I couldn’t miss this iconic beer. Even if it’s iconic for all the wrong reasons. Gaining a reputation as the classic terrible beer. But was it intrinsically awful?
The recipe doesn’t look much different to other Bitters of the day. It’s over 90% malt, which most of its rivals weren’t. And it’s only malt and sugar. There are no adjuncts. There was a little Dixon’s enzymic malt, which I’ve replaced with more base malt.
The hopping looks fine, too: Fuggles for bittering and Goldings for aroma. And enough to leave a decent degree of bitterness. Dry-hopped, too. Though that was with some form of hop concentrate.
Overall, it looks like a pretty decent beer. That’s before it was pasteurised. Derek Prentice told me that the Truman’s beers of this period always tasted stale because of the heavy pasteurisation. Perhaps that was also the case with Red Barrel.
| 1970 Watneys Red Barrel | ||
| pale malt | 7.50 lb | 87.41% |
| crystal malt 60 L | 0.33 lb | 3.85% |
| No. 3 invert sugar | 0.50 lb | 5.83% |
| malt extract | 0.25 lb | 2.91% |
| Fuggles 105 min | 1.75 oz | |
| Goldings 15 min | 0.75 oz | |
| Goldings dry hops | 0.125 oz | |
| OG | 1039.2 | |
| FG | 1006 | |
| ABV | 4.39 | |
| Apparent attenuation | 84.69% | |
| IBU | 32 | |
| SRM | 8 | |
| Mash at | 158º F | |
| Sparge at | 175º F | |
| Boil time | 75 minutes | |
| pitching temp | 60º F | |
| Yeast | WLP023 Burton Ale | |
Red Barrel was withdrawn the following year, at Easter 1971, aN
ReplyDeleteRed Barrel was withdrawn the following year, and replaced at Easter 1971 by Watney's Red. Now THAT was a truly awful beer: when I was living in Brighton/Hove circa 1972-4 I really couldn't drink it, it was so bad. Ironically, as I love pointing out, Red Barrel disappeared at almost exactly the same time the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale (sic) was founded.
ReplyDeleteThat's an impressive attenuation for such a high mash temperature.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder what the IBU of Smithwicks was at this stage.
ReplyDeleteOscar
Newbie question - what does attenuation have to do with mash temperature?
ReplyDeleteHigher mash temperatures allow different enzymes to dominate in the conversion of starch into sugar, leading to a higher proportion of unfermentable sugars in the wort. This will lead to lower attenuation and a higher finishing gravity.
DeleteIn the late 1960s / early 70s, I had no idea about beer recipes, hop profiles, yeasts, attenuation, or indeed, very little about brewing at all. However, I can say, unequivocally, that Red Barrel (as offered in the South of the UK) was really terrible. As I remember, tasting pretty much like dirty water, with a second hand teabag squeezed in it (mind you, we were mosly then drinking by choice, King & Barnes, Gales & Harvey's). My Girl friends parents ran a successful Watneys pub at the time. But the only way to drink Red Barrel there, was to mix it with White Shield, which they incidentally sold quite a lot of.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that Watney's red which replaced red barrel in 1971 was even worse.
DeleteOscar
Anonymous,
ReplyDeletea higher mash temperature produces more less easily fermented sugars. Hence tends to reduce attenuation.
Thanks Ron - I get it now!
DeleteI remember a joke about red barrel being like having s++ in a canoe. I won’t repeat the punch line.
ReplyDeleteWatney's Red Barrel was available in the U.S. from the keg at the taverns in the late 1970s/early 1980s. While it may have been despised by you Brits, it was a breath of fresh air compared to the U.S. factory lagers that were the only thing available on tap at the time.
ReplyDeleteIt was sold in Ireland from the 1960’s to 1970’s with Watneys even buying a small majority share in Murphys which lasted until the late 1970’s.
DeleteOscar