Fuller's Pale Ales 1887 - 1910

Pale Ales. I've been meaning to write more about them. Mostly because I'm trying to fill up a book. Today we're looking at the ones from Fullers.

Alphabet soup. That's what Fuller's Pale Ales remind me of. But with mostly only A's, K's and X's.

Fuller's Pale Ales 1887 - 1910
Date	Year	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)	Pitch temp	pale malt	black malt	no. 2 sugar	no. 3 sugar	caramel	other sugar	flaked maize	primings
21st Apr	1887	AK	Pale Ale	1049.6	1014.1	4.69	71.51%	7.61	1.66	1.5	1.75	58º	79.81%					20.19%
8th Aug	1887	AK	Pale Ale	1053.5	1014.7	5.13	72.54%	11.58	2.66	1.5	1.75	57º	85.29%					14.71%
13th Apr	1887	IPA	IPA	1059.6	1018.0	5.50	69.77%	12.38	3.28	1.5	1.75	57º	80.06%					19.94%
27th Apr	1887	IPA	IPA	1060.9	1016.6	5.86	72.73%	12.38	3.45	1.5	1.75	56.5º	80.06%					19.94%
8th Aug	1887	XK	Pale Ale	1057.1	1016.1	5.42	71.84%	11.58	2.84	1.5	1.75	56.5º	85.29%					14.71%
4th May	1887	XKK	Pale Ale	1055.1	1015.2	5.28	72.36%	12.36	3.12	1.5	1.75	56º	79.35%					20.65%
20th Mar	1888	AK	Pale Ale	1050.4	1015.2	4.65	69.78%	10.47	2.26	1.5	1.75	58º	79.81%					20.19%
10th Mar	1888	AKK	Pale Ale	1049.9	1014.7	4.65	70.56%	11.40	2.53	1.5	1.75	57º	79.14%					20.86%
7th Jan	1888	XKK	Pale Ale	1059.6	1018.0	5.50	69.77%	12.35	2.92	1.5	1.75	56º	79.25%					20.75%
3rd Aug	1897	AK	Pale Ale	1049.9	1012.5	4.95	75.00%	9.47	2.85	1.5	1.75	58º	77.96%					22.04%
5th May	1897	AKK	Pale Ale	1050.4	1012.5	5.02	75.27%	13.43	2.80	1.5	1.75	57º	82.13%					17.87%
24th Jul	1897	IPA	IPA	1056.0	1016.6	5.20	70.30%	13.39	3.34	1.5	1.75	57º	81.91%					18.09%
5th May	1897	IPA	IPA	1057.6	1015.2	5.61	73.56%	13.43	3.20	1.5	1.75	56º	82.13%					17.87%
3rd Aug	1897	KA	Pale Ale	1036.6				9.47	2.09	1.5	1.75	59º	77.96%					22.04%
24th Jul	1897	XK	Pale Ale	1054.8	1015.5	5.20	71.72%	13.39	3.27	1.5	1.75	57º	81.91%					18.09%
5th May	1897	XK	Pale Ale	1055.4	1013.9	5.50	75.00%	13.43	3.07	1.5	1.75	56.5º	82.13%					17.87%
31st May	1898	AK	Pale Ale	1049.9	1014.4	4.69	71.11%	9.43	2.03	1.5	1.75	58.5º	78.72%	0.89%				20.39%
26th May	1898	AK	Pale Ale	1049.6	1011.6	5.02	76.54%	9.48	2.06	1.5	1.75	59º	78.15%					21.85%
28th Mar	1898	AK	Pale Ale	1047.6	1012.7	4.62	73.26%	8.56	1.85	1.5	1.75	56.5º	79.52%					20.48%
14th May	1898	IPA	IPA	1056.5	1016.9	5.24	70.10%	13.39	3.27	1.5	1.75	58.5º	81.91%					18.09%
23rd Apr	1898	IPA	IPA	1057.6	1016.1	5.50	72.12%	13.39	3.40	1.5	1.75	57.5º	81.91%					18.09%
8th Feb	1898	IPA	IPA	1057.6	1016.1	5.50	72.12%	12.43	3.07	1.5	1.75	58.5º	81.91%					18.09%
11th Apr	1898	IPA Stock	IPA	1057.9	1017.7	5.31	69.38%	13.39	3.48	1.5	1.75	57.5º	81.91%					18.09%
21st May	1898	KA	Pale Ale	1044.0	1009.7	4.54	77.99%	6.65	1.30	1.5	1.75	59º	79.25%			16.09%		4.66%
4th May	1898	KA	Pale Ale	1042.9	1008.9	4.51	79.35%	6.53	1.24	1.5	1.75	59º	78.21%			15.88%		4.60%		1.30%
14th May	1898	XK	Pale Ale	1054.8	1023.8	4.10	56.57%	13.39	3.17	1.5	1.75	57.5º	81.91%					18.09%
23rd Apr	1898	XK	Pale Ale	1054.8	1016.6	5.06	69.70%	13.39	3.24	1.5	1.75	58º	81.91%					18.09%
8th Feb	1898	XK	Pale Ale	1054.6	1017.7	4.87	67.51%	12.43	2.90	1.5	1.75	59º	81.91%					18.09%
20th Oct	1902	AK	Pale Ale	1046.3	1010.5	4.73	77.25%	8.43	1.68	2	2	58.5º	75.76%				0.15%	20.67%	2.55%	0.86%
29th Aug	1902	IPA	IPA	1054.0	1011.4	5.64	78.97%	10.44	2.36	2	2.00	59º	82.53%				0.15%	16.70%	0.00%	0.61%
26th Nov	1902	IPA	IPA	1054.0	1010.2	5.79	81.03%	10.28	2.41	2	2	59.5º	81.90%				0.15%	16.26%	0.00%	1.69%
28th Nov	1902	XK for Xmas	Pale Ale	1054.0	1010.0	5.83	81.54%	10.16	2.41	2	2	58.5º	80.59%				0.30%	16.78%	0.00%	2.33%
14th Mar	1910	AK	Pale Ale	1045.0	1008.9	4.78	80.31%	6.90	1.43	1.75	2	60º	75.51%		5.59%		0.18%	7.46%	5.59%	5.66%
18th Mar	1910	AK	Pale Ale	1044.9	1008.3	4.84	81.48%	7.29	1.43	1.75	2	60º	79.15%		5.15%		0.20%	7.72%	5.79%	1.99%
11th Mar	1910	PA	Pale Ale	1054.2	1012.2	5.55	77.49%	8.92	2.15	1.75	2	59.5º	78.05%		8.55%		0.15%	5.70%	3.21%	4.33%
7th Apr	1910	PA	Pale Ale	1054.0	1011.1	5.68	79.49%	8.92	2.15	1.75	2	59.5º	78.05%		8.55%		0.15%	5.70%	3.21%	4.33%
Source: Fuller's brewing records.

Let's look at 1887 first. Fuller's were brewing 5 Pale Ales:

AKK    1049.9    2.53 lbs hops per barrel
AK    1050.4    2.80
XK    1057.1    2.84
XKK    1059.6    2.92
IPA    1060.9    3.45

Except that the IPA was a bit more heavily hopped than the others, there's no real difference between them. There are only 11 gravity points between the strongest and the weakest. You know what it reminds me of? A modern British brewery's range of beers, with several Bitters of only slightly differeing gravities. Only they would be about 15 points weaker.

Ten years later, and there have been a few changes. XKK is gone and there;'s a new, low-gravity beer, KA:

KA    1036.6    2.09 lbs hops per barrel
AK    1049.9    2.85
AKK    1050.4    2.80
XK    1054.8    3.27
IPA    1057.6    3.20

The XK and IPA have lost a couple of gravity points, but otherwise there's been little change.

Into the new century and the range has been slimmed down. Only three Pale Ales remain:

AK    1046.3    1.68 lbs hops per barrel
IPA    1054    2.36
XK    1054     2.41

Both the AK and IPA have dropped in gravity and the hopping rates for all the beers have decreased.

By 1910, only two Pale Ales remain:

AK    1045    1.43 lbs hops per barrel
PA    1054    2.15

The gravities are much the same as in 1902, but the hopping rates have fallen again. Oh, and see how IPA has suddenly been rebadged PA. Though it looks like the same beer to me.

The grists are, well, pretty dull. Just pale malt and various sugars until the appearance of flaked maize after 1900. The sugar content was pretty stable at around 20% of the grist. That's about average for beers of the period. Pale Ales often had the highest sugar content, presumably to keep them relatively dry.

Notice how crystal malt, so typical of modern British Bitters, is totally absent. Before WW I, crystal malt was rarely used in anything other than Mild Ales.

When I've had time to transcribe some more of Fuller's logs, I'll continue through WW I and beyond.