Monday 15 November 2021

London Stock Pale Ale 1900 - 1914

Time to look at the situation after the turn of the 20th century.

In the run up to WW I, gravities dipped a little in reaction to tax increases. Falling by a couple of degrees. There was a corresponding small decrease in the alcohol content. It should be borne in mind that, at the time of sale, the ABV would have been higher as the FG given here is the racking gravity, before secondary fermentation.

The drop in hopping was even more pronounces, averaging around 12%. However, if you look at the rates for just before WW I, the difference is even greater. The fall in the Whitbread version between 1895 and 1914 was a full 25%. Such a large change must have had an impact on the character of the beer.

As in the earlier period, the FG at time of sale would have been lower than the racking gravity listed in the brewing records and my table. I would have expected all of the examples to hit at least 80% apparent attenuation.

London Stock Pale Ale 1900 - 1914
Year Brewer Beer OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/brl
1900 Barclay Perkins PA 1060.0 1017.0 5.69 71.67% 11.38 4.00
1908 Barclay Perkins PA 1060.4 1011.5 6.47 80.96% 12.00 3.00
1902 Fullers IPA 1054.0 1011.4 5.64 78.97% 10.44 2.36
1910 Fullers PA 1054.2 1012.2 5.55 77.49% 8.92 2.15
1914 Fullers PA 1054.2 1012.2 5.56 77.52% 8.14 1.98
1901 Whitbread PA 1057.6 1016.0 5.51 72.23% 11.01 2.88
1905 Whitbread PA 1063.2 1021.0 5.58 66.75% 12.02 3.45
1910 Whitbread PA 1060.6 1022.0 5.11 63.70% 8.87 2.38
1914 Whitbread PA 1061.0 1021.0 5.29 65.59% 9.00 2.36
  Average   1058.4 1016.0 5.60 72.76% 10.20 2.73
Sources:
Barclay Perkins brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers ACC/2305/1/593, ACC/2305/1/605.
Fullers brewing records held at the brewery.
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers LMA/4453/D/01/066, LMA/4453/D/01/070, LMA/4453/D/01/075, LMA/4453/D/01/079.

3 comments:

Mike in NSW said...

Ron I expect you are quite familiar with this source but the Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911 edition is a goldmine of information about brewing in general in that era:

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Brewing

Anonymous said...

What is the volume of 1 barrel?

Ron Pattinson said...

Anonymous,

36 Imperial gallons, or 164 litres.