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24-04-2023, 07:24
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/04/brewers-exhibition-mild-conundrum.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEeEHHlIhzgkgckP1q5hNoXrDi3LszmRsULUXowlmDv QCzT5R_299r_5VOBb0i0dlpldVkLeU0phznnRyzzK_Jz4Mr4q9 iT-fTTX-vb3tGV4vtwXQeJNePYoiJ5RHnz4dvPLZj8ZiuGggWnsbdSlPHz BkaJkKmQhdW98q2cx9CLxWnJ0ev1z0Ei_X/s320/Hardys_Nut_Brown_Ale_1954.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEeEHHlIhzgkgckP1q5hNoXrDi3LszmRsULUXowlmDv QCzT5R_299r_5VOBb0i0dlpldVkLeU0phznnRyzzK_Jz4Mr4q9 iT-fTTX-vb3tGV4vtwXQeJNePYoiJ5RHnz4dvPLZj8ZiuGggWnsbdSlPHz BkaJkKmQhdW98q2cx9CLxWnJ0ev1z0Ei_X/s594/Hardys_Nut_Brown_Ale_1954.jpg)
Trawling through the newspaper archives looking for "original gravity", I came across loads of hits from the 1950s relating to the Brewers' and Allied Traders' Exhibition competition. These were always local papers, which listed winning breweries from within their area.Something that struck about the competition's categories. They were split into bottled and draught, subdivided into Pale Ale, Mild Ale and Stout, then further by gravity. I was surprised to see victors in the Mild Ale of 1042º to 1046º category. Who brewed a Mild that strong in the 1950s? Then totally gobsmacked to see medals awarded in the 1047 to 1055 category. I'm certain there were no Milds of such a strength.
For example, in 1957, Walsall Clubs and Hardy & Hanson, won medals for the strongest category of draught Mild.* What the hell were these beers? Were they ever sold in pubs, or were they just competition beers? Or another type of beer, submitted as Mild? I'm dead confused.
In 1954, Drybrough of Edinburgh won a medal for a bottled Mild Ale of an original gravity of 1036 to 1041.** Have their brewing records for that year. Not only did they not brew a Mild of any description, they didn't brew a beer in that gravity range. Take a look. There's nothing between 1032º and 1043º. What the hell was the beer they entered in the competition.
Drybrough beers in 1954
Beer
Style
OG
B 60/-
Pale Ale
1031
60/-
Pale Ale
1032
XXP
Pale Ale
1043
Export
Pale Ale
1045
Burns
Strong Ale
1073
Source:
Drybrough brewing record held at the Scottish Brewing Archive, document number D/6/1/1/7.
In 1957, Murray, another Edinburgh brewer, won silver in the draught Mild category of 1042º to 1046º.*** I've analyses of quite a few of their beers from this period. This looks like their Export to me. A beer of 1044º. Did they just submit one coloured up with caramel? Scottish brewers did that a lot.
It makes you wonder how many of the beers entered in all of the categories were special "competition" beers.
* Birmingham Daily Post - Tuesday 01 October 1957, page 5.
** Edinburgh Evening News - Thursday 07 October 1954, page 7.
*** Edinburgh Evening News - Monday 30 September 1957, page 8.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/04/brewers-exhibition-mild-conundrum.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEeEHHlIhzgkgckP1q5hNoXrDi3LszmRsULUXowlmDv QCzT5R_299r_5VOBb0i0dlpldVkLeU0phznnRyzzK_Jz4Mr4q9 iT-fTTX-vb3tGV4vtwXQeJNePYoiJ5RHnz4dvPLZj8ZiuGggWnsbdSlPHz BkaJkKmQhdW98q2cx9CLxWnJ0ev1z0Ei_X/s320/Hardys_Nut_Brown_Ale_1954.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEeEHHlIhzgkgckP1q5hNoXrDi3LszmRsULUXowlmDv QCzT5R_299r_5VOBb0i0dlpldVkLeU0phznnRyzzK_Jz4Mr4q9 iT-fTTX-vb3tGV4vtwXQeJNePYoiJ5RHnz4dvPLZj8ZiuGggWnsbdSlPHz BkaJkKmQhdW98q2cx9CLxWnJ0ev1z0Ei_X/s594/Hardys_Nut_Brown_Ale_1954.jpg)
Trawling through the newspaper archives looking for "original gravity", I came across loads of hits from the 1950s relating to the Brewers' and Allied Traders' Exhibition competition. These were always local papers, which listed winning breweries from within their area.Something that struck about the competition's categories. They were split into bottled and draught, subdivided into Pale Ale, Mild Ale and Stout, then further by gravity. I was surprised to see victors in the Mild Ale of 1042º to 1046º category. Who brewed a Mild that strong in the 1950s? Then totally gobsmacked to see medals awarded in the 1047 to 1055 category. I'm certain there were no Milds of such a strength.
For example, in 1957, Walsall Clubs and Hardy & Hanson, won medals for the strongest category of draught Mild.* What the hell were these beers? Were they ever sold in pubs, or were they just competition beers? Or another type of beer, submitted as Mild? I'm dead confused.
In 1954, Drybrough of Edinburgh won a medal for a bottled Mild Ale of an original gravity of 1036 to 1041.** Have their brewing records for that year. Not only did they not brew a Mild of any description, they didn't brew a beer in that gravity range. Take a look. There's nothing between 1032º and 1043º. What the hell was the beer they entered in the competition.
Drybrough beers in 1954
Beer
Style
OG
B 60/-
Pale Ale
1031
60/-
Pale Ale
1032
XXP
Pale Ale
1043
Export
Pale Ale
1045
Burns
Strong Ale
1073
Source:
Drybrough brewing record held at the Scottish Brewing Archive, document number D/6/1/1/7.
In 1957, Murray, another Edinburgh brewer, won silver in the draught Mild category of 1042º to 1046º.*** I've analyses of quite a few of their beers from this period. This looks like their Export to me. A beer of 1044º. Did they just submit one coloured up with caramel? Scottish brewers did that a lot.
It makes you wonder how many of the beers entered in all of the categories were special "competition" beers.
* Birmingham Daily Post - Tuesday 01 October 1957, page 5.
** Edinburgh Evening News - Thursday 07 October 1954, page 7.
*** Edinburgh Evening News - Monday 30 September 1957, page 8.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/04/brewers-exhibition-mild-conundrum.html)