John Cook's Brew Your Own Beer

[white.grant]

I found the above mentioned book today and given its age (1975) I was surprised by the advanced techniques discussed. Apparently John Cook was the "inaugural judge of the National Home Brewed Beer Championships" and a research scientist (chemist) with the CSIRO. Judging by his photo he was also a pretty lairy dude. The books also includes a range of amusing cartoons by Dee Thompson and some nice colour plates.



One of the recipes included is the recipe for "Vics Lager" which won the 1st NHBBC, it looks like this:

1kg of LDME
1.5kg of white sugar
.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp citric acid
90g hops
1tsp bottom fermenting yeast
22.5l water

MMmmm yum yum. Apparently the only hops availabe at the time were POR so you didn't have to waste time actually naming them.

It also has a number of partial recipes which would have a bit more flavour. Apparently the biggest esky for mashing he could find in the early 70s was 9 litres, so things were dire. But he does suggest lining the esky with a muslin cloth to contain the grains while mashing.

Now despite the recipe above most of what he recommends is pretty sound and resembles a lot of the advice given out here. He tells you to pitch between 15c and no higher than 25c, he also encourages bulk priming and has included a chapter on effective sanitation practises.

Does anyone know him? Is he still around?

cheers

grant

 

[raven19]

Funny seeing 1.5 kg of white sugar in a recipe nowadays!

He is a true pioneer based on your OP.

Maybe even one of our founding fathers?

 

[staggalee]

I found the above mentioned book today and given its age (1975) I was surprised by the advanced techniques discussed. Apparently John Cook was the "inaugural judge of the National Home Brewed Beer Championships" and a research scientist (chemist) with the CSIRO. Judging by his photo he was also a pretty lairy dude. The books also includes a range of amusing cartoons by Dee Thompson and some nice colour plates.

View attachment 25407View attachment 25406

One of the recipes included is the recipe for "Vics Lager" which won the 1st NHBBC, it looks like this:

1kg of LDME
1.5kg of white sugar
.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp citric acid
90g hops
1tsp bottom fermenting yeast
22.5l water

MMmmm yum yum. Apparently the only hops availabe at the time were POR so you didn't have to waste time actually naming them.

It also has a number of partial recipes which would have a bit more flavour. Apparently the biggest esky for mashing he could find in the early 70s was 9 litres, so things were dire. But he does suggest lining the esky with a muslin cloth to contain the grains while mashing.

Now despite the recipe above most of what he recommends is pretty sound and resembles a lot of the advice given out here. He tells you to pitch between 15c and no higher than 25c, he also encourages bulk priming and has included a chapter on effective sanitation practises.

Does anyone know him? Is he still around?

cheers

grant

Got all those recipes here from that, have a look at "George`s Cream Stout" and "Billy`s Stout", 1st and 2nd in NHBBC.
Printed all the recipes out years ago, the book itself is here in the office somewhere buried under a mountain of paperware. :lol:

I remember doing the "Box Valley Ale" a few times, alrite in it`s day.

stagga.

 

[wabster]

That was the first home brewing book I ever owned. I remember reading it over and over trying to work out why you'd use anything apart from a can of goo, I think it was Brigalow in those days. I figured as he was a scientist with the CSIRO then he'd know heaps.

I think I gave it away with all my brewing gear and bottles to a mate in the mid 80's. At that stage I think the only hops addition you could get was still POR, at least at the Peakhurst Home Brew shop it was anyway,

Cheerz Wabster

 

[Swinging Beef]

I have two editions of the book.
The original and the reprint you have there.
Bear in mind, the original, which didnt have much changed except a preface and introduction, was released shortly after home brewing STOPPED being illegal.

Its an appalling book, with brewers fermenting in old garbage bins, using molasses and lots of brown sugar, but it does help you (in a round about way) get your head around the differences between:
Kit
Extract
Extract with Grains
Full mash

Imagine how hard this shit was before the interwebs had tubes?
I cant.
I luvs youse guys! :icon_drunk:

 

[MVZOOM]

I read it while my first brew was fermenting. The sanitation stuff was good and relevant, the rest, maybe not so much.

 

[warra48]

That brings back sweet memories of my first ever homebrew in 1973.
From memory, my flatmates and I got a recipe from, I think, an article in one of the Sunday papers, just after homebrewing was de-illegalised.
I have a vague recollection of mashing or fermenting in a plastic garbage bin, and somehow there was muslin cloth involved.
We convinced ourselves the brew turned out not unlike Tooheys New.
We lost about 25% to bottle bombs, as we innocently thought we could up the alcohol % by using more priming sugar than the recipe suggested.

How things have changed, and for much the better.