Coopers Brewery, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Airing Date: May 8th, 2006
'We are now engaged in the Brewery business....' So wrote Thomas Cooper to his brother John in England, after establishing his brewing business in the new colony of South Australia in 1862.
It was a bold announcement, having turned his back on a secure job as a stonemason. South Australia was only 26 years old and times were tough in the brewing industry with a number of large, highly competitive breweries already established. Regency Park became the new home of Coopers Brewery at the end of 2001. With an increased brew-house capacity (two and a half times that of the original site at Leabrook), the $45 million brewery now represents an intriguing fusion of modern innovation and Coopers' brewing tradition. Coopers Brewery products are now marketed nationally and internationally. Today, Coopers is Australia's sole remaining family owned brewery (so it's still an every day occurrence to meet a Cooper at Coopers Brewery) and is 100% Australian owned.
Now to the beer. Ales and lagers are cousins in the beer family. The cloudiness in Coopers ales is a result of secondary fermentation. Just before bottling, a small amount of sugar is added to the ale. Live yeast in the ale converts this into carbon dioxide and a little extra alcohol. The cloudiness is the remaining yeast cells. Ales were originally developed in cold-climate countries in Europe. They use a particular form of yeast that tends to clump together and rise during production. These are known as top fermenting yeasts.
Lagers are fermented at lower temperatures than ales and use different yeasts that tend to sink to the bottom of the fermenter. These are known as bottom fermenting yeasts. Coopers uses a unique powdery ale yeast strain that disperses particularly well in kegs and bottles. Lagers are generally filtered and pasteurised to extend their shelf life and as a result must be carbonated with carbon dioxide gas.
Coopers ales and stouts are not pasteurised and undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle to produce the bubbles. Lagers generally produce a more delicate flavoured beer while ales usually are more robust and complex. Coopers lagers, have a nine month shelf life, in line with the industry standard, and are best consumed fresh. Coopers ales and stouts continue to develop in the bottle for at least two years. The Coopers museum features a shop where you can purchase Coopers merchandise.
Further Information
Rooms from $135 a night.
Pacific International Suites
1800 331 332
Brewery tours from $20 a person. Wednesday & Thursday
Coopers Brewery
08 8440 1800.
Prices correct at 8/5/06
