Whitbread Porter 1831 - 1840

Ah, another new decade of Whitbread Porter. This time the 1830's. You may have detected a certain logic to this. Starting at the beginning and moving forwards in time in a linear fashion until I reach the end. Seems a logical enough approach.

Brown malt. I have to mention that. Especially in regard to that classic made-up style, Robust Porter.You'll see that Whitbread only briefly flirted with a brown malt-free grist. In 1832 brown malt was not only back in the grist, but in a considerably greater quantity than it had been at any time since the introduction of black malt. Mostly it madee up 10% ofr more og the grist, while in the 1820's it had been just 3 or 4%.

The proportion of black malt continued to creep up. It rose from around 1.5% at the start of the decade to closer to 2.5% by its end. You'll see later that this trend continued right through the 19th century.

After 1839, there was a significant drop in the hopping rate, falling from 14 lbs per quarter to 11. This took it back to about the same level it had been in the early 1820's. Yet with 2.5 to 2.75 lbs of hops per barrel, you couldn't describe theses these beers as lightly-hopped. Time for me to bang on about Porter being something you would expect to be quite heavily-hopped, it being a Beer rather than an Ale. But I'm sure you've remembered that.

The gravity was, at 1060-1062, a couple of points higher than in the 1820's. Attenuation remained much the same, 67-70%. The pitching temperature, mostly 63.5-64º F was perhaps half a degree cooler on average than in the 1820's. No very significant change there. The first wort was boiled a tad longer.

Whitbread Porter 1831 - 1840
Date	Year	Beer	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)	Pitch temp	pale malt	brown malt	black malt	total
24th Mar	1831	P	1057.1	1019.1	5.02	66.50%	14.87	3.53	1	1.5	3	4	64º	98.22%		1.78%	100.00%
15th Aug	1831	P	1058.4	1019.9	5.09	65.88%	18.06	4.57	1.25	2.5	4		64º	98.51%		1.49%	100.00%
17th Sep	1831	P	1058.7				13.13	3.33	1.25	2.5	4		64º	98.58%		1.42%	100.00%
30th Mar	1832	P	1058.4	1017.2	5.46	70.62%	12.99	3.29	1	1.5	3	4	64º	88.50%	10.15%	1.35%	100.00%
8th Nov	1832	P	1058.2	1019.4	5.13	66.67%	12.61	3.23	1.25	2	4		63.5º	87.76%	10.88%	1.36%	100.00%
19th Nov	1832	P	1058.2	1019.1	5.17	67.14%	12.72	3.31	1.25	2	4		64º	87.76%	10.88%	1.36%	100.00%
21st Mar	1833	P	1058.7	1016.1	5.64	72.64%	12.48	3.17	1	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.05%	12.36%	1.59%	100.00%
17th Aug	1833	P	1058.4	1018.0	5.35	69.19%	12.55	3.73	1	2	4		64.5º	88.42%	10.05%	1.53%	100.00%
19th Oct	1833	P	1058.7	1016.1	5.64	72.64%	13.25	3.31	1	2	4		64º	87.59%	10.86%	1.55%	100.00%
11th Aug	1834	P	1059.6	1016.9	5.64	71.63%	12.48	3.52	1	2	3		64º	88.35%	9.67%	1.98%	100.00%
14th Aug	1834	P	1059.3	1018.3	5.42	69.16%	13.02	3.45	1	2	3		63.5º	87.76%	10.16%	2.08%	100.00%
16th Aug	1834	P	1060.9	1019.4	5.50	68.18%	13.08	3.52	1	2	3		64.25º	87.76%	10.16%	2.08%	100.00%
11th Dec	1834	P	1058.7	1017.5	5.46	70.28%	13.11	3.35	1	2	3		64º	85.79%	12.46%	1.75%	100.00%
31st Oct	1834	P	1059.3	1018.3	5.42	69.16%	12.89	3.25	1	2	3		64º	85.79%	12.46%	1.75%	100.00%
6th Aug	1835	P	1060.1	1017.2	5.68	71.43%	12.53	3.27	1	1.5	3	4	63.25º	83.04%	15.08%	1.88%	100.00%
19th Oct	1835	P	1061.2	1018.6	5.64	69.68%	13.47	3.49	1	1.5	3	4	63.5º	88.93%	9.23%	1.85%	100.00%
15th Jul	1836	P	1064.0	1019.9	5.83	68.83%	14.56	3.57	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	77.43%	19.80%	2.77%	100.00%
3rd Aug	1836	P	1064.3	1017.7	6.16	72.41%	14.25	3.45	1.5	1.5	3	4	63º	77.43%	19.80%	2.77%	100.00%
30th Nov	1836	P	1061.2	1018.0	5.72	70.59%	14.74	3.64	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	90.11%	7.61%	2.28%	100.00%
18th May	1837	P	1060.1	1018.8	5.46	68.66%	13.67	3.18	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	89.94%	7.59%	2.47%	100.00%
8th Jul	1837	P	1060.4	1019.9	5.35	66.97%	12.81	2.89	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	89.94%	7.59%	2.47%	100.00%
19th Jul	1837	P	1060.1	1018.6	5.50	69.12%	13.61	3.31	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.75º	89.94%	7.59%	2.47%	100.00%
30th Aug	1837	P	1059.8	1018.0	5.53	69.91%	13.79	3.34	1.5	1.5	3	4	64º	81.98%	15.67%	2.35%	100.00%
24th Jul	1837	P	1059.8	1019.4	5.35	67.59%	13.51	3.17	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	89.94%	7.59%	2.47%	100.00%
6th Sep	1837	P	1059.6	1017.5	5.57	70.70%	13.76	3.29	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	81.98%	15.67%	2.35%	100.00%
4th Sep	1837	P	1058.7	1017.7	5.42	69.81%	13.83	3.26	1.5	1.5	3	4	64º	81.98%	15.67%	2.35%	100.00%
30th Oct	1837	P	1059.0	1019.4	5.24	67.14%	13.85	3.19	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
19th Oct	1837	P	1059.6	1018.0	5.50	69.77%	13.76	3.28	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
4th Aug	1838	P	1059.8	1021.6	5.06	63.89%	13.01	2.97	1.5	1.5	3	4	64º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
31st Jul	1838	P	1061.5	1018.8	5.64	69.37%	12.96	3.19	1.5	1.5	3	4	64º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
11th Sep	1838	P	1061.8	1021.1	5.39	65.92%	14.07	3.47	1.5	1.5	3	4	62º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
20th Oct	1838	P	1061.2	1019.1	5.57	68.78%	11.77	2.97	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
27th Sep	1838	P	1061.5	1019.4	5.57	68.47%	14.28	3.37	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.25º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
28th Jan	1839	P	1062.3	1018.8	5.75	69.78%	14.14	3.34	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
24th Aug	1839	P	1061.8	1019.4	5.61	68.61%	10.50	2.53	1.5	1.5	3	4	64º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
3rd Aug	1839	P	1062.3	1019.9	5.61	68.00%	10.64	2.60	1.5	1.5	3	4	66º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
2nd Sep	1839	P	1061.5	1019.1	5.61	68.92%	10.32	2.56	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
16th Nov	1839	P	1061.5	1020.8	5.39	66.22%	9.98	2.95	1.5	1.5	3	4	64º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
9th Sep	1839	P	1062.0	1020.8	5.46	66.52%	10.46	2.51	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
14th Sep	1839	P	1061.2	1019.7	5.50	67.87%	10.28	2.51	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
25th Sep	1839	P	1061.8	1020.5	5.46	66.82%	10.27	2.56	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
19th Oct	1839	P	1062.6	1021.3	5.46	65.93%	10.31	2.60	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
27th Jul	1840	P	1061.8	1020.2	5.50	67.26%	10.94	2.71	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
13th Jul	1840	P	1061.5	1020.2	5.46	67.12%	10.68	2.61	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
28th Jul	1840	P	1062.9	1018.8	5.83	70.04%	11.13	2.88	1.5	1.5	3	4	64º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
10th Aug	1840	P	1062.6	1020.2	5.61	67.70%	11.11	2.81	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.75º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
18th Aug	1840	P	1061.8	1018.0	5.79	70.85%	10.83	2.70	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.75º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
16th Sep	1840	P	1061.8	1020.5	5.46	66.82%	10.44	2.64	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	86.10%	11.58%	2.32%	100.00%
19th Oct	1840	P	1062.0	1019.7	5.61	68.30%	10.92	2.82	1.5	1.5	3	4	63.5º	85.94%	11.56%	2.50%	100.00%
Source: Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives Documents: LMA/4453/D/09/024, LMA/4453/D/09/025, LMA/4453/D/09/026, LMA/4453/D/09/027, LMA/4453/D/09/028, LMA/4453/D/09/029, LMA/4453/D/09/030, LMA/4453/D/09/031, LMA/4453/D/09/032, LMA/4453/D/09/033, LMA/4453/D/09/034

The table shows the way Porter evolved through the 19th century. The occasional dramatic change followed by long periods of little or only very gradual change. The sudden reintroduction of brown malt to the grist in 1832 must have caused a perceptible difference in the finished beer.While the gradual edging up of the black malt content probably went unnoticed by drinkers.