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More from Andrew Campbell's excellent "The Book Of Beer". How appropriate that it was published in the year of my birth.
First, his take on the ingredients of Stout:
"To produce stout the proportion of pale malt will be lower [than two-thirds], perhaps down to under half the total, with sugar in a two to one proportion to a blend of higher roasted crystal or amber malts, and some black malt. Darker colour and fuller flavour will result. London stouts are mostly lightly hopped and sweet; Irish stouts bitter. Occasionally a proportion of oat malt is added to accentuate the mealy flavour."He's not 100% accurate with regard to London Stout. Whitbread used a combination of mild ale malt, brown malt, chocolate malt and No3 invert sugar. Barclay Perkins went with a mix of mild ale malt, brown malt, crystal malt, back malt or roasted barley and dark brewing sugar.
"The Book Of Beer" by Andrew Campbell, 1956, page 85.
He goes on to describe the types of Stout available. Public taste, it appears, was moving towards sweeter Stouts in most instances.
"Ordinary stouts are not often to be found on draught, as their rather full qualities can mature to excess and spoilage will result. Guinness, a strong Irish stout, reaches perfect condition within three or four days of bottling, when it will be rich, full and creamy. Kept in storage too long it may become stale and develop a rather acrid flavour. Guinness is a well-hopped stout, brewed without sugar, and has a bitter flavour which makes the regular drinker reject the sweeter stouts.He wasn't far out with his estimation of Guiness's OG. As you'll see below, is was around 1047º. There was a bigger spread of gravities than for other styles, covering pretty much the whole range of British beer strengths.
During the last few years Younger, Charrington, Watney and other brewers have produced sweet stouts, for which there is strong demand. Some are new brews, some area new name and label to replace the pre-1939 milk stout, now illegal unless the brew actually contains milk.
The stronger stouts - Guinness, Whitbread's, Mackeson's, Hammerton's (Watney's) - range upwards from 1040º. The import figures from Eire show quite clearly that Guinness is around 1046º, with about 4.5 per cent alcohol by volume. There are a few very strong types, such as Barclay's Imperial Stout and Simond's Archangel Stout, brewed well above the 1070º mark and getting toward the strength, bulk for bulk, of French wine.
Analysis of figures published in various trade and scientific journals in recent years show the following typical srengths of stout:
Stouts in the mid 1950's
Number of examples
gravity
type
1032º1
Ordinary stout
1036º1
Ordinary stout
1040º-1042º5
Stronger stout
1045º-1047º8
Including several London and Irish brews
1050º-1052º3
Stronger still
1055º1
A Scottish brew
1075º3
Very strong
1092º1
The strongest
Source:
"The Book Of Beer" by Andrew Campbell, 1956, page 86.
Fifteen similar samples for mild show four as low as 1023º, one at 1028º, four at 1031º-1033º, and six in the best mild category of 1037º-1039º. A Scotch ale was 1043º, and a best mild was as high as 1046º, which really puts it with the Burtons.
The Scotch ales sold in the South of England are stronger sweet mild beers, but there are distinctions between brews which are considered in a later chaper."
"The Book Of Beer" by Andrew Campbell, 1956, pages 85-87.
I'm pleased to see that he differentiates between London and Irish Stout. Though sweet Stout was not totally dominant amongst English Stouts.
Here's my own table, which corroborates many of Campbell's assertions:
Stouts in the mid 1950's
Year
Brewer
Beer
sizePrice
package
FGOGColourAtten-uationABV
1956
Adams
Double Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1015.21036.62752.76195458.47%
Adnams. Southwold
Black Velvet Sweet Stout (no lactose)
half pint1/2d
bottled
1020.91043.76752.93195452.17%
Aitken & Co
A Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1021.21041.41 + 202.59195448.79%
Ansell, Birmingham
New Best Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1015.71049.71 + 94.40195668.41%
Atkinsons [Aston, Birmingham]
Double Punch Stout
half pint1/3.5d
bottled
1018.91051.85004.25195563.51%
Beamish & Crawford
Irish Stout (no lactose)
bottled
1009.61039.52123.88195475.70%
Bent's
Red Label Stout
half pint1/1d
bottled
1017.81049.23004.06195463.82%
Bents Brewery
Imperial Stone Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1006.51039.82004.34195483.67%
Bernard
Export Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1013.31043.91 + 143.96195569.70%
Blair & Co
Sweet Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1010.91033.13002.87195567.07%
Brains
Extra Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1014.61039.12153.16195562.66%
Brutton, Mitchell, Toms Ltd.
Ruby Stout (lactose present)
half pint1/1d
bottled
1023.61040.94752.22195642.30%
Bullard & Sons [Norwich]
Double Stout (no lactose)
half pint1/-
bottled
1008.11038.72753.98195479.07%
Calder
Scotch Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1015.91040.91 + 143.23195561.12%
Castletown
Manx Oyster Stout
bottled
101310632506.53195479.37%
Chesham & Brackley
Raven Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1015.81047.54754.10195466.74%
Chester Brewery Co
Extra Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1006.51042.72504.72195584.78%
Cresswell
Oatmeal Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1011.91035.63253.06195666.57%
Deuchar R
Edinburgh Sweet Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1016.81042.93003.37195560.84%
Devenish, Weymouth
Double Weymouth Sweet Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1015.61042.84003.51195663.55%
East Anglian Breweries
Ely Silk Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1015.41046.22753.98195666.67%
East Anglian Breweries
Ely Oatmeal Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1011.710383503.40195669.21%
Ely Brewery
Cardiff Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1005.41034.93003.84195484.53%
Flowers Breweries Ltd
Table Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1015.21046.13254.00195567.03%
Fowler
Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1018.610384002.49195451.05%
G Younger
Extra Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
10181037.51 + 302.51195452.00%
Greene King
Stout
half pint9.5d
bottled
1012.71034.34502.79195462.97%
Greene King
Sweet Stout
half pint1/1d
bottled
1020.31046.64503.39195456.44%
Groves & Whitnall
Red Rose Stout (Lactose present)
half pint1/1d
bottled
1016.91048.83004.13195465.37%
Guinness
Extra Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1007.11047.41 + 135.26195485.02%
Guinness
Extra Stout
half pint1/3.5d
bottled
1006.61047.52005.34195586.11%
Guinness
Export Stout
half pint
bottled
1013.31071.41757.61195481.37%
Hall & woodhouse
Glucose Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1014.71042.73753.62195665.57%
Hammonds
Senior Sovereign Sweet Stout
half pint1/3.5d
bottled
1016.21050.43004.43195467.86%
Hancocks
M Stout (Lactose present)
half pint1/-
bottled
1014.510433503.69195566.28%
Hancocks
Extra Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1012.21034.12002.83195464.22%
Hey &Son [Bradford]
White Rose Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1010.81038.12103.54195671.65%
Hey & Son [Bradford]
White Rose Stout (no lactose)
half pint1/3.5d
bottled
1019.91047.24253.52195557.84%
Hope & Anchor Brewery, Sheffield
Royal Jubilee Stout
half pint
bottled
1019.91059.53255.13195466.55%
Hydes, Manchester
Special Stout (Lactose present)
half pint1/1d
bottled
1010.91043.22254.19195574.77%
J & J Morison
Sweet Stout
nip9d
bottled
1012.31035.73253.02195565.55%
J Aitken
Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1019.51040.33252.67195451.61%
Jeffrey & Co
Nourishing Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1019.31036.11 + 142.16195446.54%
John Smith, Tadcaster
Magnet Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1021.610471953.27195454.04%
JW Green, Luton
Oatmeal Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1007.41039.12284.12195481.07%
JW Lees & Co Ltd
Archer Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1008.51040.72254.19195479.12%
JW Paddey
Paddey's Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1015.91037.22752.74195657.26%
Lacons, Yarmouth
Extra Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1015.51034.53002.45195455.07%
Lamb Brewery Co.
Double Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1022.81047.23003.14195551.69%
Maclachlan
Extra Sweet Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1014.81035.82252.71195458.66%
Magee Marshall
Extra Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1006.41043.52004.84195485.29%
Mardens
Mylki Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
10121043.12504.03195572.16%
McEwan
Sweet Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1018.61038.43752.55195451.56%
McLennan & Urquhart
Dalkeith Stout
bottled
1019.71037.14502.23195446.90%
McMullen, Hertford
Mac Stout
half pint11.5d
bottled
1012.61039.41 + 153.47195468.02%
Mitchell & Butler, Birmingham
Extra Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1011.210491 + 144.92195677.14%
Morgans Brewery Ltd [Norwich]
Viking Stout
half pint11d
bottled
10161035.41502.50195554.80%
Murray W
Export Stout
nip1/3d
bottled
1015.81064.63506.36195575.54%
P Phipps & Co Ltd
Velvet Stout
half pint1/4d
bottled
1018.210454753.46195459.56%
Plymouth Breweries
Brown Imperial Stout
half pint1/0.5d
bottled
1018.51048.63753.89195461.93%
Plymouth Breweries
Oatmeal Stout
half pint1/0.5d
bottled
1019.21048.74003.81195560.57%
Rayments
Town Stout (lactose absent)
half pint11d
bottled
1019.91040.22252.61195450.50%
Russells
Imperial Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1016.81041.61753.20195659.62%
Samuel Webster & Sons
Velvet Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1022.31045.14252.93195450.55%
Steel & Coulson
Elephant Sweet Stout
half pint1/2.5-
bottled
1014.11041.73503.57195666.19%
Steward & Patteson, Norwich
Stout
nip1/3d
bottled
1027.41064.63504.79195557.59%
Tennant Bros. Ltd, Sheffield
Malt Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1017.51036.23502.41195651.66%
Tennant Bros. Ltd, Sheffield
Glucose Stout
half pint1/1d
bottled
10211040.42252.49195548.02%
Tennent
Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1019.31034.73251.98195544.38%
Thornley
Special Glucose Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1018.71040.63752.82195653.94%
Thornley's Radford Brewery
Gluco Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1021.21042.34002.71195449.88%
Threlfalls Brewery
Extra Stout
half pint1/1d
bottled
1011.51046.92254.60195475.48%
Thwaites, Blackburn
Cream Stout
half pint1/1d
bottled
1013.21044.32004.03195470.20%
Vaux & Co
Sweet Strong Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1016.41047.61 + 204.03195465.55%
Whitaker
Standard Stout
half pint1/-
bottled
1014.31037.22502.96195461.56%
Whitbread
Mackeson Stout
half pint1/3.5d
bottled
1019.51046.61 + 203.49195658.15%
Whitbread
EMS
half pint
bottled
1020.31056.73254.71195464.20%
Whitworth Son & Nephew
Sweet Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1017.61044.73753.50195460.63%
Wilsons
Wembly Extra Stout
half pint1/1d
bottled
1017.41044.33253.47195460.72%
Wm. Younger & Co
Nourishing Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1021.61046.31 + 163.18195453.35%
Wm. Younger & Co
Capital Stout (Lactose present)
half pint1/4d
bottled
1019.71046.52503.45195557.63%
Worthington
Imperial Stout (White Shield)
bottled
1017.31078.23257.97195677.88%
Worthington
XX Stout
half pint1/2d
bottled
1013.81036.73002.96195662.40%
Young, Crawshay & Young
Double Stout
half pint11d
bottled
1011.21037.84003.44195670.37%
Younger
Sweetheart Stout
half pint1/3d
bottled
1024.61037.62251.66Source:34.57%
Whitbread Gravity Book
There's still plenty more to come from Campbell. Plenty more.https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...s.blogspot.com
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