Let's Brew - 1940 Fullers OBE

Fullers continued to brew their strong Burton at the start of the war. I don’t need to tell you that this wasn’t going to last. This strength of draught beer would soon disappear for around a decade.

OBE was never anything even vaguely resembling a mainstream beer. Few brews even got into double figures in terms of barrel produced. This batch was just 9.75 barrels. Brewed together with 49.25 barrels of BO and 346 barrels of X.

Despite the minute quantities made, Old Burton Extra became something of a legend. Probably on account of its effect on the unwary, who mistook it for a standard-strength Burton Ale. John Keeling once asked me, while we were discussing the Past Masters series: :Which beer do you think we should brew next?” “OBE.” Was my instantaneous reply. 

1940 Fullers OBE
pale malt	13.50 lb	85.04%
flaked rice	1.50 lb	9.45%
Beane's grist	0.125 lb	0.79%
glucose	0.50 lb	3.15%
caramel 1000 SRM	0.25 lb	1.57%
Fuggles 90 mins	1.75 oz
Fuggles 30 mins	1.75 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.50 oz
OG	1069
FG	1022.5
ABV	6.15
Apparent attenuation	67.39%
IBU	38
SRM	19
Mash at	147º F
After underlet	152º F
Sparge at	168º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	WLP002 English Ale

This is an excerpt from my recently-released BlitzKrieg!, the definitive book on brewing during WW II.

Get your copy now!

The second volume contains the recipes. But not just that. There are also overviews of some of the breweries covered, showing their beers at the start and the end of the conflict.

Buy one now and be the envy of your friends!