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25-08-2015, 07:11
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Brewing records often contain more information than just a record of a particular brew. Things like the amount of tax paid in a month. And from that it’s possible to pluck other handy stuff. Like how much was being brewed of each type of beer.
Here’s an example from Adnams:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXF0UKO41AY/VdWakLijstI/AAAAAAAAYEU/VFh9gdU0vTU/s640/Adnams_duty_April_1940.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXF0UKO41AY/VdWakLijstI/AAAAAAAAYEU/VFh9gdU0vTU/s1600/Adnams_duty_April_1940.jpg)
It’s simple enough to use the amount of duty paid to work out which beer it refers to. There only were four beers and each had a different gravity. Though it is slightly complicated by it being a month when the rate of duty increased, meaning there are two sets of figures for each beer.
This is what I derived from the information:
Adnams output in April 1940
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1029
790.50
28,458
66.89%
PA
1039
201.08
7,239
17.02%
DS
1042
46.42
1,671
3.93%
XXXX
1055
143.75
5,175
12.16%
total
1,181.75
42,543
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 27
Basically, it tells us that Adnams brewed mostly Mild. It amounted to more than two thirds of their output, the other third mostly being split fairly evenly between Bitter and Old Ale. Only tiny amounts of Stout were brewed.
A few months later and there had been some changes:
Adnams output in August 1940
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
134.64
4,847
8.55%
XX
1028
132.56
4,772
8.42%
XX
1029
911.14
32,801
57.87%
PA
1039
301.83
10,866
19.17%
DS
1042
46.42
1,671
2.95%
XXXX
1055
47.83
1,722
3.04%
total
1,574.42
56,679
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 27
Total production had increased a fair bit, from 1,181 barrels to almost 1,600 barrels. Three quarters was now Mild and output of Old Ale had declined considerably. While the percentage of Bitter produced had increased a little.
A few year further into the war and the beer range was down to just three:
Adnams output in March 1944
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
1,137.97
40,967
64.48%
PA
1036
458.11
16,492
25.96%
DS
1039
168.72
6,074
9.56%
total
1,764.81
63,533
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 31
Total output was up again, as was the percentage of Bitter brewed. Surprisingly, the amount of Stout had increased, too. But there may well have been several months’ supply brewed in March, as there was none made the following month or in July:
Adnams output in April 1944
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
1,051.64
37,859
66.62%
PA
1036
526.83
18,966
33.38%
total
1,578.47
56,825
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 31
Adnams output in July 1944
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
1,310.08
47,163
76.88%
PA
1036
393.97
14,183
23.12%
total
1,704.06
61,346
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 31
By the time the war was just about over the proportion of Bitter brewed had just about doubled compared to 1940:
Adnams output in March 1945
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
1,140.28
41,050
66.11%
PA
1036
524.69
18,889
30.42%
DS
1039
59.89
2,156
3.47%
total
1,724.86
62,095
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 32
By 1951 the amount brewed was back down to around the level of 1940:
Adnams output in September 1951
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XXX
1031
736.19
26,503
59.58%
PA
1036
450.81
16,229
36.48%
DS
1039
48.61
1,750
3.93%
XXXX
1054
33.94
1,222
2.75%
total
1,235.61
44,482
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 32
And Bitter was rapidly closing in on Mild. The Old Ale was back, but far less was brewed than in 1940. Though, surprisingly, the gravity of XXXX was just about at its pre-war level.
I think we’ve learned some useful stuff about the long slow swing from Mild to Bitter. Looks to me as if WW II spurred it along.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2015/08/adnams-output-by-type-1940-1951.html)
Brewing records often contain more information than just a record of a particular brew. Things like the amount of tax paid in a month. And from that it’s possible to pluck other handy stuff. Like how much was being brewed of each type of beer.
Here’s an example from Adnams:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXF0UKO41AY/VdWakLijstI/AAAAAAAAYEU/VFh9gdU0vTU/s640/Adnams_duty_April_1940.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXF0UKO41AY/VdWakLijstI/AAAAAAAAYEU/VFh9gdU0vTU/s1600/Adnams_duty_April_1940.jpg)
It’s simple enough to use the amount of duty paid to work out which beer it refers to. There only were four beers and each had a different gravity. Though it is slightly complicated by it being a month when the rate of duty increased, meaning there are two sets of figures for each beer.
This is what I derived from the information:
Adnams output in April 1940
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1029
790.50
28,458
66.89%
PA
1039
201.08
7,239
17.02%
DS
1042
46.42
1,671
3.93%
XXXX
1055
143.75
5,175
12.16%
total
1,181.75
42,543
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 27
Basically, it tells us that Adnams brewed mostly Mild. It amounted to more than two thirds of their output, the other third mostly being split fairly evenly between Bitter and Old Ale. Only tiny amounts of Stout were brewed.
A few months later and there had been some changes:
Adnams output in August 1940
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
134.64
4,847
8.55%
XX
1028
132.56
4,772
8.42%
XX
1029
911.14
32,801
57.87%
PA
1039
301.83
10,866
19.17%
DS
1042
46.42
1,671
2.95%
XXXX
1055
47.83
1,722
3.04%
total
1,574.42
56,679
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 27
Total production had increased a fair bit, from 1,181 barrels to almost 1,600 barrels. Three quarters was now Mild and output of Old Ale had declined considerably. While the percentage of Bitter produced had increased a little.
A few year further into the war and the beer range was down to just three:
Adnams output in March 1944
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
1,137.97
40,967
64.48%
PA
1036
458.11
16,492
25.96%
DS
1039
168.72
6,074
9.56%
total
1,764.81
63,533
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 31
Total output was up again, as was the percentage of Bitter brewed. Surprisingly, the amount of Stout had increased, too. But there may well have been several months’ supply brewed in March, as there was none made the following month or in July:
Adnams output in April 1944
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
1,051.64
37,859
66.62%
PA
1036
526.83
18,966
33.38%
total
1,578.47
56,825
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 31
Adnams output in July 1944
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
1,310.08
47,163
76.88%
PA
1036
393.97
14,183
23.12%
total
1,704.06
61,346
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 31
By the time the war was just about over the proportion of Bitter brewed had just about doubled compared to 1940:
Adnams output in March 1945
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XX
1027
1,140.28
41,050
66.11%
PA
1036
524.69
18,889
30.42%
DS
1039
59.89
2,156
3.47%
total
1,724.86
62,095
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 32
By 1951 the amount brewed was back down to around the level of 1940:
Adnams output in September 1951
beer
OG
barrels
gallons
% of total
XXX
1031
736.19
26,503
59.58%
PA
1036
450.81
16,229
36.48%
DS
1039
48.61
1,750
3.93%
XXXX
1054
33.94
1,222
2.75%
total
1,235.61
44,482
Source:
Adnams brewing record Book 32
And Bitter was rapidly closing in on Mild. The Old Ale was back, but far less was brewed than in 1940. Though, surprisingly, the gravity of XXXX was just about at its pre-war level.
I think we’ve learned some useful stuff about the long slow swing from Mild to Bitter. Looks to me as if WW II spurred it along.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2015/08/adnams-output-by-type-1940-1951.html)