Kb Lager Clone?

[bigwal_123]

has anyone came up with a clone of the famous KB lager? I have been getting into this lately and want to brew some of my own. I have found on the CUB website it says they use Pride of Ringwood hops but thats all i've found so far...

any help would be appreciated. thanks guys

 

[mckenry]

has anyone came up with a clone of the famous KB lager? I have been getting into this lately and want to brew some of my own. I have found on the CUB website it says they use Pride of Ringwood hops but thats all i've found so far...

any help would be appreciated. thanks guys

kits or AG?

 

[bigwal_123]

either / or. I'm still a beginner at brewing and was just wondering what was out there...

 

[Bribie G]

AFAIK, KB is now just a NSW only brand, like Reschs Draught, DA etc. It's no longer brewed in Sydney however and I guess it's either trucked up from Abbotsford or down from Yatala. I didn't see it in Sydney on my recent trip and I get the feeling they crank out a batch now and again just to hang onto the trademark.

I've just kegged my attempt at a Reschs Draught which seems to be hitting the spot somewhat - like RD I seem to remember the old school KB as being a more amber beer as opposed to the modern "straw" colour of newer brands and I understand that Tooths / Reschs used to get the colour by adding a very small amount of roast barley.

So my current batch went: (23L batch)

4000 BB Pilsner
15g yes only 15g roast barley
64 mash for 90 mins then mashout at 78

Pride of Ringwood Flowers 20g 60 min, to around 20 IBU

500g maltose syrup (or 400g white sugar)

Wyeast Danish Lager yeast started at 13 and allowed to rise over a week to 18

scuse the piccy, it's just keg 'bottoms' still coming through but should be nice and clear by the weekend.
Gives you an idea.

 

[mckenry]

I remember KB being quite sweet / caramelish. Was a long time ago, before I was brewing AG and understanding where flavours came from.
My take would be close to BribieG's anyway.
For 23L

3500g Pilsner
400g Caramalt 35-40ish EBC
400g white sugar - add this at the boil, last 10 mins or so - not in the mash
Mash Low - around 62-64
POR hops to 20IBU. Either for the whole 60min boil, or a bit later (will need to add a bit more if adding with 45 mins to go)
DANISH Lager yeast - very important! - CUB apparently use this in most beers - I hate making those statements, but its probably well accepted here that they do. No proof.
Should get you a dryish but sweet lager around 4.5 - 5%

 

[Bribie G]

I understand that when CUB need a "refresher" for their famous "B" strain yeast they send off to Copenhagen. I'd guess the Wyeast Danish is about as close as we lesser mortals can ever hope to get to this yeast, but it does indeed work very well in an Aussie if fermented warmer and allowed to drift up.

I've found that if I use the Danish cold at true lager temperatures it chucks sulphur, but at higher temperature it chucks slight "mousecage" which is what we are looking for with Aussies. I've got two on tap ATM, the other being just a plain BB Pils with Chinese Saaz (second buy :icon_cheers: ) and voted by Sav yesterday on his social visit as clean, no sulphur, good VB lookalike. :icon_drunk:

Edit: CUB took over Tooths in 1983 and one of the first things they did was to chuck out the Tooths range of yeasts which the head brewer at CUB described as "the worst yeasts in the World" and replaced them with CUB house yeast. So I guess the 1970s flavour is unrecoverable (last time I drank it was in Qld in the late 70s). Ah I remember relaxing at Kellys Beach with a six pack - a nice fuller sweeter beer than XXXX - then drive home to Bundy in my Kingswood back in those days of universal drink driving h34r: