Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1885 Thomas Usher 54/- M

A Thomas Usher Brown Ale label featuring a six-pointed star.
I collected plenty of new photos of Usher's records last week. But, as I've just started processing them,  this is from a previous harvest. And an interesting use of a Shilling designation.

Rather confusingly, 54/- M is quite a bit stronger than 60/- B. I’m guessing that the “M” stands for Mild. But no idea why that would make it stronger. Maybe I’m looking at this the wrong way, expecting consistency in brewhouse names. Especially in Scotland.

The recipe is exactly the same for 60/- B. Because the two were parti-gyled together. The Scots were dead keen on parti-gyling. Other than William Younger. Reaching its pinnacle after WW I, when breweries, such as Maclay, just had one recipe.

Which doesn’t leave much more to say. Other than this is just a soup-up version of 60/- B.

1885 Thomas Usher 54/- M
pale malt 4.25 lb 32.69%
Munich malt 7.25 lb 55.77%
No. 2 invert sugar 1.50 lb 11.54%
Cluster 120 min 1.75 oz
Strisselspalt 30 min 1.25 oz
Goldings dry hops 0.25 oz
OG 1062
FG 1023
ABV 5.16
Apparent attenuation 62.90%
IBU 44
SRM 11
Mash at 152º F
Sparge at 175º F
Boil time 120 minutes
pitching temp 59º F
Yeast WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

 

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