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31-01-2021, 07:07
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This question came up on Twitter: when did Boddington Bitter turn to shit? And why? Sometime it the 1980s, most likely, for the time. As to why, well, having a pretty good set of brewing records for the period in question, I decided to try to answer both questions.One slight problem. I may possess photos of the years in question, but I hadn't processed them. Not totally, I'd done a couple of beers. Quite a bit of work to pull out all the examples of Boddies Bitter I'd need. I was intrigued, though. And it's a change form WW II stuff.
Despite appearing quite straightforward, Boddington's records contain a few traps. I won't bore you with the details.Except that I had to revisit records I'd already transcribed after I realised I was misinterpreting some of the information. That's always so much fun, having to go back over records you thought you were done with.
After a day or so's work I've assembled what I wanted. I hope it was worth it.
We'll begin with the basic specs.
Boddington Bitter 1971 - 1987
Date
Year
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
barrels
colour
4th Jan
1971
1035.5
1003
4.30
91.55%
5.52
0.88
113.5
12
28th Oct
1974
1034.5
1004
4.03
88.41%
5.19
0.75
113
13.5
28th Apr
1975
1034.5
1004.5
3.97
86.96%
5.85
0.81
111.75
13.04
29th Apr
1976
1034.5
1004
4.03
88.41%
5.91
0.74
228.5
17
18th Apr
1977
1034.5
1006.5
3.70
81.16%
5.22
0.79
227.75
15
30th Oct
1978
1040
1003
4.89
92.50%
5.59
1.37
41
18
17th Oct
1979
1034
1006.5
3.64
80.88%
5.29
0.82
440.75
31st Dec
1979
1034
1008
3.44
76.47%
5.29
0.73
247.75
12
31st Mar
1980
1034
1007
3.57
79.41%
5.00
0.75
225.25
13
4th Jan
1982
1034
1005.5
3.77
83.82%
6.36
0.97
215.75
14.5
9th Jan
1984
1034
1007
3.57
79.41%
4.48
0.63
431.5
14
14th May
1984
1034
1005.5
3.77
83.82%
4.34
0.59
458.5
13
25th Mar
1985
1034
1007
3.57
79.41%
5.15
0.67
463.25
13.5
24th Feb
1986
1034
1005
3.84
85.29%
5.81
0.73
239.25
12.5
29th Dec
1987
1034
1006
3.70
82.35%
5.81
0.76
461.5
14
Sources:
Boddington brewing records held at Manchester Central Library, document numbers M693/405/134, M693/405/135 and M693/405/136.
Boddington brewing record held at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, document number 2006.4/Z/7/1 and 2006.4/Z/7/2.
Not much to report there.A slight whittling down of the gravity, a bit of variation in hopping rate, attenuation falling a bit. Nothing that would hugely alter the character of the beer.
The story is very different when you look at the recipe. That changed considerably a couple of times. First we'll look at the grains.
Boddington Bitter grists 1971 - 1987
Date
Year
pale malt
lager malt
enzymic malt
wheat malt
flaked maize
flaked rice
4th Jan
1971
60.69%
13.79%
2.76%
2.76%
2.07%
28th Oct
1974
58.02%
15.27%
3.05%
3.05%
2.29%
28th Apr
1975
55.28%
16.26%
3.25%
3.25%
2.44%
29th Apr
1976
55.65%
13.91%
3.48%
3.48%
2.61%
18th Apr
1977
68.12%
14.49%
30th Oct
1978
70.59%
14.71%
2.94%
17th Oct
1979
85.29%
2.94%
31st Dec
1979
85.29%
2.94%
31st Mar
1980
85.29%
2.94%
4th Jan
1982
84.85%
3.03%
9th Jan
1984
96.32%
3.32%
14th May
1984
96.44%
3.21%
25th Mar
1985
96.32%
3.32%
24th Feb
1986
96.32%
3.32%
29th Dec
1987
96.32%
3.32%
Sources:
Boddington brewing records held at Manchester Central Library, document numbers M693/405/134, M693/405/135 and M693/405/136.
Boddington brewing record held at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, document number 2006.4/Z/7/1 and 2006.4/Z/7/2.
The grist changed drastically in 1977, with lager malt, wheat malt and unmalted grains being dropped. Enzymic malt briefly disappeared, too, soon to return. On the face of it, it's an improvement, with a higher malt content and no adjuncts.
At the same time, the sugars also were transformed.
Boddington Bitter sugars 1971 - 1987
Date
Year
malt extract
glucose
Flavex
Br.
FSI
4th Jan
1971
6.90%
5.52%
5.52%
28th Oct
1974
6.11%
6.11%
6.11%
28th Apr
1975
6.50%
6.50%
6.50%
29th Apr
1976
6.96%
6.96%
6.96%
18th Apr
1977
5.80%
5.80%
5.80%
30th Oct
1978
7.35%
4.41%
17th Oct
1979
7.35%
4.41%
31st Dec
1979
7.35%
4.41%
31st Mar
1980
7.35%
4.41%
4th Jan
1982
7.58%
4.55%
9th Jan
1984
0.36%
14th May
1984
0.34%
25th Mar
1985
0.36%
24th Feb
1986
0.36%
29th Dec
1987
0.36%
Sources:
Boddington brewing records held at Manchester Central Library, document numbers M693/405/134, M693/405/135 and M693/405/136.
Boddington brewing record held at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, document number 2006.4/Z/7/1 and 2006.4/Z/7/2.
In 1976 Br. - whatever that might be - was replaced by glucose. Two years late, Flavex, some sort of proprietary sugar, reached the end of the road, too.
Next change was in 1983, when both malt extract and glucose in turn were disposed of, making way for FSI. I've no great confidence in the quantity of FSI. 24 is what went in each batch. Usually, the sugar column listed hundredweights. 24 cwts would make sugar 21% of the grist, which is rather high. And it would also make the grist too rich, offering more extract than the gravity and brew length demanded.
On the other hand, 24 lbs seems far too little. I'm genuinely stumped.
Do any of these recipe changes coincide with a decline in the quality of Boddington's Bitter? Let me know if you think it does.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2021/01/boddington-bitter-1971-1987.html)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-epJ5sPr-y0s/YBWshQhFBtI/AAAAAAAAiss/hR-7PSXiUNI1W15PSUNNp6fZ-sIs0Xw5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Boddington_Bitter.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-epJ5sPr-y0s/YBWshQhFBtI/AAAAAAAAiss/hR-7PSXiUNI1W15PSUNNp6fZ-sIs0Xw5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Boddington_Bitter.jpg)
This question came up on Twitter: when did Boddington Bitter turn to shit? And why? Sometime it the 1980s, most likely, for the time. As to why, well, having a pretty good set of brewing records for the period in question, I decided to try to answer both questions.One slight problem. I may possess photos of the years in question, but I hadn't processed them. Not totally, I'd done a couple of beers. Quite a bit of work to pull out all the examples of Boddies Bitter I'd need. I was intrigued, though. And it's a change form WW II stuff.
Despite appearing quite straightforward, Boddington's records contain a few traps. I won't bore you with the details.Except that I had to revisit records I'd already transcribed after I realised I was misinterpreting some of the information. That's always so much fun, having to go back over records you thought you were done with.
After a day or so's work I've assembled what I wanted. I hope it was worth it.
We'll begin with the basic specs.
Boddington Bitter 1971 - 1987
Date
Year
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
barrels
colour
4th Jan
1971
1035.5
1003
4.30
91.55%
5.52
0.88
113.5
12
28th Oct
1974
1034.5
1004
4.03
88.41%
5.19
0.75
113
13.5
28th Apr
1975
1034.5
1004.5
3.97
86.96%
5.85
0.81
111.75
13.04
29th Apr
1976
1034.5
1004
4.03
88.41%
5.91
0.74
228.5
17
18th Apr
1977
1034.5
1006.5
3.70
81.16%
5.22
0.79
227.75
15
30th Oct
1978
1040
1003
4.89
92.50%
5.59
1.37
41
18
17th Oct
1979
1034
1006.5
3.64
80.88%
5.29
0.82
440.75
31st Dec
1979
1034
1008
3.44
76.47%
5.29
0.73
247.75
12
31st Mar
1980
1034
1007
3.57
79.41%
5.00
0.75
225.25
13
4th Jan
1982
1034
1005.5
3.77
83.82%
6.36
0.97
215.75
14.5
9th Jan
1984
1034
1007
3.57
79.41%
4.48
0.63
431.5
14
14th May
1984
1034
1005.5
3.77
83.82%
4.34
0.59
458.5
13
25th Mar
1985
1034
1007
3.57
79.41%
5.15
0.67
463.25
13.5
24th Feb
1986
1034
1005
3.84
85.29%
5.81
0.73
239.25
12.5
29th Dec
1987
1034
1006
3.70
82.35%
5.81
0.76
461.5
14
Sources:
Boddington brewing records held at Manchester Central Library, document numbers M693/405/134, M693/405/135 and M693/405/136.
Boddington brewing record held at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, document number 2006.4/Z/7/1 and 2006.4/Z/7/2.
Not much to report there.A slight whittling down of the gravity, a bit of variation in hopping rate, attenuation falling a bit. Nothing that would hugely alter the character of the beer.
The story is very different when you look at the recipe. That changed considerably a couple of times. First we'll look at the grains.
Boddington Bitter grists 1971 - 1987
Date
Year
pale malt
lager malt
enzymic malt
wheat malt
flaked maize
flaked rice
4th Jan
1971
60.69%
13.79%
2.76%
2.76%
2.07%
28th Oct
1974
58.02%
15.27%
3.05%
3.05%
2.29%
28th Apr
1975
55.28%
16.26%
3.25%
3.25%
2.44%
29th Apr
1976
55.65%
13.91%
3.48%
3.48%
2.61%
18th Apr
1977
68.12%
14.49%
30th Oct
1978
70.59%
14.71%
2.94%
17th Oct
1979
85.29%
2.94%
31st Dec
1979
85.29%
2.94%
31st Mar
1980
85.29%
2.94%
4th Jan
1982
84.85%
3.03%
9th Jan
1984
96.32%
3.32%
14th May
1984
96.44%
3.21%
25th Mar
1985
96.32%
3.32%
24th Feb
1986
96.32%
3.32%
29th Dec
1987
96.32%
3.32%
Sources:
Boddington brewing records held at Manchester Central Library, document numbers M693/405/134, M693/405/135 and M693/405/136.
Boddington brewing record held at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, document number 2006.4/Z/7/1 and 2006.4/Z/7/2.
The grist changed drastically in 1977, with lager malt, wheat malt and unmalted grains being dropped. Enzymic malt briefly disappeared, too, soon to return. On the face of it, it's an improvement, with a higher malt content and no adjuncts.
At the same time, the sugars also were transformed.
Boddington Bitter sugars 1971 - 1987
Date
Year
malt extract
glucose
Flavex
Br.
FSI
4th Jan
1971
6.90%
5.52%
5.52%
28th Oct
1974
6.11%
6.11%
6.11%
28th Apr
1975
6.50%
6.50%
6.50%
29th Apr
1976
6.96%
6.96%
6.96%
18th Apr
1977
5.80%
5.80%
5.80%
30th Oct
1978
7.35%
4.41%
17th Oct
1979
7.35%
4.41%
31st Dec
1979
7.35%
4.41%
31st Mar
1980
7.35%
4.41%
4th Jan
1982
7.58%
4.55%
9th Jan
1984
0.36%
14th May
1984
0.34%
25th Mar
1985
0.36%
24th Feb
1986
0.36%
29th Dec
1987
0.36%
Sources:
Boddington brewing records held at Manchester Central Library, document numbers M693/405/134, M693/405/135 and M693/405/136.
Boddington brewing record held at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, document number 2006.4/Z/7/1 and 2006.4/Z/7/2.
In 1976 Br. - whatever that might be - was replaced by glucose. Two years late, Flavex, some sort of proprietary sugar, reached the end of the road, too.
Next change was in 1983, when both malt extract and glucose in turn were disposed of, making way for FSI. I've no great confidence in the quantity of FSI. 24 is what went in each batch. Usually, the sugar column listed hundredweights. 24 cwts would make sugar 21% of the grist, which is rather high. And it would also make the grist too rich, offering more extract than the gravity and brew length demanded.
On the other hand, 24 lbs seems far too little. I'm genuinely stumped.
Do any of these recipe changes coincide with a decline in the quality of Boddington's Bitter? Let me know if you think it does.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2021/01/boddington-bitter-1971-1987.html)