Let's Brew Wednesday - Fullers 1914 AK

You know my feelings about AK. Obsessive doesn't do them justice. Fanatical is too mild. All-consuming? No still doesn't go far enough.

Personal reminiscences and a bit of name dropping. I'll be weaving those into today's trousers. Hope I don't end up with my arse hanging out of them.

The hot summer of 1975. I was so disappointed when the bastards at the dole office found me a job. Until I found out it was in a brewery. Even though they didn't brew any cask beer. How many kegs did I fill with AK that summer? A lot. Definitely a lot more than with IPA. AK was the brewery's biggest seller. Just as it had been when it said Hole's rather than Courage above the gate.

I must have drunk Courage AK at some point. The stuff was ubiquitous. Courage owned all but five (four Home Ales, one Watney) of the 30-odd pubs in Newark. But I can't remember it at all.Was it hoppy? Malty? Sweet? No idea, I'm afraid. I can remember Barnsley Bitter. That was a lovely drop, dry and scorchingly bitter, in the steady persistent way of a good British Pale Ale.

Finding the truth about AK was one of the pushes that propelled me through the archive doors. Yet it wasn't in an archive that I first caught a glimpse of one through the trees. It was sitting in John Keeling's office the first time I dropped by Fuller's. He had one of their old brewing logs on his table. 1910 or thereabouts. John is an easy man to listen to. Full of stories and facts. But something pulled my attention away from his words like a freight train loco. Idly flicking through the log I saw the magic letters appear: AK. It's a moment I'll never forget.

Fuller's AK is a special beer to me for that reason. I'm delighted that we're able to present you with it today. Enjoy it.





Time for Kristen to do his thang . . . . . . . . .

Fullers - 1914 - AK
General info:
What a wonderful little AK. Nearly equal OG:BU ration made with simple pale malts, maize and a bunch of sugar. Such an easy drinking little number that this one will definitely be one of my house beers from now on. Very sessiony but not really a session beer with the alcoholski!
Beer Specifics			Recipe by percentages
Gravity (OG)	1.045		47.5% English pale malt			0% 0
Gravity (FG)	1.009		16.3% Continental pale malt			0% 0
ABV	4.78%		16.3% American 6-row			0% 0
Apparent attenuation	79.61%		5.9% Flaked Maize			5.9% Invert No1
Real attenuation	65.22%		0% 0			7.9% Invert No2
IBU	41		0% 0			00
SRM	5
EBC	9.1		Mash	95min@149°F		1.04qt/lb
				95min@65°C		2.17L/kg
Caramel to add	0srm
			Boil	1.5 hours
	Homebrew @ 70%				Craft @ 90%
Grist	5gal		19L		20bbl		20hl
English pale malt	4.04	lb	1.837	kg	389.17	lb	150.36	kg
Continental pale malt	1.39	lb	0.632	kg	133.78	lb	51.69	kg
American 6-row	1.39	lb	0.632	kg	133.78	lb	51.69	kg
Flaked Maize	0.50	lb	0.230	kg	48.65	lb	18.80	kg
Invert No1	0.50	lb	0.230	kg	48.65	lb	18.80	kg
Invert No2	0.67	lb	0.306	kg	64.86	lb	25.06	kg
					818.88
Hops
Cluster 7% 105min (31bu)	1.02	oz	28.9	g	126.58	oz	3.058	kg
Fuggle 5.5% 60min (6bu)	0.29	oz	8.1	g	35.62	oz	0.861	kg
Styrian Goldings 5.25% 20min (4bu)	0.30	oz	8.5	g	37.32	oz	0.902	kg
Goldings 4.5% dry hop	0.27	oz	7.6	g	33.41	oz	0.807	kg
Fermentation	67°F /19.4°C
Yeast	Nottingham
	1968 London ESB Ale Yeast  - WLP002 English Ale Yeast
Tasting Notes:
Pomme and squishy fruit, biscuits and lady fingers, grainy. Spicy and hoppy. Loads of husk and grain. Long bitter biscuity with a touch of honey on the end.

Kristen’s Version:

Ingredients
Grist–Three malts, some maize and two sugars. Easy peasy. I really like Maris Otter hear, especially the last two years one with the ‘honeyed’ character. Any continental pale malt will do just fine but I really like the character of the Belgian stuff. The American 6-row really shines here as it brings out a lot of the husk and grain and complexity of this beer. The inverts are pretty much at a great proportion. Any less No2 you lose the hints of fruit and more would make them stand out too much. I tried Golden Syrup for the No1 and there was too much toffee character for my taste.

Hops–Lots of different hops here. American, Belgian and English. The Cluster really add a strong bitter that last long through the finish. The combo of StyrianGoldings and EKG really do a very nice job of being spicy and fruity. The little bit of hops on the end really come through well. You can swap out the beginning hops for really any ones but the end I think you need to stick with the Goldings combo.


Yeast – The Fullers yeast really works the best. If in a pinch, the Nottingham does a pretty good job also.