JW Lees beers 1948 - 1951

Ridiculous levels of detail. That's what I'm good at. There's going to be plenty of it as we browse through 80 years of Lees brewing records over the coming weeks. What fun we'll have.

Because I'm such a generous and thoughtful bloke, this time I'm throwing in a bonus table of Whitbread beers from the same time. So you can compare Northern and Southern beers at your leisure.

I got all excited when I spotted "C" Ale in the logs. It's a Manchester-specific type of bottled beer that appears to have left no ripples in the pond of history, save for a few labels. No-one seemed to have any idea what it was, other than quite strong. Well we do now. Have an idea of what it was. How would I describe it? Like a bottled Burton. Or a weakish Old Ale. Something like that. Dark and reasonably well-hopped.

Before you look at the tables, I've one last remark. One of the main effects of WW II seems to have been a standardisation of beer gravities. Something similar - but more extreme happened at the end of WW I. When prices were fixed by government depending on the gravity of the beer.

First the Lees beers:

JW Lees beers 1948 - 1951
Date	Year	Beer	Style	OG	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	barrels	lbs hops	qtrs malt	boil time (hours)	dry hops (oz / barrel)	colour	dry hops lbs	pale malt	black malt	crystal malt	glucose	other sugar	flaked barley	enzymic malt
18th Aug	1948	Bot. B	Mild	1030.0	5.32	0.66	112	74	13.9	1.75				76.94%	0.46%	3.66%	2.44%	12.21%	2.45%	1.83%
19th Aug	1948	B	Pale Ale	1038.0	6.02	0.95	109.3	104	17.266	1.75				86.07%	0.10%	0.00%	2.05%	10.25%	0.00%	1.54%
31st Aug	1948	K	Mild	1028.0	5.65	0.65	117	76	13.46	1.75				80.13%	0.98%	3.91%	0.00%	10.42%	2.61%	1.95%
2nd Sep	1948	B	Pale Ale	1038.0	6.14	0.95	111	106	17.266	1.75				86.07%	0.10%	0.00%	0.00%	12.30%	0.00%	1.54%
19th Nov	1948	“C” Ale	Strong Ale	1050.0	4.48	0.91	46	42	9.375	1.75	1.39		4	74.64%	1.44%	5.74%	3.83%	11.48%	0.00%	2.87%
3rd Dec	1948	K	Mild	1028.0	5.23	0.60	116	70	13.375	1.75	0.83		6	79.38%	1.17%	4.67%	3.11%	9.34%	0.00%	2.33%
13th Dec	1948	“C” Ale	Strong Ale	1049.0	5.55	1.11	47	52	9.375	1.75	1.36		4	74.64%	1.44%	5.74%	0.00%	15.31%	0.00%	2.87%
15th Dec	1948	BM	Mild	1032.0	5.95	0.78	41	32	5.375	1.75	0.78		2	73.85%	2.31%	9.23%	0.00%	12.31%	0.00%	2.31%
20th Dec	1948	Bot. B	Mild	1030.0	5.26	0.65	108	70	13.313	1.75	0.89		6	83.86%	0.50%	3.99%	0.00%	10.65%	0.00%	1.00%
4th Jan	1949	Bot. B	Mild	1030.0	5.26	0.65	108	70	13.313	1.75	0.89		6	83.86%	0.50%	3.99%	0.00%	10.65%	0.00%	1.00%
7th Jan	1949	K	Mild	1028.0	5.23	0.60	116	70	13.375	1.75	0.83		6	82.62%	0.98%	3.93%	0.00%	10.49%	0.00%	1.97%
10th Jan	1949	“C” Ale	Strong Ale	1051.0	5.40	1.13	46	52	9.625	1.75	1.39		4	75.35%	1.40%	5.58%	0.00%	14.88%	0.00%	2.79%
10th Feb	1949	B	Pale Ale	1038.0	5.79	0.90	111	100	17.266	1.75	0.86		6	86.07%	0.10%	0.00%	0.00%	12.30%	0.00%	1.54%
13th Apr	1950	K	Mild	1028.0	5.75	0.65	113.8	74	12.875	1.75	0.84		6	85.28%	0.51%	4.06%	2.71%	5.41%	0.00%	2.03%
21st Apr	1950	Bitter	Pale Ale	1041.0	5.40	0.90	110.8	100	18.516	1.75	1.73		12	87.07%	0.09%	0.00%	0.00%	11.42%	0.00%	1.43%
31st May	1950	K	Mild	1031.0	5.84	0.73	114.4	84	14.375	1.75	0.84		6	83.89%	0.91%	3.65%	2.43%	7.29%	0.00%	1.82%
20th Jun	1950	Best Mild	Mild	1035.0	5.82	0.84	104.4	88	15.125	1.75	0.92		6	82.22%	0.87%	3.50%	2.33%	9.33%	0.00%	1.75%
29th Jun	1950	K	Mild	1031.0	5.84	0.74	113.2	84	14.375	1.75	0.85		6	83.89%	0.91%	3.65%	2.43%	7.29%	0.00%	1.82%
9th Aug	1950	Best Mild	Mild	1035.0	5.46	0.78	107.6	84	15.375	1.75	0.89		6	80.00%	0.87%	3.48%	2.32%	11.59%	0.00%	1.74%
2nd Apr	1951	“C” Ale	Strong Ale	1053.0	4.27	0.99	40.3	40	9.375	1.75		112		74.64%	1.44%	5.74%	3.83%	11.48%	0.00%	2.87%
6th Apr	1951	K	Mild	1031.0	5.84	0.73	115.4	84	14.375	1.75		28		82.62%	0.98%	3.93%	2.62%	7.87%	0.00%	1.97%
13th Apr	1951	Bitter	Pale Ale	1041.0	6.10	0.98	91.7	90	14.76	1.75		20		86.15%	0.09%	0.00%	0.00%	11.97%	0.00%	1.79%
Source:
JW Lees brewing records

Now Whitbread's:

Whitbread beers 1948 - 1951
Date	Year	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Attenuation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	barrels	lbs hops	qtrs malt	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)	Pitch temp	colour	pale malt	choc. Malt	crystal malt	MA malt	PA malt	no. 1 sugar	no. 3 sugar	other sugar
2nd Mar	1948	Ex IPA	IPA	1046.8	1013.0	4.47	72.22%	8.91	1.78	320	570	64	1.25	1.25	62º	23	0.00%	0.00%	2.56%	0.00%	79.26%	18.18%	0.00%	0.00%
10th Feb	1948	PA	Pale Ale	1034.4	1011.0	3.10	68.02%	5.66	0.81	743	600	106	1.08	1	64º	32	0.00%	0.00%	9.93%	0.00%	79.47%	10.60%	0.00%	0.00%
24th Mar	1948	IPA	IPA	1032.2	1005.5	3.53	82.92%	9.00	1.18	823	972	108	1.25	1.33	64º	21.5	0.00%	0.00%	9.62%	0.00%	82.69%	7.69%	0.00%	0.00%
24th Mar	1948	XX	Mild	1027.7	1005.5	2.94	80.14%	7.07	0.80	1629	1308	185	1	0.75	65º	12 + 40	55.14%	0.00%	7.57%	25.95%	0.00%	0.00%	8.65%	2.70%
22nd Mar	1948	PA	Pale Ale	1034.9	1010.0	3.29	71.35%	6.42	0.93	728	680	106	1.08	1.25	64º	24.5	0.00%	0.00%	9.93%	0.00%	79.47%	10.60%	0.00%	0.00%
1st June	1950	PA	Pale Ale	1039.9	1012.5	3.62	68.67%	6.63	1.07	707	756	114	1.08	1	64º	26.5	0.00%	0.00%	9.20%	0.00%	80.98%	9.82%	0.00%	0.00%
2nd June	1950	Best Ale	Mild	1031.7	1010.5	2.80	66.88%	7.27	0.89	810	720	99	1	0.75	65º	17 + 40	0.00%	0.00%	7.07%	83.84%	0.00%	0.00%	6.06%	3.03%
2nd June	1950	IPA	IPA	1034.5	1005.5	3.84	84.06%	9.54	1.30	823	1068	112	1.25	1.25	64º	24	0.00%	0.00%	8.33%	0.00%	84.26%	7.41%	0.00%	0.00%
2nd June	1950	Ex PA	Pale Ale	1055.3	1011.5	5.79	79.20%	9.00	2.04	331	675	75	1.08	1.25	62º	25.5	0.00%	0.00%	2.90%	0.00%	79.71%	17.39%	0.00%	0.00%
5th June	1950	Best Ale	Mild	1031.7	1008.5	3.07	73.19%	7.29	0.90	1596	1440	197.5	1	1	65º	15 + 40	0.00%	0.00%	7.09%	84.05%	0.00%	0.00%	6.08%	2.78%
5th June	1950	IPA	IPA	1034.6	1006.0	3.78	82.66%	9.54	1.30	821	1068	112	1.25	1.25	64º	23	0.00%	0.00%	8.33%	0.00%	84.26%	7.41%	0.00%	0.00%
6th June	1950	PA	Pale Ale	1040.1	1011.5	3.78	71.32%	6.63	1.08	701	756	114	1.08	1.25	64º	30	0.00%	0.00%	9.20%	0.00%	80.98%	9.82%	0.00%	0.00%
7th Jul	1950	DB	Brown Ale	1054.5	1012.5	5.56	77.06%	8.32	1.86	317	591	71	1	1.5	62º	19 + 40	0.00%	1.41%	0.00%	0.00%	80.28%	0.00%	16.90%	1.41%
23rd Jan	1951	DB	Brown Ale	1053.6	1012.5	5.44	76.68%	8.38	1.88	315	591	70.5	1	0.75	62º	15 + 40	0.00%	1.41%	0.00%	0.00%	80.57%	0.00%	16.96%	1.06%
22nd Dec	1950	Best Ale	Mild	1030.6	1009.0	2.86	70.59%	7.29	0.94	765	720	98.75	1	1.5	65º	16 + 40	0.00%	0.00%	7.09%	84.05%	0.00%	0.00%	6.08%	2.78%
17th Apr	1951	PA	Pale Ale	1039.8	1007.0	4.34	82.41%	6.63	1.08	699	756	114	1.08	1	64º	30	0.00%	0.00%	8.28%	0.00%	81.90%	9.82%	0.00%	0.00%
Source:
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives

Now let's taking a closer look. A ridiculously-detailed look. As warned.

First the 1948 ordinary Bitters:

1948 Lees Bitter 1038, 0.95 lbs hops barrel, 86% pale malt, trace of black malt, 12% sugar, 2% enzymic malt
1948 Whitbread PA 1034.4, 0.81 lbs hops barrel, 79% PA malt, 10% crystal malt, 11% sugar

Surprisingly, Lees Bitter was stronger and more heavily-hopped. Though, taking into account the differing gravities, the hopping level is about the same. More significant is the lack of any crystal malt in Lees Bitter.


Now the 1948 ordinary Milds:

1948 Lees K Mild 1028, 0.65 lbs hops barrel, 80% pale malt, 1% black malt, 4% crystal malt, 13% sugar, 2% enzymic malt
1948 Whitbread XX Mild 1027.7, 0.80 lbs hops barrel, 55% PA malt, 26% mild malt, 8% crystal malt, 11% sugar

These are much closer in profile. The gravities are near identical. The Lees is hopped a little less. And it also had only half of the crystal malt of Whitbread XX. But one of the biggest differences doesn't show up here: the colour. I know from later logs that K was only about 30-35 EBC. Whitbread XX was 80 to 90 EBC.


1950 ordinary Bitters:

1950 Lees Bitter 1041, 0.90 lbs hops barrel, 87% pale malt, trace of black malt, 11% sugar, 1.5% enzymic malt
1950 Whitbread PA 1041, 1.08 lbs hops barrel, 81% PA malt, 9% crystal malt, 10% sugar

The two beers now have exactly the same gravity.The biggest difference remains the lack of crystal in the Lees. Which is also hopped a little more lightly.


1950 ordinary Milds:

1950 Lees K Mild 1031, 0.74 lbs hops barrel, 84% pale malt, 1% black malt, 4% crystal malt, 10% sugar, 2% enzymic malt
1950 Whitbread Best Ale 1031.7, 0.90 lbs hops barrel, 84% mild malt, 7% crystal malt, 9% sugar

Another two very similar beers. Just a few more hops and more crystal in the Whitbread. And, of course, the base malt for Whitbread was mild ale malt.


There are a few generic differences. Like Lees use of a small quantity of enzymic malt. The sugar options differed, too. Lees going for a mix of glucose, invert and proprietary sugars. Whitbread used mostly No.1 and No. 3 invert.

Was that detailed enough? Hang on. I haven't got into the mashing schedules yet. I've already more than enough today. Perhaps tomorrow.