Brewing in WW II (part nine)

We'll be looking at some of the less obvious difficulties faced by British brewers during WW II.

During both wars the government struggled to keep coal output at a sufficient level to meet demand. As things like kettles were generally powered by coal, a shortage of it caused acute difficulties. Even more so in breweries where everything was steam powered.

"The shortage of coal created further difficulties which were often aggravated by its poor quality. This need to conserve coal raised the question of copper boiling, and brewers found they had to reduce their boiling period almost to the limit of safety. It was also often difficult, with the low-quality of coal available in some districts, to maintain a sufficient head of steam on the boilers to obtain a suitable boiling temperature. When the coal situation became difficult brewers were asked to take the necessary steps to conserve fuel as much as possible. The experience of the last war, however, had taught them a lot about the saving of fuel, and its rising price in the intervening years had encouraged efficiency in this direction, so that there were not many improvements that could be carried out. Notwithstanding this they were subjected to frequent visits from inspectors and advisers from the Ministry of Fuel, many of whom knew little more than the theory of fuel consumption."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing Volume 52, Issue 3, May-June, 1946, pages 124 - 125.

Brewers in WW I had voluntarily reduced their coal consumption. So I can believe that most of the easy ways of cutting coal consumption had already been implemented.

Did brewers reduce boil times during the war? Whitbread certainly did, as these table show:

Whitbread Ales in 1938
Date	Year	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)
23rd Feb	1938	33	Strong Ale	1061.6	1016.5	5.97	73.21%	8.47	2.23	1.25	1
25th Feb	1938	33	Strong Ale	1059.0	1016.5	5.62	72.03%	8.47	2.18	1.75	1.5
2nd Mar	1938	DB	Brown Ale	1054.6	1016.0	5.11	70.70%	9.98	2.36	1.25	1.25
22nd Feb	1938	Ex PA	Pale Ale	1048.1	1012.0	4.78	75.05%	7.49	1.54	1.33	1.42
1st Mar	1938	Ex PA	Pale Ale	1048.3	1013.5	4.60	72.05%	7.49	1.54	1.67	1.42
21st Feb	1938	IPA	IPA	1036.5	1006.5	3.97	82.19%	10.00	1.54	1.5	1.5
24th Feb	1938	IPA	IPA	1037.1	1007.0	3.98	81.13%	10.00	1.58	1.5	1.5
21st Feb	1938	LA	Mild	1028.3	1008.0	2.69	71.73%	7.44	0.90	1.25	1.33
22nd Feb	1938	PA	Pale Ale	1048.3	1012.0	4.80	75.16%	7.49	1.55	1.33	1.42
25th Feb	1938	PA	Pale Ale	1048.6	1011.0	4.97	77.37%	7.49	1.55	1.33	1.5
1st Mar	1938	PA	Pale Ale	1047.8	1011.5	4.80	75.94%	7.49	1.52	1.67	1.42
21st Feb	1938	X	Mild	1035.7	1010.0	3.40	71.99%	7.44	1.14	1.25	1.33
22nd Feb	1938	X	Mild	1036.1	1011.0	3.32	69.53%	7.87	1.23	1.25	1.08
25th Feb	1938	X	Mild	1035.3	1010.0	3.35	71.67%	7.44	1.11	1.25	1.25
			Average					8.18	1.57	1.40	1.35
Source:
Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/01/105.

Whitbread Ales in 1945
Date	Year	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)
24th Aug	1945	DB	Brown Ale	1043.3	1008.0	4.67	81.52%	6.25	1.16	1	0.75
27th Aug	1945	IPA	IPA	1031.6	1006.0	3.39	81.01%	8.22	1.13	1.25	1.25
4th Apr	1945	PA	Pale Ale	1039.4	1010.0	3.89	74.62%	6.03	1.01	1.08	1
24th Aug	1945	PA	Pale Ale	1039.5	1012.5	3.57	68.35%	5.85	1.01	1.08	0.75
4th Apr	1945	XX	Mild	1028.2	1009.0	2.54	68.09%	5.63	0.70	1	0.75
5th Apr	1945	XX	Mild	1028.4	1008.5	2.63	70.07%	5.67	0.71	1	0.75
24th Aug	1945	XX	Mild	1028.1	1010.0	2.39	64.41%	5.67	0.71	1	0.75
8th June	1945	XXXX	Strong Ale	1043.4	1014.0	3.89	67.74%	6.44	1.19	1	1
2nd Oct	1945	IPA	IPA	1031.6	1006.0	3.39	81.01%	8.53	1.22	1.25	1.5
3rd Oct	1945	XX	Mild	1028.4	1010.0	2.43	64.79%	5.77	0.72	1	0.75
3rd Oct	1945	PA	Pale Ale	1038.8	1011.5	3.61	70.36%	5.85	1.03	1.08	0.75
5th Oct	1945	DB	Brown Ale	1043.6	1011.0	4.31	74.77%	6.25	1.18	1	1.25
19th Oct	1945	XX	Mild	1028.2	1008.5	2.61	69.86%	5.77	0.72	1	1.33
31st Dec	1945	XX	Mild	1027.8	1009.0	2.49	67.63%	5.77	0.68	1	1
			Average					6.27	0.94	1.05	0.97
Source:
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers LMA/4453/D/01/112 and LMA/4453/D/01/113.

For the first copper, the average boil time fell from 84 minutes to 63 minutes and for the second copper from 81 to 58 minutes. Whereas before WW I, the shortest boil at Whitbread was 90 minutes.

The reduction was even larger at Barclay Perkins:

Barclay Perkins Ales in 1939
Date	Year	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)
19th Jun	1939	A	Mild	1030.8	1007.5	3.08	75.65%	7.00	0.84	2.5	2.25	2	2
19th Jun	1939	X	Mild	1034.8	1010.0	3.28	71.26%	7.00	0.95	2.5	2.25	2	2
19th Jun	1939	XX	Mild	1042.7	1015.0	3.66	64.87%	7.00	1.14	2.5	2.25	2	2
20th Jun	1939	PA	Pale Ale	1052.5	1014.5	5.03	72.38%	7.50	1.54	2.5	2.75	2
20th Jun	1939	XLK (trade)	Pale Ale	1045.7	1017.0	3.80	62.80%	7.50	1.37	2.5	2.75	2
20th Jun	1939	XLK (bottling)	Pale Ale	1035.8	1011.5	3.21	67.88%	7.50	1.15	2.5	2.75	2
21st Jun	1939	XX	Mild	1042.7	1011.5	4.13	73.08%	7.00	1.18	2.5	2.25	2
21st Jun	1939	X	Mild	1034.8	1010.5	3.22	69.86%	7.00	0.96	2.5	2.25	2
22nd Jun	1939	PA	Pale Ale	1052.8	1018.5	4.54	64.96%	7.50	1.54	2.5	2.25	2	2
22nd Jun	1939	XLK (trade)	Pale Ale	1045.8	1014.5	4.14	68.35%	7.50	1.35	2.5	2.25	2	2
22nd Jun	1939	IPA (bottling)	IPA	1043.9	1013.5	4.03	69.27%	7.50	1.28	2.5	2.25	2	2
29th Jun	1939	XLK (trade)	Pale Ale	1045.7	1014.5	4.12	68.26%	7.50	1.38	2.5	2.25
29th Jun	1939	IPA (bottling)	IPA	1043.8	1012.5	4.14	71.48%	7.50	1.32	2.5	2.25
			Average					7.31	1.23	2.5	2.37	2	2
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/01/623.

Barclay Perkins Ales in 1945-46
Date	Year	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)
7th Apr	1945	XLK	Pale Ale	1035.4	1012.8	3.00	63.98%	5.09	0.75	1.5	1.5
22nd Feb	1945	XX	Mild	1031.4	1009.5	2.90	69.75%	5.49	0.71	1.5	1.5
22nd Feb	1945	X	Mild	1029.7	1008.5	2.80	71.38%	5.49	0.65	1.5	1.5
13th Jul	1945	XX	Mild	1031.4	1010.0	2.83	68.15%	4.96	0.67	1.5	1.5
25th Jan	1946	XLK	Pale Ale	1035.3	1010.0	3.35	71.67%	7.00	1.04	1.5	1.5
25th Jan	1946	IPA	IPA	1031.5	1009.0	2.98	71.43%	7.00	0.93	1.5	1.5
			Average					5.84	0.79	1.5	1.5
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/01/626.

The first copper fell from 150 to 90 minutes, the second copper from 145 to 90 minutes. And while there had been up to four coppers pre-war, by 1945 there were never more than two.

The two sets of tables also show the fall in hopping rates. At Whitbread, the average hopping rate per quarter fell from 8.18 lbs to 6.27 lbs.  Or 23%. At Barclay Perkins from 7.31 lbs to 5.84 lbs. Which is s lightly smaller percentage fall: 20%

Now some research done into boiling:

"Investigations which were carried out in the method of operating the small scale brewing plant at Birmingham University for the purpose of carrying out brewing trials with the new varieties of hops grown at East Malling Research Station brought to light some interesting facts with regard to flavours transmitted to beer under different boiling conditions. It was found that the temperature at which the copper boils is an important factor, and that if the temperature which corresponds to that obtained in an open brewing copper is not exceeded, the characteristic flavour which would be expected to be obtained from a physical examination of the hops can be readily detected in the beer. When this temperature is exceeded, however, as it would be for instance if a pressure copper was used, this characteristic flavour disappeared and a dead level of flavour is obtained, no matter what hops are used."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing Volume 52, Issue 3, May-June, 1946, page 125.

That's quite an odd claim: that you got no hop flavour if you boiled at a higher temperature than an open copper. You may remember that different types of brewers used different designs of copper. In London, where Porter brewers wanted to build colour, sealed, domed coppers were used. While Burton Pale Ale brewers - who wanted to keep their beer as pale as possible - used open coppers.

Next time it's isinglass.