Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Whitbread Pale Ales 1880 - 1889

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Just remembered I still owed you a second instalment of Whitbread Pale Ales. It neatly fills the gap between the other two parts and finishes off the 19th century. Neat or what?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ple1i05VR...t_Pale_Ale.jpg

I'm not going to pretend that there's something here that isn't. These aren't the most fascinating bunch of beers ever brewed. Pale malt, sugar, hops.

You'd never guess, looking at the table, what a momentous year 1880 was. The year of the Free Mash Tun Act. When brewers were allowed to use any safe ingredient and taxation moved from malt to beer gravity before fermentation.

Whitbread, unlike some other large brewers, didn't take advantage of the new law to use adjuncts like flaked maize or rice. They stuck with the ingredients they'd always used: malt, sugar, hops, water and yeast. But there are some general trends noticeable.

The percentage of sugar used increased after 1887. Though the figure jumps around for individual brews, Between 1880 and 1886, sugar averaged a fraction under 18%. Between 1887 and 1889, it averaged 23%. I think that's a significant increase. As I've pointed out before, in the late 19th century it was expensive beers like Pale Ales that contained the greatest proportion of sugar. Cheap beers like Porter and X Ale generally contained the least.

You may notice that the gravity of PA bobbles around a fair bit. Between a low of 1051.5 and a high of 1065.4. Again, there's a difference between 1880-1886 and 1887-1889. In the first period the average gravity was 1060º, in the second 1057.8º. So a slight downward tendency. Why such fluctuations in gravity? It could be because it was only brewed occasionally.

The gravity of Family also has quite a bit of variation, between 1048.8º and 1057.6º. Though the average gravity is about the same, at about 1053º, both pre- and post-1887. 2PA, introduced in 1888 averages just a tad weaker at 1052.6º. I still can't see what the difference was meant to be between these two beers.

Now to hopping. I'm going to analyse this in terms of pounds per quarter of malt, as that irons out differences in gravity. Again there's a general trend to be seen: decline. Up to 1886, the PA averaged 14.6 lbs per quarter, from 1887 onwards 12.2 lbs. FA fell from an average of 12.9 lbs to 12.1 lbs.

Sorry that wasn't more gripping. Just wait until we hit the 20th century in the next instalments. You'll find change aplenty there.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2oQPG5Ss0r..._1880_1889.JPG

Whitbread Pale Ales 1880 - 1889
Date
Year
Beer
Style
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
Pitch temp
pale malt
PA malt
sugar
total
7th Jan
1880
PA
Pale Ale

1057.1

1016.1

5.42

71.84%

14.01

4.04

1.83

58º

80.80%

19.20%

100.00%

12th Jul
1880
FA
Pale Ale

1052.6

1008.6

5.83

83.68%

13.52

3.58

1.67

58º

60.48%

39.52%

100.00%

9th Aug
1880
PA
Pale Ale

1065.4

1014.4

6.74

77.97%

17.12

4.30

1.83

58º

86.88%

13.12%

100.00%

16th Nov
1881
FA
Pale Ale

1050.7

1006.9

5.79

86.34%

13.27

3.28

2

58º

85.37%

14.63%

100.00%

28th Nov
1881
PA
Pale Ale

1056.5

1015.0

5.50

73.53%

14.46

3.96

1.5

1.75

56.5º

80.25%

19.75%

100.00%

20th Jan
1882
PA
Pale Ale

1062.6

1015.8

6.19

74.78%

15.34

4.59

1.33

1.75

55.5º

78.57%

21.43%

100.00%

8th Nov
1882
PA
Pale Ale

1059.3

1019.9

5.20

66.36%

14.07

3.97

1.33

1.67

56º

76.47%

23.53%

100.00%

22nd Nov
1882
PA
Pale Ale

1057.6

1018.8

5.13

67.31%

14.02

3.60

1.33

1.67

57º

75.00%

25.00%

100.00%

29th Nov
1882
FA
Pale Ale

1048.8

1015.0

4.47

69.32%

13.00

3.06

1.83

º

86.96%

13.04%

100.00%

2nd Feb
1883
FA
Pale Ale

1054.8

1015.8

5.17

71.21%

13.12

3.27

1.83

57º

83.33%

16.67%

100.00%

24th Aug
1883
PA
Pale Ale

1064.8

1019.9

5.94

69.23%

13.74

4.30

1.75

57º

89.66%

10.34%

100.00%

29th Aug
1883
PA
Pale Ale

1063.7

1016.9

6.19

73.48%

13.72

4.08

1.75

57º

89.66%

10.34%

100.00%

30th Jul
1884
PA
Pale Ale

1059.3

1015.0

5.86

74.77%

15.14

4.08

1.83

56.5º

86.96%

13.04%

100.00%

15th Oct
1884
PA
Pale Ale

1061.8

1016.9

5.94

72.65%

13.69

3.96

1.33

1.75

57º

80.49%

19.51%

100.00%

28th Jan
1885
PA
Pale Ale

1059.0

14.22

3.92

1.33

1.75

57º

78.57%

21.43%

100.00%

18th Mar
1885
FA
Pale Ale

1057.6

1017.7

5.28

69.23%

14.02

3.68

1.5

1.75

56º

80.00%

20.00%

100.00%

22nd Jul
1885
PA
Pale Ale

1060.4

1015.0

6.01

75.23%

15.02

4.44

1.75

56º

85.71%

14.29%

100.00%

28th Oct
1885
PA
Pale Ale

1060.1

1015.0

5.97

75.12%

14.03

4.10

1.33

1.75

56º

78.57%

21.43%

100.00%

4th Nov
1885
FA
Pale Ale

1052.1

1010.8

5.46

79.26%

10.47

3.18

1.5

1.75

57º

85.11%

14.89%

100.00%

27th Jan
1886
PA
Pale Ale

1057.6

1011.9

6.05

79.33%

13.00

3.80

1.83

2

58.5º

80.49%

19.51%

100.00%

25th Aug
1886
PA
Pale Ale

1059.0

1015.0

5.83

74.65%

15.96

4.69

1.75

58.5º

87.76%

12.24%

100.00%

8th Sep
1886
PA
Pale Ale

1057.3

1012.7

5.90

77.78%

16.11

4.70

1.75

59º

88.24%

11.76%

100.00%

20th Oct
1886
PA
Pale Ale

1059.3

1012.7

6.16

78.50%

15.21

4.30

1.33

1.75

58º

82.28%

17.72%

100.00%

19th Jan
1887
FA
Pale Ale

1053.2

1013.9

5.20

73.96%

13.02

3.22

1.5

2.75

58º

81.08%

18.92%

100.00%

9th Feb
1887
PA
Pale Ale

1057.1

1016.9

5.31

70.39%

16.08

3.92

1.33

1.75

58º

76.92%

23.08%

100.00%

9th Mar
1887
PA
Pale Ale

1055.7

1017.7

5.02

68.16%

14.92

3.92

1.33

1.83

58º

78.57%

21.43%

100.00%

31st Aug
1887
PA
Pale Ale

1058.4

1015.0

5.75

74.41%

15.05

4.27

1.33

1.75

57º

78.95%

21.05%

100.00%

5th Oct
1887
PA
Pale Ale

1058.7

13.06

3.62

1.33

1.75

57º

78.95%

21.05%

100.00%

16th Nov
1887
FA
Pale Ale

1053.2

1016.9

4.80

68.23%

12.05

2.85

1.33

0.75

58º

78.57%

21.43%

100.00%

7th Dec
1887
PA
Pale Ale

1051.5

1007.8

5.79

84.95%

10.11

2.32

1.33

1.75

59º

75.34%

24.66%

100.00%

14th Mar
1888
FA
Pale Ale

1054.6

1013.9

5.39

74.62%

12.79

3.13

1.75

58º

76.74%

23.26%

100.00%

11th Apr
1888
PA
Pale Ale

1052.1

1011.9

5.31

77.13%

9.01

2.11

1.33

0.75

58º

75.76%

24.24%

100.00%

11th May
1888
PA
Pale Ale

1055.4

1012.7

5.64

77.00%

11.04

2.73

1.33

2.17

58º

75.90%

24.10%

100.00%

11th May
1888
2PA
Pale Ale

1050.1

1011.9

5.06

76.24%

11.04

2.47

1.33

2.17

58º

75.90%

24.10%

100.00%

27th Jul
1888
PA
Pale Ale

1061.2

1018.8

5.61

69.23%

12.43

3.49

1.33

1.75

57º

76.92%

23.08%

100.00%

27th Jul
1888
2PA
Pale Ale

1052.1

1015.0

4.91

71.28%

12.43

2.97

1.33

1.75

57º

76.92%

23.08%

100.00%

25th Aug
1888
PA
Pale Ale

1060.7

1016.9

5.79

72.15%

12.01

3.29

1.33

1.75

57º

76.00%

24.00%

100.00%

25th Aug
1888
2PA
Pale Ale

1052.1

1011.9

5.31

77.13%

12.01

2.83

1.33

1.75

57º

76.00%

24.00%

100.00%

7th Dec
1888
PA
Pale Ale

1060.7

1015.0

6.05

75.34%

12.01

3.41

1.33

1.67

57º

78.31%

21.69%

100.00%

16th Jan
1889
PA
Pale Ale

1061.2

1012.7

6.41

79.19%

11.01

3.22

1.33

1.75

57º

76.92%

23.08%

100.00%

16th Jan
1889
2PA
Pale Ale

1056.0

1012.7

5.72

77.23%

11.01

2.94

1.33

1.75

57º

76.92%

23.08%

100.00%

13th Mar
1889
FA
Pale Ale

1052.1

1011.9

5.31

77.13%

12.40

2.86

1.33

1.67

58º

80.49%

19.51%

100.00%

17th Apr
1889
FA
Pale Ale

1052.6

1011.9

5.39

77.37%

12.35

2.90

1.33

1.67

58º

78.57%

21.43%

100.00%

23rd Oct
1889
PA
Pale Ale

1060.4

1012.0

6.40

80.13%

11.05

3.19

1.33

1.67

57.5º

0.00%

76.74%

23.26%

100.00%

28th Oct
1889
FA
Pale Ale

1052.4

1008.0

5.87

84.72%

10.17

2.65

1.33

1.67

58º

74.41%

25.59%

100.00%

6th Nov
1889
PA
Pale Ale

1058.4

1014.0

5.88

76.05%

11.14

2.98

1.33

1.67

57º

1.22%

74.39%

24.39%

100.00%

Source:
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives.
Document numbers: LMA/4453/D/01/045, LMA/4453/D/01/046, LMA/4453/D/01/047, LMA/4453/D/01/048, LMA/4453/D/01/0496, LMA/4453/D/01/050, LMA/4453/D/01/051, LMA/4453/D/01/052, LMA/4453/D/01/053, LMA/4453/D/01/054, LMA/4453/D/01/055
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