Particularly about fermentation. And the dropping system that William Younger employed.
I'm a bit obsessed with Scottish fermentations. Because I've suspected that a steaming pile of shite has been written about it.
They grey squares denote when the wort was dropped to a square.
Dead interesting for me. Doubtless dead boring for you.
Just a small taste of the obsessive detail in my new book. Which is almost done. Just the recipes to finish off. 25 detailed ones, 100 others. The last sprint takes the most out of your legs. Mine are totally Donalded. In a duck sort of way.
| William Younger Shilling Ale fermentations in 1879 | |||||||||||
| day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | |||||||
| Beer | OG | pitch heat | AM | PM | AM | PM | AM | PM | AM | PM | AM |
| 50/- | 1036 | 59.5º F | 61.5º F | 63.5º F | 66.5º F | 69º F | 63º F | 58º F | |||
| S 50/- | 1042 | 61.5º F | 62º F | 65º F | 66.5º F | 65.5º F | 68.5º F | 64º F | 68.5º F | ||
| H 60/- | 1039 | 62º F | 63.5º F | 66.5º F | 69º F | 69º F | 71.5º F | 65º F | 59º F | ||
| 80/- | 1059 | 61º F | 65º F | 70º F | 75.5º F | 70.6º F | 65º F | 59º F | |||
| 100/- | 1070 | 60º F | 63º F | 67º F | 70º F | 75º F | 70º F | 60º F | 62.5º F | ||
| 120/- | 1083 | 59.5º F | 62º F | 66.5º F | 72º F | 75.5º F | 78.5º F | 72º F | 64.5º F | 60.5º F | |
| 140/- | 1096 | 56º F | 58º F | 59º F | 61º F | 64º F | 68º F | 71º F | 62º F | 69.5º F | 62.5º F |
| 160/- | 1109 | 55º F | 60º F | 65º F | 69.5º F | 68º F | 65.5º F | 62.5º F | 60.5º F | 57.5º F | |
| Source: | |||||||||||
| William Younger brewing record held at the Scottish Brewing Archive, document number WY/6/1/2/28. | |||||||||||
Fascinating the control of the fermentation temperature.
Hi Ron, I find that the difference between fermentation methods and what went on afterwards (blending etc) a fascinating subject in general, I've seen quite a few differences when I've been looking at northern English brewing ledger records, particularly Peter Walker & Sons (Warrington & Burton ) Ltd (Dallam Lane Brewery, Warrington Pre 1924 records), Regards,Edd .
ReplyDeleteWere they deciding by the temperature when to drop it? It looks like they dropped it slightly before it reached its highest temperature. Is temperature a reasonable way to gauge the progress of fermentation? Why didn’t they just take a gravity reading?
ReplyDeleteHi Barm, as I understand it , they would have dropped after a certain amount of attenuation, somewhere near top heat;and started to cool the fermenting wort slightly in a square/ f.v type of choice then put on stop at a certain amount of gravity, with racking gravity usually being lower.
DeleteBarm,
ReplyDeleteI suspect that the rounds it initially fermented in weren't fitted with attemperators. It's only after dropping to the square that they were able to start cooling the wort.