Let's Brew Wednesday - 1939 Drybrough 54/-

Another eve of WW II beer. This time from Scotland.

During WW I, Drybrough’s range of beers was drastically pruned. Initially to several Pale Ales, a couple of Stouts and a Strong Ale. By the end of the 1930s, just four Pale Ales and a Strong Ale remained. All parti-gyled in various combinations.

Though most weren’t brewed in very great quantities. 54/-, the weakest of the Pale Ales, accounted for less than 10% of Drybrough’s output. Despite being their second most popular beer.

The recipe looks more complicated than it really is. Several of the ingredients are only present in tiny quantities. It’s really just pale malt, flaked maize and sugar. I suppose there is more to the sugar, which was 1.5 cwt Fison, 3 cwt Avona, 3 cwt invert. I’ve interpreted all that as No. 2 invert.

There were three types of hops, All English and all from the 1938 harvest. That’s all I know about them. I’ve made the not very daring guess of a combination of Fuggles and Goldings. Feel free to play around with the varieties if that suits you.

What does the 54/- mean? Nothing other than the relative strength. I wondered if  it might be the tax per barrel, but it isn't that. The numbers don't work out, no matter how you calculate it.

1939 Drybrough 54/-
pale malt	5.75 lb	80.14%
enzymic malt	0.125 lb	1.74%
black malt	0.06 lb	0.84%
flaked maize	0.50 lb	6.97%
malt extract	0.07 lb	0.98%
No. 2 invert sugar	0.67 lb	9.34%
Fuggles 135 mins	0.50 oz
Fuggles 90 mins	0.50 oz
Goldings 30 mins	0.33 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.25 oz
OG	1032
FG	1010
ABV	2.91
Apparent attenuation	68.75%
IBU	19
SRM	7.5
Mash at	154º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	145 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	WLP028 Edinburgh Ale