KB Lager is back

[jamiek86]

looks like KB lager is being made again in small batches somewhere. Coles owned stores must have a deal as showing on first choice and liquor land but is sold out. Ppl have commented some places in nsw are selling but only by 6 pack. I can't remember for certain if I had ever tried this before as it was really only around NSW and the ACT before stopped making it the last time. I've spent most my life in tassie and Vic so a bit sheltered. I'm happy with the way I make my own lagers and pilsners so far but would be nice to give it a go as was meant to be one of the few Aussie lagers with a bit of hop flavour at the end.

Edited July 23, 2021 by jamiek86

[Classic Brewing Co]

@jamiek86  I remember this from years ago, if I am correct they & a few other Breweries brought out the 500ml slim cans known as Tubes, we could also get a couple of others in SA.

The Carlton can is from 1970.

 

 

Tooth's era label of KB Lager, one of their most popular beers Tooth and Co was the major brewer of beer in New South Wales, Australia. The company owned a large brewery on Broadway in Sydney from 1835 until 1985, known as the Kent Brewery.

     

 

[Otto Von Blotto]

Marketing at its finest there "draught brewed" that's not even a thing. 

I wonder if they'd make it true to the original or water it down in terms of flavour. 

[Pickles Jones]

36 minutes ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Marketing at its finest there "draught brewed" that's not even a thing. 

I wonder if they'd make it true to the original or water it down in terms of flavour. 

Yep,  draught beer comes out of a tap.  Any beer that is served out of a tap is draught beer. If it comes out of a bottle it's bottled beer if it comes out of a can........

 

[Tricky Micky]

I remember these cans at the footy when I was a kid. Dad would drink enough of 'em so I could stand on the empties to see over the heads in front.

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by Mickep

[Hairy]

I bought a six pack of KB. I will try it tonight.

Cold Gold!

[Classic Brewing Co]

57 minutes ago, Hairy said:

I bought a six pack of KB. I will try it tonight.

Cold Gold!

Good one Hairy, not a bad drop, full can, full strength. 

[Bribie G]

I've sunk a carton of this in the last week!

Back story:  every ten years CUB have to re brew a brand to retain the trademark. So currently KB, Brisbane Bitter (and hopefully Bulimba Gold Top), and Abbotts Lager are currently making a comeback for a couple of batches, state by state. Don't be surprised to see Ballarat Bitter as well.

The interesting thing is that rather than just fill the cans with VB or something, the CUB accountants usually let the brewers off the leash for a run up the beach, and they genuinely try to replicate the original recipes but with modern ingredients of course.

The KB is bang on from what I remember in the 1970s when I used to sit on the beach with a six pack. It's a rich, hoppy lager and is deep gold with toasty nutty malt character (I think CUB use Joe White's version of roasted barley which is far less black than euro stuff). And check out the original 4.9% ABV. 

I'm definitely going to break the budget and get in another carton from the local LL tomorrow before it sinks into oblivion again in a month or so.

As for "draught brewed" at that time there was originally the tap version but wasn't called KB until they started to can it ... I think it's in Peter Symonds' books somewhere, I'll check.

Cheers.

 

Aha, found it. Tooths New was brewed in 1976 and was of course in competition with Toohey's New. The canned version was KB. Both were also brewed at the Lismore Brewery and I well remember drinking the New at the Pacific Hotel in Yamba in 1980, and the canned KB version was a popular drop in SEQ where I drank it on the aforementioned beach, at Bargara (Bundaberg) back then.

KB stands for Kent Brewery and to this day the Lismore brewery, now a sawmill, still has the outline of a faded Kentish horse on the ends of the original brew house.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Bribie G

[iBooz2]

I had this recipe lined up to do in the near future as I remember the beer and would like to see if I can make something close.

Tooths KB Lager circa 1918 recipe  (Bronzed Brews second edition by Peter Symons)  which I recommend you buy  alongside 6 O'Clock Brews his other book.  That's if you are into beer history etc. in Australia and want to see some of the old recipes.

Batch size 22 L

EBC = 6

IBU = 32

ABV = 4.3%

Grains:

3.17 Kg Pilsner Malt (WEY)

1.06 Kg Castle 6 Row Pilsner Malt

Mash Profile:

72 C for 60” then 77 C for 10”

 Boil:

70 “

Hops:

38 g EKG (4.8 AA)  60”

23 g Hallertau Mittelfrueh (4.0 AA) 15”

 Yeast:

White Labs WLP838 South German Lager

 Ferment Profile:

Pitch at 10 C, ferment 18 days the raise to 16 C for 2 days, then lager at 0 C for 23 days.  Carbonate at 2.5 volumes.

Edited July 24, 2021 by iBooz2

[Classic Brewing Co]

All these posts & stories are great as our love for beer will only develop further, as most of you know I travelled all over OZ for many years & encountered many beers in all states & it was fascinating, the good times, the better times when there was a fair maiden as a result of beer/pubs & the hangovers  the absolute array of many styles & brands of beers is mind boggling. It is good to see them re-brew & I do understand the trademark thing as most of my time was in breweries, pubs mainly, recently I retired just as we were blessed with the Covid thing. Good timing.

I don't know if any of you have ever heard of Willie Simpson from Tasmania, he makes a living writing about beer, he also appears regularly in columns in major newspapers & written books, one of my favourites is the BEER BIBLE.  His knowledge of the industry is unsurpassed. Imagine the stories he could tell about the old beers & their history.

 

[iBooz2]

2 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

Have of you have ever heard of Willie Simpson from Tasmania, he makes a living writing about beer, he also appears regularly in columns in major newspapers & written books, one of my favourites is the BEER BIBLE.  His knowledge of the industry is unsurpassed. Imagine the stories he could tell about the old beers & their history.

 

Got a link to the book or a book seller that stocks this, Phil?

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

I don't think KB can be made to the original. CUB threw out the tooths brewery yeast when they took it over.

I make this one quite a bit. A very nice lager. Whether it's close to the original well. Who knows.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Greeny1525229549

[Classic Brewing Co]

Here you go Al, I am sure there is something online, I got this for $2 at the OP Shop, looking for more.

Cheers

Phil

 

[Bribie G]

[Classic Brewing Co]

It's everywhere !!

[Otto Von Blotto]

16 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

Here you go Al, I am sure there is something online, I got this for $2 at the OP Shop, looking for more.

Cheers

Phil

 

I have that book. Haven't really looked through it yet though

[Classic Brewing Co]

16 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

Here you go Al,

[Classic Brewing Co]

Just now, Otto Von Blotto said:

I have that book. Haven't really looked through it yet though

Hi Otto, the back section is good reading, it covers a lot about home brewing & helpful, interesting stuff.

Cheers.

[iBooz2]

42 minutes ago, Greeny1525229549 said:

I don't think KB can be made to the original. CUB threw out the tooths brewery yeast when they took it over.

I make this one quite a bit. A very nice lager. Whether it's close to the original well. Who knows.

Which version of the book have you got there Greeny?  And what did you use for the 6 row Pilsner malt in this recipe?

Edited July 24, 2021 by iBooz2

[Hairy]

Tastes like a dirty, Aussie lager.

I like it.

[jamiek86]

@Otto Von Blotto i also hope its full of flavor and not watery but as others have stated they probably struggle to replicate the exact same old one with changes in malt and yeast over the years. I also have the same recipe as greeny but being an extract brewer am limited in how close I can get it. Could i add the water treatment to my 4 liter hop boil and dry malt? would this cause any problems compared to a full boil or just even out once all mixed in FV? Being in the country I'm probably unlikely to even be able to get my hands on any but using similar yeast and late hop additions I'm happy with what I'm kegging these days.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

3 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Which version of the book have you got there Greeny?  And what did you use for the 6 row Pilsner malt in this recipe?

Hey mate. Don't have the book. The pictures were messaged to me. As for the 6 row. I sub pale malt for it. By the way the yeast is the quickest lager yeast I have seen. Your raising for d rest about the 3rd day and its done by day 5 most of the time. I don't know where the book gets there fermentation numbers from.

[jamiek86]

8 minutes ago, Greeny1525229549 said:

Hey mate. Don't have the book. The pictures were messaged to me. As for the 6 row. I sub pale malt for it. By the way the yeast is the quickest lager yeast I have seen. Your raising for d rest about the 3rd day and its done by day 5 most of the time. I don't know where the book gets there fermentation numbers from.

Maby the yeast have got better over the years and used to be alot slower or maby they just let them sit around longer for better taste doing d rest after most fermenting was already done? I wonder same things myself when coopers quote times and temps. Going by gravity I'm always finishing mine a lot faster. Although there are times when some do take longer, my last pale ale with a fresh pack of US-05 didn't fire up for a few days at 18 degrees. It finished off strong but didn't gain the big krausen until 8 points from finishing.

[Hairy]

4 hours ago, CLASSIC said:

I don't know if any of you have ever heard of Willie Simpson from Tasmania, he makes a living writing about beer, he also appears regularly in columns in major newspapers & written books, one of my favourites is the BEER BIBLE.  His knowledge of the industry is unsurpassed. Imagine the stories he could tell about the old beers & their history.

 

My first brewing book was by Willie Simpson.

I think it was called Home Brew.

It was about making kit beers and I read it before finding the Coopers Forum many years ago.

I have also visited his brewery, Seven Sheds, in Railton Tasmania. Nice set up.

[RDT2]

13 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Marketing at its finest there "draught brewed" that's not even a thing. 

 

I love Carlton Draughts “brewery fresh!”