Let's Brew - 1864 Lovibond XXXX

Top of Lovibond’s Mild pile was, unsurprisingly, XXXX. Which by this point was becoming something of a rarity in London. Whitbread, for example, dropped theirs in the 1840s. Few London brewers had more than an x and an XX in their portfolio in the 1860s.

What’s interesting about this beer is that it specifically states in the brewing record that it was for Christmas. Which is interesting, given that it was brewed on 7th October – a full seven weeks before Christmas Day.

Another interesting fact about this recipe is that it was the basis for a royal wedding beer that Meantime brewed a few years back. I got a few bottles and very nice it was, too. Powerful and complex without being too fussy. These simple recipes can work really well, especially when they have a good dose of Goldings.

As with Lovibond’s other X Ales, the hops were a combination of American and Kent. Though in this case they all seem to have been new, rather a mix of new and yearlings.

The degree of attenuation is surprisingly high for a beer of such a high gravity. Though the long fermentation – a full 14 days – probably helped.

Like all Lovibond’s X Ales, XXXX was fermented quite cool. It was pitched at 56º F but the temperature only rose one degree during fermentation. Which is quite unlike normal practice. I would have expected the fermentation temperature to peak somewhere around 70º F.

1864 Lovibond XXXX
pale malt	21.75 lb	100.00%
Cluster 120 mins	1.75 oz
Goldings 90 mins	1.75 oz
Goldings 30 mins	1.75 oz
OG	1096
FG	1018
ABV	10.32
Apparent attenuation	81.25%
IBU	60
SRM	8.5
Mash at	148º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	120 minutes
pitching temp	55º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

This is one of the dozens of recipes in my book Mild! plus. Which is avaiable in both paperback:

 

and hardback formats:

Random brewery price list - Crowley of Alton

This one isn't an obscure, unimportant brewery. Because this was the brewery founded by James Baverstock in 1763*.

In the 1760's, James Baverstock Jnr. carried out some of the first serious experiments with the thermometer and the hydrometer in the brewery**. It was the beginning of scientific brewing. Which makes the brewery incredibly important in the history of brewing.

The brewery was bought by the Crowley family in 1821 and it operated as Crowly and Co. until it was taken over by Watney in 1947. It must have been a decent size, because it had 248 pubs. It closed in 1970***.

Here are the brewery's beers from 1870:

Salisbury and Winchester Journal - Saturday 19 February 1870, page 4.

Looks like they specialised in Pale Ales, which isn't surprising seeing as they were located in Alton. Which, if you remember from a couple of days back, had similar water to Burton. It's the B that I find interesting. At only 32 shillings a barrel, it can't have been more than about 1045º. Pretty damn weak, even for a Light Bitter, at that time.

What else? A nice use of theterm Imperial Mild. That really is a ting range of Mild Ales. Just a weak and a very strong one. And just one Stout. Like I said, clearly a Pale Ale specialist.

Here's my guess at the gravities:

Crowley beers in 1870
	price per barrel	guess OG
BBB Bitter Ale	54	1065
BB Bitter Ale	44	1055
B Bitter Ale	32	1045
Imperial (Old or Mild)	60	1095
X	36	1055
Stout	54	1085
Porter	36	1055
Source:
Salisbury and Winchester Journal - Saturday 19 February 1870, page 4.

I must do this again. It's so much fun.




* "A Century of British Brewers Plus" by Norman Barber, 205, page 46.
** "A History of Beer and Brewing" by Ian Hornsey, 2003, pages 424 and 426.
*** "A Century of British Brewers Plus" by Norman Barber, 205, page 46.

Imperial Mild

Imperials. Truman. That's what this week is about. Truman and Imperial. (And being sick as a dog at home with only series 3 and 4 of "Goodnight Sweetheart" to keep me company.) Hey. let's put them together! Truman and Imperial. Isn't that brilliant?

Hold on. I have to think about this. Truman - pretty wild, cool, groovy, baby. Imperial - just out of sight, crazy, apeshit. Can you take both at once? I don't want to uberausgegrub you. (Sorry about the incomprehensibility. Medicine's fault. Got me halfgedeutsching.)

I've been stalling. I'd forgotten that I'd already done the recipe. My isn't mind what was it.


With an OG of 1113, do you think Truman's XXXX was a Quadrupel or an Imperial?

Answers on a postcard to"

Beer Classification Institute,
Megalith House,
3rd potato field on the right,
Tristan da Cunha,

Imperial Mild!!!!!!

Finally, as promised, my Imperial Mild recipe. I'm so excited. Are you excited? This is finally it. When I reveal the full glory of Imperial Mild. Or XXXX as Truman called it.

I had to go back a fair bit to find it. All the way to 1832. There is a XXXX Ale in the later logs, but it's got a K stuck on the end. So XXXXK. As I understand London logs, not the same as XXXX at all. K = Keeping = Stock = not mild. This is a super-strength Mild.

Truman 1832 Imperial Mild Ale. That has a ring to it. I'd buy a beer called that. I'm sure plenty of others would, too.

So, recipe time. Yep. Time for the recipe.

It's funny when you have kids. Your perspective on the world changes. I might spend 30 hours a day glued to my computer, but I still do my best to give them the odd tattered rag of my attention.

Andrew: "Let's make a magazine, dad!"
Alexei: "Achey 47!"
Ron: "Good suggestion, Lexie. You can write an article on the AK47. And one on vodka."
Andrew: "WW I: Why it wasn't really that depressing."
Ron: "I'll write an Mild Mania! With a recipe for Truman 1832 Imperial Mild Ale. And more exciting 19th and 20th century Milds."
Andrew: "Brilliant, dad. That'll really draw in the readers."
Ron: "What are we going to call the magazine?"
Alexei: "%^&**&^%^$$%%^^&&!!!!"
Andrew: "Shut up!"
Ron: "Shut up! That's perfect."

Issue 1 of "Shut up!" will be out soon. When I've convinced the kids there's money in it. Just think Mild Mania! 150 years of Mild recipes. And Alexei's take on vodka. If you buy one homebrewing magazine/crazy comic/history book this month, it has to be "Shut up!".