Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Let's Brew Wednesday - Fullers 1914 AK
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You know my feelings about AK. Obsessive doesn't do them justice. Fanatical is too mild. All-consuming? No still doesn't go far enough.
Personal reminiscences and a bit of name dropping. I'll be weaving those into today's trousers. Hope I don't end up with my arse hanging out of them.
The hot summer of 1975. I was so disappointed when the bastards at the dole office found me a job. Until I found out it was in a brewery. Even though they didn't brew any cask beer. How many kegs did I fill with AK that summer? A lot. Definitely a lot more than with IPA. AK was the brewery's biggest seller. Just as it had been when it said Hole's rather than Courage above the gate.
I must have drunk Courage AK at some point. The stuff was ubiquitous. Courage owned all but five (four Home Ales, one Watney) of the 30-odd pubs in Newark. But I can't remember it at all.Was it hoppy? Malty? Sweet? No idea, I'm afraid. I can remember Barnsley Bitter. That was a lovely drop, dry and scorchingly bitter, in the steady persistent way of a good British Pale Ale.
Finding the truth about AK was one of the pushes that propelled me through the archive doors. Yet it wasn't in an archive that I first caught a glimpse of one through the trees. It was sitting in John Keeling's office the first time I dropped by Fuller's. He had one of their old brewing logs on his table. 1910 or thereabouts. John is an easy man to listen to. Full of stories and facts. But something pulled my attention away from his words like a freight train loco. Idly flicking through the log I saw the magic letters appear: AK. It's a moment I'll never forget.
Fuller's AK is a special beer to me for that reason. I'm delighted that we're able to present you with it today. Enjoy it.
Time for Kristen to do his thang . . . . . . . . .
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| General info: |
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| What a wonderful little AK. Nearly equal OG:BU ration made with simple pale malts, maize and a bunch of sugar. Such an easy drinking little number that this one will definitely be one of my house beers from now on. Very sessiony but not really a session beer with the alcoholski! |
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| Gravity (OG) |
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47.5% English pale malt |
0% 0 |
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| Gravity (FG) |
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16.3% Continental pale malt |
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| ABV |
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16.3% American 6-row |
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| Apparent attenuation |
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5.9% Flaked Maize |
5.9% Invert No1 |
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| Real attenuation |
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0% 0 |
7.9% Invert No2 |
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| IBU |
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0% 0 |
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| Caramel to add |
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| English pale malt |
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| Cluster 7% 105min (31bu) |
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| Fuggle 5.5% 60min (6bu) |
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| Styrian Goldings 5.25% 20min (4bu) |
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| Goldings 4.5% dry hop |
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Nottingham |
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1968 London ESB Ale Yeast - WLP002 English Ale Yeast |
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| Tasting Notes: |
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| Pomme and squishy fruit, biscuits and lady fingers, grainy. Spicy and hoppy. Loads of husk and grain. Long bitter biscuity with a touch of honey on the end. |
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