Thomas Usher sugars in 1914

Sugar next. Rather a lot of different types, as you’ll see in the table.

Six types of sugar in total. Greenock being the commonest. I suspect that it’s a type of invert. It appears in all the Pale Ales and the weaker Shilling Ales. The quantity is pretty consistent at 10% to 12%. Given that it’s in the Pale Ales, it must have been pretty light in colour.

Next most common is dextro-laevulose. Which crops up in all the Mild Ales and Stouts. The dextrose will be there to add body. And laevulose is just another word for fructose. That will just be providing fermentable material. Dextrose is another word for glucose and laevulose is another word for fructose. So dextro-laevulose really is just invert sugar.

Cane sugar appears in all the Mild Ales. I assume that what is meant is some type of raw cane sugar. Penang sounds like something similar.

The last two sugars only crop up in the Stouts. I’ve no idea what Maltosan was. It sounds like a proprietary sugar. Oatine sounds like a sugar especially for Oatmeal Stout. Which was all the rage before WW I.  

The total sugar content of the Mild Ales and Stouts, at around 20%, is pretty high. It’s a more reasonable 10% to 12% for the other styles.

Thomas Usher sugars in 1914
Beer	Style	Greenock	dextro-laevulose	cane sugar	Penang	Maltosan	oatine	total sugar
40/- Br	Ale	12.12%						12.12%
50/- Br	Ale	12.12%						12.12%
60/- Br	Ale	11.76%						11.76%
44/- MA	Mild		8.16%	12.24%				20.41%
50/- MA	Mild		8.16%	12.24%				20.41%
60/- MA	Mild		7.27%	10.91%				18.18%
80/- MA	Mild		7.27%	10.91%				18.18%
100/- MA	Mild		8.16%	12.24%				20.41%
X	Pale Ale	10.91%						10.91%
X 60/-	Pale Ale	8.38%						8.38%
IP	IPA	11.20%						11.20%
40/- PA	Pale Ale	10.91%						10.91%
PA	Pale Ale	10.91%						10.91%
PA 60/-	Pale Ale	12.12%						12.12%
48/-	Stout		3.20%		12.80%	1.60%	3.20%	20.80%
54/-	Stout		3.20%		12.80%	1.60%	3.20%	20.80%
XP	Strong Ale	9.68%						9.68%
Source:
Thomas Usher brewing record held at the Scottish Brewing Archives, document number TU/6/1/5.