Draught Bitter in the 1950’s

Seeing as we’ve looked at the handling of draught beer in the 1950’s at great length, I thought you might like to take a look at some of the beers themselves. And it’s a good excuse for loads more tables.

I’ve taken everything in my mega gravity spreadsheet that’s British, draught and is dated between 1950 and 1959. There will be posts on other styles later, but I’m going to kick off with Bitter, a style that was very much on the up in this period. On its way to becoming, albeit briefly, the nation’s favourite.

I’ve split them into four groups: Boys Bitter (OG < 1036), Ordinary Bitter (OG 1036 – 1037.9), Best Bitter (OG > 1038) and Keg Bitter. It’s a fairly arbitrary division. As would any be, really. I could easily have extended Ordinary Bitter by a gravity point or two at either end.

I’m thinking of assembling a new book covering 1945 to 1960. It’s an interesting period in British brewing, if only for its relative lack of dynamism. After the chaotic changes of the previous decades, it was a period of surprising calm. But it was also when British beer styles solidified into their modern forms.

On with the tables. Beginning with Boys Bitter:

Draught Bitter in the 1950's - Boys Bitter
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price per pint (d)	Acidity	OG	FG	ABV	App. Attenua-tion	colour
1953	Steel Coulson	Edinburgh Ale P. 60/-	14		1030
1959	Wm. Younger	XXP Bitter	22	0.04	1030.4	1005.7	3.21	81.25%	21
1958	Bernard	No. 3 (Pale 1/1)	13		1031	1010	2.72	67.74%
1959	Fuller	Bitter	14	0.05	1031.6	1004.1	3.58	87.03%	23
1959	Charrington	BBB	17	0.04	1032.8	1007.8	3.24	76.22%	14
1954	Barclay Perkins	XLK	15	0.06	1032.9	1004.5	3.70	86.32%
1954	Meux	PA	17	0.04	1033.2	1005.3	3.63	84.04%	20
1954	Meux	PA	17	0.06	1033.7	1007.3	3.43	78.34%	24
1954	Barclay Perkins	XLK	15	0.04	1033.8	1006.9	3.49	79.59%	19
1953	Steel Coulson	PXA P. 70/-	19		1034
1954	Taylor Walker	EPA	17	0.06	1034	1008.6	3.29	74.71%	23
1958	Vaux & Co	Bitter Ale	17	0.05	1034.2	1007.8	3.43	77.19%	26
1953	Whitbread	Pale Ale	16		1035.1				22
1957	Ind Coope	Best Bitter	17	0.06	1035.2	1008	3.53	77.27%	19
1954	Mann Crossman	KK	17	0.04	1035.3	1007.7	3.58	78.19%	19
1957	Charrington	PA	15	0.06	1035.5	1004.9	3.98	86.20%	23
1959	Whitaker	Bitter	14	0.04	1035.6	1010.2	3.17	71.35%	22
	Average		16.2		1033.4	1007.1	3.43	79.0%	21.3
Sources:
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
document from the Steel Coulson archive held at the Scottish Brewing Archives
T & J Bernard's brewing records held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

Spot anything interesting there? Average attenuation is pretty high at 79%. The only exception is Bernard’s No. 3. Not even sure that should really be in there. Or, for that matter, the two other Scottish beers above it. As they are all 60/-. Which I usually consider to be Mild. Even though I know it was parti-gyled with 70/- and 80/-.

That reminds me. Kristen suggested we write another Beer Style Guide for a different year. I had been thinking of 1927, but I’m tempted to go for a year in the 1950’s. What do you reckon? Any preference for a year? It’s all a bit academic, as currently lack the time to write it.

Getting back to the beers, the relatively high attenuation means that the average ABV comes out at almost 3.5%. Not bad, but it might have left the beers a bit thin.

Next it’s the turn of Ordinary Bitter.

Draught Bitter in the 1950's - Ordinary Bitter
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price per pint (d)	Acidity	OG	FG	ABV	App. Attenua-tion	colour
1958	Bernard	No. 2 (Pale 1/2)	14		1036	1011	3.24	69.44%
1954	Watney	PA	17	0.04	1036.1	1009.7	3.42	73.13%	25
1957	Ind Coope	PA	17	0.05	1036.3	1006.5	3.88	82.09%	19
1953	Taylor Walker	Pale Ale	18		1036.3				27
1953	Truman	Pale Ale	17		1036.7				16
1954	Truman	PA	17	0.04	1036.7	1006.4	3.94	82.56%	18
1954	Watney	IPA	17	0.06	1036.7	1008.4	3.67	77.11%	23
1953	Meux	Pale Ale	17		1036.8				27
1954	Charrington	BBB	15	0.06	1036.8	1008.9	3.62	75.82%	26
1957	Watney	PA	17	0.06	1036.8	1006.9	3.89	81.25%	26
1953	Young & Co	Pale Ale	16		1036.8				20
1954	Truman	PA	17	0.05	1036.9	1006.8	3.91	81.57%	19
1953	Whitbread	Pale Ale	17		1037.0				24
1959	Websters	Bitter	15	0.07	1037	1005.4	3.95	85.41%	20
1953	Wenlock	Pale Ale	16		1037				24
1957	Truman	PA	17	0.07	1037.2	1007.1	3.91	80.91%	18
1953	Benskins	Pale Ale	16		1037.2				18
1953	Tetley	Pale Ale	16		1037.3				20
1953	Younger	Pale Ale	17		1037.4				30
1959	Ind Coope	Red Hand	22	0.04	1037.5	1011.5	3.37	69.33%	18
1953	Mann Crossman	Pale Ale	17		1037.5				25
1954	Courage	Alton PA	18	0.04	1037.7	1008.1	3.84	78.51%	24
1955	Truman	PA Burton Brewed	17	0.05	1037.7	1005.9	4.14	84.35%	17
1954	Whitbread	PA	17	0.06	1037.9	1004.8	4.31	87.34%	24
	Average		16.8		1037.0	1007.7	3.79	79.2%	22.1
Sources:
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
T & J Bernard's brewing records held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

I’m surprised that there’s so little difference between the average price of these first two classes of Bitter. There’s a fair bit of price uniformity – 18 of the 24 cost either 16d or 17d a pint. The one outlier is Ind Coope Red Hand which I suspect might have been a keg beer.

There’s a very heavy London slant in this set. Only Bernard, Younger and Tetley are exceptions. Unsurprising, as the majority of the analyses come from Truman and Whitbread.

Once again, there are some very highly-attenuated examples – eight are over 80%, and the average isn’t far off 80%.

Now Best Bitter:

Draught Bitter in the 1950's - Best Bitter
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price per pint (d)	Acidity	OG	FG	ABV	App. Attenua-tion	colour
1954	Taylor Walker	PA	17	0.04	1038	1009.9	3.64	73.95%	23
1959	Websters	Bitter	16	0.06	1038	1004.7	4.16	87.63%	22
1954	Courage	PA	18	0.06	1038.4	1006.4	4.16	83.33%	28
1954	Charrington	PA	15	0.04	1038.6	1008.1	3.96	79.02%	20
1957	Whitbread	PA	19	0.06	1038.6	1010	3.71	74.09%	20
1957	Whitbread	PA	19	0.06	1038.6	1010	3.71	74.09%	20
1957	Taylor Walker	PA	17	0.06	1038.8	1009.3	3.83	76.03%	19
1959	Ramsdens	Bitter	16	0.05	1038.9	1006	4.28	84.58%	16
1955	Hancock, Cardiff	HB			1039
1957	Barclay Perkins	PA	18	0.05	1039.5	1005.9	4.38	85.06%	26
1959	Bentleys	Bitter	16	0.04	1039.5	1010.2	3.66	74.18%	19
1954	Whitbread	PA	17		1039.5
1957	Courage	PA	18	0.08	1039.8	1005.4	4.48	86.43%	27
1954	Barclay Perkins	Best Bitter	18	0.06	1040.4	1007.5	4.28	81.44%	22
1959	Ramsdens	Bitter	16	0.05	1040.7	1006.2	4.31	84.77%	18
1959	Courage & Barclay	Bitter	22	0.04	1040.9	1009.8	4.04	76.04%	23
1959	Fuller	Best Bitter	19	0.05	1041.4	1006.1	4.60	85.27%	32
1953	Watney	Pale Ale	19		1042.8				27
1957	Ind Coope	Double Diamond	20	0.05	1043.8	1008.1	4.65	81.51%	20
1957	Watney	Best PA	21	0.06	1044	1014.2	3.86	67.73%	20
1957	Bass, Burton	Pale Ale	21	0.04	1044.6	1005.4	5.12	87.89%	21
1953	Bass, Burton	Pale Ale	19		1044.7				26
1953	Watney	Special Bitter	20	0.06	1044.9	1009.6	4.59	78.62%	28
1954	Watney	Special Bitter	20	0.04	1045.5	1013.7	4.12	69.89%	23
1954	Bass, Burton	Pale Ale	19	0.04	1046	1008.7	4.86	81.09%	20
1958	Bernard	Special No. 1 (Pale 1/4)	16		1046	1013	4.28	71.74%
1953	Charrington	Pale Ale	17		1046.4				29
1959	Charrington	Toby Ale	15	0.04	1046.6	1009.4	4.84	79.83%	20
	Average		18.1		1041.6	1008.6	4.52	76.68%	22.7
Sources:
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
“Cardiff Pubs and Breweries” by Brian Glover, 2005. pages 97-101
T & J Bernard's brewing records held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

I’m wondering what to say about this lot. The attenuation is all over the place – 68% to 88% - but averages a little lower than the previous two sets.

I’m slightly surprised that Draught Bass was one of the paler examples. Though it’s also one of the strongest, at around 5% ABV. As a relatively expensive beer, it maintained its gravity better than most.

Again, it’s a very London-heavy set. Weird, isn’t it, to think how many big breweries used to have their home in London?

Finally, the geek’s favourite, nice expensive keg beer:

Draught Bitter in the 1950's - Keg Bitter
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price per pint (d)	Acidity	OG	FG	ABV	App. Attenua-tion	colour
1959	Simonds	Keg Bitter	22	0.04	1037.4	1007.3	3.76	80.48%	19
1959	South London Brewery	Golden Keg	18	0.07	1037.9	1005.7	4.03	84.96%	19
1959	Watney	Red Barrel	22	0.04	1038.5	1010	3.70	74.03%	24
1959	Flowers	Keg Bitter	22	0.04	1039	1010.7	3.54	72.56%	23
1959	Whitbread	Tankard Bitter	22	0.05	1039.1	1011.9	3.52	69.57%	22
1957	Watney	Keg Bitter	24	0.06	1039.4	1007.6	4.14	80.71%	23
1959	Truman	Keg Bitter	22	0.04	1040.5	1008.8	4.12	78.27%	22
1957	Courage & Barclay	Keg Bitter	22	0.06	1042.8	1006.6	4.72	84.58%	22
1959	Wm. Younger	Keg Bitter	19	0.04	1043.7	1007.8	4.68	82.15%	55
	Average		21.4		1039.8	1008.5	4.02	78.6%	25.4
	Without Younger								21.75
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

As you can see, they’re all at Ordinary or Best Bitter strength. Except priced at a few pence more per pint.

The William Younger example is very dark for a Bitter. In fact it’s getting close to Dark Mile territory. But you know the Scots – they loved colouring up their beer. And in loads of different shades. Doubtless in some markets that beer was much paler.

Probably Mild next time.