Let's Brew - 1960 Youngs X Ale

At the start of the 1960s, Youngs were still brewing pretty large quantities of Mild. By the end of the decade, they were making rather less. As Mild rapidly fell out of favour in London.

It’s a fairly typical Mild of the period, being dark and pretty watery. The grist is quite simple, just mild and crystal malt along with some flaked maize and sugar. At least, I think it’s flaked maize. It just says “flakes” in the brewing record. In the 1980s and 1990s, that was flaked torrefied barley. I’m guessing that in these earlier records, it means the more usual flaked maize.

There were two types of sugar: No. 3 invert and CDM (Caramelised Dextro-Maltose). For the latter, I’ve substituted straight caramel. Which should be close enough. Unless, by some miracle, you can get hold of real CDM.

Two types of English hops, one from the 1958 harvest and one from 1959. 

1960 Youngs X Ale
mild malt	4.50 lb	67.75%
crystal malt 150 L	0.50 lb	7.53%
flaked maize	1.00 lb	15.05%
pale malt extract	0.1875 lb	2.82%
No. 3 invert	0.33 lb	4.97%
caramel 500 SRM	0.125 lb	1.88%
Fuggles 105 min	1.25 oz
OG	1031
FG	1005.5
ABV	3.37
Apparent attenuation	82.26%
IBU	19
SRM	18
Mash at	150º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	105 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	WLP002 English Ale

 

 

Listen to brewer John Hatch explain how they brewed at Youngs in the 1990s.