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26-10-2020, 07:06
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The war had a direct impact on boiling techniques. Fuel was in short supply and curtailing boiling times was an obvious way to conserve it.There was considerable variation between breweries in the length of boil and between different beers in the same brewery.
During both wars the government struggled to keep coal output at a sufficient level to meet demand. As things like kettles were generally powered by coal, a shortage of it caused acute difficulties. Even more so in breweries where everything was steam powered.
"The shortage of coal created further difficulties which were often aggravated by its poor quality. This need to conserve coal raised the question of copper boiling, and brewers found they had to reduce their boiling period almost to the limit of safety. It was also often difficult, with the low-quality of coal available in some districts, to maintain a sufficient head of steam on the boilers to obtain a suitable boiling temperature. When the coal situation became difficult brewers were asked to take the necessary steps to conserve fuel as much as possible. The experience of the last war, however, had taught them a lot about the saving of fuel, and its rising price in the intervening years had encouraged efficiency in this direction, so that there were not many improvements that could be carried out. Notwithstanding this they were subjected to frequent visits from inspectors and advisers from the Ministry of Fuel, many of whom knew little more than the theory of fuel consumption."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing Volume 52, Issue 3, May-June, 1946, pages 124 - 125.Not getting a decent boil could be as problematic as too short a boil. A brewer’s life wasn’t an easy one in wartime.
I have found brewers who did adapt their boiling practices. Whitbread providing a good example of brewery which reduced its boiling times during the war.
Whitbread Mild Ale 1938 - 1947
Date
Year
Beer
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
Pitch temp
25th Feb
1938
X
1035.3
1010.0
3.35
71.67%
7.44
1.11
1.25
1.25
65º
26th Sep
1939
X
1033.9
1010.5
3.10
69.03%
8.27
1.11
1.25
1
65º
25th Apr
1940
X
1033.5
1008.5
3.31
74.63%
8.12
1.12
1.25
1
65º
20th Nov
1940
XX
1031.1
1010.0
2.79
67.85%
8.42
1.07
1.17
0.75
66º
10th Oct
1941
XX
1031.2
1009.0
2.94
71.15%
6.38
0.76
1.25
1.25
65º
30th Jan
1942
XX
1029.1
1007.5
2.86
74.23%
5.84
0.75
1
1
65º
30th May
1942
XX
1028.4
1007.0
2.83
75.35%
6.19
0.75
1
1
65º
5th Apr
1943
XX
1027.8
1008.0
2.62
71.22%
6.07
0.76
1
1.25
65º
22nd Feb
1944
XX
1028.5
1009.0
2.58
68.42%
5.79
0.69
1
0.75
65º
4th Apr
1945
XX
1028.2
1009.0
2.54
68.09%
5.63
0.70
1
0.75
65º
12th Sep
1946
XX
1027.3
1008.0
2.55
70.70%
6.02
0.71
1
1
65º
3rd Jan
1947
XX
1027.5
1005.5
2.91
80.00%
6.02
0.68
1
0.75
65º
Sources:
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers LMA/4453/D/01/105, LMA/4453/D/01/107, LMA/4453/D/01/108, LMA/4453/D/01/109, LMA/4453/D/01/110, LMA/4453/D/01/111, LMA/4453/D/01/112, LMA/4453/D/01/114.
At the start of the war, the boil time was already quite short at 85 minutes. The mere 60 minutes to which it fell in 1942 is extremely short. Probably at the limit of safety as mentioned above.
Similar reductions were made at Barclay Perkins, though starting from a somewhat higher level:
Barclay Perkins XX Mild Ale 1939 - 1947
Year
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
1939
1042.7
1011.5
4.13
73.08%
7.00
1.18
2.5
2.25
2
1940
1037.7
1010.5
3.59
72.11%
7.00
1.02
2
1.75
1.5
1941
1037.7
1009.0
3.80
76.15%
4.94
0.76
1.75
1942
1031.4
1006.0
3.36
80.89%
6.00
0.78
1.5
1.25
1943
1031.4
1008.0
3.10
74.52%
7.38
1.00
1.75
1.5
1945
1031.4
1009.5
2.90
69.75%
5.49
0.71
1.5
1.5
1946
1027.6
1008.5
2.53
69.20%
5.40
0.67
1.5
1.5
1947
1030.4
1008.8
2.86
71.22%
7.39
0.93
1.25
1.25
Sources:
Barclay Perkins brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers ACC/2305/01/623, ACC/2305/01/624, ACC/2305/01/625, ACC/2305/01/626 and ACC/2305/01/627.
Over the whole period the length of the boil was about halved.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2020/10/boiling-in-ww-ii.html)
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The war had a direct impact on boiling techniques. Fuel was in short supply and curtailing boiling times was an obvious way to conserve it.There was considerable variation between breweries in the length of boil and between different beers in the same brewery.
During both wars the government struggled to keep coal output at a sufficient level to meet demand. As things like kettles were generally powered by coal, a shortage of it caused acute difficulties. Even more so in breweries where everything was steam powered.
"The shortage of coal created further difficulties which were often aggravated by its poor quality. This need to conserve coal raised the question of copper boiling, and brewers found they had to reduce their boiling period almost to the limit of safety. It was also often difficult, with the low-quality of coal available in some districts, to maintain a sufficient head of steam on the boilers to obtain a suitable boiling temperature. When the coal situation became difficult brewers were asked to take the necessary steps to conserve fuel as much as possible. The experience of the last war, however, had taught them a lot about the saving of fuel, and its rising price in the intervening years had encouraged efficiency in this direction, so that there were not many improvements that could be carried out. Notwithstanding this they were subjected to frequent visits from inspectors and advisers from the Ministry of Fuel, many of whom knew little more than the theory of fuel consumption."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing Volume 52, Issue 3, May-June, 1946, pages 124 - 125.Not getting a decent boil could be as problematic as too short a boil. A brewer’s life wasn’t an easy one in wartime.
I have found brewers who did adapt their boiling practices. Whitbread providing a good example of brewery which reduced its boiling times during the war.
Whitbread Mild Ale 1938 - 1947
Date
Year
Beer
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
Pitch temp
25th Feb
1938
X
1035.3
1010.0
3.35
71.67%
7.44
1.11
1.25
1.25
65º
26th Sep
1939
X
1033.9
1010.5
3.10
69.03%
8.27
1.11
1.25
1
65º
25th Apr
1940
X
1033.5
1008.5
3.31
74.63%
8.12
1.12
1.25
1
65º
20th Nov
1940
XX
1031.1
1010.0
2.79
67.85%
8.42
1.07
1.17
0.75
66º
10th Oct
1941
XX
1031.2
1009.0
2.94
71.15%
6.38
0.76
1.25
1.25
65º
30th Jan
1942
XX
1029.1
1007.5
2.86
74.23%
5.84
0.75
1
1
65º
30th May
1942
XX
1028.4
1007.0
2.83
75.35%
6.19
0.75
1
1
65º
5th Apr
1943
XX
1027.8
1008.0
2.62
71.22%
6.07
0.76
1
1.25
65º
22nd Feb
1944
XX
1028.5
1009.0
2.58
68.42%
5.79
0.69
1
0.75
65º
4th Apr
1945
XX
1028.2
1009.0
2.54
68.09%
5.63
0.70
1
0.75
65º
12th Sep
1946
XX
1027.3
1008.0
2.55
70.70%
6.02
0.71
1
1
65º
3rd Jan
1947
XX
1027.5
1005.5
2.91
80.00%
6.02
0.68
1
0.75
65º
Sources:
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers LMA/4453/D/01/105, LMA/4453/D/01/107, LMA/4453/D/01/108, LMA/4453/D/01/109, LMA/4453/D/01/110, LMA/4453/D/01/111, LMA/4453/D/01/112, LMA/4453/D/01/114.
At the start of the war, the boil time was already quite short at 85 minutes. The mere 60 minutes to which it fell in 1942 is extremely short. Probably at the limit of safety as mentioned above.
Similar reductions were made at Barclay Perkins, though starting from a somewhat higher level:
Barclay Perkins XX Mild Ale 1939 - 1947
Year
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
1939
1042.7
1011.5
4.13
73.08%
7.00
1.18
2.5
2.25
2
1940
1037.7
1010.5
3.59
72.11%
7.00
1.02
2
1.75
1.5
1941
1037.7
1009.0
3.80
76.15%
4.94
0.76
1.75
1942
1031.4
1006.0
3.36
80.89%
6.00
0.78
1.5
1.25
1943
1031.4
1008.0
3.10
74.52%
7.38
1.00
1.75
1.5
1945
1031.4
1009.5
2.90
69.75%
5.49
0.71
1.5
1.5
1946
1027.6
1008.5
2.53
69.20%
5.40
0.67
1.5
1.5
1947
1030.4
1008.8
2.86
71.22%
7.39
0.93
1.25
1.25
Sources:
Barclay Perkins brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers ACC/2305/01/623, ACC/2305/01/624, ACC/2305/01/625, ACC/2305/01/626 and ACC/2305/01/627.
Over the whole period the length of the boil was about halved.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2020/10/boiling-in-ww-ii.html)