A long-winded way of saying: I’m nowhere near finished with Boddington Bitter. In my chronology-busting fashion, I’m moving ever further into the past. This time jumping back past one of UK beer’s big extinction events, WW I.
Considering how cataclysmic an event that was, the 1913 version is disappointingly similar to that of 1922. The gravity is only 4º higher, making the fall across the war a mere 7.5%. About a third of the average gravity drop.
Other than the lack of flaked maize in 1913, the recipes are very similar. Consisting of just pale malt and an unspecified type of sugar. I’ve guessed No. 2 invert for the latter. The pale malt was half from UK barley and half from “foreign”.
The hopping rate is identical to 1922. Then why are the quantities in this recipe? Because of the age of the hops. Around a third were from the 1909 harvest, 17% from the most recent crop of 1912 and the remainder from 1911. Five of the six types of hops were English and one Californian.
1913 Boddington IP | ||
pale malt | 10.50 lb | 91.30% |
No. 2 invert sugar | 1.00 lb | 8.70% |
Cluster 150 mins | 0.50 oz | |
Fuggles 150 mins | 0.25 oz | |
Fuggles 90 mins | 0.75 oz | |
Goldings 30 mins | 0.75 oz | |
Goldings dry hops | 0.67 oz | |
OG | 1052 | |
FG | 1015 | |
ABV | 4.89 | |
Apparent attenuation | 71.15% | |
IBU | 32 | |
SRM | 7 | |
Mash at | 154º F | |
Sparge at | 168º F | |
Boil time | 150 minutes | |
pitching temp | 62º F | |
Yeast | Wyeast 1318 London ale III (Boddingtons) |
Something that has long intrigued me: the use of US Clusters was originally somewhat frowned upon in the UK and also Australia due to the "blackcurrant" notes. Then gradually it became part of "the taste" of a number of beers.
ReplyDeleteBrewing a version of a 1955 IP there are no clusters, but one of the hops is Bramling Cross, also characterised by a supposed blackcurrant note.
Was BC first developed as a "domestic" cluster to replace imports, or is that pure speculation?
Mike in NSW,
ReplyDeleteI think most of the new varieties developed in the UK in the first half of the first half of the 29th century were intended to replace high-alpha US hops.
Yes I often find hops such as Challenger and Northdown almost US, with the citrus notes.
ReplyDeleteI'd guess that after the War as well, there wouldn't have been the armies of cheap labour at harvest time so you'd need to grow varieties that gave you more bang for the buck.
Why go hop picking for your holiday when you can now afford to go to those new Butlins Places and stay in a cabin a bit more deluxe than on a hop farm!!