Let's Brew - 1936 Barclay Perkins RNS

Between the wars Barclay Perkins brewed a baffling array of Stouts: BBS Export, IBS, RNS, OMS, BS and LS. Plus, of course, their Porter TT. That’s an awful lot of Stouts. RNS was one of the stronger examples.

Most were only brewed on their small kit in fairly modest quantities. This particular batch, for example, was just 50 barrels. The fact that they had a small batch plant probably explains the survival of so many different Stouts. Their more popular beers were brewed in batches of 500 barrels and more.

What does RNS mean? I’m not sure, but RN usually stands for one thing in the UK: Royal Navy. My guess is that it’s a beer that was brewed especially for the navy. Probably for consumption on land, as sailors still received a rum ration when at sea back then.

I often bang on about how historic recipes are mostly pretty simple. Well, Barclay’s Stouts are an exception. They have very complex recipes, with multiple malts, adjuncts and sugars.

The grist is even more complex than it appears in the recipe. As there was also some SA malt included, for which I’ve substituted more mild malt. Using mild malt as the base for Stouts was reasonably common. It would have been a waste of a top-class pale malt to use it in a beer with lots of roasted grain.

In some ways the grist looks very old-fashioned. In the 19th century it was reasonably common for posher Stouts also to contain, in addition to the classic pale, brown black combination, amber malt. Though in this case roast barley takes the place of black malt. Barclay Perkins tended to flip back and forth between the two fairly randomly.

Once again, No. 4 invert is my substitution for something called Martineau BS. RNS was very heavily primed. Before the additions of primings the OG was 1053.8. To account for the primings, I’ve added an extra half pound of No. 3 invert sugar.

The hops were Kent Fuggles and MK Goldings, both from the 1935 harvest and kept in a cold store.

1936 Barclay Perkins RNS
mild malt	6.75 lb	52.78%
brown malt	0.75 lb	5.86%
amber malt	1.50 lb	11.73%
roast barley	1.50 lb	11.73%
flaked maize	0.50 lb	3.91%
malted oats	0.04 lb	0.31%
No. 2 invert sugar	0.125 lb	0.98%
No. 3 invert sugar	0.75 lb	5.86%
No. 4 invert sugar	0.75 lb	5.86%
caramel 1000 SRM	0.125 lb	0.98%
Fuggles 150 mins	1.25 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	1.25 oz
Goldings 30 mins	1.00 oz
OG	1059
FG	1016.5
ABV	5.62
Apparent attenuation	72.03%
IBU	43
SRM	44
Mash at	143º F
After underlet	153º F
Sparge at	162º F
Boil time	150 minutes
pitching temp	60.5º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread ale