Monday 15 October 2012

Amsdell's beers again


I promised you some more Amsdell fun and here it is. The same table as before, just this time with added analysis. Exciting or what?

Let's start with the old table:


Amsdell of Albany beers 1901 – 1904
Date Year Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/US brl hops lb/Imp brl boil time (hours)
22nd Jan 1901 Polar Ale 1054 1019.2 4.61 64.55% 6.01 1.15 1.61 1
24th Jan 1901 XX Ale 1052.6 1016.4 4.8 68.93% 6.33 1.8 2.52 1
20th Mar 1901 Diamond  Stock Ale 1081.7 1028 7.11 65.76% 8.08 2.42 3.39 1
1st Apr 1901 XX Ale 1054.6 1019.6 4.63 64.16% 6.23 1.61 2.26 1
24th May 1901 Scotch Scotch Ale 1066.6 1023.6 5.7 64.64% 5.55 1.95 2.73 1.5
27th May 1901 XX Ale 1059.7 1022.4 4.94 62.56% 5.82 1.23 1.72 1.25
22nd Oct 1901 Pale XX Ale 1054.2 1017.2 4.89 68.33% 5.51 1.02 1.43 1
1904 Burton Stock Ale 1075.8 2
12th Apr 1904 Diamond  Stock Ale 1074 1020.8 7.04 71.96% 8.29 2.27 3.18 1
14th Nov 1904 XX Winter Ale 1058 1019.2 5.13 66.95% 5.75 1.12 1.57 1
24th Mar 1905 India Pale Ale IPA 1077.6 1029.2 6.4 62.35% 4.85 2.25 3.15 1
1st May 1905 Scotch Scotch Ale 1062.7 1019.2 5.76 69.46% 5.26 1.15 1.61 1

And here's one of the beers from Whitbread in London from around the same time:


Whitbread beers 1901 - 1902
Date Year Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Attenuation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/brl boil time (hours) boil time (hours)
14th Mar 1901 P Porter 1055.1 1015.0 5.31 72.79% 7.37 1.72 1.75 1.75
8th May 1901 S Stout 1072.5 1028.0 5.89 61.39% 8.57 3.15 1.75 1.75
8th May 1901 SS Stout 1085.9 1036.0 6.60 58.08% 8.57 3.72 1.75 1.75
8th May 1901 SSS Stout 1095.7 1043.0 6.98 55.08% 8.57 4.15 1.75 1.75
29th Jun 1901 X Mild 1052.4 1012.0 5.34 77.08% 5.99 1.39 1.75 1.75
20th Feb 1902 IPA IPA 1049.9 1013.0 4.88 73.93% 11.97 2.65 1.5 1.75
27th Jun 1901 FA Pale Ale 1051.8 1013.0 5.13 74.90% 10.92 2.54 1.5 1.75
25th Jun 1901 2PA Pale Ale 1053.7 1014.0 5.26 73.95% 9.85 2.39 1.5 1.42
15th Jun 1901 PA Pale Ale 1058.4 1017.0 5.48 70.91% 10.98 2.93 1.5 2
27th Jun 1901 XK Pale Ale 1060.7 1019.0 5.52 68.71% 6.02 1.63 1.75 1.75
31st May 1901 KK Stock Ale 1073.0 1030.0 5.69 58.91% 12.00 4.03 1.75 2
31st May 1901 2KKK Stock Ale 1078.7 1033.0 6.05 58.07% 12.00 4.35 1.75 2
31st May 1901 KKK Stock Ale 1082.8 1036.0 6.19 56.53% 12.00 4.58 1.75 2
Sources:
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives document numbers LMA/4453/D/01/066, LMA/4453/D/01/067 and LMA/4453/D/09/095.

There's one obvious difference: Whitbread brewed a much wider range of beers. The lack of a Porter or Stout is particularly striking. Amsdell really was a specialist Ale brewery. With only really 4 products: XX Ale, Diamond Ale, Scotch Ale and IPA. An odd set, especially the Scotch Ale. Whitbread also brewed a wider range of gravities, from 1050º to 1096º, compared to Amsdell's 1053º to 1082º.

Attenuation is a funny one. The standard-strength Whitbread beers are mostly around 75% apparent attenuation, while Amsdell's are around 65%. That changes with the Stouts and Stock Ales, with the Whitbread examples all under 60%.

Amsdell's boil times are much shorter than Whitbread's, mostly just one hour, while Whitbread mostly boiled for an hour and three quarters.

Let's take a closer look at some of the specific types. We'll start with the commonest of the Amsdell beers - XX Ales and Polar. Here's a comparison with Whitbread's X Ale:


Date Year Brewer Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/US brl hops lb/Imp brl boil time (hours) boil time (hours)
22nd Jan 1901 Amsdell Polar Ale 1054 1019.2 4.61 64.55% 6.01 1.15 1.61 1
24th Jan 1901 Amsdell XX Ale 1052.6 1016.4 4.8 68.93% 6.33 1.8 2.52 1
1st Apr 1901 Amsdell XX Ale 1054.6 1019.6 4.63 64.16% 6.23 1.61 2.26 1
27th May 1901 Amsdell XX Ale 1059.7 1022.4 4.94 62.56% 5.82 1.23 1.72 1.25
22nd Oct 1901 Amsdell Pale XX Ale 1054.2 1017.2 4.89 68.33% 5.51 1.02 1.43 1
14th Nov 1904 Amsdell XX Winter Ale 1058 1019.2 5.13 66.95% 5.75 1.12 1.57 1
Average 1055.5 1019.0 4.83 65.91% 5.94 1.32 1.85 1.04
29th Jun 1901 Whitbread X Mild 1052.4 1012.0 5.34 77.08% 5.99 1.39 1.75 1.75
Difference -3.2 -7.0 0.5 11.2% 0.0 -0.5 0.7

And, because I noticed that the Whitbread hopping rate was quite low, here's a comparison with Barclay Perkins X Ale:


Date Year Brewer Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/US brl hops lb/Imp brl boil time (hours) boil time (hours)
Average Amsdell XX Ale 1055.5 1019.0 4.83 65.91% 5.94 1.32 1.85 1.04
5th Jun 1900 Barclay Perkins X Mild 1052.8 1010.0 5.67 81.11% 8.01 1.75 2 2.5
Difference -2.7 -9.0 0.8 15.2% 2.07 -0.10 1.0

In general, Amsdell XX Ale looks quite like a London Mild Ale with one exception: the rate of attenuation is considerably lower.

Moving on, we'll next consider Amsdell's Stock Ale, Diamond. Again, I've compared it with both Whitbread and Barclay Perkins Stock Ales.


Date Year Brewer Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/US brl hops lb/Imp brl boil time (hours) boil time (hours)
20th Mar 1901 Amsdell Diamond  Stock Ale 1081.7 1028 7.11 65.76% 8.08 2.42 3.39 1
12th Apr 1904 Amsdell Diamond  Stock Ale 1074 1020.8 7.04 71.96% 8.29 2.27 3.18 1
Average 1077.9 1024.4 7.08 68.86% 8.19 2.35 3.29 1
31st May 1901 Whitbread KK Stock Ale 1073.0 1030.0 5.69 58.91% 12.00 4.03 1.75 2
Difference -4.8 5.6 -1.38 -9.9% 3.81 0.75 0.75


Date Year Brewer Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/US brl hops lb/Imp brl boil time (hours) boil time (hours)
Average Amsdell Diamond  Stock Ale 1077.9 1024.4 7.08 68.86% 8.19 2.35 3.29 1.00
21st Nov 1900 Barclay Perkins KK Stock Ale 1073.0 1019.4 7.09 73.44% 14.03 4.20 2 2.5
Difference -4.8 -5.0 0.02 4.6% 5.84 0.92 1.00

Whitbread's KK, with its high FG, sticks out. Barclay Perkins KK looks very similar to Diamond Ale, except for rather heavier hopping. And, of course, a longer boil.

Finally, it's the turn of IPA.


Date Year Brewer Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/US brl hops lb/Imp brl boil time (hours) boil time (hours)
24th Mar 1905 Amsdell India Pale Ale IPA 1077.6 1029.2 6.4 62.35% 4.85 2.25 3.15 1
20th Feb 1902 Whitbread IPA IPA 1049.9 1013.0 4.88 73.93% 11.97 2.65 1.5 1.75
Difference -27.7 -16.2 -1.5 11.6% 7.1 -0.5 0.5


Date Year Brewer Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/US brl hops lb/Imp brl boil time (hours) boil time (hours)
24th Mar 1905 Amsdell India Pale Ale IPA 1077.6 1029.2 6.4 62.35% 4.85 2.25 3.15 1
13th Jun 1908 Barclay Perkins PA Pale Ale 1060.4 1011.5 6.47 80.96% 12.00 3.00 2.5
Difference -17.2 -17.7 0.1 18.6% 7.2
-0.2 1.5


It's pretty obvious that Whitbread's IPA isn't really in the same style as Amsdell's. The gravities are just too different. Though it is apparent that Amsdell's IPA was, taking into account its gravity, more lightly hopped. The low attenuation of Amsdell's IPA means that although Barclay Perkins Pale Ale had a much lower gravity, it almost had the same ABV. I've never seen a pre-WW I British IPA with as high an OG and as low a hopping rate as Amsdell's. It's really very different.

I'm sure I'll be returning to North American Ales. They're just so entertaining.

6 comments:

Craig said...

Your absolutely correct about the lack of Stout in the Amsdell logs. I did see a least one Porter entry in 1901—but that was about it. Even IPA was fairly rare. As I've promised before, I'll get to the Institute and get photos of everything. The main problem is that it's only open on Thursdays, to the public. If I can scoot away this week, I will.

I really want to see those Polar entries, again!

Ron Pattinson said...

Craig, it would be great to see more entries. Should help make sense out of it all.

Rob said...

I wonder if this has anything to do with the different interpretation of the IPA between America and UK (other than type of hops)?

The Amsdell OG looks a lot like typical modern American IPA OGs. Obviously, would need to see a lot more American recipes to draw a conclusion.

Craig said...

Ya' know what's interesting, Ron? Both of BPs high attenuation levels happen in their beers brewed in June. Both their PA and X hit neat 81%, while the November KK is far lower at 73%.

Arctic Alchemy said...

Would love to know more about this beer called polar

Craig said...

@Arctic I don't know if there's any connection to Allsopp's/Ind Coope by name or style. Polar seems to be far weaker. I am stopping by the Institute tomorrow, so I should have more photos of the logs to share by the weekend.