6 O’CLOCK Brews - Home Brewing More Old Australian Beers

[Korev]

Ordered too. Interested to see some of the early colonial recipes. I'm actually co-authoring a paper being delivered at the experimental archaeology session at this year's Australia's national archaeology conference. One of the team authors has brewed one if the recipes from bronzed brews and I brewed a (strong?) Ale from a recipe published in the 1835 West Australian newspaper.

We're focussing on recreating early colonial beers and discussing the role beer played in early colonial society and the misconceptions of how we relate the current social meaning (and taste, it seems) of beer to the past. Just a question, have you found any recipes for the "sugar beers" that the papers consistently diss in the early 19th century?I'm My understanding is that these were primarily sugar and water with a bit of raw grain thrown in for "flavour", but I've not been able to find a recipe.

Interesting, unfortunately, I have found no production details for sugar beers. This term seems to have been coined by the press.

The earliest production log that I have seen was from Tooth's the 1844 XXX which was detailed in Bronzed Brews it had 53% sugar so that could have been classed as a sugar beer. XXX beer would have probably been served on draught and not bottled. A 1904 Tooth's XXX had around 35% sugar the rest being malt. However, sometimes they used grits in the grist to about 13% in place of malt. To convert the grits malt was needed. These grits could have been maize and would have produced similar fermentables to the malt and some corn flavour perhaps.

The residual sugar from molasses residues - especially raw sugar - think demerara, would have been a major source of flavour as a XXX was sometimes described as needing to have a luscious flavour.

The better quality Stock Ales later in the 19th century tended to be all malt and in 6 O'Clock Brews, I discuss the differences in present use pale ales and pale ales stored for up to 2 years or more.

A running Colonial beer in a hotel, XXX, would bear no comparison to an imported Pale Ale like Bass but bear in mind these beers were for different market segments. But that didn't seem to phase the press of the day - "fake" comparisons?
Peter

 

[Bribie G]

Getting into the book now. This is the best beer book I've ever read, not least because it follows on from Bronzed Brews and actually gets as far as the era that I remember in the 1970s when I arrived in Australia. I'm keen to try KB and others, only seems like yesterday I'm sitting on the beach at Bargara with a six of KB (and a three day growth). And just found out that it was the same brew as Tooths New.. one of the beers I remember clearly (got hammered on it at Tenterfield on my first trip to NSW). The decoction mashing is also an eye opener, can't wait to try it - probably only a single at this stage.

Also the discussion about imported and "world" beers is fascinating, especially Skol International Lager that I remember well from my earlier days in Pom land. The version brewed at Swan must have been an Aussie specific variant because the Skol in the UK was in the same range as the other lagers such as Harp, Heineken (UK version), Tennents, Carling Black label etc. which were all around 3.5% ABV.

A 4.8% Skol in the UK would have been in the same "band" as the original Stella and Lamot lagers which were definite headbangers by pom standards at the time.
Could rattle on for ages... Peter next year we'll have to have a session if I can get down for the State.... Chicken Tikka Masala is on me.

 

[Korev]

Getting into the book now. This is the best beer book I've ever read, not least because it follows on from Bronzed Brews and actually gets as far as the era that I remember in the 1970s when I arrived in Australia. I'm keen to try KB and others, only seems like yesterday I'm sitting on the beach at Bargara with a six of KB (and a three day growth). And just found out that it was the same brew as Tooths New.. one of the beers I remember clearly (got hammered on it at Tenterfield on my first trip to NSW). The decoction mashing is also an eye opener, can't wait to try it - probably only a single at this stage.

Also the discussion about imported and "world" beers is fascinating, especially Skol International Lager that I remember well from my earlier days in Pom land. The version brewed at Swan must have been an Aussie specific variant because the Skol in the UK was in the same range as the other lagers such as Harp, Heineken (UK version), Tennents, Carling Black label etc. which were all around 3.5% ABV.

A 4.8% Skol in the UK would have been in the same "band" as the original Stella and Lamot lagers which were definite headbangers by pom standards at the time.
Could rattle on for ages... Peter next year we'll have to have a session if I can get down for the State.... Chicken Tikka Masala is on me.

You are a one man marketing department - "the best beer book I have ever read" is quote of the week.

P

 

[Grott]

After Bronzed Brews it’s the only other book he has read.

 

[Bribie G]

I used to read a lot when I was a kid: pretty well formed my world view.

 

[Grott]

That would be banned now. I read and had the full collection of the Famous Five when young like yourself. Couldn’t get into the Secret Seven though.

 

[captain crumpet]

Last time I went past Ellersliehop I was told that Coopers we're releasing schooner malt on the market. Would this be good to use for the Coopers recipes?

First one I'm brewing is 1975 Coopers sparkling ale, but using wlp059

 

[Korev]

Last time I went past Ellersliehop I was told that Coopers we're releasing schooner malt on the market. Would this be good to use for the Coopers recipes?

First one I'm brewing is 1975 Coopers sparkling ale, but using wlp059

Schooner barley would be an excellent choice - I believe it was introduced in 1983 others may have more information
P

 

[Bribie G]

I'm about to rustle up a Tooth's KB (Tooth's New) from the book. I'm quite enthusiastic about this because whenever I go into Lismore I pass the old Tooth's Brewery at Tuncester which is out in the country about 5 K out of town - it's now a sawmill. Shame. You can still see the outline of a big Kentish Horse head on the end of what would have been the main brew gallery. I would be 100% sure that the New I used to drink in the 70s across the bar on my forays into Northern NSW would have been brewed there.

Looking at Google Earth you can still see that they had their own railway siding loop off the now defunct Casino to Murwillumbah line.

Popping down to IGA for some white sugaz to unleash my lactic acid onto. Also an extra box of tissues for the eventual tasting session.

Peter, thoughts on S-189 which is the nearest lager yeast I have ATM?

 

[Korev]

I'm about to rustle up a Tooth's KB (Tooth's New) from the book. I'm quite enthusiastic about this because whenever I go into Lismore I pass the old Tooth's Brewery at Tuncester which is out in the country about 5 K out of town - it's now a sawmill. Shame. You can still see the outline of a big Kentish Horse head on the end of what would have been the main brew gallery. I would be 100% sure that the New I used to drink in the 70s across the bar on my forays into Northern NSW would have been brewed there.
View attachment 109998
Looking at Google Earth you can still see that they had their own railway siding loop off the now defunct Casino to Murwillumbah line.

Popping down to IGA for some white sugaz to unleash my lactic acid onto. Also an extra box of tissues for the eventual tasting session.

Peter, thoughts on S-189 which is the nearest lager yeast I have ATM?

Well S-189 is Swiss and not WLP830 which from memory is what I recommended, but I am not the person to discuss the merits of lager yeasts. Try PMing Barry Cranston

P

 

[Bribie G]

Aha, I did a bit of digging on the Interwebs and apparently dry W 34/70 is an equivalent to WLP830. According to MHB, Morgans Premium Lager yeast is also probably repackaged W 34/70 and I just found a forgotten pack of that in my yeast store which I'd bought from the Lismore LHBS for re-seeding bottles of lager for comps. Solved.

 

[sp0rk]

Just got one of my sisters to buy me both books as an xmas pressie, very keen to dig into them!

 

[DU99]

for those in melbourne
6 O’Clock Brews - Book Signing
Public
· Hosted by Bronzed Brews - Home Brewing Old Australian Beers and Grain and Grape

 

[Bribie G]

Tooths KB Lager from Six O'clock Brews.

Bloody ripper - could have done with maybe another week's lagering but heck it's Xmas

 

[MitchD]

It's Christmas, got it. Too pissed to read it, maybe the 27th

 

[Bruer]

I just saw that 6 o'clock brews featured on basic brewing radio recently. Havent listened yet but we'll done Peter!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Bugger me, the beers you make @Bribie G - esp the older Aussie styles, they do look the goods.

There is a skill in making beers that aren't overhopped or hiding behind other flavours and where their clarity is mainstream commercial esque

 

[Bribie G]

Beers are a bit like curries.

For example when making a dahl, most Westerners will throw every spice they can at it - and then some more.
On the subcontinent they are likely to just use a small amount of panch phoran or even just some cumin, hit it with a bit of asafoetida and garlic sizzled in some oil and .... bam, dahl to die for.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Mum is the same.

Indian grandma didn't hurt the cause, but yeah, she makes her own garam masala and then tweaks it from there.

 

[droid]

Getting into the book now. This is the best beer book I've ever read, not least because it follows on from Bronzed Brews and actually gets as far as the era that I remember in the 1970s when I arrived in Australia. I'm keen to try KB and others, only seems like yesterday I'm sitting on the beach at Bargara with a six of KB (and a three day growth). And just found out that it was the same brew as Tooths New.. one of the beers I remember clearly (got hammered on it at Tenterfield on my first trip to NSW). The decoction mashing is also an eye opener, can't wait to try it - probably only a single at this stage.

Also the discussion about imported and "world" beers is fascinating, especially Skol International Lager that I remember well from my earlier days in Pom land. The version brewed at Swan must have been an Aussie specific variant because the Skol in the UK was in the same range as the other lagers such as Harp, Heineken (UK version), Tennents, Carling Black label etc. which were all around 3.5% ABV.

A 4.8% Skol in the UK would have been in the same "band" as the original Stella and Lamot lagers which were definite headbangers by pom standards at the time.
Could rattle on for ages... Peter next year we'll have to have a session if I can get down for the State.... Chicken Tikka Masala is on me.

One thing that strikes me about you @Bribie G is your ability to recall all this stuff, especially when you'd been drinking.