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11-05-2012, 07:15
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2012/05/british-beer-production-and-average-og.html)
It seems like there's something I've not done for a while. Something that used to be very important. (No, it's not humour or entertainment.) I remember - a big fat juicy table, dripping with number grease. Best put that right.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2vmLFKrvO8A/T6d-Lpki_zI/AAAAAAAAI-g/MHOQDEDGmOc/s320/Blair_Export_Ale.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2vmLFKrvO8A/T6d-Lpki_zI/AAAAAAAAI-g/MHOQDEDGmOc/s1600/Blair_Export_Ale.jpg)
My weekend was great fun. I spent it scanning 1920's and 1930's editions of the Brewers' Journal. "What are you doing with those stinky books, dad?" Lexie asked. "Harvesting numbers." "Dad, that sounds really boring."
It's not exactly my idea of fun, either. But the information I grab is. There was some really useful stuff, hidden away in the old Journals. That's filled a few holes in my Brewers' Almanack derived tables. Like the one below. The larger set of data has revealed some intriguing points.
The first thing I'd like to point out is the disparity in average OG in the different parts of the UK on the eve of WW I. The average OG in Scotland was four points lower than in England and a massive 18 points lower than in Ireland. You can blame Guinness for the high figure in Ireland. Their flagship Extra Stout had an OG of 1075ยบ.
But what I find really fascinating is the difference in the gravity dropped caused by WW I. Between 1914 and 1921, the average OG in Scotland only dropped 5 points. While in England it dropped by 10 points. That's a fall in gravity of 19.3% in England and just 11.2% in Scotland. I wonder why that was.
I've a possible explanation. Exports. The proportion of beer exported was much higher in Scotland. And what was the difference between export and domestic beer between the wars? Export beer continued to be brewed at pre-WW I strengths.
I've sort of got figures for Scottish exports in the 1920's and 1930's. Sort of. I've figures for the number of barrels upon which no duty was charges. The usual reason for that is that the beer was exported. But that's not the only one. The figures for duty-free barrels is about 10% higher than the figures for beer exported. I'll be returning to these figures in detail later, but one point is very significant: after 1927 Scotland was exporting more beer than England.
Beer produced by brewers for sale and average OG 1900 - 1933
England
Scotland
Ireland
United Kingdom
Year
bulk barrels
average OG
bulk barrels
average OG
bulk barrels
average OG
bulk barrels
average OG
1900
32,146,769
-
2,289,048
-
2,669,225
-
37,105,042
1054.93
1905
30,594,189
1052.54
2,021,374
1049.6
2,799,960
1063.49
35,415,523
1053.23
1910
29,284,045
1052.3
1,956,659
1048.48
3,059,210
1064.78
34,299,914
1053.2
1911
29,679,204
1052.03
2,028,710
1048.18
3,215,374
1065.22
34,923,288
1053.02
1912
30,991,776
1051.76
2,153,569
1048.11
3,330,174
1065.43
36,475,519
1052.72
1913
30,758,800
1051.52
2,119,666
1047.85
3,417,851
1065.73
36,296,317
1052.64
1914
31,737,384
1051.69
2,288,481
1047.67
3,532,902
1065.93
37,558,767
1052.80
1915
29,310,783
1051.16
2,042,477
1046.85
3,412,520
1065.93
34,765,780
1052.35
1916
26,914,428
1050.49
1,917,148
1046.45
3,279,032
1066.43
32,110,608
1051.88
1917
25,497,825
1047.01
1,816,003
1043.16
2,850,170
1065.69
30,163,998
1048.54
1918
16,340,250
1038.25
1,141,114
1036.74
1,603,679
1057.89
19,085,043
1039.81
1919
20,133,048
1029.35
1,325,439
1029.77
1,806,046
1044.43
23,264,533
1030.55
1920
29,891,845
1038.57
2,186,604
1038.83
2,969,498
1043.35
35,047,947
1039.41
1921
28,927,178
1041.72
2,096,080
1042.31
3,481,312
1050.18
34,504,570
1042.61
1922
25,468,663
1042.21
1,770,175
1041.68
2,939,893
1049.44
30,178,731
1042.88
1923
22,334,328
1042.82
1,598,339
1041.36
15,984
1037.5
23,948,651
1042.72
1924
23,609,228
1043.18
1,800,687
1041.27
15,102
1037.69
25,425,017
1043.04
1925
24,827,074
1043.24
1,895,535
1041.53
12,216
1038.4
26,734,825
1043.12
1926
24,871,187
1043.34
1,884,933
1041.87
9,490
1036.91
26,765,610
1043.23
1927
23,418,640
1043.35
1,673,576
1042.3
8,245
1038.11
25,100,461
1043.28
England & N. Ireland
Scotland
United Kingdom
1924
23,624,330
1043.17
1,800,687
1041.27
25,425,017
1043.04
1925
24,839,290
1043.24
1,895,535
1041.53
26,734,825
1043.12
1926
24,880,677
1043.34
1,884,933
1041.87
26,765,610
1043.23
1927
23,426,885
1043.35
1,673,576
1042.30
25,100,461
1043.28
1928
23,610,029
1043.34
1,749,725
1042.95
25,359,754
1043.31
1929
22,803,003
1043.20
1,727,152
1043.47
24,530,155
1043.21
1930
23,180,543
1043.01
1,803,625
1043.55
24,984,168
1043.05
1931
22,129,205
1042.68
1,651,579
1042.84
23,780,784
1042.69
1932
19,277,230
1041.14
1,398,153
1041.86
20,675,383
1041.19
1933
16,639,123
1039.59
1,204,456
1041.07
17,843,579
1039.69
Sources:
Brewers' Journal 1920, page 345.
Brewers' Journal 1921, page 246.
Brewers' Almanack 1928, page 110.
Brewers' Journal 1934, page 11.
Wondering why beer production fell so much in 1932 and 1933? A disastrous increase in beer tax which caused output to fall so much that, in fact, less tax was collected. There's a lesson there.
I'll be returning to numbers soon. I've neglected them for far too long.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-6226208780291081008?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2012/05/british-beer-production-and-average-og.html)
It seems like there's something I've not done for a while. Something that used to be very important. (No, it's not humour or entertainment.) I remember - a big fat juicy table, dripping with number grease. Best put that right.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2vmLFKrvO8A/T6d-Lpki_zI/AAAAAAAAI-g/MHOQDEDGmOc/s320/Blair_Export_Ale.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2vmLFKrvO8A/T6d-Lpki_zI/AAAAAAAAI-g/MHOQDEDGmOc/s1600/Blair_Export_Ale.jpg)
My weekend was great fun. I spent it scanning 1920's and 1930's editions of the Brewers' Journal. "What are you doing with those stinky books, dad?" Lexie asked. "Harvesting numbers." "Dad, that sounds really boring."
It's not exactly my idea of fun, either. But the information I grab is. There was some really useful stuff, hidden away in the old Journals. That's filled a few holes in my Brewers' Almanack derived tables. Like the one below. The larger set of data has revealed some intriguing points.
The first thing I'd like to point out is the disparity in average OG in the different parts of the UK on the eve of WW I. The average OG in Scotland was four points lower than in England and a massive 18 points lower than in Ireland. You can blame Guinness for the high figure in Ireland. Their flagship Extra Stout had an OG of 1075ยบ.
But what I find really fascinating is the difference in the gravity dropped caused by WW I. Between 1914 and 1921, the average OG in Scotland only dropped 5 points. While in England it dropped by 10 points. That's a fall in gravity of 19.3% in England and just 11.2% in Scotland. I wonder why that was.
I've a possible explanation. Exports. The proportion of beer exported was much higher in Scotland. And what was the difference between export and domestic beer between the wars? Export beer continued to be brewed at pre-WW I strengths.
I've sort of got figures for Scottish exports in the 1920's and 1930's. Sort of. I've figures for the number of barrels upon which no duty was charges. The usual reason for that is that the beer was exported. But that's not the only one. The figures for duty-free barrels is about 10% higher than the figures for beer exported. I'll be returning to these figures in detail later, but one point is very significant: after 1927 Scotland was exporting more beer than England.
Beer produced by brewers for sale and average OG 1900 - 1933
England
Scotland
Ireland
United Kingdom
Year
bulk barrels
average OG
bulk barrels
average OG
bulk barrels
average OG
bulk barrels
average OG
1900
32,146,769
-
2,289,048
-
2,669,225
-
37,105,042
1054.93
1905
30,594,189
1052.54
2,021,374
1049.6
2,799,960
1063.49
35,415,523
1053.23
1910
29,284,045
1052.3
1,956,659
1048.48
3,059,210
1064.78
34,299,914
1053.2
1911
29,679,204
1052.03
2,028,710
1048.18
3,215,374
1065.22
34,923,288
1053.02
1912
30,991,776
1051.76
2,153,569
1048.11
3,330,174
1065.43
36,475,519
1052.72
1913
30,758,800
1051.52
2,119,666
1047.85
3,417,851
1065.73
36,296,317
1052.64
1914
31,737,384
1051.69
2,288,481
1047.67
3,532,902
1065.93
37,558,767
1052.80
1915
29,310,783
1051.16
2,042,477
1046.85
3,412,520
1065.93
34,765,780
1052.35
1916
26,914,428
1050.49
1,917,148
1046.45
3,279,032
1066.43
32,110,608
1051.88
1917
25,497,825
1047.01
1,816,003
1043.16
2,850,170
1065.69
30,163,998
1048.54
1918
16,340,250
1038.25
1,141,114
1036.74
1,603,679
1057.89
19,085,043
1039.81
1919
20,133,048
1029.35
1,325,439
1029.77
1,806,046
1044.43
23,264,533
1030.55
1920
29,891,845
1038.57
2,186,604
1038.83
2,969,498
1043.35
35,047,947
1039.41
1921
28,927,178
1041.72
2,096,080
1042.31
3,481,312
1050.18
34,504,570
1042.61
1922
25,468,663
1042.21
1,770,175
1041.68
2,939,893
1049.44
30,178,731
1042.88
1923
22,334,328
1042.82
1,598,339
1041.36
15,984
1037.5
23,948,651
1042.72
1924
23,609,228
1043.18
1,800,687
1041.27
15,102
1037.69
25,425,017
1043.04
1925
24,827,074
1043.24
1,895,535
1041.53
12,216
1038.4
26,734,825
1043.12
1926
24,871,187
1043.34
1,884,933
1041.87
9,490
1036.91
26,765,610
1043.23
1927
23,418,640
1043.35
1,673,576
1042.3
8,245
1038.11
25,100,461
1043.28
England & N. Ireland
Scotland
United Kingdom
1924
23,624,330
1043.17
1,800,687
1041.27
25,425,017
1043.04
1925
24,839,290
1043.24
1,895,535
1041.53
26,734,825
1043.12
1926
24,880,677
1043.34
1,884,933
1041.87
26,765,610
1043.23
1927
23,426,885
1043.35
1,673,576
1042.30
25,100,461
1043.28
1928
23,610,029
1043.34
1,749,725
1042.95
25,359,754
1043.31
1929
22,803,003
1043.20
1,727,152
1043.47
24,530,155
1043.21
1930
23,180,543
1043.01
1,803,625
1043.55
24,984,168
1043.05
1931
22,129,205
1042.68
1,651,579
1042.84
23,780,784
1042.69
1932
19,277,230
1041.14
1,398,153
1041.86
20,675,383
1041.19
1933
16,639,123
1039.59
1,204,456
1041.07
17,843,579
1039.69
Sources:
Brewers' Journal 1920, page 345.
Brewers' Journal 1921, page 246.
Brewers' Almanack 1928, page 110.
Brewers' Journal 1934, page 11.
Wondering why beer production fell so much in 1932 and 1933? A disastrous increase in beer tax which caused output to fall so much that, in fact, less tax was collected. There's a lesson there.
I'll be returning to numbers soon. I've neglected them for far too long.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-6226208780291081008?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2012/05/british-beer-production-and-average-og.html)