Saturday, 30 October 2010

Meux beers in 1921

Inspired by this post of Zythophile about the Meux vat-bursting disaster, here are some beers from the Tottenham Court Road Brewery.

Not a very large table, I'm afraid. And a couple of the beers - those from November - almost certainly weren't brewed there. According to Zythophile the brewery on Tottenham Court Road closed sometime in the autumn of 1921. Brewing was moved to the Nine Elms brewery in Wandsworth, also owned by Meux.


Meux beers in 1921
Date
Year
Beer
Style
Price
size
package
FG
OG
ABV
atten-uation
09
1921
Original London Stout
Stout
8.5d
half pint
bottled
1014.3
1066.1
6.76
78.37%
09
1921
Brown London Stout
Stout
17d
quart
bottled
1010
1045.2
4.58
77.88%
09
1921
Oatmeal Stout
Stout
9d
pint
bottled
1010.6
1044.3
4.38
76.07%
09
1921
London Pale Ale
Pale Ale
8d
pint
bottled
1004.5
1037.1
4.25
87.87%
09
1921
Brown London Stout
Stout
17d
quart
bottled
1010.3
1042.5
4.18
75.76%
02
1921
X
Mild
7d
pint
draught
1006.4
1038.9
4.23
83.55%
02
1921
Stout
Stout
9d
pint
draught
1010.7
1047.5
4.79
77.47%
11
1921
Stout
Stout
9d
pint
draught
1012.8
1057.3
5.80
77.66%
11
1921
Stout
Stout
9d
pint
draught
1013.5
1056.4
5.58
76.06%
Source:
Whitbread Gravity Book


This is the advert from the Times of 16th July 1921 advertising the sale of the brewery's equipment:




And this the advert from the Times of 23rd February 1922 advertising the sale of the site:



And here's a map of what was up for sale:


Given the location, it must have been worth a bob or two.

Friday, 29 October 2010

Still not done with hop additions

Great topic hop additions. I reckon I can easily stretch it out for another month or two.

We're in the 19th century still. In fact just a couple of years after the last text I regurgitated for you.

"The Distribution Of Hops.

When boiling in a single length, all the hops would be added directly the wort boils, or very shortly after, in the case of running ales, and of such beers as are relatively lightly hopped, and in which the delicacy of hop flavour is of secondary importance. In the case of pale ales, however, as has been already stated, it is well to retain about one-tenth to one-sixth of the hops for addition about a quarter of an hour before turning out. These latter hops—which should be the most delicate of those used—will contribute their full amount of hop oil, the period of boiling being insufficient to expel any appreciable fraction of it The spent hops from a single boiling, are either sparged in hop-backs, or pressed, to wash or extract from them the wort which they hold, and the bittering principles which they are yet capable of yielding. The pressing of hops, however, is not advisable, except in the case of the very finest. Inferior hops yield under this system a coarse and harsh bitter flavour, which is distinctly disagreeable.

In the double copper system, it is advisable, in higher class ales, to split up the hops between the first and second coppers, generally in the proportions of two-thirds to the first, and one third to the other. When a large proportion of hops is not used, a certain portion of the spent hops from the first copper can be returned to the second, and boiled together with the fresh hops reserved for that purpose. It is also advisable, and for the grounds previously stated, to reserve about one-tenth to one-sixth of the fresh hops destined for the first copper, for addition shortly before turning out As before, the residual wort and bittering substances retained by the hops can be extracted by hop-sparging or hop-pressing.

In the case of lightly hopped running ales, it is usual to put the whole of the fresh hops into the first copper, using for the second or other coppers the spent hops from the first. It is better, however, even in cases of this kind, to reserve a certain portion of fresh hops for the second copper, say one-fourth or one-fifth; for in spent hops from the first copper, the resinous matter will have become hardened and rendered antiseptically inactive, and the tannin will have been nearly all extracted. When this is done, or when the whole of the hops are added to the first copper, it is customary in running ales to return the whole of the first copper hops to the second. In these beers, delicacy of flavour is no great consideration, and any slight bitter harshness will be covered by the greater body of these beers. It is therefore well to obtain as much extract from the hops as they are capable of yielding."
"A text-book of the science of brewing" by Edward Ralph Moritz and George Harris Morris, 1891, pages 265-266.

Let's try and summarise that.

If there's just one wort, add all the hops when the wort starts to boil, except for Pale Ales, where a sixth to a third should be kept until 15 minutes before the end of the boil.

If there are two worts, for running ales, all the hops often go in the first copper and get re-used in the second. Though it's better to save at least a few fresh hops for the second copper. For classier beers, two-thirds of the hops go in the first copper, the other third in the second, with again some added 15 minutes before the end of the boil.

So, Moritz and  Morris only recommend two hops additions for posh Pale Ales. See a pattern emerging here?

Thursday, 28 October 2010

Bokbierfestival 2010

Yes it's that time of year again. Time for the Bokbierfestival.

It's not just in my hometown, it's also once of the oldest beer festivals around. Now I'll be honest with you. It isn't one of my favourites. Partly because of the limited range of beers on sale (just Bokbiers). And the fact that it gets full of loud, pissed-up twats in the evening. And the music is too loud.

But nowhere's perfect. I have my own plan: turn up early and piss off when the idiots arrive. A nice leisurely afternoon session when it's nice and quiet.

I'll be there soon after 12:00 on Saturday. Should you have the urge to press beer or money upon me, I'll either be hogging one of the scarce seats. Or hanging around the bookstall.


33rd PINT Bokbierfestival
29th, 30th and 31st October 2010
in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam.

Opening times:
Friday 29th 17:00-23:00
Saturday 30th 12:00-23:00
Sunday 31st 12:00-19:00

Courage Strong Ale 1914 - 1917

We've just about done with Courage's beers during WW I. Just the Strong Ale to go. Isn't that a relief?

Let's kick off with the table:


Courage Strong Ale 1914 -1917
Date
Year
Beer
Style
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
Pitch temp
dry hops (oz / barrel)
pale malt
black malt
no. 3 sugar
other sugar
I.M. Co.
total
22nd Oct
1914
XX
Strong Ale
1079.22
1033.24
6.08
58.04%
10.00
3.07
2
2.5
1
60º
8.00
67.16%


14.93%
17.91%
100.00%
4th Mar
1915
XX
Strong Ale
1079.22
1033.24
6.08
58.04%
11.00
3.53
2
2.5
1
60º
8.00
67.16%


14.93%
17.91%
100.00%
5th Oct
1915
KK
Strong Ale
1076.18
1017.73
7.73
76.73%
10.00
3.10
2
2.5
1
60º

85.07%


14.93%

100.00%
19th Oct
1915
KK
Strong Ale
1076.18
1016.62
7.88
78.18%
10.00
3.10
2
2
1
60º

85.07%


14.93%

100.00%
5th Jul
1916
KK
Strong Ale
1076.18
1027.70
6.41
63.64%
11.00
3.42
2
2
1
60º

85.07%


14.93%

100.00%
4th Jan
1917
KK
Strong Ale
1075.34
1027.42
6.34
63.60%
11.51
3.54
2
2
1
60º
8.05
83.95%
1.33%
14.73%


100.00%
18th Oct
1917
KK
Strong Ale
1072.57
1023.82
6.45
67.18%
12.66
3.63
2
2
1
59º
8.44
83.58%
1.76%
14.66%


100.00%
Source:
Documents held in the Courage Archives and the London Metropolitan Archives: ACC/2305/08/247, ACC/2305/08/248, ACC/2305/08/249



Wondering why there's not much of a cut in the gravity? That's because they discontinued the beer just as the draconian hacking started.

The grists aren't the miost exciting I've ever seen. Pale malt and sugar. With a dash of black malt in 1917. Oh, and I.M. Co (or is it IM C?), whatever that is. Some type of malt, that's for sure. It crops up in Truman's Burton logs, too. Not the foggiest idea what it is.  Any suggestions are welcome.