Let's Brew Wednesday - 1928 Barclay Perkins Ale 4d

There's a real treat for all you homebrewers in November. I should have mentioned it earlier, but, you know, I was busy. We're doing a series of Barclay Perkins beers from the 1920's. By December you'll be able to recreate your own Barclay Perkins pub (at least in terms of beers) in the safety of your own home. No, don't thank me. I see it as a public service.

Ale 4d. Or fourpenny Ale. Any guesses why it was called that? That's right, because it cost fourpence a pint. In style, it was a low gravity Mild. Its origins lie in WW I, when brewers were compelled by the government to brew price-controlled, low-gravity beers. Initially, this type of beer was called Government Ale. But the government wasn't too happy being associated with it so the name was forbidden.

Barclay Perkins discontinued their prewar Mild, X Ale, in 1918 concentrating on the low-gravity Ale 4d instead. When X Ale returned in 1919, they continued to brew the weaker Ale 4d. Though they did bump up the gravity from 1026 to 1028. X Ale, with a gravity of about 1040, cost 6d a pint.

A post-war tax rise saw the name change to Ale 5d in 1920, though the gravity remained the same. In 1923 the tax was reduced and it went back to being Ale 4d. It continued to be brewed right through the 1920's and 1930's, only finally expiring in 1943 when a new set of wartime restrictions knocked standard X Ale below 1030.

Ale 4d was usually party-gyled with X Ale (later XX Ale as well), but always as very much the junior partner. A typical brew would consist of 1,000 barrels of X and just 160 barrels of Ale 4d.

This type of beer wasn't unique to Barclay Perkins. Whitbread had LA, a beer of similar gravity. (LA, rather confusingly as it was a dark beer, standing for "Light Ale")

You could argue that this type of beer continued well past WW II. Milds of the late 1940's and early 1950's were mostly in the range 1027-1030.



That's the history lesson over. Let's go to Kristen for all those lovely brewy details . . . .

Barclay Perkins - 1928 - 4 penny ale
General info: 4 Pennies. That’s all it would cost ya. Plonk down 4 bits for well, plonk. Everything but the kitchen sink when into this simple, industrious ale. A few kinds of pale malt then around 35% adjunct. When all said and done you had a simple moderately bitter deep amber beer that got nearly all of its color form the good dose of caramel colorant. A true session beer in both the cost and weight.
Beer Specifics			Recipe by percentages
Gravity (OG)	1.029		45.1% English Pale malt			2.6% Amber malt
Gravity (FG)	1.009		22.6% American pale malt			10% Invert No2
ABV	2.60%		15% Flaked maize			1.8% Caramel
Apparent attenuation	68.43%		2.9% Crystal 75L
Real attenuation	56.06%
IBU	27.8		Mash	45min@156°F		1.02qt/lb
SRM	22			45min@68.9°C		2.13L/kg
EBC	43.9
			Boil	1.5 hours
	Homebrew @ 70%				Craft @ 80%
Grist	5gal		19L		10bbl		10hl
English Pale malt	2.43	lb	1.108	kg	132.07	lb	51.03	kg
American pale malt	1.22	lb	0.554	kg	66.04	lb	25.51	kg
Flaked maize	0.81	lb	0.369	kg	44.02	lb	17.01	kg
Crystal 75L	0.15	lb	0.070	kg	8.39	lb	3.24	kg
Amber malt	0.14	lb	0.064	kg	7.60	lb	2.94	kg
Invert No2	0.54	lb	0.246	kg	29.35	lb	11.34	kg
Caramel	1.55	oz	44.2	g	5.24	lb	2.02	kg
	5.299		2.412		292.70499
Hops
Goldings 4.5% 90min	1.29	oz	36.6	g	79.94	oz	1.931	kg
Fermentation	65°F /18.3°C
Yeast	Nottingham ale yeast
	1028 London Ale Yeast  - WLP013 London Ale Yeast
Tasting Notes: Pomme fruit, toasted bread and a touch 'corny'. A few whiffs of deep caramel and a touch of treacley notes. A quick shot of bitter tannins that extend into the drying finish. Quite a lovely little dram!