Wednesday, 21 May 2025

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1897 Eldridge Pope XXX

An Eldridge Pope Dorset Brown Ale label featuring a monocled huntsman holding a glass of beer.

In addition to their standard Mild, Eldridge Pope also had something a little stronger. In the form of XXX.

An Eldridge Pope price list from 1890 has different types of XXX.:

M XXX Burton Ale
XXX Old or Mild Ale 

Not sure which one of the three this is.

The ingredients are exactly the same as in XX. Though the proportions aren’t the same. As all the extra gravity comes from more base malt. The quantities of flaked maize and sugar remaining exactly the same. Still none the wiser as to exactly what type of sugar that was.

Half the malt was made from English barley, the rest from what’s simply described as “foreign”. Which doesn’t narrow down the origin much. Could be California, Chile, Australia, Hungary, the Middle East. Anywhere malting barley was grown, really.

There were only two types of hops, both English. Neither with any indication of vintage. 

1897 Eldridge Pope XXX
pale malt 12.25 lb 85.96%
flaked maize 0.50 lb 3.51%
No. 2 invert sugar 1.50 lb 10.53%
Fuggles 150 mins 1.75 oz
Fuggles 30 mins 1.75 oz
OG 1065
FG 1019
ABV 6.09
Apparent attenuation 70.77%
IBU 38
SRM 9
Mash at 151º F
Sparge at 170º F
Boil time 150 minutes
pitching temp 60º F
Yeast White Labs WLP099 Super High Gravity


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