London X Ale 1900 - 1915

It wasn’t only wars which negatively affected UK beer strength. A steady creep of tax increases also had an impact. Not the massive ones seen in WW I and WW II, but still enough to exert a downward pressure on gravities.

This second set of London X Ales has an average gravity of almost 5º lower than the ones from the last two decades of the 19th century. With a to be expected lowering of the alcohol content by 0.5% ABV. Especially as the average rate of attenuation remained exactly the same at just a shade over 75%.

The largest change, however, is in the hopping rate. Looking at the one which is gravity-neutral – per quarter (336 lbs) of malt – it’s fallen by 35%. A fall large enough to have changed the character of the beers. Especially as there wasn’t a switch to higher alpha acid hops. Because of the fall in gravity, the rate per barrel has fallen even more: 45%. 

London X Ale 1900 - 1915
Year	Brewer	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl
1900	Barclay Perkins	1052.8	1010.0	5.67	81.11%	8.01	1.75
1906	Barclay Perkins	1053.0	1012.7	5.33	75.96%	6.01	1.28
1909	Barclay Perkins	1053.9	1014.4	5.22	73.28%	7.50	1.65
1914	Barclay Perkins	1051.8	1013.9	5.02	73.26%	6.52	1.36
1900	Whitbread	1056.5	1013.0	5.75	76.97%	6.64	1.61
1905	Whitbread	1053.2	1013.0	5.32	75.56%	5.10	1.19
1910	Whitbread	1056.5	1016.0	5.36	71.69%	5.38	1.29
1914	Whitbread	1052.1	1010.0	5.57	80.80%	6.04	1.29
1902	Fullers	1051.0	1011.9	5.17	76.63%	5.43	1.21
1910	Fullers	1052.6	1014.7	5.01	72.08%	5.17	1.21
1914	Fullers	1050.7	1011.6	5.17	77.05%	5.44	2.38
1914	Courage	1054.6	1019.4	4.65	64.47%	4.96	1.05
1900	Truman	1052.6				8.18	1.87
1905	Truman	1052.6				6.27	1.51
1910	Truman	1056.8				4.26	1.06
1915	Noakes	1044.9	1010.5	4.54	76.54%	2.59	0.48
	Average	1052.8	1013.2	5.21	75.03%	5.84	1.39
Sources:
Barclay Perkins brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers ACC/2305/1/593, ACC/2305/1/599, ACC/2305/1/601 and ACC/2305/1/603.
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers LMA/4453/D/01/065, LMA/4453/D/01/070, LMA/4453/D/01/076 and LMA/4453/D/01/079.
Fullers brewing records held at the brewery.
Courage brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/08/247.
Truman brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers B/THB/C/181, B/THB/C/186 and B/THB/C/190.
Noakes brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/17/34.