Let's Brew Wednesday - 1956 Lees Stout

Lees changed around their Stout recipe quite a bit in the 1950’s and 1960’s. But 1956 was a significant year. Because that’s when they started adding lactose to it.

Usually I’ll tell you how simple an old recipe is. Not in this case. Because it’s a dead complicated one. Four malts, four sugars and one adjunct. Though I’ve simplified the sugars a bit, it’s still quite a long list of ingredients.

It’s a slightly odd grist, as it contains two base malts, mild malt and PA malt, the latter being the poshest type of pale malt. Strange that they’d use it in a Stout, where it wouldn’t really be noticeable. There’s also a pretty high percentage of crystal malt, but a relatively small amount of roast malt, just a little black malt.

The sugars in the original were black invert, HX and CDM. The first is obviously No. 4 invert, the latter two I’ve replaced with No. 3 invert, which is probably as close as you’ll get.

What else do I need to tell you? Oh yes, the FG is a guess. As are the hop variety, Fuggles. As usual, all the brewing record tells us is that they were English.

1956 Lees Stout
pale malt	1.75 lb	24.14%
mild malt	1.25 lb	17.24%
black malt	0.50 lb	6.90%
crystal malt 60 L	0.75 lb	10.34%
flaked oat	0.50 lb	6.90%
No. 3 invert sugar	1.25 lb	17.24%
No. 4 invert sugar	0.50 lb	6.90%
lactose	0.75 lb	10.34%
Fuggles 90 min	0.75 oz
Fuggles 30 min	0.75 oz
OG	1038
FG	1015
ABV	3.04
Apparent attenuation	60.53%
IBU	18
SRM	30
Mash at	151º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1318 London ale III (Boddingtons)