Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 - 1916), Thursday 10 September 1896, page 5


Kalgooride Brewery. The brewery erected for the Kalgoorlie Brewing and Ice Company has been completed, and the first few brews turned out. The plant and buildings are alike creditable to the town, and the beer is excellent. The buildings are well designed, and although not very big, are so well arranged that a great deal of work can be done conveniently. The main building is 60ft long by 20ft wide while the tower rises to a height of 34it and is divided into three floors. In the upper chamber are two liquor tanks of 1,00( gallons capacity, in which the water is brought by means of steam coils to th necessary degree of heat before being let into the mash tun. which has a holding capacity of 800 gallons. On this floor there is a telltale steam gauge, which enables the brewer to see at a glance the pressure of steam in the boilers. The Wert boiler is fitted with a steam jacket, believed to be the only one in use in the colony. This has a holding capacity of 1000 gallons, and in this the beer is boiled after all the ingredients have been mixed. These consist of water white cane sugar, Tasmanian hops and English malt, all of the best quality. The water is condensed from the brackish supply from No. 1 bore east of the town, and is free from that bugbear of water consumers on the fields-ammonia. After being boiled the beer passes into a big shallow tank cunningly contrived in the ceiling on the one story part of the building. The walls surrounding the cooling tank consists of louvres, thus allowing a current of air to pass over the liquor to reduce it to the necessary degree of coolness so that fermentation may set in. The ground floor is used as a storeroom and fermenting-room. This operation is carried out in three tuns each of 25 hogshead capacity, one of which was filled with beer on Friday. The cellar, an important feature in a brewery, is very lofty being 10ft deep and measures 60ft long by 20ft wide. In this the beer reaches its last stage, and clarifies before being sent out for consumption. The plant is called a 25-hogshead works, and will turn out 150 hogsheads weekly. Steam power is used throughout for all purposes, while the various operations are carried out by gravitation after the water is once forced to the top of the building by a steam pump. The boiler and engine, of 15 and 8 h.p. respectively, are located in the east part of the building, which measures 80ft by 20ft, giving on to the yard. This is perhaps the only place in the world where the water used in cleansing the barrels is used twice. After washing out the barrels the slop water, instead of being thrown away, is condensed afresh and comes out clean for the next lot. Like all the other boiling done on the premises, the heat is supplied by means of a steam worm in a tank, and by this means only one fire, that in the boiler, is used on the premises. Mr Shickel, the brewer, is well posted in his business, and judging by the beer now being turned out has no cause to fear, for the future of the company's venture.