Monday 5 April 2021

AK grists 1878 - 1911

More AK fun. One for the purists, this one. Details of their grists. Gripping stuff.Feel free to switch channels now if you're in search of entertainment.

I just realised something yesterday. That I've, almost accidentally, started writing bits of the book I plan after I finally fish "Blitzkrieg!". Makes me fell like I'm not wasting my time here.

A word before we look at the make-up of an AK. You need to understand what the brewers' intentions were. They wanted a light, pale beer that was easy to drink. Knowing their will making it easier to interpret their recipe choices.

No surprise, given the aim was a pale beer, that's there's no malt, other than the base, in any of them. Crystal malt in Pale Ales didn't become a practice until well into the 20th century. Only after WW II did it become widespread.

I expected more than five out of nine (excluding the 1878 Andams, which id pre-Free Mash Tun Act) to have included an adjunct of some sort. The quantities weren't huge, either. just 4% to 8%.  

While there were sack-loads of sugar , averaging out at almost 20% of the grist. Boddington AK was the only example with a sugar content below 10%. Throwing in lots of sugar is exactly what you'd do, if you wanted to keep the body light.

AK grists 1878 - 1911
Year Brewer Beer pale malt flaked maize flaked rice total adjunct invert Sacc. other sugar total sugar
1878 Adnams AK 67.74%    
  32.26%   32.26%
1885 Kirkstall AK 78.46%         21.54%   21.54%
1887 Fullers AK 79.81%         20.19%   20.19%
1890 Adnams AK 84.00%         16.00%   16.00%
1896 Eldridge Pope AK 78.72% 4.26%   4.26%   17.02%   17.02%
1896 Eldridge Pope BAK 75.56% 4.44%   4.44%   20.00%   20.00%
1896 Rose AK 81.08%   8.11% 8.11% 8.11%   2.70% 10.81%
1901 Boddington AK 90.70%       9.30%     9.30%
1911 Russell AK 75.65% 6.58%   6.58% 17.54%   0.23% 17.78%
1911 Eldridge Pope BAK 79.25% 3.77%   3.77%   11.32% 5.66% 16.98%
  Average   79.10%     5.43%       18.19%
Sources:
Adnams brewing record held at the brewery.
Fullers brewing record held at the brewery.
Boddington brewing record held at Manchester Central Library, document number M693/405/125.
Russell brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/RUS/8
Eldridge Pope brewing record.
Rose brewing record.

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