Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Adnams sugars in 1913

An Adnams Fisherman Strong Ale label with a fisherman wearing rain gear and smoking a pipe.
Sugars are always fun. At least in this case there are no weird proprietary sugars. Many of which leave me totally stumped.

The total sugar content is a little on the high side at 16% to 18%. While the average sugar usage for whole country was 13% in 1913. 

No. 1 invert appears in both the Pale Ales and Tally Ho. It’s exactly the type of sugar that you would expect in Pale Ales, being very light in colour

The darker beers – the two Mild Ales and the Stouts – contain rather large amounts of glucose. So, half invert. A bit surprising, as it would have been very pale in colour. And would have lightened the colour, especially in the quantities used.

Counteracting that, there’s a very dark sugar, CDM (Caramelised Dextro-Maltose) in both Stouts. Dextrin not being very readily fermentable, this would have added body as well as colour.

The final sugar type is Tintose. Which, judging by its name and the tiny quantities used, was a type of caramel. It appears in both the Mild Ales and Tally Ho. 

Adnams sugars in 1913
Beer Style no. 1 sugar glucose CDM Tintose total sugar
X Mild Ale   15.84%   0.99% 16.83%
XX Mild Ale   17.41%   0.97% 18.38%
BLB Pale Ale 16.00%       16.00%
PA Pale Ale 9.30%       9.30%
BS Stout   14.16% 3.54%   17.70%
DS Stout   13.11% 3.28%   16.39%
Tally Ho Old Ale 15.53%     0.64% 16.16%
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 1 held at the brewery.

 

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