Let's Brew Wednesday - 1940 Adnams XXXX

While it might have been no surprise that weedy XX was able to hold onto its gravity, it’s more of a shock to see a beer of XXX’s strength unaffected.

It remains pretty much a double-strength version of XX. So the designation XXXX isn’t unwarranted. The recipe is still identical to that of XX, other than the quantity of water. Meaning the replacement of 1 quarter of No. 3 invert sugar with an extra quarter of base malt. Of which there are two types, both English.

The principal difference with XX, other than the quantity of water, was still the hopping rate: 7 lbs per quarter (336 lbs) of malt, as opposed to 5 lbs. Making it quite heavily hopped for a dark beer. Especially one brewed out in the sticks like this.

Three types of English hops were used. Though not exactly the same three types as in XX. As with PA, the dry hopping is very heavy, though not quite so unexpected due to the higher gravity.

XXXX seems to have been discontinued in 1940 and only reappeared in 1949.

1940 Adnams XXXX
mild malt	10.25 lb	84.85%
crystal malt 80 L	0.50 lb	4.14%
amber malt	0.50 lb	4.14%
No. 3 invert sugar	0.75 lb	6.21%
caramel 2000 SRM	0.08 lb	0.66%
Fuggles 120 mins	1.00 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	1.00 oz
Fuggles 30 mins	1.00 oz
Goldings dry hops	1.00 oz
OG	1055
FG	1017.5
ABV	4.96
Apparent attenuation	68.18%
IBU	35
SRM	20
Mash at	147º F
After underlet	154º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	120 minutes
pitching temp	59.5º F
Yeast	WLP025 Southwold

 

This recipe is from my recently-released Blitzkrieg!, the definitive book on brewing during WW II.

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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.

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