Let’s brew Wednesday - 1939 Boddington Mild

I’d almost forgotten that it was Mild month. What better excuse for some lovely Mild recipes?

I’m so pleased that I got my hands on some more Boddington’s records. Especially ones from before WW II. Like this one. A beer brewed 9 months or so before the war started.

The biggest surprise about this beer is its strength. With an OG in the low 1030º’s, it looks much more like a post-war Mild. Standard Mild gravities were usually a bit higher before the war.

In the 1930’s Boddington had some unusual ingredients in their grists. Like wheat malt. And enzymic malt. The latter seems to have been very popular before and after the war. I’m not 100% sure how it differed from normal malt or what it’s purpose was. I suppose to help mash efficiency by ensuring there were plenty of enzymes.

It’s another example of a darkish beer with no darker malt than crystal in it. The colour coming from sugar. There’s the usual problem with proprietary sugars, in this case DMS and FL, plus an unspecified invert. I’ve simplified it to all No. 3 invert.

The log isn’t very informative when it comes to hops. For the English hops, it only identifies the grower or dealer, not the region where they were grown nor the variety. I’ve guessed Fuggles. I’ve assumed the Oregon hops listed were Cluster.

It looks like a nice straightforward drinking beer. Which I guess was the point

That’s me done. Just the recipe now.

1939 Boddington XX Mild
pale malt	4.50 lb	63.16%
crystal malt 60L	0.625 lb	8.77%
flaked maize	0.75 lb	10.53%
wheat malt	0.25 lb	3.51%
enzymic malt	0.20 lb	2.81%
caramel	0.05 lb	0.70%
No. 3 invert sugar	0.75 lb	10.53%
Cluster 90 mins	1.25 oz
Fuggles 30 mins	1.25 oz
OG	1033.8
FG	1007
ABV	3.55
Apparent attenuation	79.29%
IBU	46
SRM	21
Mash at	150º F
Sparge at	162º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	62º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1318 London ale III (Boddingtons)