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29-10-2019, 06:39
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More on Mild Ale just after WW II. This time looking in detail at a particularly atypical beer, Lees Best Mild.
Mild grists mostly consisted of base malt – quite often mild malt – crystal malt, flaked maize and sugar. Though there are examples of much more complex grists, Lees Best Mild being a particularly good example.
Unlike the vast majority of Mild Ales, Lees Best Mild contained grains darker than crystal malt. In many versions, there were multiple coloured grains. Some of the grain choices seem rather odd. For example, including both black and chocolate malt. Usually, brewers used either one or the other.
In addition, at a certain point there was also that 1940s and 1950s favourite, enzymatic malt. Whose purpose, presumably, was to increase the diastatic power of the grist. Though it seems that this was probably a waste of time.
Less Best Mild was unusual in not containing any adjuncts. At least not after 1946 when the flaked barley demanded by the government during the was and immediately afterwards was ditched. Oddly, from 1953 onwards it contained a small quantity of oats. At just over 2% of the grist, I’m not sure how much impact it would have had on the character of the finished beer.
The easing of government restrictions is evident in the increase in the percentage of sugar, which just about doubled to 20%. During the war brewers were only allowed to employ a limited amount of sugar, much being reserved for use in food.
Lees Best Mild malts 1946 - 1955
Date
Year
OG
pale malt
brown malt
black malt
choc. Malt
crystal malt
enzymic malt
18th Mar
1946
1033
77.33%
1.33%
1st Apr
1946
1033
72.00%
1.33%
15th Dec
1948
1032
73.85%
2.31%
9.23%
2.31%
20th Jun
1950
1035
82.22%
0.87%
3.50%
1.75%
10th Mar
1952
1034
66.67%
2.38%
2.38%
4.76%
4.76%
19th Oct
1953
1033
71.49%
1.77%
0.88%
3.53%
3.53%
15th Jul
1954
1035
68.27%
1.69%
0.84%
3.37%
3.37%
2nd May
1955
1035
68.27%
1.69%
0.84%
3.37%
3.37%
Sources:
Lees brewing records held at the brewery.
Lees Best Mild adjuncts and sugars 1946 - 1955
Date
Year
OG
oats
flaked barley
glucose
invert sugar
other sugar
Total sugar
18th Mar
1946
1033
10.67%
5.33%
5.33%
10.67%
1st Apr
1946
1033
16.00%
5.33%
5.33%
10.67%
15th Dec
1948
1032
6.15%
6.15%
12.31%
20th Jun
1950
1035
2.33%
2.33%
7.00%
11.66%
10th Mar
1952
1034
6.35%
12.70%
19.05%
19th Oct
1953
1033
2.33%
4.71%
11.77%
16.47%
15th Jul
1954
1035
2.23%
2.25%
4.50%
13.49%
20.23%
2nd May
1955
1035
2.23%
4.50%
2.25%
13.49%
20.23%
Sources:
Lees brewing records held at the brewery.
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More on Mild Ale just after WW II. This time looking in detail at a particularly atypical beer, Lees Best Mild.
Mild grists mostly consisted of base malt – quite often mild malt – crystal malt, flaked maize and sugar. Though there are examples of much more complex grists, Lees Best Mild being a particularly good example.
Unlike the vast majority of Mild Ales, Lees Best Mild contained grains darker than crystal malt. In many versions, there were multiple coloured grains. Some of the grain choices seem rather odd. For example, including both black and chocolate malt. Usually, brewers used either one or the other.
In addition, at a certain point there was also that 1940s and 1950s favourite, enzymatic malt. Whose purpose, presumably, was to increase the diastatic power of the grist. Though it seems that this was probably a waste of time.
Less Best Mild was unusual in not containing any adjuncts. At least not after 1946 when the flaked barley demanded by the government during the was and immediately afterwards was ditched. Oddly, from 1953 onwards it contained a small quantity of oats. At just over 2% of the grist, I’m not sure how much impact it would have had on the character of the finished beer.
The easing of government restrictions is evident in the increase in the percentage of sugar, which just about doubled to 20%. During the war brewers were only allowed to employ a limited amount of sugar, much being reserved for use in food.
Lees Best Mild malts 1946 - 1955
Date
Year
OG
pale malt
brown malt
black malt
choc. Malt
crystal malt
enzymic malt
18th Mar
1946
1033
77.33%
1.33%
1st Apr
1946
1033
72.00%
1.33%
15th Dec
1948
1032
73.85%
2.31%
9.23%
2.31%
20th Jun
1950
1035
82.22%
0.87%
3.50%
1.75%
10th Mar
1952
1034
66.67%
2.38%
2.38%
4.76%
4.76%
19th Oct
1953
1033
71.49%
1.77%
0.88%
3.53%
3.53%
15th Jul
1954
1035
68.27%
1.69%
0.84%
3.37%
3.37%
2nd May
1955
1035
68.27%
1.69%
0.84%
3.37%
3.37%
Sources:
Lees brewing records held at the brewery.
Lees Best Mild adjuncts and sugars 1946 - 1955
Date
Year
OG
oats
flaked barley
glucose
invert sugar
other sugar
Total sugar
18th Mar
1946
1033
10.67%
5.33%
5.33%
10.67%
1st Apr
1946
1033
16.00%
5.33%
5.33%
10.67%
15th Dec
1948
1032
6.15%
6.15%
12.31%
20th Jun
1950
1035
2.33%
2.33%
7.00%
11.66%
10th Mar
1952
1034
6.35%
12.70%
19.05%
19th Oct
1953
1033
2.33%
4.71%
11.77%
16.47%
15th Jul
1954
1035
2.23%
2.25%
4.50%
13.49%
20.23%
2nd May
1955
1035
2.23%
4.50%
2.25%
13.49%
20.23%
Sources:
Lees brewing records held at the brewery.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2019/10/lees-best-mild-grists-1946-1955.html)