Fullers XX(K)

I'm now able to tell you of a project I've been working on with Fullers. Now the first beer has officially been released. It's a simple concept: brew recipes from the Fullers brewing books.

It's the main reason I've been in London so often this year. First to discuss, then to brew, a beer from 1891 called XXK. I can now tell everyone I've brewed at Fullers. Yes, I made the mouse click that kicked the whole process off. It made me feel ridiculously happy. Easily pleased, that's me.

John Keeling and Derek Prentice, the people in charge of brewing at Fullers weren't going to do it half-arsed. I doubt John has ever done anything half-arsed in his life. They were keen to replicate as closely as possible the original recipe.And I was only too happy to give whatever help I could.

You're never going to be able to create an exact copy of a beer from the past. Malt and hops are agricultural and not chemical products. They vary from one year to the next, let alone across centuries. Hops are easier to match than malts. Fuggle's and Goldings are still around. Barley varieties change with much greater frequency. Even something like Maris Otter is a fairly recent development.

Luckily, Fullers were able to get hold of some Plumage Archer barley, which they then had malted by Simpson's. The variety dates from 1903. Which is about as close as you're going to get. It was malted in drum maltings, which were being used in 1891.

Fullers brewery has changed a fair bit since 1891. As we discovered on brew day. Back then they' performed what I'd call an underlet mash. That's where half an hour or so in hot water is added from below, raising the temperature. Usually the internal rakes would be used to mix it through the mash. Fullers current mash tuns have no rakes. There was a fair amount of manual fiddling about - including pushing the sparge arm around with a stick - to replicate the original process.

What type of beer is it? I'd call it a Burton. A style that re-invented itself as a dark beer in the 20th century. Old Ale. You could call it that as well, if Burton doesn't appear your style lexicon. Or Strong Ale. The English have always been a bit vague - not to say downright inconsistent - in the naming of stronger beers.

The scary part came on Monday. At the release event. When I had to stand up and explain XX in 5 minutes without heistation, deviation or repetition. As I got to my feet I sent a glass smashing to the floor. At least it got the attention of the various hacks and freeloaders, sorry, invited guests. I hope I didn't confuse them too much with my tale of Pale Mild, Burton and the code of X's.

I like the beer. Pretty colour and lots of flavour. Not bursting with passion fruit or any of that bollocks. My days of writing detailed beer descriptions are over. Why should you trust what I say? Go and try it for yourself.

You bastards

I liked the idea of a colouring contest. You didn't. Bastards. So I need a new idea for my great* end of the year give-away.

Time for the return of the Protz Shield and Papazian Cup.

The Protz Shield is awarded for the best piece of fact-free history from a British writer. The Papazian Cup is the international equivalent. Find the dodgiest piece of research-light, pseudo-history published on the web, or even one of those old-fashioned book or newspaper things. And send it as a comment to this post.

The number of prizes will depend on the quality of the entries. And how pissed I am when I award them.



*If you think a book or two and perhaps a T-shirt qualifies as "great".

Sherry casks

Whisky. That's basically the same as beer, isn't it? Close enough for me.

Sherry casks. They weren't always what they seemed.

"For all new whisky casks these American staves are used, and let me add that, strange though yet true, because of the demand for, shall I say, a "palateable" whisky, flavoured with sherry, the cooper trade of Scotland lost in wages, year in, year out, an amount almost impossible to state. One thing I make bold to say is, that if all the sherry casks, butts, hogsheads, quarters, and octaves imported, were manufactured in Scotland, the cooper trade would have been one of the most flourishing industries in our country, not only in the past but even to-day. However, by the world's "fancy" for whisky bonded in sherry wood, we create, all unwittingly, a demand for foreign labour, and that, too, at prices far and away in excess of what is paid in this country. If ever "tricks in trade" had an opportunity of profiting thereby, sherry casks opened the door to such "tricks" being adopted, by manufacturing sherry casks. I should like to emphasise the name Slierry Casks supposed to have had sherry wine in them for years, but as "casks" had only been manufactured a few weeks before they were delivered to the distillery for filling with whisky, and having the appearance as if they had been filled with wine for years, lying in some old "Bodega" they never saw, and yet these manufactured or, shall I say, "doctored" sherry casks fetched, and, for all I know, now still fetch, prices double almost, and in cases more than double, the price of new whisky casks.

Let me give one instance, and with all due deference to any distiller who may be present, I think that he will admit my point. I have known of hogsheads (54—55 gallons), sherry shaped, being made and sold at 15s. to 16s. These were shipped to the Continent; they bore no mark, either of maker or manufacturer, yet a father should surely know his child, as it were. I have seen these hogsheads, made by myself, within a few weeks' time in varied distilleries, having been imported from the Continent as fresh sherry casks. Inside, you found a nice crust, as if they had been for years in some old vaults, but, alas, were purely so manufactured, manufactured to sell at 36s. to 40s., with but small cost to the seller, and little advantage, if in many cases any, at all to the bonder. Do we not in many instances thus play into the hands of the foreigner, without knowing the disastrous results that follow to workmen in our own country."
"Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 12", 1906, pages 690-691.

What a scandal. Johnny Foreigner buying cheap casks and making them look as if they'd been used to store sherry. The cheating bastards.

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1928 Barclay Perkins IBS

Ah, Barclay Perkins. It may no longer be November, but our series of 1920's Barclay Perkins recipes continues. Today with the granddaddy of all Barclay Perkins beers: Russian Stout. Or IBS as it was so quaintly called within the brewhouse.

You may notice something about this recipe. It isn't very imperial. The classic Russian Stout OG was 1100-odd. Or about as strong as they could make it. But then along came WW I. For some years it wasn't brewed at all. When it did reappear in 1921, it was a shadow of it's former self. Just 1061º. That's weaker than TT, their standard Porter, was in 1845 (1064.5º). But that wasn't the end of true Russian Cough-mixture (as I used to call it in the 1970's). Because in 1924 they started brewing something called IBS Ex. That was at the full traditional strength. I think it's safe to assume the Ex stood for Export. Though whether it really was just for export isn't clear.

There were quite a few differences in the grists of the two variations. The weak version (as you'll see below) used mild ale malt and roasted barley. It's big brother SA malt and black malt. The sugars were different, too. The weaker used No. 3, the stronger No. 2.. Not sure what the reason for these differences was. Though Barclay Perkins did seem to fairly randomly swap between black malt and roasted barley.

That's me ausgebullshitted. I'm still trying to get my head back together after an enjoyable, but knackering, few days in London. I'm happy to be back at all, what with me having the good fortune to fly on blizzard day. Luckily I'd chosen Stansted. Gatwick's still closed.





But enough of me and my mundane travel problems. Let's pass you over to the man with the recipe, Kristen . . . . . .

Barclay Perkins - 1928 - IBS
General info: Bigger, badder and more robust than the OMS stout this Imperial Brown stout has a lot of common factors. The biggest changes are in the amounts of darker malts used. Nearly doubled across the board. The most interesting thing, IMO, is the fact that the difference in alcohol is very slim but the final gravity is quite high. A very interesting 'tradition' brown stout that is dangerously smooth, both for its supping qualities and for its insulin inducing abilities.
Beer Specifics			Recipe by percentages
Gravity (OG)	1.061		26.1% English Pale malt			8.2% Roasted barley
Gravity (FG)	1.021		26.1% Mild malt			7.4% Flaked Maize
ABV	5.33%		10.3% Amber malt			9.9% Invert no3
Apparent attenuation	65.57%		11.3% Brown malt			0.6% Caramel Colorant
Real attenuation	53.72%
IBU	67.2		Mash	90min@153°F		0.85qt/lb
SRM	109			90min@67.2°C		1.77L/kg
EBC	214.6
			Boil	2 hours
	Homebrew @ 70%				Craft @ 80%
Grist	5gal		19L		10bbl		10hl
English Pale malt	3.17	lb	1.445	kg	172.14	lb	66.51	kg
Mild malt	3.17	lb	1.445	kg	172.22	lb	66.54	kg
Amber malt	1.25	lb	0.570	kg	67.92	lb	26.24	kg
Brown malt	1.38	lb	0.629	kg	74.95	lb	28.96	kg
Roasted barley	1.00	lb	0.457	kg	54.45	lb	21.04	kg
Flaked Maize	0.91	lb	0.413	kg	49.18	lb	19.00	kg
Invert no3	19.34	oz	553.3	g	65.58	lb	25.34	kg
Caramel Colorant	1.21	oz	34.6	g	4.10	lb	1.58	kg
					660.54
Hops
Cluster 7% 120min	0.47	oz	13.4	g	29.28	oz	0.707	kg
Goldings 4.5% 90min	1.40	oz	39.6	g	86.61	oz	2.092	kg
Goldings 4.5% 30min	2.41	oz	68.3	g	149.37	oz	3.609	kg
Fermentation	65°F /18.3°C
Yeast	Nottingham ale yeast
	1028 London Ale Yeast  - WLP013 London Ale Yeast
Tasting Notes: Black…moonless. So very dark. Reeks of toasted and roasted malts. Sweeten espresso with Dutch-processed Cocoa. Walkers biscuits and strong tea. Herbaceous hops just on the back end keep this very sweet, mouth filling beer from being cloying. Drink warm or break out the hot pokers. Brilliant!

Mr. Bass talks about hops

Time for a change of pace. And decade. And parliamentary committees. Today it's the turn of the Select Committee on Hop Duties. Great book. A white-knuckle ride of thrills and drama. Not really, but there's still something specuial about Mr. Bass discussing hops.

7181. Chairman.] Have you any objection to tell the Committee what is your annual consumption of hops? —My concern has consumed since October last 11,000 cwt. of hops, and the price of the English hops that we have bought has been less than 5L. per cwt. We have also bought a considerable quantity of Bavarians in the spring of this year, and those have cost upon the average about 6L. 12 s. per cwt. We attempted to buy Bavarian hops in the autumn of last year, there having been a remarkable scarcity of good English hops; but the price that we were asked was 9 L. per cwt. nearly up to Christmas, and then I think it was reduced to 8L. Up to December last we were unable to buy a single Bavarian hop on account of the high prices. After the Bavarian brewers and buyers had supplied themselves there was still a surplus left, and we had an opportunity of going into the market upon more favourable terms; and we have bought a few thousand cwts. of hops, something under 3,000, at an average price of 6L. 10s. or 6 L. 12 s. per cwt.; and we are holding now a considerable quantity for yearlings, because, as has been before stated to the Committee, we find the Bavarian yearlings deteriorate to a much smaller extent than the East or Mid Kent hops.

7182. What sort of English hops do you buy?—We buy principally the best quality from Mid and East Kent. I believe that since I have been concerned in the trade, which is now nearly 40 years, we have never used a pocket of Sussex hops. We use a few of the finest Worcester hops in the beginning of the season. Mr. Smith, who gave evidence before this Committee, has attained the production of fine Worcestershire hops, and we buy his hops almost every year, and a few other selected samples of Worcester hops.

7183. Do you consider his hops a particularly good specimen?—I think it a superior specimen of Worcestershire hops.

7184. Would you consider his hops an average specimen of Worcestershire hops ?—By no means ; I should say they were at least 25 per cent. better than Worcestershire hops in general.

7185. Mr. Brand.] Will you inform the Committee what proportion of hops are used in brewing different varieties of beer ?—My opinion agrees with what has been generally stated to the Committee, that for common beer the average quantity used would be as much as from eight to 10 lbs. of hops to a quarter of malt; but that for pale ale, and every superior quality of beer, very often as much as 18 lb. is used per quarter.

7186. Does beer for exportation generally contain a large portion of hops, or otherwise ?—Always a large portion; it is indispensable.

7187. What number of pounds per quarter should you say was used in them? —There is a class of beer that is exported which requires from 16 lbs. to 18 lbs. a quarter ; strong beers for export do not take so much.

7188. I see that in the year 1856 the value of beer exported amounted to a million and a half of money ; could you form any opinion as to the quantity of hops embraced in that exportation?—I take it that you may put it down at 700,000 barrels, and the quantity of hops used is not quite 5 lbs. a barrel, so that I think you will find that that will come to about 3,500,000 lbs. weight of hops. I beg to observe to the Committee that there is no drawback whatever 23 July 1857. allowed upon that; so that upon this 3,500,000 lbs. of hops exported in the shape of beer, the brewer has paid 2 d. a pound upon them for which he has not got a penny back in the shape of drawback. There is the drawback upon the malt, but on the hops there is none whatever.

7189. Sir Edward Dering.] There is no drawback upon hops when manufactured ?—No.

7190. Mr. Brand.] Has exportation largely increased of late years ?—Yes.

7191. Do you anticipate a further increase?—I have no doubt of it. We have received orders from Australia for double the quantities received last year.

7192. Does that observation apply to other concerns besides your own ?—To a certain extent. We have the good fortune at this moment to stand rather well in foreign markets, but I should think there is a general increase in the foreign demand.

7193. Are you exporting beer to foreign countries as well as to Our own colonies ?—Yes; there is a considerable export to Paris, and some also to the United States; some to the Dutch settlements in India, under very heavy duties, and some little up the Rhine to Germany.

7194. Mr. W. Martin.] Do our own East Indian settlements take a great deal ?—They take a certain quantity, but nothing in comparison to the Australian colonies.

7195. Mr. Brand.] Do you expert beer up the Rhine to compete with the Bavarian beer ?—I do not think it is for that purpose; it is sent rather to supply the English tourists who go up the Rhine.

7196. Chairman.] You have said that at Paris, in the Exposition, English hops were placed behind Belgian hops ; what class of English hops were they ? —I do not know.

7197. Have you ever seen Belgian hops in England ?—I have used them.

7198. Were they Popperingue hops?—Yes.

7199. Mr. Brand.] Do you think, from your experience, that the English hops are inferior to the Belgian hops ?—I think the ordinary run of English hops are inferior to the finest Belgian. I do not attach very great importance to the result of the Paris Exposition, because I do not believe that England was fairly represented there.

7200. Chairman.] Did any other countries exhibit?—Yes, America and Canada, and I think Poland; but I cannot speak exactly upon that. Allow me to explain with regard to Farnham hops. We find that Farnham hops are very rarely brought into the general trade of the country, but they are principally used in the country where they are grown, and where there is a preference for them. I believe that at Weyhill Fair, which is a famous fair that takes place in the month of October, the highest quality of those that are grown in the town of Farnham fetch a higher price than any other hops.
7201. Do you never use them?—Never. We tried the experiment, and the conclusion we came to was that the East Kent are very superior.

7202. Mr. Brand.] Is it your practice to mix the Bavarian hops with the British grown hops, or do you use the Bavarian hops alone ?—We generally mix them; not that we should object to use Bavarian hops alone, but it suits us to mix them with other hops. It is advantageous in this way, that we have paid this last year a much higher price for Bavarians than we have for any English hops, and it would be a little too costly to use exclusively Bavarian hops.

7203. Putting the element of price out of the question, should you prefer using Bavarian hops ?—Yes. "Report from the Select committee on hop duties", 1857, pages 364 - 365.
Evidence given by Michael Thomas Bass.

I'll pick out the bullet points for the lazy amongst you.

• Bass used East Kent, Mid Kent, Worcester and Bavarian hops
• Bass liked Bavarian hops the best
• Bass thought East Kent hops superior to Farnhams
• Bass didn't use Sussex hops
• ordinary beers hopped at 8 to 10 lbs a quarter of malt
• export Pale Ale hopped at 18 to 20 lbs a quarter
• Bass used a mixture of different types of hops in their beers
• Bavarian hops didn't deteriorate as quickly as Kent hops
• beer for export (I assume Pale Ale) was hopped at almost 5 lbs per barrel
• Bass exported large quantities of beer
• Bass exported more beer to Australia than to the British East Indies

One other point. I'd been assuming up to this point that Bavarian hops were Hallertauer. From a later passage in this report, it's clear that the hops were actually coming from the Spalt region. So I guess they were Spalt.

About the hopping rates mentioned . They tally pretty well with what I've seen in brewing records. Reid IPA from 1839 was hopped at 26.6 lbs to a quarter of malt, 5.88 lbs per barrel. The 8 to 10 lbs per quarter is spot on for Mild Ales. In 1850, Whitbread's X Ale had 8lbs of hops to a quarter of malt, 2.41 lbs per barrel.

Government Ale joke (8)

From Punch, June 1921

"The present draught in Switzerland is the worst for 90 years." Provincial Paper.
Worse than our Government Ale ?