Whitbread Porter 1850 - 1859

Another decade of Whitbread Porter. In some ways, quite a dull decade. At least in terms of recipes. It does contain, however, a good example of a recurring phenomenon in British beer history.

A tiny rise in the amount of black malt aside, the grist was unchaged over the whole decade. The hopping rate - at 2.75 to 3.25 lbs per barrel was also pretty constant. "But some only have 1 lb or less." I can hear you say.  That's very true. But those beers seem to have been reusing the spent hops from Keeping Porter. I say "seem" because it's not explicitly stated. But I can't believe it's a coincidence that every time the ordinary Porter had far fewer hops it was immediately after a brew of Keeping Porter.

Of course, there is one pretty significant change: the gravity. It suddenly drops 10%, from 1063-64º to 1056-1057º at the end of 1853. Students of history might be able to guess the cause. The answer appears after the table.

Whitbread Porter 1850 - 1859
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	total
24th Jan	1850	P	1061.2	1019.4	5.53	68.33%	12.50	3.26	1.5	2	2	2	64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
20th Sep	1850	P	1065.9	1020.8	5.97	68.49%	11.84	3.09	1.5	2	2	2	64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
18th Sep	1850	P	1062.9	1016.6	6.12	73.57%	11.17	2.90	1.5	2	2		64º	77.86%	18.85%	3.30%	100.00%
11th Sep	1850	P	1063.7	1016.9	6.19	73.48%	11.84	3.08	1.5	2	2	2	64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
14th Sep	1850	P	1062.3	1017.2	5.97	72.44%	10.58	2.78	1.5	2	2		64º	77.86%	18.85%	3.30%	100.00%
2nd Jan	1851	P	1062.3	1017.2	5.97	72.44%	10.21	2.67	1.5	2	2	2	64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
16th Aug	1851	P	1064.5	1021.9	5.64	66.09%	11.19	3.12	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.86%	18.85%	3.30%	100.00%
11th Aug	1851	P	1065.1	1020.8	5.86	68.09%	11.11	3.55	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
1st Sep	1851	P	1063.2	1019.4	5.79	69.30%	11.15	3.14	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
8th Sep	1851	P	1063.4	1018.3	5.97	71.18%	11.19	3.13	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
27th Aug	1852	P	1056.0	1019.4	4.84	65.35%	10.41	2.88	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
31st Jul	1852	P	1062.9	1017.7	5.97	71.81%	11.14	2.95	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.86%	18.85%	3.30%	100.00%
18th Aug	1852	P	1063.2	1017.7	6.01	71.93%	11.22	3.25	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
11th Sep	1852	P	1060.9	1017.2	5.79	71.82%	11.55	3.03	1.5	1.5	3		64º	77.86%	18.85%	3.30%	100.00%
9th Dec	1852	P	1064.0	1018.0	6.08	71.86%	10.18	2.93	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
9th Nov	1852	P	1064.0				10.08	2.84	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.12%	19.72%	3.16%	100.00%
5th Jul	1853	P	1062.6	1018.3	5.86	70.80%	11.32	3.06	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.86%	18.85%	3.30%	100.00%
20th Aug	1853	P	1062.0	1020.8	5.46	66.52%	12.69	3.41	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.86%	18.85%	3.30%	100.00%
22nd Dec	1853	P	1057.9	1016.3	5.50	71.77%	4.84	1.18	1.5	1.5	2		64º	76.69%	19.75%	3.56%	100.00%
7th Jul	1854	P	1056.0	1017.5	5.09	68.81%	11.24	2.75	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
17th Nov	1854	P	1057.1	1015.5	5.50	72.82%	4.02	1.00	1.5	1.5	2		64º	76.69%	19.75%	3.56%	100.00%
10th Jul	1855	P	1059.0	1015.5	5.75	73.71%	10.81	2.79	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
6th Nov	1855	P	1059.8	1018.3	5.50	69.44%	3.78	0.91	1.5	1.5	2		64º	76.69%	19.75%	3.56%	100.00%
7th Jul	1856	P	1054.8	1013.0	5.53	76.26%	10.99	2.95	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
6th Jul	1857	P	1054.8				11.14	2.75	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
21st Aug	1857	P	1054.0	1013.3	5.39	75.38%	12.21	3.17	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
6th Mar	1858	P	1052.9	1016.1	4.87	69.63%	3.33	0.79	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
24th Mar	1858	P	1056.0	1014.4	5.50	74.26%	3.27	0.80	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
22nd Jan	1858	P	1054.0	1015.2	5.13	71.79%	3.03	0.74	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
5th Jul	1858	P	1053.7	1016.9	4.87	68.56%	11.65	2.68	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
25th Nov	1858	P	1054.6	1014.7	5.28	73.10%	9.95	2.45	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
7th Sep	1858	P	1055.7	1018.8	4.87	66.17%	12.93	2.78	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
24th Sep	1858	P	1053.2	1016.6	4.84	68.75%	12.25	3.00	1.5	1.5	2		64º	77.49%	18.76%	3.75%	100.00%
25th Jan	1859	P	1056.8	1016.1	5.39	71.71%	3.56	0.91	1.5	1.5	2		64º	76.69%	19.75%	3.56%	100.00%
28th Jul	1859	P	1057.9	1018.3	5.24	68.42%	11.51	2.97	1.5	1.5	2		64º	76.69%	19.75%	3.56%	100.00%
10th Nov	1859	P	1052.1	1015.2	4.87	70.74%	1.64	0.42	1.5	1.5	2		64º	76.69%	19.75%	3.56%	100.00%
Source: Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives Documents: LMA/4453/D/09/043, LMA/4453/D/09/044, LMA/4453/D/09/045, LMA/4453/D/09/046, LMA/4453/D/09/047, LMA/4453/D/09/048, LMA/4453/D/09/049, LMA/4453/D/09/050, LMA/4453/D/09/051, LMA/4453/D/09/052, LMA/4453/D/09/053

Why the sudden gravity drop? It's the recurring phenomenon. The motor driving most change in British beer over the last two centuries: war. War and the taxation to pay for it. The Crimean War broke out in October 1853 and almost immediately the tax on malt was raised from 2s 7d per bushel to 4s. (About 2 bushels of malt were needed to brew a barrel of Porter.)

Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, promised that the tax was for the duration of the war only. It would be repealed the July after the formal ratification of a peace treaty. Politicians and their promises, eh? A treaty was signed early in 1856 and guess what? The tax was indeed repealed. No wonder Gladstone has such a good reputation.

"Then why didn't the gravity to back up after 1856?" That's a very good question. One I wish I had an answer to.