Let's Brew Wednesday - 1887 Fullers XKK

The next Pale Ale at Fullers up the gravity pole from AK was XKK. Only 5º higher in gravity, but far more heavily hopped. Not to be confused with XXK, which was a strong Burton Ale.

The grist is much the same as AK, consisting of just pale malt and an unspecified type of sugar. I’ve gone for No. 2 invert, but who knows what it really was. Unusually, the sugar was added during the second mash rather than the boil.

What more can I say? I know, gypsum was added to the brewing water to “burtonise” it. Something which was pretty standard by this point when brewing Pale Ales. Unless you were in Burton, where the water came conveniently burtonised right out of the well.

There were three types of English hops, all from the 1886 crop: East Kent, Worcester and HB. No idea what that last one might be.

1887 Fullers XKK
pale malt	9.25 lb	78.72%
No. 2 invert sugar	2.50 lb	21.28%
Fuggles 90 mins	2.25 oz
Goldings 60 mins	2.25 oz
Goldings 30 mins	2.25 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.50 oz
OG	1055
FG	1015
ABV	5.29
Apparent attenuation	72.73%
IBU	80
SRM	10.2
Mash at	152º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	56º F
Yeast	WLP002 English Ale