Scottish Brown Ales 1947 - 1958

Just as down south in Sassenachland, Brown Ale was extremely popular in Scotland after WW I. Though the beers sold under that name don’t appear to have been exactly the same.

With a couple of exceptions, mostly in the Northeast, English Brown Ales were watery after WW II. While before the war they’d been about average gravity (low 1040’s), they were at the bottom end after it. Which meant an OG 0f 1027-1032º and ABV as low as 2.5%.

Some of the examples in the table clearly fall into that category. Though there are also ones in the mid-1040’s or even 1050’s. Much stronger than most English Brown Ales of the period.

The weaker versions I’m sure are the brewery’s lowest-strength Pale Ale caramelled up. The ones in the 1040’s, same thing, just with Export. Not sure about those over 1050º.

Down in London, Brown Ales were far weaker on average. In the late 1940’s, most hovered either side of 1030º.

Scottish Brown Ales 1947 - 1958
Year	Brewer	Beer	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
1947	Steel Coulson	Brown Ale	1028.5	1005	3.05	82.46%
1949	McEwan	Nut Brown Ale	1029.5	1006	3.05	79.66%
1949	Murray	Brown Ale	1037.8	1010	3.60	73.54%	115
1949	Wm. Younger	Brown Ale	1033.6	1011.2	2.90	66.67%	115
1949	Wm. Younger	Brown Ale	1033	1014	2.45	57.58%
1950	Calder	Nut Brown Ale	1034.3	1011.4	2.96	66.76%	70
1950	Murray	Brown Ale	1057.1	1013.4	5.69	76.53%	83
1950	Wm. Younger	Brown Ale	1032.6	1011.4	2.74	65.03%	180
1953	Steel Coulson	Brown Ale B. 60/-	1030
1954	Wm. Younger	Double Century Ale	1056.6	1023.3	4.29	58.83%	80
1956	Aitchison	Gold Seal Brown Ale	1041.6	1013.9	3.58	66.59%	50
1956	Wm. Younger	"Wee Willie" Brown Ale	1033.5	1009.6	3.10	71.34%	70
1956	Wm. Younger	Edinburgh Brown Ale	1046.8	1013.2	4.36	71.79%	75
1957	Ushers	Brown Export Ale	1044.4	1017.3	3.50	61.04%	130
1957	Wm. Younger	Edinburgh Brown Ale	1046.6	1013.1	4.34	71.89%	55
1958	Bernard	Double Brown Ale (D.B. Ale)	1043	1013	3.89	69.77%
1958	Blair	Brown Ale	1034.1	1011.7	2.80	65.69%	125
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive.
T & J Bernard's brewing records held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
document from the Steel Coulson archive held at the Scottish Brewing Archives

This is yet another excerpt from my Scottish book, Scotland! vol. 2

http://www.lulu.com/shop/ronald-pattinson/scotland-vol-2/paperback/product-23090497.htm