Barclay Perkins mashing schemes 1805 - 1929

Ridiculous levels of detail. That's what this blog is all about. Providing a level of detail that no crazy person, let alone someone in their right mind, could ever require.

Mashing schemes. I haven't mentioned those for a while. I've just been harvesting numbers (it is autumn, after all) from a Barclay Perkins logs. Including the mashing details. It's all part of one of my many projects. One that, unlike some, might be completed this side of doomsday.

But I'm wandering. I promised you over a century of mashing schemes and I don't want to disappoint you. Here goes.

15th February 1805 Barclay Perkins BSt
	brls	water temp	tap temp.	barrels/qtr	pints/lb
mash 1	512	166	143	2.23	1.91
mash 2	190	185	155	0.83	0.71
mash 3	210	160	151	0.91	0.78
total	912			3.97	3.40
qtrs malt	230
Source: Barclay Perkins brewing records.

30th September  1859 Barclay Perkins BS
	brls	water temp	tap temp.	barrels/qtr	pints/lb
mash 1	482	161	149	1.85	1.59
mash 2	217	190	162	0.83	0.72
mash 3	258	190	170	0.99	0.85
total	957			3.68	3.15
qtrs malt	260
Source: Barclay Perkins brewing records.

10th May 1886 Barclay Perkins BS
	brls	water temp	tap temp.	barrels/qtr	pints/lb
mash 1	65	150	140	1.63	1.39
mash 2	14.25	182	150	0.36	0.31
mash 3	44	160	149	1.10	0.94
sparge	69.75	150	144.5	1.74	1.49
total	193			4.83	4.14
qtrs malt	40
Source: Barclay Perkins brewing records.

7th October 1891 Barclay Perkins BS
	brls	water temp	tap temp.	barrels/qtr	pints/lb
mash	67	154		1.70	1.46
underlet	7.5	170	147	0.19	0.16
mash	30	174	155.75	0.76	0.65
sparge	74.5	172	154	1.89	1.62
total	179			4.95	4.24
qtrs malt	39.375
Source: Barclay Perkins brewing records.

16th November 1910 Barclay Perkins BS
	brls	water temp	tap temp.	barrels/qtr	pints/lb
mash	44	155		1.47	1.26
underlet	7	175	145	0.23	0.20
mash	22	175	157	0.73	0.63
sparge	20	168	153.5	0.67	0.57
sparge	39	160	151	1.30	1.11
total	132			4.40	3.77
qtrs malt	30
Source: Barclay Perkins brewing records.

7th January 1929 Barclay Perkins BS
	brls	water temp	tap temp.	barrels/qtr	pints/lb
mash	70	153		1.20	1.03
underlet	15	183	146	0.26	0.22
underlet	40	172	150	0.68	0.59
sparge	129	172	152	2.21	1.89
total	254			4.95	4.24
qtrs malt	58.5
Source: Barclay Perkins brewing records.

I suppose you expect some sort of comment from me now? Alright. If you insist.


The water to grain ratio increased from about 4 barrels (144 gallons) a quarter (336 pounds) in the early years of the 19th century to 5 barrels a quarter after 1860. Which was also when Barclay Perkins started sparging. They still performed multiple mashes, much in the manner of the 18th century, just with a sparge thrown in at the end.

After 1890 they started underletting. The process was mash, stand, underlet, stand, drain, mash, drain, sparge.

In the early 20th century, a second sparge stage was added. And after WW I the second mash was changed to an underlet.

That's all the analysis you're getting. If you need any more, you have to do it yourself. Maybe taking a long at the temperatures. I'm sure they've also a story to tell.