The name is one which was later – I think in the 1970s – was given to a type of low-gravity draught Bitter found in the Southwest of England. By the 1970s these beers often played the role of draught Mild, which by then had mostly disappeared from the region.
I’m using the term to refer to any draught Bitter under 1036º. It’s a pretty arbitrary distinction, but it stops the tables getting too big.
The rate of attenuation – which is just under 80% - is pretty high. Presumably that’s an attempt to compensate for the low gravity. It leaves the average ABV a respectable 3.5%.
The 1960s didn’t bring about any huge changes to this type of beer, as you can see in the next table.
The average rate of attenuation is even higher than in the 1950s, over 80%. And, surprisingly, the average price per pint is lower, just over 14d rather than almost 16d.
| Draught Bitter in the 1950's - Boys Bitter | ||||||||
| Year | Brewer | Beer | Price per pint (d) | OG | FG | ABV | App. Attenua-tion | colour |
| 1959 | Fuller | Bitter | 14 | 1031.6 | 1004.1 | 3.58 | 87.03% | 23 |
| 1959 | Charrington | BBB | 17 | 1032.8 | 1007.8 | 3.24 | 76.22% | 14 |
| 1954 | Barclay Perkins | XLK | 15 | 1032.9 | 1004.5 | 3.70 | 86.32% | |
| 1954 | Meux | PA | 17 | 1033.7 | 1007.3 | 3.43 | 78.34% | 24 |
| 1954 | Barclay Perkins | XLK | 15 | 1033.8 | 1006.9 | 3.49 | 79.59% | 19 |
| 1954 | Taylor Walker | EPA | 17 | 1034 | 1008.6 | 3.29 | 74.71% | 23 |
| 1958 | Vaux & Co | Bitter Ale | 17 | 1034.2 | 1007.8 | 3.43 | 77.19% | 26 |
| 1953 | Whitbread | Pale Ale | 16 | 1035.1 | 22 | |||
| 1957 | Ind Coope | Best Bitter | 17 | 1035.2 | 1008 | 3.53 | 77.27% | 19 |
| 1954 | Mann Crossman | KK | 17 | 1035.3 | 1007.7 | 3.58 | 78.19% | 19 |
| 1957 | Charrington | PA | 15 | 1035.5 | 1004.9 | 3.98 | 86.20% | 23 |
| 1959 | Whitaker | Bitter | 14 | 1035.6 | 1010.2 | 3.17 | 71.35% | 22 |
| Average | 15.9 | 1034.1 | 1007.1 | 3.49 | 79.3% | 21.5 | ||
| Sources: | ||||||||
| Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252. | ||||||||
| Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002. | ||||||||
| document from the Steel Coulson archive held at the Scottish Brewing Archives | ||||||||
| T & J Bernard's brewing records held at the Scottish Brewing Archive | ||||||||
| Boys Bitter 1960 - 1964 | ||||||||
| Year | Brewer | Beer | Price | OG | FG | ABV | App. Atten-uation | colour |
| 1960 | Beasley | Bitter | 15 | 1034.3 | 1004.5 | 3.72 | 86.88% | 35 |
| 1960 | Blatch Brewery | Bitter | 14 | 1031.8 | 1003.9 | 3.49 | 87.74% | 20 |
| 1960 | Burt & Co. | Best Bitter | 13 | 1032.6 | 1004.5 | 3.51 | 86.20% | 20 |
| 1964 | Camerons | Ordinary Bitter | 15 | 1031.3 | 1006.7 | 3.07 | 78.59% | 30 |
| 1960 | Charles Wells | Bitter | 18 | 1034.4 | 1006.6 | 3.48 | 80.81% | 18 |
| 1960 | Charrington | Ordinary Bitter | 14 | 1033.8 | 1008 | 3.35 | 76.33% | 18 |
| 1960 | Clinch | Bitter | 13 | 1034 | 1006.1 | 3.49 | 82.06% | 20 |
| 1960 | Dunmow Brewery | Bitter | 14 | 1033.6 | 1006.6 | 3.37 | 80.36% | 25 |
| 1960 | Fremlin | XXX Bitter | 14 | 1035.5 | 1005.7 | 3.72 | 83.94% | 26 |
| 1960 | Friary | Bitter | 14 | 1033.8 | 1005.2 | 3.57 | 84.62% | 20 |
| 1960 | Fullers | Ordinary Bitter | 16 | 1032.2 | 1005.3 | 3.50 | 83.54% | 24 |
| 1960 | Garne & Sons | Bitter | 13 | 1031.2 | 1004.3 | 3.36 | 86.22% | 21 |
| 1960 | Georges | Bitter | 13 | 1030.9 | 1004.75 | 3.40 | 84.63% | |
| 1960 | Gray's | Bitter | 13 | 1033.6 | 1006.1 | 3.44 | 81.85% | 21 |
| 1960 | Greenall Whitley | Bitter | 14 | 1034.4 | 1005.95 | 3.70 | 82.70% | |
| 1960 | Greene King | Ordinary Bitter | 13 | 1033.9 | 1005.7 | 3.53 | 83.19% | 26 |
| 1964 | Hammond | Caledonian Scotch | 15 | 1031.2 | 1008.7 | 2.81 | 72.12% | 30 |
| 1960 | Hammond United | Best Bitter | 16 | 1035.5 | 1004.05 | 4.10 | 88.59% | |
| 1960 | Harvey's | Bitter | 14 | 1033.8 | 1006.1 | 3.46 | 81.95% | 22 |
| 1960 | Kemp Town | Bitter | 12 | 1031.5 | 1004 | 3.44 | 87.30% | 16 |
| 1960 | Morland | Bitter | 14 | 1035.6 | 1006.1 | 3.69 | 82.87% | 18 |
| 1960 | Morrell | Light Bitter | 12 | 1030.7 | 1005 | 3.21 | 83.71% | 17 |
| 1960 | Morrell | Best Bitter | 15 | 1035.3 | 1005.3 | 3.75 | 84.99% | 23 |
| 1964 | Newcastle Breweries | Sotch Ale | 15 | 1032.3 | 1005.4 | 3.36 | 83.28% | 30 |
| 1964 | Northern Clubs Federation | Ordinary Bitter | 13 | 1033.1 | 1004.5 | 3.57 | 86.40% | 25 |
| 1960 | Rayments | Bitter | 12 | 1030.3 | 1004.1 | 3.27 | 86.47% | 18 |
| 1960 | Rayments | Best Bitter | 14 | 1035.7 | 1006.4 | 3.66 | 82.07% | 22 |
| 1961 | Rhymney | Silver Drum | 18 | 1035.1 | 1007.1 | 3.50 | 79.77% | 17 |
| 1960 | Ridley | Ordinary Bitter | 14 | 1034.2 | 1009.8 | 3.05 | 71.35% | 19 |
| 1960 | Star Brewery, Eastbourne | Bitter | 12 | 1029.5 | 1003.3 | 3.28 | 88.81% | 20 |
| 1960 | Tamplin | Bitter | 14 | 1034.3 | 1006 | 3.54 | 82.51% | 24 |
| 1960 | Thwaites | Bitter | 16 | 1035.8 | 1006.6 | 3.80 | 81.56% | |
| 1960 | Tollemache | Bitter | 16 | 1033.3 | 1003.4 | 3.74 | 89.79% | 20 |
| 1960 | Usher | Ordinary Bitter | 13 | 1032.5 | 1007.3 | 3.15 | 77.54% | 18 |
| 1960 | Ushers | Bitter | 13 | 1031.9 | 1008.75 | 3.00 | 72.57% | |
| 1960 | Vaux | Best Bitter | 15 | 1034.8 | 1005.6 | 3.80 | 83.91% | |
| 1960 | Wenlock | Bitter | 16 | 1035 | 1008.7 | 3.41 | 75.14% | 26 |
| Average | 14.2 | 1033.3 | 1005.8 | 3.47 | 82.50% | 22.2 | ||
| Sources: | ||||||||
| Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002. | ||||||||
| Which Beer Report, 1960, pages 171 - 173. | ||||||||
Intrigued? Then why not buy the whole book. It's full of facty goodness. And lots of homebrew recipes.
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/austerity/23181344
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