Friday 19 April 2024

Thomas Usher sugars in 1894

Every beer, except for Export Stout, contains some sugar. Not really much of a surprise that. Though there’s a big variation in the quantity, from 5% all the way to 25%.

Joint most common type, Garton, is almost certainly some sort of invert. Garton just being the manufacturer. It could well be one of the numbered inverts. Sharing joint first is something described as “cane”. By which they probably mean raw cane sugar.

One Stout contains CDM (Caramelised Dextro-Maltose), a less easily fermentable sugar which would have added body and colour.

I’ve no idea what the other sugar was. The description is illegible. At least to me. 

Thomas Usher sugars in 1894
Beer Style Garton cane CDM other sugar total sugar
XX 60/- Mild       5.97% 5.97%
50/- Br Ale 8.93%     5.36% 14.29%
60/- Ale   25.00%     25.00%
60/- Br Ale 8.93%     5.36% 14.29%
80/- Ale   25.00%     25.00%
100/- Ale   25.00%     25.00%
3 XX Stock Ale 4.76%       4.76%
IP IPA 8.93%     5.36% 14.29%
PA Pale Ale   25.00%     25.00%
PA 60/- Pale Ale 8.93%     5.36% 14.29%
Stout Stout   19.80% 5.94%   25.74%
Stout Export Stout         0.00%
Source:
Thomas Usher brewing record held at the Scottish Brewing Archives, document number TU/6/1/2.

2 comments:

Tandleman said...

Pub I used to work in sold Ushers Dark Heavy. It changed its name to Lorimer's sometime around 1975.

The slogan was "Thomas Usher- Master Brewer. Dark Heavy- Master Brew. It was OK as I recall. Back in the Sunday closing days we used to get trainloads from Galsgow as we were a bona fide inn and therefore open. We charged more on that day, but our captive audience didn't care. If they didn't specify McEwans, they got Ushers. Bigger margin.

Bribie G said...

Tandleman that mention of Lorimers took me right back to my 20s on Tyneside. Part of the sprawling Vaux empire. In most pubs north of the Tyne you got Scottish and Newcastle's McEwan's Scotch and south of the Tyne it was mostly Lorimers Scotch. I preferred the Lorimers. Both beers were delivered by tanker and served on electric pump so were not fizzy and were about the nearest you could get to real ale in the region!