Let's Brew - 1914 Barclay Perkins PA

Barclay Perkins were relatively late to the Pale Ale game, first brewing one in the 1880s, a couple of decades later than London rivals Whitbread.

Though they did immediately start with two examples, XLK and the stronger PA. The quantities brewed of PA were very modest: around 100 barrels, at a time when they made Mild in batches of 1,000 barrels. Barclay Perkins had more flexibility than other large London brewers because they had a small brew house in addition to their main kit. This is where they brewed PA, a sure indication that it was a low-volume beer. This example was a batch of just 60 barrels.

PA was obviously a posh beer as, unlike its weaker younger brother, XLK, the grist contained no flaked maize. With just pale malt and invert sugar, it’s a very simple recipe.

The hops look like they’re higher quality than those in XLK. Mid-Kent (1913 CS), East Kent (1913 CS) and Worcester (1913 CS) copper hops plus East Kent (1913 CS) dry hops. It’s interesting that all the hops had been kept in a cold store, even though they were from the most recent season.

There was both a draught and bottling version of this brew, the difference being that the latter was much more heavily dry-hopped: the equivalent of 1.24 ozs. for a batch of this size.

1914 Barclay Perkins PA
pale malt	11.50 lb	85.19%
No. 1 invert sugar	2.00 lb	14.81%
Fuggles 150 mins	2.00 oz
Fuggles 90 mins	2.00 oz
Goldings 30 mins	2.00 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.50 oz
OG	1062
FG	1016
ABV	6.09
Apparent attenuation	74.19%
IBU	71
SRM	7
Mash at	152º F
Sparge at	172º F
Boil time	150 minutes
pitching temp	58º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

Thia recipe, and many others, can be found in Armistice,  my wonderful book on brewing in WW I.