Let's Brew Wednesday - 1941 Whitbread XXXX

Whitbread’s Burton Ale wasn’t immune to the effects of the war. As a relatively strong beer, it was always likely to suffer heavy cuts in its gravity. This version is 7º weaker than the one from a year earlier.

Though it still clocked in at almost 4.5% ABV, making it the strongest beer in Whitbread’s range. Mackeson did have a higher OG, but a lower degree of attenuation left the ABV lower.

The grist was made up of exactly the same four elements, but the proportions had changed somewhat. The percentage of chocolate malt was halved, while that of No.3 invert was reduced by 25%. This was offset, at least in colour terms, by an increase in the amount of caramel.

The rate of hopping had also dropped, by around a third. Which accounts for the fall in the (calculated) IBUs from 36.5 to just 27. The hops themselves were a combination of Whitbread Mid-Kent from the 1940 and 1941 harvests, plus Worcester from 1940.

1941 Whitbread XXXX
pale malt	9.00 lb	89.20%
chocolate malt	0.25 lb	2.48%
No. 3 invert sugar	0.75 lb	7.43%
caramel 1000 SRM	0.09 lb	0.89%
Fuggles 90 mins	1.25 oz
Fuggles 30 mins	1.00 oz
OG	1046
FG	1012.5
ABV	4.43
Apparent attenuation	72.83%
IBU	27
SRM	18
Mash at	150º F
After underlet	155º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	62º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale