Lees Best Mild grists 1946 - 1955

More on Mild Ale just after WW II. This time looking in detail at a particularly atypical beer, Lees Best Mild.

Mild grists mostly consisted of base malt – quite often mild malt – crystal malt, flaked maize and sugar. Though there are examples of much more complex grists, Lees Best Mild being a particularly good example.

Unlike the vast majority of Mild Ales, Lees Best Mild contained grains darker than crystal malt. In many versions, there were multiple coloured grains. Some of the grain choices seem rather odd. For example, including both black and chocolate malt. Usually, brewers used either one or the other.

In addition, at a certain point there was also that 1940s and 1950s favourite, enzymatic malt. Whose purpose, presumably, was to increase the diastatic power of the grist. Though it seems that this was probably a waste of time.

Less Best Mild was unusual in not containing any adjuncts. At least not after 1946 when the flaked barley demanded by the government during the was and immediately afterwards was ditched. Oddly, from 1953 onwards it contained a small quantity of oats. At just over 2% of the grist, I’m not sure how much impact it would have had on the character of the finished beer.

The easing of government restrictions is evident in the increase in the percentage of sugar, which just about doubled to 20%. During the war brewers were only allowed to employ a limited amount of sugar, much being reserved for use in food.

Lees Best Mild malts 1946 - 1955
Date	Year	OG	pale malt	brown malt	black malt	choc. Malt	crystal malt	enzymic malt
18th Mar	1946	1033	77.33%		1.33%
1st Apr	1946	1033	72.00%		1.33%
15th Dec	1948	1032	73.85%		2.31%		9.23%	2.31%
20th Jun	1950	1035	82.22%		0.87%		3.50%	1.75%
10th Mar	1952	1034	66.67%	2.38%	2.38%	4.76%	4.76%
19th Oct	1953	1033	71.49%	1.77%	0.88%	3.53%	3.53%
15th Jul	1954	1035	68.27%	1.69%	0.84%	3.37%	3.37%
2nd May	1955	1035	68.27%	1.69%	0.84%	3.37%	3.37%
Sources:
Lees brewing records held at the brewery.

Lees Best Mild adjuncts and sugars 1946 - 1955
Date	Year	OG	oats	flaked barley	glucose	invert sugar	other sugar	Total sugar
18th Mar	1946	1033		10.67%	5.33%	5.33%		10.67%
1st Apr	1946	1033		16.00%	5.33%	5.33%		10.67%
15th Dec	1948	1032				6.15%	6.15%	12.31%
20th Jun	1950	1035			2.33%	2.33%	7.00%	11.66%
10th Mar	1952	1034				6.35%	12.70%	19.05%
19th Oct	1953	1033	2.33%			4.71%	11.77%	16.47%
15th Jul	1954	1035	2.23%		2.25%	4.50%	13.49%	20.23%
2nd May	1955	1035	2.23%		4.50%	2.25%	13.49%	20.23%
Sources:
Lees brewing records held at the brewery.