Wednesday 30 May 2018

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1947 Boddington XX

One last watery Mild before the end of May. This time, one from the late 1940s. Probably one of the most depressing times to be a beer drinker in Britain.

I can remember Boddie’s Mild quite well. It was one of the semi-dark kind. Though compared to their straw-coloured Bitter, it looked pretty dark. I assume that the version I drank was the direct successor to this beer.

With an OG of just 1028º, it’s not exactly high-gravity. Though thanks to a high degree of attenuation, it is just about 3% ABV. So just about intoxicating.

The grist is fairly simple: pale malt, crystal malt, flaked barley and sugar. Three different types of sugar: DMS, Fla. and invert. I’ve substituted No. 3 invert for them. Hopefully it’s somewhere close to what was in the original.

The hops were English (1945), Styrian (1945), Czech (1945) and 3 lbs hopulon. I’ve bumped up the hops by 21 lbs to account for the latter. The quantity of Styrian hops is so small – 2 lbs out of 105 lbs, I’ve left them out.

What next I wonder, now I'm done with watery Mild? Any suggestions?


1947 Boddington XX
pale malt 4.00 lb 65.31%
crystal malt 80 L 0.50 lb 8.16%
enzymic malt 0.125 lb 2.04%
flaked barley 0.75 lb 12.24%
No. 3 invert sugar 0.75 lb 12.24%
Fuggles 115 mins 0.75 oz
Saaz 30 mins 0.75 oz
OG 1028
FG 1005.5
ABV 2.98
Apparent attenuation 80.36%
IBU 21
SRM 10
Mash at 154º F
Sparge at 162º F
Boil time 115 minutes
pitching temp 62º F
Yeast Wyeast 1318 London ale III (Boddingtons)

14 comments:

Lee said...

Any chance of a beer or two from Shropshire, Ron?

Ron Pattinson said...

Lee,

not really. I don't think I've any records from a Shropshire brewery.

Anonymous said...

Strong'S Treble Brown as a high ABV for the time brown ale?

Anonymous said...

Love reading about Boddington's brews (and everything else on your blog). Any more info on their stout recipes available?

Alistair Reece said...

How about showing the development of Burton Ale from early 19th century through to its demise?

Mick said...

Anything on Fremlins from Maidstone Ron ?

Or something on malting ?

Anonymous said...

Ron,

Love your blog. And love reading about Boddington's. Ever run across their Nut Brown recipe?

TJ said...

Have you anything interestng from George Gales aside from the Old Prize? I wish I’d had the HSB before Fullers got a hold of it. Btw Ron I do enjoy the travel,posts. I read every one. We need to get you to Canada. Enough of the US midwest lets broaden your horizns!

Anonymous said...

Anything more from Courage?

John said...

Early strong brown ales, if such things exist? Failing that, have you got anything from any defunct Lincolnshire brewers? Both long shots, I know.

Your blog is top drawer, as always.

Ron Pattinson said...

TJ,

no Gales stuff, I'm afraid.

Ron Pattinson said...

Anonymous,

as with many breweries, Brown Ale doesn't aappear in Boddington's brewing records. Most likely, just a tweaked version of their Mild.

Ron Pattinson said...

Mick,

Fremlins records still exist, I just haven't seen them. Tell a lie, I do have some that I've been sent. But I can't do anything with them because I only have the left-hand page.

qq said...

+1 on Burton ale

With the UK about to get its first (at least for a while) Trappist beer, how about something on British "abbey" brewing? Or on similar "non-brewery" beers like Oxbridge colleges etc?

After all these Boddies, how about some more Yorkshire stuff?

Your tag list seems to have nothing from Walker or Greenall's, and not much from Liverpool - Cains, Higsons?

Tracing the accumulation of the Whitbread empire, and recipes lost in the process?