Kirkstall grists in 1885

Moving on to the grists, they’re radically exciting for the late 19th century. In that they have more than base malts in beers other than Stout.  Brown malt – by this point unusual outside London – isn’t just in Kirkstall’s Stout, but also in two of the Milds and the Stock Ale.

Black malt also shows up in two of the Milds. In pretty small quantities, which are clearly for colour adjustments. As are the small amounts of caramel in a couple of the Milds and the Stout.

Sugar – the form of No. 2 invert – occurs in the weakest Mild and the Stout. While an unspecified type of sugar, Saccharine, is in two of the Pale Ales. What was it? Probably some form of invert.

What’s missing? Any form of adjunct. 1885 – just 5 years after the Free Mash Tun Act – is a little early. Most breweries took a few years to start taking advantage of the new rules.

Kirkstall grists in 1885
Beer	Style	OG	pale malt	brown malt	black malt	no. 2 sugar	Sacch-arine	caramel
L	Mild	1049.6	80.73%	3.67%	0.92%	14.68%
X	Mild	1052.6	98.53%		1.23%			0.23%
XXX	Mild	1066.2	95.43%	4.34%				0.23%
AK	Pale Ale	1049.9	78.46%				21.54%
BA	Pale Ale	1055.4	100.00%
PA	Pale Ale	1060.9	85.71%				14.29%
KKK	Stock Ale	1069.3	90.91%	9.09%
IS	Stout	1071.7	66.42%	9.49%	6.33%	16.87%		0.90%
Source:
Kirkstall brewing record.