Let's Brew - 1938 William Younger IPA Pale

A bonus extra post today. Because I want to keep up posting a recipe every Saturday. And I want my trip reports from Michigan to be posted exactly a week after the event. Just count yourselves lucky.

At the top end of Younger’s confusing array of Pale Ales was IPA Pale. It’s one of the most confusing of the lot.

Why’s that? Because it has two names in the brewing records. On the left-hand page, it’s called No. 3 Pale. But on the right-hand page, it’s called IPA Pale. Very confusing, as No. 3 is a Scotch Ale and IPA is, well IPA.

Then a thought struck me. In the 1970s and 1980s, Younger had draught beers called No. 3 and IPA with very similar gravities. Was No. 3 then just IPA with added caramel? Knowing how much Scottish brewers liked colouring up beers at racking time, it wouldn’t surprise me.

Where was this beer sold and as what? I’m guessing that it was sold on draught as a Best Bitter down in London. The OG of 1055º is exactly what you would expect of an 8d Pale Ale. But that’s just a guess.

The grist is the same as Younger’s other Pale Ales: just pale malt and grits. At 35%, the grits element is at the top end of what Younger used.

The hops were a combination of Kent from the 1936 harvest and Oregon from 1937.

1938 William Younger IPA Pale
pale malt	8.25 lb	64.71%
grits	4.50 lb	35.29%
Cluster 105 min	0.25 oz
Fuggles 90 min	0.75 oz
Fuggles 30 min	0.75 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.50 oz
OG	1055
FG	1012
ABV	5.69
Apparent attenuation	78.18%
IBU	22
SRM	4
Mash at	153º F
Sparge at	160º F
Boil time	105 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	WLP028 Edinburgh Ale