Let's Brew - 1898 Cairnes Table Beer

Someone asked if I was going to publish any post-war Irish Mild recipes. Well, no. Because I'm working on a book on a different period. One of the many books I'm working on. But this is a sort of Mild. Albeit from a much earlier period.

Until 1830, Table Beer had been one of the two tax categories. Attracting a tax of two shillings per 36-gallon barrel, compared to the ten shillings due on the other category, Strong Beer.

After the tax on beer was dropped in 1830 and only malt and hopped were taxed, most brewers in England quickly dropped brewing Table Beer. Barclay Perkins persisted for a while with a Table Beer version of Porter, but it was really only in Scotland that the style lived on. William Younger was still brewing one in 1898.

Which is why I was quite surprised to see Cairnes still brewing one at the same late date. How would I classify it? Sort of like a low-gravity Mild Ale. Well, low-gravity for the 19th century.

It’s not a complicated grist. Just base malt, some sugar and a touch of caramel. I’ve no idea what the specific type of sugar was. I’ve picked No. 2 invert as it’s a fairly neutral choice.

All I know about the hops is that they were English. No year or type are listed in the brewing record. Though there is a decent amount of them for a beer of such modest strength. 

1898 Cairnes Table Beer
pale malt	8.75 lb	89.56%
No. 2 invert sugar	1.00 lb	10.24%
caramel 1000 SRM	0.02 lb	0.20%
Goldings 120 mins	1.00 oz
Goldings 60 mins	1.00 oz
Goldings 30 mins	1.00 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.25 oz
OG	1045
FG	1010
ABV	4.63
Apparent attenuation	77.78%
IBU	41
SRM	8
Mash at	153º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	120 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1084 Irish ale