The trick is not to look at how much still needs to be done, but to concentrate on one small part at a time. Which at the moment is Mild. A style very dear to my heart.
There weren’t very great changes to the recipe of Adnams XX during the war. The basic grist of base malt with 5% each of amber and crystal malt barely remained unaltered. The only real change was the addition of some unmalted grains. The use of either flaked oats or flaked barley in the later years wasn’t voluntary, but dictated by the government.
Apologies for the lack of excitement there. Is it going to get any more heart-racing when we contemplate the copper additions?
No. The No.3 content drops after 1941, but then remains remarkably constant. The amount of tintose – obviously some type of caramel – increases a little, presumably to compensate colour-wise for the reduction in No. 3.
The hopping is equally dull. All English, Mostly with a combination of hops from the most recent season and the one before.
It’s an example of how the effects of the war weren’t consistent across the whole country. For the simple reason that there had been considerable regional variation before all the horribleness kicked off.
| Adnams Mild Ale grists during WW II | ||||||||
| Date | Year | OG | pale malt | amber malt | crystal malt | medium malt | flaked barley | flaked oat |
| 20th Sep | 1939 | 1029 | 4.79% | 4.79% | 76.62% | |||
| 2nd Sept | 1940 | 1029 | 4.69% | 4.69% | 81.34% | |||
| 13th Mar | 1941 | 1028 | 16.78% | 6.29% | 6.29% | 75.52% | ||
| 14th Jan | 1942 | 1027 | 5.12% | 5.12% | 76.74% | 5.12% | ||
| 1st Jan | 1943 | 1027 | 5.12% | 5.12% | 81.85% | |||
| 17th Feb | 1943 | 1027 | 5.12% | 5.12% | 76.74% | 5.12% | ||
| 9th Apr | 1943 | 1027 | 5.12% | 5.12% | 71.62% | 10.23% | ||
| 2nd Feb | 1944 | 1027 | 5.12% | 5.12% | 71.62% | 10.23% | ||
| 1st Jan | 1945 | 1027 | 5.12% | 5.12% | 76.74% | 5.12% | ||
| Sources: | ||||||||
| Adnams brewing records held at the brewery, Books 26 to 32 | ||||||||
| Adnams Mild Ale sugars and hops during WW II | |||||
| Date | Year | OG | no. 3 sugar | tintose | hops |
| 20th Sep | 1939 | 1029 | 12.77% | 1.03% | English |
| 2nd Sept | 1940 | 1029 | 8.34% | 0.93% | English (1938, 1939) |
| 13th Mar | 1941 | 1028 | 11.19% | 0.70% | English (1939) |
| 14th Jan | 1942 | 1027 | 6.82% | 1.10% | English (1940, 1941) |
| 1st Jan | 1943 | 1027 | 6.82% | 1.10% | English (1941) |
| 17th Feb | 1943 | 1027 | 6.82% | 1.10% | English (1941, 1942) |
| 9th Apr | 1943 | 1027 | 6.82% | 1.10% | English (1941, 1942) |
| 2nd Feb | 1944 | 1027 | 6.82% | 1.10% | English (1942, 1943) |
| 1st Jan | 1945 | 1027 | 6.82% | 1.10% | English (1943) |
| Sources: | |||||
| Adnams brewing records held at the brewery, Books 26 to 32 | |||||
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