# Matilda Bay Dogbolter



## PistolPatch (2/2/06)

One of my favourite beers was the original Matilda Bay Dark Lager (now branded as Dogbolter). The original though, and I'm talking 20 years ago now, was a smoother, better beer. (Used to work for the company back then, beer heaven - 50 imported beers plus our own brewery!) 

I think the style is Munich Dunkel Lager???

I was wondering if anyone has brewed something similiar from extract and steeping grains. Due to space limitations, the most wort I could boil would be limited to however much can fit into a 20 litre pot and a 16 litre pot. I am unsure as to how high you can fill these. You are dealing with a newbie here whose only boiled 6 litres before and has never steeped grain so the simpler the advice the better! Just looking for a starting point - doesn't have to be the duck's nuts!

Cheers :beer:


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## Jim_Levet (3/2/06)

As a simple alternative try an ESB 3kg Bavarian Bock Kit, make it to a total volume of 20 litres and you will be not far off. If you are brewing in a unit these are great fun.
James


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## PistolPatch (3/2/06)

Thanks Jim! Brewing in a unit has so many restrictions but at least it make you think harder! Pint of Lager gave me a link to brewery.org the other day and it had an article there titled, "AG in a 1 Bedroom Apartment.' Just what I was after however the link had expired! So, I guess I'll have to pave my own way to that goal.

Thanks again though for the tip. As this thread seems a little lonely(at the moment!), I'll start with the ESB, see how it goes, do some more reading and hopefully, eventually achieve what was an outstanding beer that is with us no longer.

The current Dogbolter isn't a patch on the original dark lager. When I worked for Matilda Bay back then, they went to extremes to educate our palates (a skill quickly lost unless you keep it up!) and at the end of the night, when we were having our staffies, the dark lager was the first jug emptied. That's got to say something when you were allowed a choice between a bottled beer (e.g. Pilsner Urquell) and any beer on tap!

Anyway, enough rambling about the old days and thanks very much for your tip. I'll give it a go and let you know the result. Cheers Jim :beer:


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## troywhite (3/2/06)

Actually I was drinking the stuff way back then myself and I distinctly remember the "Dogbolter" used to be an Irish Red style beer. Very reddish in colour.

And yes you are right the Dark Ale was then renamed to Dogbolter (And recipe changed along the way)

I always loved that original old Dogbolter.

Me and my friends were the original Matilda Bay beer testers (well we drank a lot in the pubs that served it those days  aaah the memories)


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## PistolPatch (4/2/06)

Ha Troy! I probably served you! I was mainly at the Norfolk, Sail and Anchor, and the Albion. Were you that bloke that used to arrive at 10am every day and I had to keep asking to leave by 12? lol.

As you say, the original Dogbolter was an ale and was about 7.5%! When it was available, you would have had it either straight from a wooden keg on the bar or served through a hand pump.

I have no idea why they then gave the dogbolter name to the dark lager and I can't recall what they then called the ale! Very confusing what they did there! I think they pretty much stopped making the high alcohol ale and instead used to do what they called, 'Real Ale', at about 5%.

And to trigger more of your memories: The day we lost the America's Cup, we took a week's takings in a day. The only time the beer taps closed were to change kegs. I spent that night peeling apart and counting $4000 worth of wet $2 notes from the can bar set up at the back gate. There was the legal street drinking back then. Every safe was filled to maximum and we ended up taking $35,000 to the bank in a briefcase!

I think I've just hijacked my own thread! Cheers Troy!


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## Crazy (4/2/06)

When I was doing the brewery circuit, doing small upgrades a few years ago I ended up over in Matilda Bay. 

The first day I was there was a friday. It started by arriving on site around midday, Being shown to my tempory office which had a plate glass wall that looked out over the copper kettles and then out over the beach and ocean. We then went and had a look at the job (I guess that was why they flew me all the way over there). 

About four we went for a beer in the bar. Any CUB product in the fridge and a few on tap. All self serve. So around six we stumbled out, last to leave and went back to the unit on challanger harbour again looking over the water. 

We of course followed this with dinner and a few beers at Little Creatures. I have only worked at one other brewery where you can walk into the bar on a friday afternoon as a contractor and fit strait in with the CEO and the line workers all standing around gas bagging.

The other one was of course Cascade, but we were living on the brewery grounds.


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## PistolPatch (6/2/06)

If you need an assistant on your next brewery trip Crazy, let me know. I will be available! I wonder how much those copper kettles cost - friggin huge, eh?


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## Crazy (6/2/06)

PistolPatch said:


> If you need an assistant on your next brewery trip Crazy, let me know. I will be available! I wonder how much those copper kettles cost - friggin huge, eh?
> [post="106929"][/post]​



Very pretty though especialy at sunset, not that I was looking I was working


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## Simon W (6/2/06)

PistolPatch said:


> I spent that night peeling apart and counting $4000 worth of wet $2 notes



They would have been paper too huh? Fun!


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## poppa joe (6/2/06)

Never had the pleasure of dogbolter..But used to brew beer in the bottles.
Had a regular drinker of Dogbolter n Redback...used to get his bottles..  
Looked impressive ...BUT...  
Had to chuck em out when i moved.....


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## PistolPatch (9/2/06)

Sorry guys, didn't mean to ignore your replies, just lost track of this thread as no one, apart from Jim, has answered my original question!!!! LOL! Anyway, I think we're enjoying the memories! Anyway my replies are as follows...

Sure, you were working Crazy, working out how much of how many beers you could sample in one session in the boardroom after you fixed their computers!

Simon - Yes, they were the paper notes and it involved using fingernails to prise them apart!

Poppa - I reckon those bottles will become collectors' items soon, just like the $2 notes! See if your mate still has any!


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## Crazy (9/2/06)

PP

Actualy I am a Sparky. I was running the instalation of the new Depallatiser and bottle and can conveyors. The hours were big (averaging just shy of the hundred mark per week for a month) But you don't realy mind in a nice place with easy to get along with people.

Regards Derrick

PS good beer too


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## aspro (9/2/06)

Gday Pistol patch 

This would take you back then.

I scored it about a year ago.

Cheers


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## PistolPatch (10/2/06)

That certainly does revive some old brain cells Aspro. Nice score there! I had totally forgotten that back then they also used to use the name, 'Anchor Brewing Company.' If my memory serves me correctly, that name was used for the ales whilst the Matilda Bay name was used for the lagers. They really did some weird stuff with the naming of things. I wonder how you got that font????

As you say Crazy, it is a nice place though it must have changed substantially inside since I was last there. Next time I'm in Perth, I might see if I can go on a little tour. 100 hour weeks brings back memories as well!


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## Simon W (10/2/06)

Didn't the founding brewers of Matilda Bay originaly brew at the Sail&*Anchor*?

I could be wrong, tho thought I read that somewhere.


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## PistolPatch (10/2/06)

Yep Simo!

The original guys were Phil Sexton, Garry Gasetti (sp?), John Tollis and maybe one other person who I can't remember. They were financed by another guy Briggs who actually did a stint in the slammer for tax evasion!

John Tollis was the original brewer but later moved out of the company basically leaving Phil and Garry. Quite early they bought some premises in Carrington Street, Nedlands, where they brewed the lagers. The Sail and Anchor then became the brewery for ales.

Eventually they sold to Carlton and Phil stayed on as managing director for a year or two at about $350,000 per annum which back then was humungous.

Phil Sexton also started the coffee revolution in Perth with coffee machines in the pubs and The Oriel Cafe in Hay Street, Subiaco which further lead to the Dome coffee shop chain! He then went on to have his own winery - Devil's Lair.

Everything that guy touched turned to gold! Have no idea what he is doing now though he did marry one of the bar staff!

Cheers
PP
(Amateur Matilda Bay Historian!)

P.S. I might try and change the topic title of this thread seeing as we seem tohave gone a little astray! Whoops!)


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## mikem108 (2/8/06)

Got a bottle of the latest dogbolter and I love it. :super: It has a slight smokiness in the finish and the mouthfeel is awesome.

Any ideas about an AG recipe for this one?


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## shotduck (2/8/06)

I tried Dogbolter back in '96 when I was on tour in Perth with the old band. I can't remember a great deal about the experience, save that I loved it so much I smuggled a few six-packs back to Sydney with me. I had started homebrewing a few years prior, and I remember trying several times to replicate the flavour back home and giving up in shame (I hadn't even heard of mashing at that time - strictly K&K). I would love to try it again now that I am up to the challenge, but relying on a shadey, ten-year-old memory is hardly a good starting point.



The Shot Duck


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## djackal (2/8/06)

Yes Phil sexton does seem to have to Midas touch.
He was also involved in Little Creatures (recently sold his remaining shares to Lion Nathan)
Now runs the Giant Steps/Innocent bysander winery in Victoria


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## Weizguy (2/8/06)

The Shot Duck said:


> I tried Dogbolter back in '96 when I was on tour in Perth with the old band. I can't remember a great deal about the experience, save that I loved it so much I smuggled a few six-packs back to Sydney with me. I had started homebrewing a few years prior, and I remember trying several times to replicate the flavour back home and giving up in shame (I hadn't even heard of mashing at that time - strictly K&K). I would love to try it again now that I am up to the challenge, but relying on a shadey, ten-year-old memory is hardly a good starting point.
> 
> 
> 
> The Shot Duck


Dude,

Your 10 yr old memory may be out of date, as the recipe has changed a number of times according to the Matilda Bay brewer's notes.

He suggests crystal, dark crystal, chocolate wheat and choc malt. with Hersbrucker hops.
I'd suggest Bavarian lager yeast, too.
Go the Dogbolter clone.

For historical perspective, I have seen Firkin Dogbolter kits in Australia, presumably from the Firkin brewpubs in Britain. This would have been the original Dogbolter recipe, I'd say. You could do a websearch for Firkin Dogbolter, or...

Gerard has a recipe for a Firkin Dogbolter. He has kindly shared the recipe with me and prob a few others on this forum. Gimme a PM if you're keen to get a copy..

Beerz

Seth


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## PistolPatch (2/8/06)

Howdy Mikem,

Re the AG recipe. The closest thing I have found to dogbolter so far is the Schwarzbier recipe from Ross. It's probably a little 'richer' than Dogbolter but far 'smoother' than today's commercial one. I posted the recipe the other day towards the end of Post #72 of this thread. (Bit embarrassing when you have to say towards the end but this was a pictorial post!)

I think you'll be very happy with this beer. It's certainly the closest I have found so far to the dogbolter brewed 20 years ago.

Another thing, while this is a lager, we tried brewing it with US-56 with very good results. Last I heard, Ross has switched over to brewing it with US-56 at about 15-16 degrees with consistently excellent results.

I'd try that recipe first. It also has the choc malt and dark crystal in it that Seth has mentioned. 

Cheers
PP


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