Where to start? How about at the beginning. These numbers are taken from the earliest of Whitbread's records to survive. They're from a particularly important period in Porter's development. When the Napoleonic Wars were still raging. And the extra taxes imposed on beer to pay for the war put brewers under intense pressure to cut costs.
The easiest ways to cut down expenditure on malt was to move away from a 100% brown malt grist to a mix of pale and brown. It may have made the beer cheaper to brew (a gravity point from pale malt cost less than one from brown malt), but there was one little problem: the colour. Various things were used to darken the colour: burnt sugar, liquorice juice, concentrated wort. But, when the law on brewing ingredients was tightened in 1816, making sugar, among other things, illegal, brewers had to find a replacement.
Just one year later, in 1817, it arrived in the form of Wheeler's patent malt. Malt that was roasted in a drum to give it a very high degree of colour. Being malt, it was perfectly legal for brewers to use. You'll see below just how quickly Whitbread adopted it.
Whitbread Porter 1805 - 1819 | |||||||||||||||||||
Date | Year | Beer | OG | FG | ABV | App. Atten-uation | lbs hops/ qtr | hops lb/brl | boil time (hours) | boil time (hours) | boil time (hours) | boil time (hours) | Pitch temp | pale malt | brown malt | black malt | amber malt | white malt | total |
15th May | 1805 | P | 1051.2 | 10.46 | 2.83 | 1 | 2.5 | 5 | 70º | 79.73% | 20.27% | 100.00% | |||||||
18th May | 1805 | P | 1052.6 | 10.41 | 3.12 | 1 | 2.5 | 5 | 70º | 79.73% | 20.27% | 100.00% | |||||||
1st Jan | 1807 | P | 1052.6 | 1015.5 | 4.91 | 70.53% | 13.06 | 3.60 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 61º | 63.48% | 15.37% | 21.16% | 0.00% | 100.00% | ||
4th Feb | 1807 | P | 1052.4 | 1015.2 | 4.91 | 70.90% | 10.73 | 2.79 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 62º | 63.48% | 15.37% | 21.16% | 100.00% | |||
14th Aug | 1807 | P | 1054.3 | 1018.6 | 4.73 | 65.82% | 9.30 | 2.59 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 68º | 56.21% | 11.66% | 32.12% | 100.00% | |||
29th Aug | 1808 | P | 1052.9 | 1010.2 | 5.64 | 80.63% | 9.01 | 2.55 | 66.5º | 65.85% | 34.15% | 100.00% | |||||||
5th Sep | 1808 | P | 1055.1 | 1014.7 | 5.35 | 73.37% | 8.71 | 2.42 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 63º | 55.02% | 26.64% | 18.34% | 100.00% | |||
1st Jun | 1809 | P | 1050.4 | 1012.5 | 5.02 | 75.27% | 10.04 | 2.81 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 65.5º | 73.36% | 26.64% | 100.00% | ||||
16th Oct | 1809 | P | 1051.2 | 1013.6 | 4.98 | 73.51% | 8.82 | 2.34 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 65º | 76.98% | 23.02% | 100.00% | ||||
6th Nov | 1809 | P | 1049.3 | 1014.7 | 4.58 | 70.22% | 9.82 | 2.66 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 65º | 76.98% | 23.02% | 100.00% | ||||
10th Aug | 1811 | P | 1054.0 | 1018.6 | 4.69 | 65.64% | 9.51 | 2.85 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 65.5º | 73.36% | 26.64% | 100.00% | ||||
5th Nov | 1811 | P | 1050.7 | 1011.9 | 5.13 | 76.50% | 9.99 | 2.61 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 64.5º | 73.36% | 26.64% | 100.00% | ||||
7th Aug | 1812 | P | 1049.9 | 1011.6 | 5.06 | 76.67% | 8.93 | 2.52 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 65.25º | 73.36% | 26.64% | 100.00% | ||||
6th Oct | 1812 | P | 1051.8 | 1014.1 | 4.98 | 72.73% | 8.45 | 2.20 | 1 | 2 | 4.5 | 63.25º | 61.86% | 16.04% | 22.09% | 100.00% | |||
30th Nov | 1812 | P | 1050.4 | 1013.3 | 4.91 | 73.63% | 9.03 | 2.32 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 64º | 80.51% | 19.49% | 100.00% | ||||
1st Mar | 1813 | P | 1052.4 | 1011.4 | 5.42 | 78.31% | 8.00 | 2.09 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 64º | 80.51% | 19.49% | 100.00% | ||||
27th Aug | 1813 | P | 1052.6 | 1012.2 | 5.35 | 76.84% | 9.33 | 2.57 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 64.5º | 80.51% | 19.49% | 100.00% | ||||
19th Oct | 1813 | P | 1052.6 | 1010.5 | 5.57 | 80.00% | 9.10 | 2.43 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 63º | 49.81% | 23.02% | 27.17% | 100.00% | |||
24th Jan | 1814 | P | 1056.5 | 1018.0 | 5.09 | 68.14% | 9.82 | 2.69 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 62.5º | 49.83% | 21.11% | 29.07% | 100.00% | |||
3rd Oct | 1814 | P | 1055.4 | 1017.7 | 4.98 | 68.00% | 9.82 | 2.57 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 63º | 81.35% | 18.65% | 100.00% | ||||
31st Dec | 1814 | P | 1056.8 | 1016.6 | 5.31 | 70.73% | 10.89 | 2.81 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 63º | 78.76% | 21.24% | 100.00% | ||||
3rd May | 1815 | P | 1055.7 | 1018.0 | 4.98 | 67.66% | 12.60 | 3.18 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 63º | 75.18% | 24.82% | 100.00% | ||||
19th Sep | 1815 | P | 1052.6 | 1018.3 | 4.54 | 65.26% | 10.80 | 2.57 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 63º | 77.76% | 22.24% | 100.00% | ||||
17th Nov | 1815 | P | 1053.5 | 1015.5 | 5.02 | 70.98% | 11.62 | 2.81 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 63º | 78.17% | 21.83% | 100.00% | ||||
16th May | 1816 | P | 1053.7 | 1015.5 | 5.06 | 71.13% | 11.51 | 2.81 | 1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 63º | 74.60% | 25.40% | 100.00% | ||||
4th Sep | 1816 | P | 1052.1 | 1016.3 | 4.73 | 68.62% | 10.54 | 2.42 | 1 | 2 | 4.5 | 62.5º | 53.19% | 23.17% | 23.64% | 100.00% | |||
22nd Nov | 1816 | P | 1054.3 | 1014.4 | 5.28 | 73.47% | 10.53 | 2.48 | 1 | 2 | 4.5 | 63.5º | 52.05% | 23.74% | 24.21% | 100.00% | |||
16th May | 1817 | P | 1053.7 | 1014.4 | 5.20 | 73.20% | 10.20 | 2.54 | 0.83 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 63.5º | 61.96% | 20.83% | 17.21% | 100.00% | ||
26th Aug | 1817 | P | 1054.0 | 1017.7 | 4.80 | 67.18% | 8.78 | 2.44 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 3 | 62.5º | 88.39% | 11.33% | 0.28% | 100.00% | ||
20th Dec | 1817 | P | 1052.6 | 1016.3 | 4.80 | 68.95% | 7.41 | 1.87 | 0.83 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 63.5º | 88.41% | 11.24% | 0.35% | 100.00% | ||
14th May | 1818 | P | 1056.0 | 1018.6 | 4.95 | 66.83% | 11.21 | 2.75 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.75 | 3 | 62.75º | 91.68% | 7.93% | 0.40% | 100.00% | ||
19th Aug | 1818 | P | 1055.1 | 1015.8 | 5.20 | 71.36% | 11.21 | 2.67 | 1.25 | 1.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 63º | 90.18% | 9.36% | 0.47% | 100.00% | ||
2nd Dec | 1818 | P | 1055.4 | 1017.5 | 5.02 | 68.50% | 9.38 | 2.42 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 3.25 | 63º | 91.68% | 7.93% | 0.40% | 100.00% | ||
18th Dec | 1818 | P | 1056.8 | 1014.7 | 5.57 | 74.15% | 8.40 | 2.11 | 1 | 1.75 | 2 | 3.25 | 63º | 69.85% | 7.93% | 0.40% | 21.83% | 100.00% | |
14th Aug | 1819 | P | 1053.2 | 1014.4 | 5.13 | 72.92% | 10.02 | 2.82 | 1.25 | 2.5 | 3 | 4.5 | 62.5º | 92.62% | 6.51% | 0.87% | 100.00% | ||
24th Sep | 1819 | P | 1055.4 | 1017.7 | 4.98 | 68.00% | 10.12 | 2.68 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 64.5º | 91.76% | 7.49% | 0.75% | 100.00% | ||
29th Sep | 1819 | P | 1055.4 | 1017.7 | 4.98 | 68.00% | 10.16 | 2.73 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 64.5º | 91.76% | 7.49% | 0.75% | 100.00% | ||
18th Oct | 1819 | P | 1056.0 | 1016.3 | 5.24 | 70.79% | 10.10 | 2.70 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 63.5º | 91.76% | 7.49% | 0.75% | 100.00% | ||
19th Oct | 1819 | P | 1055.4 | 1017.7 | 4.98 | 68.00% | 10.03 | 2.64 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 63.75º | 91.76% | 7.49% | 0.75% | 100.00% | ||
Source: Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives Documents: LMA/4453/D/09/001, LMA/4453/D/09/002, LMA/4453/D/09/003, LMA/4453/D/09/004, LMA/4453/D/09/005, LMA/4453/D/09/006, LMA/4453/D/09/007, LMA/4453/D/09/008, LMA/4453/D/09/009, LMA/4453/D/09/010, LMA/4453/D/09/011, LMA/4453/D/09/012, LMA/4453/D/09/013 | |||||||||||||||||||
The amount of black malt in the grist was initially very small. Less than 1%. That would change later. But I don't want to get ahead of myself. That will be the subject of further posts. As I investigate Whitbread Porter in my trademark ridiculous level of detail.
Posts
16 comments:
Fantastic work - thank you very much. I'm sure this sort of research takes ages, but it is absolutely vital.
Carry on the good work!
Fantastic, I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. They seemed to have been indecisive about the amber malt. Any idea why?
Tim, amber malt is an interesting one. As you'll see as I go further through the series. But I don't want to spoil the fun by giving away too much now.
Ron - Could you post an image of the chart so we can see the whole thing? Looks fascinating, and is one of my favorite subjects.
Not to take away from this important work, but wouldn't it be great too to see tables such as this based on 100% brown malt? Only a few years before the start date that was the staple way to brew porter, or so various non-brewhouse records suggest. Yet the start time to keep records seems frustratingly just after the change occurred, not just for this brewery but for all.
I wonder if some of the smaller of the 20 or so porter breweries in London kept up with the old ways for a time, or alternatively, whether 1700's records can be studied to shed light on the "true" porter.
Gary
Hey Ron,
I was messing around with some of the numbers the Oct 6, 1812 Porter. Running it through a calculator, the OG and FG worked out perfect, but the color was really reddish. So, my question is: Wouldn't the addition of an adjunct for coloring increased the OG? I don't know about liquorice juice, but I'd imagine sugar or condensed wort had to effect it somehow. Was it added after primary fermentation? Was the sugar burnt so much it lost most of it's fermentability?
Was amber malt not use in keeping stouts/porters, as it was believed to aid in storage? Gunnies keep it up in foreign extra till the 40's I believe
Was Spanish Juice and the likes really used in Britain or just left to the Americans?
Craig remember the brown malt is hand roasted and a slight different method to standard pale malt roasting too. There will be a good bit of variance in batch to batch and possible different level of roasting within a batch.
What do the four distinct columns for boil time mean?
Oblivious, I've seen Spanish juice mentioned in recipes for private brewers. And liquorice in commercial recipes after 1880.
The brewing records I've seen from this period (1805-1819) make no mention of any colourant.
Barm, there's one column for each wort.
Looks like I'll have to make it and see what color it turns out!
So the first runnings were boiled for an hour, the second for longer, and the third for 4.5 hours then all blended? How was boiling the watery third wort for five hours economical? Coal must have been cheap.
What are there 4 columns labeled 'boil time'?
Barm, it must have been economic or they wouldn't have bothered. The point would be to raise the gravity to a useful level.
Naugled, see above.
Is it also plausible that another effect of those extended boils was a darkening of the wort? It may not have been cheap, but in order to obtain the results they wanted, it was a necessary evil. Perhaps that is why there was such a quick adoption of black malt shortly after it's 1817 introduction.
Yet, with the introduction of black malt there still are extended boils. Excluding the experiment with white malt in December, 1817, the averages for the malts used after May of 1817 are 91.8% Pale; 8.4% Brown and 0.5% Black. Even with black malt those ratios are going to produce a pretty ruddy tint.
It seems that early 19th century brewers, or Whitbred at least, weren't willing to jump, feet first, into the black malt pool. quite yet.
The real question... What will 1820 bring??
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