For a start, it’s whittled off 5º of gravity. Leaving it barely over 3% ABV and not much stronger than Ale had been in 1939. There’s also been a big reduction in the hopping rate, down from 6 lbs per quarter (336 lbs) of malt to just 4 lbs.
The result is a pretty weak and lightly-hopped beer. Looking very much like a post-war version of the style.
The recipe itself hasn’t change much. Other than dropping the pale malt and going to a 100% mild malt base. There’s also been in an increase in the proportion of crystal malt and a reduction in No. 3 invert.
Just one type of hops, Sussex from the 1940 season. Which, as this beer was brewed in May, were from the most recent harvest.
| 1941 Youngs X Ale | ||
| mild malt | 5.50 lb | 83.33% |
| crystal malt 120 L | 0.675 lb | 10.23% |
| malt extract | 0.125 lb | 1.89% |
| No. 3 invert sugar | 0.25 lb | 3.79% |
| caramel 1000 SRM | 0.05 lb | 0.76% |
| Fuggles 120 min | 0.50 oz | |
| Fuggles 30 min | 0.50 oz | |
| OG | 1030 | |
| FG | 1006.5 | |
| ABV | 3.11 | |
| Apparent attenuation | 78.33% | |
| IBU | 13 | |
| SRM | 13.5 | |
| Mash at | 152º F | |
| Sparge at | 170º F | |
| Boil time | 120 minutes | |
| pitching temp | 59º F | |
| Yeast | WLP002 English Ale | |
It's interesting to see sugar listed because wartime rationing tends to be really strict. In the US at the time there was a big push to get consumers to replace sugar with malt syrup, and this was despite the US having pretty big native sources of sugar beets and cane.
ReplyDeleteReplacing the ingredient that practically defines a mild ale wouldn't have gone unnoticed by the drinker.
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