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In the second part of this series we'll be taking a look at Bitter brewed inside and outside London.

Despite several London brewers (Truman and Mann, among other) owning breweries in Burton, there was a considerable amount of Pale Ale brewed in London. It made up a big chunk of the beer brewed at Whitbread's Chiswell Street brewery. While Courage brewed none in London, bringing it in from a plant they owned in Alton, Hampshire.

First it's the turn of London Bitters. I'd say that there were two types 8d and 7d Pale Ales. Nos. 12 and 14 are the former, the others the latter. Which leaves a rather muddied picture, especially as the number of samples is small.

Composition of London Beers
Calories per pint.
Total Solids per cent. Absolute Alcohol (by weight) per cent. Ratio of Total Solids to Alcohol (T.S.=1). ABV Solid Matter. Alcohol. Total.
Bitters and Pale Ales.
No. 10 4.37 3.88 1:0.88 4.93 102 154 250
No. 11 3.44 3.79 1:1.10 4.81 80 151 231
No. 12 4.64 4.36 1:0.93 5.54 108 173 281
No. 13 2.81 3.38 1:1.20 4.29 65 134 199
No. 14 3.63 4.21 1:1.15 5.35 85 167 252
Average 3.78 3.92 1:1.03 4.98 88 156 245
Source:
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 38, Issue 1, January-February 1932, pages 84 - 88.

Note the very low figure for residual solids. These beers are all pretty well attenuated.

Now for country Bitters, which are even more diverse:

Composition of Country Beers
Calories per pint.
Total Solids per cent. Absolute Alcohol (by weight) per cent. Ratio of Total Solids to Alcohol (T.S.=1). ABV Solid Matter. Alcohol. Total.
Bitters and Pale Ales.
No. 50 5.23 4.54 1:0.86 5.77 122 180 302
No. 51 4.63 4.66 1:1.00 5.92 108 185 293
No. 52 2.45 2.97 1:1.21 3.77 57 118 175
No. 53 3.98 3.76 1:0.94 4.78 93 149 242
No. 54 4.02 4.40 1:1.09 5.59 94 175 269
No. 55 4.45 4.08 1:0.91 5.18 104 162 266
No. 50 3.04 4.05 1:1.33 5.14 71 121 192
No. 57 5.63 3.16 1:0.58 4.01 131 125 256
No. 58 0.87 3.27 1:0.47 4.15 160 130 290
No. 59 4.37 3.13 1:0.71 3.98 102 124 226
No. 60 4.15 3.56 1:0.85 4.52 97 141 238
No. 61 6.19 3.70 1:0.59 4.70 144 147 291
No. 62 4.34 3.08 1:0.70 3.91 101 122 223
No. 63 4.88 3.46 1:0.70 4.39 114 137 251
No. 64 5.23 4.24 1:0.81 5.38 122 168 290
No. 65 4.05 3.83 1:0.94 4.86 94 152 246
No. 66 2.23 2.40 1:1.07 3.05 52 95 147
No. 67 2.58 2.78 1:1.07 3.53 60 110 170
No. 68 3.11 3.18 1:1.00 4.04 72 120 198
No. 69 4.00 3.65 1:0.91 4.64 93 145 238
No. 70 4.69 4.23 1:0.90 5.37 109 168 277
Average 4.29 3.62 1:0.84 4.60 100 142 242
Source:
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 38, Issue 1, January-February 1932, pages 84 - 88.

That's quite a spread of ABV's, from 3.05% to 5.92%. Anything under 4% ABV was pretty weak for a Bitter in the early 1930's.

Once again, the London beers are stronger, but in this case it's the country beers which have more residual sugars. The two balance out, leaving the calorific value of London and Country Pale Ales nearly identical.

Now a direct comparison of the averages:

Calories per pint.
Total Solids per cent. Absolute Alcohol (by weight) per cent. Ratio of Total Solids to Alcohol (T.S.=1). ABV Solid Matter. Alcohol. Total.
London 3.78 3.92 1:1.03 4.98 88 156 245
Country 4.29 3.62 1:0.84 4.60 100 142 242
% difference 11.89% -8.29% -0.31% -8.29% 12.00% -9.86% -1.24%

I'm not really seeing a pattern yet. Other than London beers containing more alcohol.





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