Sunday 21 November 2010

Fuller's Pale Ales 1887 - 1910

Pale Ales. I've been meaning to write more about them. Mostly because I'm trying to fill up a book. Today we're looking at the ones from Fullers.

Alphabet soup. That's what Fuller's Pale Ales remind me of. But with mostly only A's, K's and X's.




Fuller's Pale Ales 1887 - 1910
Date
Year
Beer
Style
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
Pitch temp
pale malt
black malt
no. 2 sugar
no. 3 sugar
caramel
other sugar
flaked maize
primings
21st Apr
1887
AK
Pale Ale
1049.6
1014.1
4.69
71.51%
7.61
1.66
1.5
1.75
58º
79.81%




20.19%


8th Aug
1887
AK
Pale Ale
1053.5
1014.7
5.13
72.54%
11.58
2.66
1.5
1.75
57º
85.29%




14.71%


13th Apr
1887
IPA
IPA
1059.6
1018.0
5.50
69.77%
12.38
3.28
1.5
1.75
57º
80.06%




19.94%


27th Apr
1887
IPA
IPA
1060.9
1016.6
5.86
72.73%
12.38
3.45
1.5
1.75
56.5º
80.06%




19.94%


8th Aug
1887
XK
Pale Ale
1057.1
1016.1
5.42
71.84%
11.58
2.84
1.5
1.75
56.5º
85.29%




14.71%


4th May
1887
XKK
Pale Ale
1055.1
1015.2
5.28
72.36%
12.36
3.12
1.5
1.75
56º
79.35%




20.65%


20th Mar
1888
AK
Pale Ale
1050.4
1015.2
4.65
69.78%
10.47
2.26
1.5
1.75
58º
79.81%




20.19%


10th Mar
1888
AKK
Pale Ale
1049.9
1014.7
4.65
70.56%
11.40
2.53
1.5
1.75
57º
79.14%




20.86%


7th Jan
1888
XKK
Pale Ale
1059.6
1018.0
5.50
69.77%
12.35
2.92
1.5
1.75
56º
79.25%




20.75%


3rd Aug
1897
AK
Pale Ale
1049.9
1012.5
4.95
75.00%
9.47
2.85
1.5
1.75
58º
77.96%




22.04%


5th May
1897
AKK
Pale Ale
1050.4
1012.5
5.02
75.27%
13.43
2.80
1.5
1.75
57º
82.13%




17.87%


24th Jul
1897
IPA
IPA
1056.0
1016.6
5.20
70.30%
13.39
3.34
1.5
1.75
57º
81.91%




18.09%


5th May
1897
IPA
IPA
1057.6
1015.2
5.61
73.56%
13.43
3.20
1.5
1.75
56º
82.13%




17.87%


3rd Aug
1897
KA
Pale Ale
1036.6



9.47
2.09
1.5
1.75
59º
77.96%




22.04%


24th Jul
1897
XK
Pale Ale
1054.8
1015.5
5.20
71.72%
13.39
3.27
1.5
1.75
57º
81.91%




18.09%


5th May
1897
XK
Pale Ale
1055.4
1013.9
5.50
75.00%
13.43
3.07
1.5
1.75
56.5º
82.13%




17.87%


31st May
1898
AK
Pale Ale
1049.9
1014.4
4.69
71.11%
9.43
2.03
1.5
1.75
58.5º
78.72%
0.89%



20.39%


26th May
1898
AK
Pale Ale
1049.6
1011.6
5.02
76.54%
9.48
2.06
1.5
1.75
59º
78.15%




21.85%


28th Mar
1898
AK
Pale Ale
1047.6
1012.7
4.62
73.26%
8.56
1.85
1.5
1.75
56.5º
79.52%




20.48%


14th May
1898
IPA
IPA
1056.5
1016.9
5.24
70.10%
13.39
3.27
1.5
1.75
58.5º
81.91%




18.09%


23rd Apr
1898
IPA
IPA
1057.6
1016.1
5.50
72.12%
13.39
3.40
1.5
1.75
57.5º
81.91%




18.09%


8th Feb
1898
IPA
IPA
1057.6
1016.1
5.50
72.12%
12.43
3.07
1.5
1.75
58.5º
81.91%




18.09%


11th Apr
1898
IPA Stock
IPA
1057.9
1017.7
5.31
69.38%
13.39
3.48
1.5
1.75
57.5º
81.91%




18.09%


21st May
1898
KA
Pale Ale
1044.0
1009.7
4.54
77.99%
6.65
1.30
1.5
1.75
59º
79.25%


16.09%

4.66%


4th May
1898
KA
Pale Ale
1042.9
1008.9
4.51
79.35%
6.53
1.24
1.5
1.75
59º
78.21%


15.88%

4.60%

1.30%
14th May
1898
XK
Pale Ale
1054.8
1023.8
4.10
56.57%
13.39
3.17
1.5
1.75
57.5º
81.91%




18.09%


23rd Apr
1898
XK
Pale Ale
1054.8
1016.6
5.06
69.70%
13.39
3.24
1.5
1.75
58º
81.91%




18.09%


8th Feb
1898
XK
Pale Ale
1054.6
1017.7
4.87
67.51%
12.43
2.90
1.5
1.75
59º
81.91%




18.09%


20th Oct
1902
AK
Pale Ale
1046.3
1010.5
4.73
77.25%
8.43
1.68
2
2
58.5º
75.76%



0.15%
20.67%
2.55%
0.86%
29th Aug
1902
IPA
IPA
1054.0
1011.4
5.64
78.97%
10.44
2.36
2
2.00
59º
82.53%



0.15%
16.70%
0.00%
0.61%
26th Nov
1902
IPA
IPA
1054.0
1010.2
5.79
81.03%
10.28
2.41
2
2
59.5º
81.90%



0.15%
16.26%
0.00%
1.69%
28th Nov
1902
XK for Xmas
Pale Ale
1054.0
1010.0
5.83
81.54%
10.16
2.41
2
2
58.5º
80.59%



0.30%
16.78%
0.00%
2.33%
14th Mar
1910
AK
Pale Ale
1045.0
1008.9
4.78
80.31%
6.90
1.43
1.75
2
60º
75.51%

5.59%

0.18%
7.46%
5.59%
5.66%
18th Mar
1910
AK
Pale Ale
1044.9
1008.3
4.84
81.48%
7.29
1.43
1.75
2
60º
79.15%

5.15%

0.20%
7.72%
5.79%
1.99%
11th Mar
1910
PA
Pale Ale
1054.2
1012.2
5.55
77.49%
8.92
2.15
1.75
2
59.5º
78.05%

8.55%

0.15%
5.70%
3.21%
4.33%
7th Apr
1910
PA
Pale Ale
1054.0
1011.1
5.68
79.49%
8.92
2.15
1.75
2
59.5º
78.05%

8.55%

0.15%
5.70%
3.21%
4.33%
Source:
Fuller's brewing records.


Let's look at 1887 first. Fuller's were brewing 5 Pale Ales:

AKK    1049.9    2.53 lbs hops per barrel
AK    1050.4    2.80
XK    1057.1    2.84
XKK    1059.6    2.92
IPA    1060.9    3.45

Except that the IPA was a bit more heavily hopped than the others, there's no real difference between them. There are only 11 gravity points between the strongest and the weakest. You know what it reminds me of? A modern British brewery's range of beers, with several Bitters of only slightly differeing gravities. Only they would be about 15 points weaker.

Ten years later, and there have been a few changes. XKK is gone and there;'s a new, low-gravity beer, KA:

KA    1036.6    2.09 lbs hops per barrel
AK    1049.9    2.85
AKK    1050.4    2.80
XK    1054.8    3.27
IPA    1057.6    3.20

The XK and IPA have lost a couple of gravity points, but otherwise there's been little change.

Into the new century and the range has been slimmed down. Only three Pale Ales remain:

AK    1046.3    1.68 lbs hops per barrel
IPA    1054    2.36
XK    1054     2.41

Both the AK and IPA have dropped in gravity and the hopping rates for all the beers have decreased.

By 1910, only two Pale Ales remain:

AK    1045    1.43 lbs hops per barrel
PA    1054    2.15

The gravities are much the same as in 1902, but the hopping rates have fallen again. Oh, and see how IPA has suddenly been rebadged PA. Though it looks like the same beer to me.

The grists are, well, pretty dull. Just pale malt and various sugars until the appearance of flaked maize after 1900. The sugar content was pretty stable at around 20% of the grist. That's about average for beers of the period. Pale Ales often had the highest sugar content, presumably to keep them relatively dry.

Notice how crystal malt, so typical of modern British Bitters, is totally absent. Before WW I, crystal malt was rarely used in anything other than Mild Ales.

When I've had time to transcribe some more of Fuller's logs, I'll continue through WW I and beyond.

2 comments:

StuartP said...

There we have it: proof that IPA was a strong beer. Stronger than the other Pale Ales on the range, at least.
It's a funny old world.

Ron Pattinson said...

StuartP, until Fuller's randomly renamed the beer PA.