Let's Brew Wednesday - 1953 Truman XXX

We're heading back to the 1950s today. For a couple of reasons.

It's one of my favourite decades, for a start. My affectaion may be conencted with the fact that it's when I first popped into existence. Also because it's the origin not just of me personally, but of the British beer I grew up loving, too. It's a good excuse for another Mild recipe as well.

The strongest of Truman’s Milds, XXX, was pretty strong for a 1950s Mild. I suppose it would count as a Best Mild.

I should mention something about the colour of these Milds. I’ve no idea what it was, to be honest. The colours in the recipes are the minimum they would have been. It’s quite possible that they were sometimes, or always, coloured up at racking time. I’ve no Whitbread Gravity Book analyses for these beers so I’ve no way to check. Truman’s London-brewed Mild was dark, around 20-25 SRM.

3.7% ABV was pretty pokey for a Mild Ale back in the early 1950s. There were plenty under 3% ABV.

1953 Truman XXX
pale malt	3.50 lb	43.75%
high dried malt	3.50 lb	43.75%
crystal malt 60 L	0.50 lb	6.25%
raw cane sugar	0.50 lb	6.25%
Fuggles 90 mins	0.50 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	0.50 oz
Goldings 30 mins	0.25 oz
OG	1036
FG	1008
ABV	3.70
Apparent attenuation	77.78%
IBU	17
SRM	8
Mash at	150º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	61.5º F
Yeast	WLP013 London Ale (Worthington White Shield)

Like this sort of watery post-war recipe? Then why not invest in my latest book? It has a couple of hundred recipes from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s:

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/austerity/23181344