Which series are we doing? Barclay Perkins between the wars, wasn't it. Or something like that. Today it's a very special beer. KKKK. Something Barclay Perkins brewed for the winter. A strong Old Ale, that was served on draught. Their adverts imply that it was sold from a pin standing on the bar. A common practice, at one time, and a tradition that still survives in some pubs.
Do I need to explain what the K's mean? Again. Alright, the K is derived from "Keeping", or beer that was matured before sale. In the middle of the 19th century, Barclay Perkins brewed two sets of Ales:X Ales that were sold mild and K Ales that were sold matured. X, XX, XXX and XXXX. Then KK, KKK, KKKK. The equivalent beers (XX and KK, XXX and KKK) were exactly the same gravity, but the K Ales had about 50% more hops.
Want some proof of that. Oh, all right then. Here's a nice, neat table:
Barclay Perkins K and X Ales 1869 - 1870
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Date
|
Year
|
Beer
|
Style
|
OG
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FG
|
ABV
|
App. Attenu-ation
|
lbs hops/ qtr
|
hops lb/brl
|
boil time (hours)
|
boil time (hours)
|
boil time (hours)
|
Pitch temp
|
pale malt
|
13th Dec
|
1869
|
X
|
Mild
|
1060.1
|
1011.1
|
6.48
|
81.53%
|
6.73
|
1.94
|
1.5
|
2.5
|
3
|
61º
|
100%
|
13th Dec
|
1869
|
XX
|
Mild
|
1079.2
|
1013.9
|
8.64
|
82.45%
|
10.46
|
4.00
|
1.5
|
2.5
|
3
|
60º
|
100%
|
15th Dec
|
1869
|
XXX
|
Mild
|
1092.8
|
1015.6
|
10.21
|
83.19%
|
12.38
|
4.98
|
1.5
|
1.75
|
3
|
60º
|
100%
|
5th Feb
|
1870
|
KK
|
Stock Ale
|
1079.2
|
1012.5
|
8.83
|
84.22%
|
18.27
|
7.24
|
2
|
2
|
2.5
|
56º
|
100%
|
1st Feb
|
1870
|
KKK
|
Stock Ale
|
1093.1
|
1016.5
|
10.13
|
82.27%
|
18.45
|
7.99
|
1.5
|
1.75
|
2
|
56º
|
100%
|
5th Feb
|
1870
|
KKKK
|
Stock Ale
|
1106.1
|
1017.0
|
11.79
|
83.98%
|
18.89
|
9.11
|
2
|
2
|
2.5
|
56º
|
100%
|
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives
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Over the years the ranges were whittled down and the K Ales became known as Strong rather than Stock Ales. For many years Barclay Perkins only brewed one X Ale, er X. And two K Ales, KK and KKK. KK was their Burton, one of the standard draught beers in a London pub for the first half of the 20th century. In the 1930's KKKK, the beer we'll be looking at in more detail later, was revived as a seasonal strong draught beer.
Obviously the gravity of all the X's and K's declined between 1870 and 1933. You'll note that 1930's KKKK was just slightly weaker than the KK of 1870. You'll also note that both X and K Ales had changed colour, from pale in 1870 to dark in 1933.
That's me done. Time for Kristen to do his thing . . . .
Barclay Perkins - 1933 - KKKK
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General info: A happy 'little' Christmas or New Years brew for everyone. Something big with a ton of hops to last a good aging and maybe even unveiling for next year. 4 "K's". When people argue IPA's I point them to these babies. Big and huge. Finishing pretty high in gravity with a butt load of hops to really dry out the end. Something to be put in Nip bottles...not bloody 22oz bombers. Mouth-clearingly awesome!
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Beer Specifics
|
Recipe by percentages
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Gravity (OG)
|
1.076
|
53.2% English Pale malt
|
0.7% Caramel
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Gravity (FG)
|
1.023
|
29.9% American 6-row
|
0%
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ABV
|
7.07%
|
5.6%
|
0%
| ||||||
Apparent attenuation
|
69.75%
|
10.6% Invert No2
|
0%
| ||||||
Real attenuation
|
57.14%
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IBU
|
75.2
|
Mash
|
90min@154°F
|
0.81qt/lb
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SRM
|
36
|
90min@67.6°C
|
1.69L/kg
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EBC
|
70.4
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Boil
|
2.5 hours
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Homebrew @ 70%
|
Craft @ 80%
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Grist
|
5gal
|
19L
|
10bbl
|
10hl
| |||||
English Pale malt
|
7.84
|
lb
|
3.568
|
kg
|
425.14
|
lb
|
164.26
|
kg
| |
American 6-row
|
4.41
|
lb
|
2.007
|
kg
|
239.14
|
lb
|
92.40
|
kg
| |
0.82
|
lb
|
0.374
|
kg
|
44.54
|
lb
|
17.21
|
kg
| ||
Invert No2
|
1.57
|
lb
|
0.714
|
kg
|
85.03
|
lb
|
32.85
|
kg
| |
Caramel
|
0.10
|
lb
|
0.046
|
kg
|
5.44
|
lb
|
2.10
|
kg
| |
799.29
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Hops
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Goldings 4.5% 150min
|
2.39
|
oz
|
67.9
|
g
|
148.46
|
oz
|
3.587
|
kg
| |
Goldings 4.5% 120min
|
1.20
|
oz
|
33.9
|
g
|
74.23
|
oz
|
1.793
|
kg
| |
Goldings 4.5% 60min
|
1.20
|
oz
|
33.9
|
g
|
74.23
|
oz
|
1.793
|
kg
| |
Goldings 4.5% dry hop
|
0.41
|
oz
|
11.7
|
g
|
25.64
|
oz
|
0.620
|
kg
| |
Fermentation
|
65°F /18.3°C
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Yeast
| |||||||||
1028
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Tasting Notes:
Orangina, spice and sweet sugar plums. Dark cherries with a burnt caramel. Biscuits covered in tar resin and marmalade. Bitter cherry stones and green jasmine tea. A finish that is clean but massively long. Hop burps. Sweeeeet…
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5 comments:
Nice. Burtonized water? A proper aging for the time would have been 3 months, no?
Also, Kristen, what is your source for the Sugar No2? Actually at my brewery I make my own, its fantastic in a Mild ale. I you can read french, I wrtote an article about it.
http://brasseriealbion.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/un-secret/
In 1933 were these beers aged in oak or were metal vessels in use by then?
Approximately what sort of colour did this end up?
ealusceop,
Most baker supply shots carry the different inverts.
Martyn,
Pretty dark. Even without the caramel colorant it is bordering on brown if not darker amber.
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