Let's Brew Wednesday - 1913 Boddington IP

IP – which presumably stood for India Pale – was a very long-lived beer. Or rather, is, as it was the brewhouse name for Boddington Bitter right up until the brewery’s closure. And, wherever it’s currently brewed, the beer still exists.

By the time Strangeways closed, IP made up the vast majority of the beer it produced, with just a tiny quantity of Mild trickling out. Back before WW I, it accounted for only about 5% of production. The vast majority of production being either Mild or one of the weaker Pale Ales.

For a top of the range Pale Ale, it’s on the weaker side. Those from large London brewers were around 1060º. Though it didn’t fare too badly during WW I, being 1049º in 1923.

There’s not much to the grist. Two types of pale malt – English and foreign – and sugar. Exactly which type of sugar isn’t specified. I’ve guessed at No. 2 invert. But it could just as easily have been No. 1 or something else entirely. It’s impossible to know for certain.

Much more complexity was evident in the hops, with no fewer than five English types from the 1909, 1909, 1911, 1911 and 1912 harvests, along with Californian from 1911. Not exactly the freshest.

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)