Let's Brew Wednesday - 1939 Barclay Perkins XLK (trade)

Filling the Ordinary Bitter slot in Barclay’s pubs was the exotically-named XLK (trade). If you’re wondering about the name, LK stands for London Keeping, i.e. London Bitter, and X to indicate the strength.

Truman brewed a similar beer which was called simply LK. It was the only Pale Ale brewed at Brick Lane. All the others were brewed in Burton.

XLK had been around somewhat longer than IPA: since at least 1886, when it had an OG of 1053º. It was split into versions, trade (draught) and bottling, at 1050º and 1045º, respectively, just a few months before the outbreak of WW I. A third weaker version, crate, was introduced in 1917, but dropped in the early 1920s. Crate indicated a beer that was sold in crate holding four quart bottles.

The recipe, unsurprisingly enough, is almost identical to IPA. With the one exception that XLK was dry hopped. And had an OG 1 degree higher.

1939 Barclay Perkins XLK (trade)
pale malt	7.25 lb	74.28%
flaked maize	1.00 lb	10.25%
No. 3 invert sugar	1.50 lb	15.37%
caramel 1000 SRM	0.01 lb	0.10%
Fuggles 150 mins	0.75 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	0.75 oz
Goldings 30 mins	0.75 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.50 oz
OG	1046
FG	1014.5
ABV	4.17
Apparent attenuation	68.48%
IBU	29
SRM	11.5
Mash at	150º F
After underlet	154º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	150 minutes
pitching temp	150º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread ale