Let's Brew - 1922 Barclay Perkins BS

The domestic version of BS – I’m not sure if at this point it still stood for Brown Stout or if it had become Best Stout – was, at 1055º, more the gravity that you’d expect from a 1920s London draught Stout.

Most London breweries – especially the ones that had made their name brewing Porter – had similar beers. The gravity obviously being set by the last set of price controls. 1055º puts it at the minimum OG for a beer in the 9d per pint class.

Surprisingly, as Barclay Perkins were enthusiastic users of both, there’s neither adjuncts nor sugar in the grist. Well, apart from roast barley. Oh, hang on a minute. On the brewing record it says in red ink “Special all malt brew for yeast”. That explains it, then. I wonder if drinkers noticed anything special about this batch?

The hops were a little on the old side, but had all been kept in a cold store: Mid Kent from 1919 and 1920, Pacific  from 1920.

1922 Barclay Perkins BS
mild malt	9.00 lb	69.23%
brown malt	1.00 lb	7.69%
amber malt	1.00 lb	7.69%
crystal malt 60 L	1.00 lb	7.69%
roast barley	1.00 lb	7.69%
Cluster 120 mins	1.75 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	1.50 oz
Fuggles 30 mins	1.75 oz
OG	1055
FG	1017
ABV	5.03
Apparent attenuation	69.09%
IBU	74
SRM	27
Mash at	154º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	120 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

 

The above is an excerpt from Armistice,  my wonderful book on brewing in WW I.