty sophisticated and even they are not a touch on the treatment plant attached to the peoples brewery. :lol: Here we are the forerunners in our field.
> ...



They don't call it the newcastle brown for nothin' :lol: 

Borret


----------



## colinw (24/8/05)

Ok, so if I try to brew a Coopers Sparkling Ale clone I should throw in some salt, a handful of dirt from a wheat field on the downs, and a couple of Bondi mullets to simulate Murray River water? :unsure:


----------



## Borret (24/8/05)

colinw said:


> Ok, so if I try to brew a Coopers Sparkling Ale clone I should throw in some salt, a handful of dirt from a wheat field on the downs, and a couple of Bondi mullets to simulate Murray River water? :unsure:
> [post="73570"][/post]​



You'll probably find it easier to find a good mullet walking around Adelade.  :lol: 

Borret :blink:


----------



## warrenlw63 (24/8/05)

Snigger, :lol: h34r: 

Warren -


----------

