Let's Brew - 1887 Fullers IPA

Here’s a perfect example of a London Pale Ale, which I recently defined. “But it’s called IPA”, I hear you say. Very true. But the distinction between Pale Ale and IPA was very vague in the 19th century. And a couple of decades later the name of this beer was changed to Pale Ale without any change in the recipe.

As this would have been a Stock Pale Ale, aged for many months before sale and undergoing a secondary Brettanomyces fermentation the FG would have been lower when it finally hit the pub. And the ABV somewhat higher, probably around 6%.

All of Fuller’s Pale Ales, despite not being parti-gyled together at this point, had essentially the same recipe. This is simply a scaled-up XKK. With an equally similar grist of just paler malt and an unspecified type of sugar.

Three types of hops again, all from the 1886 harvest and I assume all English. One is the enigmatic HB, another East Kent and the third illegible. I’ve plumped for a combination of Fuggles and Goldings. The dry hops are a total guess.

1887 Fullers IPA
pale malt	10.50 lb	80.77%
No. 2 invert sugar	2.50 lb	19.23%
Fuggles 90 mins	2.50 oz
Goldings 60 mins	2.50 oz
Goldings 30 mins	2.50 oz
Goldings dry hops	1.00 oz
OG	1060
FG	1018
ABV	5.56
Apparent attenuation	70.00%
IBU	86
SRM	10
Mash at	152º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	57º F
Yeast	WLP002 English Ale