Let's Brew Wednesday - 1912 Crowley AK

You’re probably starting to realise just how common the name AK was before WW I. Being brewed by dozens of breweries across England. It was only after the gravity reductions of the two world wars WW I that the style began dying out.

This looks like a pretty typical example, with a gravity in the mid 1040ºs, light body and relatively modest hopping (for the time). A classic Light Bitter.

The recipe is wonderfully simple. Just two types of pale malt along with some No. 3 invert sugar. Oh, and a ting amount of malt extract, which I’ve omitted as the quantity was so small. I assume that it was included to add extra enzymes.

Not much complication with the hopping, either. There are two types of English hops, both from the 1911 harvest.
 

1912 Crowley AK
pale malt	9.50 lb	92.68%
No. 3 invert sugar	0.75 lb	7.32%
Fuggles 120 mins	1.00 oz
Fuggles 90 mins	1.00 oz
Goldings 30 mins	0.75 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.25 oz
OG	1046
FG	1010
ABV	4.76
Apparent attenuation	78.26%
IBU	36
SRM	8
Mash at	150º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	120 minutes
pitching temp	59º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley ale