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18-02-2019, 07:18
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Just had my Sundey dinner. A doze now takes preference over writing loads of new words.
Instead, heres a section from one of my recently-published books, Austerity!.
Enjoy, while I head off to the settee to sooze along to Match of the Day.
At a time when the quality of cask beer was often questionable, but bottled beer was rather expensive for the average drinker, Keg Bitter was an attractive proposition Brewers often described it as being bulk bottled beer.
Crystal clear and sparkling, it had the visual characteristics associated with good-quality beer. And, being pasteurised, there was little chance of it turning sour before the keg ran dry.
The first Keg Bitters of the 1950s were promoted as high-class Pale Ales. And that’s where the origin of some truly lay. Double Diamond was a version of Allsopp’s IPA and Ben Truman was the descendent of a 19th-century bottled IPA. These beers were priced according to their perceived prestige. Keg Bitter was, on average, 3d per pint more expensive than an equivalent cask beer.
As brewers moved away from cask-conditioning, mostly for reasons of consistency and convenience, standard Bitters were also presented in keg form. Though still generally at a higher price than the cask version. It’s a trend that continues today: cask is generally cheaper than keg.
As keg began to spread to smaller breweries, more lower-gravity Keg Bitters were brewed. More like Ordinary Bitter than Best Bitter. For the most part, however, they still weren’t cheap.
It’s interesting to note the date when smaller, regional breweries started brewing Keg Bitter: around 1960. Also when they started brewing Lager. That’s probably not a coincidence. There’s overlap in the equipment used to make the two.
Keg Bitter in the 1957 to 1959
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price per pint (d)
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
colour
1959
Simonds
Keg Bitter
22
1037.4
1007.3
3.76
80.48%
19
1959
South London Brewery
Golden Keg
18
1037.9
1005.7
4.03
84.96%
19
1959
Watney
Red Barrel
22
1038.5
1010
3.7
74.03%
24
1959
Flowers
Keg Bitter
22
1039
1010.7
3.54
72.56%
23
1959
Whitbread
Tankard Bitter
22
1039.1
1011.9
3.52
69.57%
22
1957
Watney
Keg Bitter
24
1039.4
1007.6
4.14
80.71%
23
1959
Truman
Keg Bitter
22
1040.5
1008.8
4.12
78.27%
22
1957
Courage & Barclay
Keg Bitter
22
1042.8
1006.6
4.72
84.58%
22
1959
Wm. Younger
Keg Bitter
19
1043.7
1007.8
4.68
82.15%
55
Average
21.4
1039.8
1008.5
4.02
78.60%
25.4
Without Younger
21.75
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Keg Bitter 1960 - 1965
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price per pint (d)
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
colour
1960
Bass
Worthington "E"
18
1041.8
1006.5
4.6
84.45%
1960
Gibbs Mew
Blue Keg Bitter
18
1036
1007.6
3.55
78.89%
25
1960
Ind Coope
Double Diamond
19
1040.2
1010
3.92
75.12%
22
1960
Marston
Burton Keg
21
1036
1006.8
3.65
81.11%
20
1961
Arkells
King Keg
24
1040.5
1007.2
4.16
82.22%
20
1961
Birkenhead Brewery
Keg Gold
20
1043.1
1006.5
4.57
84.92%
23
1961
Brickwoods
Sunshine Keg Bitter
21
1035
1008.4
3.33
76.00%
28
1961
Dryborough
Keg
19
1037.6
1006.8
3.85
81.91%
10
1961
Flowers
Keg
24
1039.3
1012.5
3.35
68.19%
27
1961
Fremlin
Keg
24
1040.4
1005.8
4.33
85.64%
23
1961
Gibbs Mew
Red Keg
22
1040.4
1003.7
4.59
90.84%
21
1961
Gibbs Mew
Blue Keg
18
1034.7
1002.8
3.99
91.93%
24
1961
Home Brewery
5 Star
22
1047.5
1007.7
4.97
83.79%
18
1961
Howcrofts
Silver Keg
15
1037.3
1006.9
3.8
81.50%
20
1961
Lacon
Keg Bitter
24
1040.1
1007.1
4.12
82.29%
17
1961
Starkey, Knight & Ford
Star Keg
23
1042.3
1008
4.29
81.09%
27
1961
Tennant Bros.
Keg Bitter
21
1036.8
1005
3.97
86.41%
15
1961
Threllfalls
Keg Bitter
18
1038.5
1004.9
4.2
87.27%
17
1961
Truman
Keg Bitter
21
1039
1006.2
4.27
84.10%
16
1961
Vaux
Keg Beer
20
1034.8
1002.2
4.07
93.68%
14
1961
West Country Breweries
Star Bright Keg
16
1029.8
1004.6
3.15
84.56%
22
1961
Whitbread
Tankard Bitter
24
1038.6
1011
3.58
71.50%
18
1961
Yates's Castle Brewery
Keg
20
1037.8
1006.8
3.88
82.01%
16
1963
Watney
Red Barrel Ex. PA
31
1047.7
1012.9
4.52
72.96%
20
1964
John Smith
Golden Keg
24
1039.1
1009.4
3.71
75.96%
23
Average
24
1039.1
1009.4
3.71
75.96%
23
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Which Beer Report, 1960, pages 171 - 173.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2019/02/keg-bitter.html)
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Just had my Sundey dinner. A doze now takes preference over writing loads of new words.
Instead, heres a section from one of my recently-published books, Austerity!.
Enjoy, while I head off to the settee to sooze along to Match of the Day.
At a time when the quality of cask beer was often questionable, but bottled beer was rather expensive for the average drinker, Keg Bitter was an attractive proposition Brewers often described it as being bulk bottled beer.
Crystal clear and sparkling, it had the visual characteristics associated with good-quality beer. And, being pasteurised, there was little chance of it turning sour before the keg ran dry.
The first Keg Bitters of the 1950s were promoted as high-class Pale Ales. And that’s where the origin of some truly lay. Double Diamond was a version of Allsopp’s IPA and Ben Truman was the descendent of a 19th-century bottled IPA. These beers were priced according to their perceived prestige. Keg Bitter was, on average, 3d per pint more expensive than an equivalent cask beer.
As brewers moved away from cask-conditioning, mostly for reasons of consistency and convenience, standard Bitters were also presented in keg form. Though still generally at a higher price than the cask version. It’s a trend that continues today: cask is generally cheaper than keg.
As keg began to spread to smaller breweries, more lower-gravity Keg Bitters were brewed. More like Ordinary Bitter than Best Bitter. For the most part, however, they still weren’t cheap.
It’s interesting to note the date when smaller, regional breweries started brewing Keg Bitter: around 1960. Also when they started brewing Lager. That’s probably not a coincidence. There’s overlap in the equipment used to make the two.
Keg Bitter in the 1957 to 1959
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price per pint (d)
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
colour
1959
Simonds
Keg Bitter
22
1037.4
1007.3
3.76
80.48%
19
1959
South London Brewery
Golden Keg
18
1037.9
1005.7
4.03
84.96%
19
1959
Watney
Red Barrel
22
1038.5
1010
3.7
74.03%
24
1959
Flowers
Keg Bitter
22
1039
1010.7
3.54
72.56%
23
1959
Whitbread
Tankard Bitter
22
1039.1
1011.9
3.52
69.57%
22
1957
Watney
Keg Bitter
24
1039.4
1007.6
4.14
80.71%
23
1959
Truman
Keg Bitter
22
1040.5
1008.8
4.12
78.27%
22
1957
Courage & Barclay
Keg Bitter
22
1042.8
1006.6
4.72
84.58%
22
1959
Wm. Younger
Keg Bitter
19
1043.7
1007.8
4.68
82.15%
55
Average
21.4
1039.8
1008.5
4.02
78.60%
25.4
Without Younger
21.75
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Keg Bitter 1960 - 1965
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price per pint (d)
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
colour
1960
Bass
Worthington "E"
18
1041.8
1006.5
4.6
84.45%
1960
Gibbs Mew
Blue Keg Bitter
18
1036
1007.6
3.55
78.89%
25
1960
Ind Coope
Double Diamond
19
1040.2
1010
3.92
75.12%
22
1960
Marston
Burton Keg
21
1036
1006.8
3.65
81.11%
20
1961
Arkells
King Keg
24
1040.5
1007.2
4.16
82.22%
20
1961
Birkenhead Brewery
Keg Gold
20
1043.1
1006.5
4.57
84.92%
23
1961
Brickwoods
Sunshine Keg Bitter
21
1035
1008.4
3.33
76.00%
28
1961
Dryborough
Keg
19
1037.6
1006.8
3.85
81.91%
10
1961
Flowers
Keg
24
1039.3
1012.5
3.35
68.19%
27
1961
Fremlin
Keg
24
1040.4
1005.8
4.33
85.64%
23
1961
Gibbs Mew
Red Keg
22
1040.4
1003.7
4.59
90.84%
21
1961
Gibbs Mew
Blue Keg
18
1034.7
1002.8
3.99
91.93%
24
1961
Home Brewery
5 Star
22
1047.5
1007.7
4.97
83.79%
18
1961
Howcrofts
Silver Keg
15
1037.3
1006.9
3.8
81.50%
20
1961
Lacon
Keg Bitter
24
1040.1
1007.1
4.12
82.29%
17
1961
Starkey, Knight & Ford
Star Keg
23
1042.3
1008
4.29
81.09%
27
1961
Tennant Bros.
Keg Bitter
21
1036.8
1005
3.97
86.41%
15
1961
Threllfalls
Keg Bitter
18
1038.5
1004.9
4.2
87.27%
17
1961
Truman
Keg Bitter
21
1039
1006.2
4.27
84.10%
16
1961
Vaux
Keg Beer
20
1034.8
1002.2
4.07
93.68%
14
1961
West Country Breweries
Star Bright Keg
16
1029.8
1004.6
3.15
84.56%
22
1961
Whitbread
Tankard Bitter
24
1038.6
1011
3.58
71.50%
18
1961
Yates's Castle Brewery
Keg
20
1037.8
1006.8
3.88
82.01%
16
1963
Watney
Red Barrel Ex. PA
31
1047.7
1012.9
4.52
72.96%
20
1964
John Smith
Golden Keg
24
1039.1
1009.4
3.71
75.96%
23
Average
24
1039.1
1009.4
3.71
75.96%
23
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Which Beer Report, 1960, pages 171 - 173.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2019/02/keg-bitter.html)