Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Let's Brew Wednesday - 1933 Barclay Perkins KKKK
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It's the last Let's Brew of the year and, amazingly, this is Wedenesday. At least I've ended the year well.
Which series are we doing? Barclay Perkins between the wars, wasn't it. Or something like that. Today it's a very special beer. KKKK. Something Barclay Perkins brewed for the winter. A strong Old Ale, that was served on draught. Their adverts imply that it was sold from a pin standing on the bar. A common practice, at one time, and a tradition that still survives in some pubs.
Do I need to explain what the K's mean? Again. Alright, the K is derived from "Keeping", or beer that was matured before sale. In the middle of the 19th century, Barclay Perkins brewed two sets of Ales:X Ales that were sold mild and K Ales that were sold matured. X, XX, XXX and XXXX. Then KK, KKK, KKKK. The equivalent beers (XX and KK, XXX and KKK) were exactly the same gravity, but the K Ales had about 50% more hops.
Want some proof of that. Oh, all right then. Here's a nice, neat table:
Barclay Perkins K and X Ales 1869 - 1870
Date
Year
Beer
Style
OG
FG
ABV
App. Attenu-ation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
Pitch temp
pale malt
13th Dec
1869
X
Mild
13th Dec
1869
XX
Mild
15th Dec
1869
XXX
Mild
5th Feb
1870
KK
Stock Ale
1st Feb
1870
KKK
Stock Ale
5th Feb
1870
KKKK
Stock Ale
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives
Over the years the ranges were whittled down and the K Ales became known as Strong rather than Stock Ales. For many years Barclay Perkins only brewed one X Ale, er X. And two K Ales, KK and KKK. KK was their Burton, one of the standard draught beers in a London pub for the first half of the 20th century. In the 1930's KKKK, the beer we'll be looking at in more detail later, was revived as a seasonal strong draught beer.
Obviously the gravity of all the X's and K's declined between 1870 and 1933. You'll note that 1930's KKKK was just slightly weaker than the KK of 1870. You'll also note that both X and K Ales had changed colour, from pale in 1870 to dark in 1933.
That's me done. Time for Kristen to do his thing . . . .
Barclay Perkins - 1933 - KKKK
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