Let's Brew Wednesday - 1885 Thomas Usher 80/-

More confusion with these Shilling Ales, with an 80/- which is lower in gravity than 54/- M. Note also that this beer has no relationship with modern 80/-, which is a type of Pale Ale. Don’t ask me why this beer, unlike the weaker Shilling Ales, has no suffix, such as “B” or “N”.

This was part of big parti-gyle of Shilling Ales, consisting of 100/-, 54/- M, 80/-, 60/- B and 40/- B. Though for this beer I’ve used a different brew from the preceding Shilling Ales. Just to demonstrate variations in the basic recipe.

This time, instead of a large quantity of high-dried malt providing the colour, it’s a small amount of black malt. Which makes the colour rather darker. And must have resulted in a rather different flavour, with some background roastiness.

The hops were Californian from the 1883 harvest and Alsace from 1884. A low hopping rate leaves the beer with a fairly modest bitterness level of under 30 IBU (calculated). 

1885 Thomas Usher 80/-
pale malt	11.25 lb	89.11%
black malt	0.25 lb	1.98%
No. 2 invert sugar	1.125 lb	8.91%
Cluster 120 min	1.00 oz
Strisselspalt 30 min	1.00 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.25 oz
OG	1058
FG	1025
ABV	4.37
Apparent attenuation	56.90%
IBU	28
SRM	15
Mash at	151º F
Sparge at	175º F
Boil time	120 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	WLP028 Edinburgh Ale