Lees Best Mild 1950 - 1963

Time for a table. I don't seem to have done one for yonks. As the title gives away, it's of Lees Best Mild. I'm sure it was a lovely drink. I wish I'd got to drink it.

This is the first in a series of posts looking at Lees post-WW II beers in ridiculous detail. Why does this table only start in 1956 if it's about post-war beers? Easy. Lees only started brewing Best Mild in 1950.

Any way, here's the table (I hope it isn't too wide):

Lees Best Mild 1950 - 1963
Date	Year	Beer	OG	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	barrels	lbs hops	qtrs malt	boil time (hours)	dry hops (oz / barrel)	colour	pale malt	brown malt	black malt	choc. Malt	crystal malt	MA malt	PA malt	enzymic malt	oats	flaked maize	flaked oat	glucose	other sugar	lactose	total
20th Jun	1950	Best Mild	1035.0	5.82	0.84	104.4	88	15.125	1.75	0.92		82.22%	0.00%	0.87%	0.00%	3.50%	0.00%	0.00%	1.75%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.33%	9.33%	0.00%	100.00%
9th Aug	1950	Best Mild	1035.0	5.46	0.78	107.6	84	15.375	1.75	0.89		80.00%	0.00%	0.87%	0.00%	3.48%	0.00%	0.00%	1.74%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.32%	11.59%	0.00%	100.00%
20th Mar	1952	Best Mild	1033.0	5.57	0.80	39.8	32	5.75	1.75	0.00	100	66.67%	2.38%	2.38%	4.76%	4.76%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	19.05%	0.00%	100.00%
10th Mar	1952	Best Mild	1034.0	5.57	0.81	39.4	32	5.75	1.75	0.00	100	66.67%	2.38%	2.38%	4.76%	4.76%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	19.05%	0.00%	100.00%
19th Oct	1953	Best Mild	1033.0	5.87	0.80	112.9	90	15.33	1.75	0.00	100	71.49%	1.77%	0.88%	3.53%	3.53%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.33%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	16.47%	0.00%	100.00%
31st Jul	1954	Best Mild	1034.0	5.51	0.81	111.8	90	16.33	1.75	0.00		43.83%	1.69%	0.84%	3.37%	3.37%	24.44%	0.00%	0.00%	2.23%	0.00%	0.00%	4.50%	15.73%	0.00%	100.00%
15th Jul	1954	Best Mild	1035.0	5.51	0.81	111.4	90	16.33	1.75	0.00		68.27%	1.69%	0.84%	3.37%	3.37%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.23%	0.00%	0.00%	2.25%	17.98%	0.00%	100.00%
25th Oct	1954	Best Mild	1035.0	5.56	0.82	85.4	70	12.58	1.75	0.00	100	64.46%	1.11%	1.11%	2.22%	4.45%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.93%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	23.71%	0.00%	100.00%
28th Mar	1955	Best Mild	1035.0	5.51	0.82	109.9	90	16.33	1.75	0.00		68.27%	1.69%	0.84%	3.37%	3.37%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.23%	0.00%	0.00%	4.50%	15.73%	0.00%	100.00%
2nd May	1955	Best Mild	1035.0	5.51	0.81	111.3	90	16.33	1.75	0.00		68.27%	1.69%	0.84%	3.37%	3.37%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.23%	0.00%	0.00%	4.50%	15.73%	0.00%	100.00%
28th Feb	1956	Best Mild	1035.0	4.86	0.74	83.9	62	12.75	1.5	21.15		8.96%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	6.72%	17.92%	26.87%	2.24%	0.00%	5.97%	2.96%	0.00%	28.37%	0.00%	100.00%
27th May	1957	Best Mild	1035.0	5.17	0.75	82.5	62	12	1.5	16.29		54.96%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	6.87%	0.00%	0.00%	2.29%	0.00%	4.58%	2.29%	0.00%	25.95%	3.05%	100.00%
25th Apr	1958	Best Mild	1035.0	4.96	0.75	82.3	62	12.5	1.5	16.33		54.96%	6.87%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.29%	0.00%	4.58%	2.29%	0.00%	25.95%	3.05%	100.00%
9th May	1958	Best Mild	1035.0	4.96	0.75	83.1	62	12.5	1.5	16.17		54.96%	6.87%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.29%	0.00%	4.58%	2.29%	0.00%	25.95%	3.05%	100.00%
27th Apr	1959	Best Mild	1035.0	4.96	0.75	83	62	12.5	1.5	16.19		54.96%	6.87%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.29%	0.00%	4.58%	2.29%	0.00%	25.95%	3.05%	100.00%
11th May	1959	Best Mild	1035.0	4.96	0.75	82.9	62	12.5	1.5	16.21		54.96%	6.87%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.29%	0.00%	4.58%	2.29%	0.00%	25.95%	3.05%	100.00%
19th Oct	1959	Best Mild	1035.0	5.17	0.76	82	62	12	1.5	16.39		56.69%	7.09%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.36%	0.00%	4.72%	2.36%	0.00%	23.62%	3.15%	100.00%
2nd Nov	1959	Best Mild	1035.0	4.96	0.75	83	62	12.5	1.5	16.19		54.96%	6.87%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.29%	0.00%	4.58%	2.29%	0.00%	25.95%	3.05%	100.00%
5th Feb	1960	Best Mild	1035.0	4.88	0.73	83.1	61	12.5	1.5	16.17		54.96%	6.87%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.29%	0.00%	4.58%	2.29%	0.00%	25.95%	3.05%	100.00%
21st Mar	1960	Best Mild	1035.0	4.88	0.75	80.8	61	12.5	1.5	16.63		54.96%	6.87%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.29%	0.00%	4.58%	2.29%	0.00%	25.95%	3.05%	100.00%
6th Apr	1961	Best Mild	1035.0	4.83	0.74	94.9	70	14.5	1.5	14.16		54.90%	7.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.96%	0.00%	5.88%	1.96%	0.00%	24.84%	2.61%	100.00%
30th Nov	1961	Best Mild	1035.0	4.83	0.72	96.8	70	14.5	1.5	13.88		54.90%	7.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.96%	0.00%	5.88%	1.96%	0.00%	24.84%	2.61%	100.00%
8th Dec	1961	Best Mild	1035.0	4.83	0.74	94.5	70	14.5	1.5	14.22		54.90%	7.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.96%	0.00%	5.88%	1.96%	0.00%	24.84%	2.61%	100.00%
22nd Dec	1961	Best Mild	1035.0	4.83	0.72	97.9	70	14.5	1.5	13.73		54.90%	7.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.96%	0.00%	5.88%	1.96%	0.00%	24.84%	2.61%	100.00%
2nd Apr	1962	Best Mild	1035.0	4.83	0.72	97.5	70	14.5	1.5	13.78		54.90%	7.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.96%	0.00%	5.88%	1.96%	0.00%	24.84%	2.61%	100.00%
19th Oct	1962	Best Mild	1035.0	4.83	0.72	97.5	70	14.5	1.5	13.78		54.90%	7.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.96%	0.00%	5.88%	1.96%	0.00%	24.84%	2.61%	100.00%
11th Feb	1963	Best Mild	1035.0	4.83	0.72	97.1	70	14.5	1.5	13.84		54.90%	7.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.96%	0.00%	5.88%	1.96%	0.00%	24.84%	2.61%	100.00%
Source: Lees brewing records

One note about the brown malt. After 1958 it's something described as "oak-dried" in the logs. I wasn't quite sure what to make of that, but brown malt seemed the closest. Let me know if I'm wrong.

Despite a few recipe changes, you'll notice that the gravity was unchanged at 1035 for around a decade. The ABV almost certainly didn't. The later versions contained lactose, which much have raised the FG. Unfortunately, this period of Lees logs doesn't give FG's.

What next? The enigmatic K? Or what about the wonderfully vaguely-named "Bottling Beer"? Who knows. I've not decided yet.