Wednesday 29 June 2016

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1885 William Younger No. 3

No. 3 is one of the beers I’m slightly obsessed with. For a couple of reasons.

One is that a clone of it was one of the first beers me and my brother brewed way back in the early 1970’s. Another is that I got to drink Scottish & Newcastle’s version when they reintroduced it in the late 1970’s.

I was never sure what style it was. I seem to remember someone calling it a dark Bitter. Which wasn’t really what it was. Now I realise it was a Scotch Ale. Or a Strong Ale, depending on which side of the Scottish border you were. Why didn’t I wonder where Nos. 1 and 2 were? I should have.

Back in the 1880’s, William Younger was still brewing both No. 1 and No. 2. No. 1 made it to at least the 1950’s before being dropped. That was more like the classic Strong Scotch Ale, the type that mostly only exists in Belgium today. That was an exclusively bottled beer, while No. 3 came in both bottled and draught form. When on draught, it filled the same evolutionary niche as Burton Ale.

Just as well I told you all that as there’s not a huge amount else to say. Especially about the recipe. Which is just pale malt and hops. Quite a lot of hops. At this time William Younger mainly used four types of hops: Kent, American, Spalt and Württemberg. Though occasionally they used Bohemian hops instead of the German ones. In the recipe below, I’ve combined the Spalt and Württemberg hops together as just Spalt.

Younger was particularly fond of dry-hopping their stronger Ales. And dry-hopping them pretty heavily. I’m intrigued as to what effect that would have. With the low rate of attenuation and heavy hopping, the resulting beer must have been bittersweet.

That’s it for now. Just the recipe and I’m done.



1885 William Younger No. 3
pale malt 17.25 lb 100.00%
Cluster 90 min 3.50 oz
Spalt 60 min 2.50 oz
Fuggles 30 min 1.75 oz
Goldings dry hops 2.25 oz
OG 1076
FG 1025
ABV 6.75
Apparent attenuation 67.11%
IBU 108
SRM 6
Mash at 256º F
Sparge at 163º F
Boil time 90 minutes
pitching temp 56º F
Yeast WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

1 comment:

Dan Klingman said...

I'm presuming the mash temp is 156F. Not sure my little cooler mash tun could handle it otherwise!