Saturday 13 June 2020

Let's Brew - 1946 Barclay Perkins IBS (Scotland)

This is beer to set the heads of style Nazis spinning: an Imperial Stout that’s weak enough to classify as a session beer.

Before the war Barclay Perkins brewed two versions of IBS (Imperial Brown Stout): a domestic version at around 1060º and an export version at the full 1100º gravity. Brewing of both was stopped a couple of years into the war. Though supplies of the stronger version would have lasted a while longer, as it was usually aged for at least two years before bottling. At least that’s what old labels claim.

After the war, IBS returned, but initially only in this much weaker form. Given the name, I assume that it was brewed for the Scottish market. A full-strength version appeared a few years after the end of the war.

The basic grist is much the same as pre-war: base malt plus amber and brown malt and roast barley. In this example, the base is 50% pale malt, 50% SA malt. I’ve substituted mild malt for the latter.

To account for the primings, which increased the effective OG by 1.5º, I’ve added and extra 0.25 lbs of No. 3 invert.

There were three types of hops: two of Mid-Kent Fuggles from the 1944 and 1945 harvests and Brewer’s Gold from 1945. Barclays really seemed to have got a taste for Brewer’s Gold just after the war. During the hostilities they had used almost exclusively Fuggles, Goldings and Goldings Varieties. Other than the occasional dab of Saaz.


1946 Barclay Perkins IBS (Scotland)
pale malt 2.50 lb 26.10%
mild malt 2.50 lb 26.10%
brown malt 1.00 lb 10.44%
amber malt 1.00 lb 10.44%
roast barley 1.00 lb 10.44%
No. 3 invert sugar 1.25 lb 13.05%
caramel 1000 SRM 0.33 lb 3.44%
Brewer's Gold 90 mins 1.00 oz
Fuggles 60 mins 1.00 oz
Fuggles 30 mins 1.00 oz
OG 1045
FG 1019
ABV 3.44
Apparent attenuation 57.78%
IBU 40
SRM 39
Mash at 144º F
After underlet 149º F
Sparge at 165º F
Boil time 90 minutes
pitching temp 60.5º F
Yeast Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

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