Sweet, thanks man. I'll look it up and see if i can find it.
I love my Matsos!!!
I got into brewing so i could brew a Ginger beer that doesnt cost me $80-$90 per carton (and 330ml bottles at 3.5% too)
I dont have a clue how they do theirs but here is one that i have found does the trick. Ive drank 3 kegs since Christmas (with some help from friends who also like it). Its more of a beer than the matsos softdrink but can be altered to lighten up the brew.
The recipie is on the site but i cant remember who posted.
-5 Whole cloves (bashed and ground in a morter and pestel)
-500gr raw ginger (grated)
-750ml of Burderim Ginger refresher. (contains preservitives but ok if boiled for 15-30min)
-50gr Ginger powder
-Chilli (i recomend 2 small hot ones but i like hot food, friends said first was too hot so tried next brew with 1 with better results)
Cut in half and include the seeds
-1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg or nutmeg powder
-2 whole cinnamon sticks
-1 lemon rind and juice (200gr lemon)
-1 tsp Vanilla essence
-300gr teacle (like golden syrup)
-250gr Dextrose
-500gr Raw sugar
-250gr Light Dry Malt extract (LDME)
-1 Coopers Original family recipie Ginger beer Can
-2L Apple Juice (preservitive free)
-Top to 21L in fermenter
-11.5gr American Ale DCL-US 05 (75%) (Temp from 15-25dg C, Suggest 19dg but i have done 1 at up to 30dg and still ok)
SG- 1030-1040 (usualy 1032)
Average FG- 1002
5-10 days at 25-30dg.
Recommend to clear in the fridge at below 4dg for 3 days.
I have only kegged it up, have only tried a mates beer in PET bottles and it was very similar. good head with poor retention, Carbed with carb drops and conditioned for 3 weeks.
METHOD (add ingredients in order listed above)
-put 2 L of water in a pot and heat to >100dg C. (boil)
-add the cloves, taste after you have added and boiled for a minute. some people dont like cloves at all. i think it needs it for a background finnish.
-add the ginger ingredients and boil for 30 min to extract the ginger flavour and burn off preservitives.
-Taste the water to see if the ginger is to bity or hot for you as you will be adding chilli in the next step.
I think if you get the chilli-ginger ratio right you can get away with using less ginger. i like the ginger bite matsos has and the chilli seems to replicate it without giving a flavour)
-add the chill
-now add the nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon, vanilla ess and teacle.
-continue to boil so that the ginger has had at least 1hr total boil time
-turn down the heat to around 75-80 dg.
-now add the dextrose, Raw sugar and LDME and disolve fully
-Turn off the heat and add the coopers can, stir well while the pot is cooling
-Allow the pot to cool to around 45dg.
-Using a fine straining bag , strain the mixture. (keep the solids and add them to a muslin bag and tie off)
-Add the mixture to the fermenter along with the apple juice and stir well
-top up with water to 21L and stir well.
-Add the Muslin bag
-Take SG
-Pitch the yeast at 15-24dg (sprinkle and stir)
-seal the fermenter.
-Brew for around 5-10 days at 25 dg.
-Once bubbling finnished or Gravity steady place in a fridge for 3 days at <4dg to clear.
-Keg or bottle using an auto syph with sediment filter, try to leave the grey and brown layer at the bottom of the fermenter undisturbed to avoid a river water brew. (tastes just as good).
-Condition for 3 weeks if bottled (so im told).
I have a pet hate for artificial sweetner which the coopers kit contains (sucrose i think its called). I can still taste it every now and then, especialy if you dont clear the brew in the fridge. Try leaving out the coopers kit and boosting the ginger with another bottle of refresher or add more ginger (1kg total, pricy but worth it) and up the chilli slightly to make up for the loss of bite.
Also add some lactose (250-500gr). i recommend adding the lactose to water seperatly and taste for sweetness.
Use the can as a guide for the correct amount or adjust to your taste.
If you do find a Matsos clone please let me know
