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Another Fullers beer from the late 1950’s, this time a strong bottled beer. Though you may find the recipe rather familiar.

Everyone knows how Fullers proudly uphold the tradition of parti-gyling to this day, brewing Chiswick, London Pride, ESB and Golden Pride from one basic recipe. Back in the day, they did something similar with their dark beers. From that recipe they brewed X (or Hock) their Mild, OBE, their draught Burton and SA, a bottled Strong Ale. In reality a Mild Ale, a strong Mild Ale and a very strong Mild Ale.

I used to think that strong Mild had died on the Somme, but, as ever, reality is far more complicated. Southern Old Ales – like the one Harveys still brew – were really strong Milds. And many stronger dark bottled Ales, like Fullers SA, were stronger versions still. It made a lot of sense to brew this way. The market for stronger beers was relatively small. If your brew length was several hundred barrels, as at Fullers, it made sense to parti-gyle a small-batch beer with something else. This particular brew produced 53 barrels of SA, 9.74 of OBE and 277 of Mild.

I can’t really say much about the recipe, as it’s essentially identical to the last. And that you’ll need a good dose of caramel to get the right colour.

1958 Fullers Strong Ale
pale malt 12.00 lb 80.00%
flaked maize 1.25 lb 8.33%
no. 2 sugar 1.25 lb 8.33%
no. 3 sugar 0.50 lb 3.33%
Fuggles 90 min 1.50 oz
Fuggles 60 min 0.75 oz
Goldings Varieties 30 min 0.75 oz
OG 1072.4
FG 1016.1
ABV 7.45
Apparent attenuation 77.76%
IBU 35
SRM 30
Mash at 149º F
Sparge at 165º F
Boil time 90 minutes
pitching temp 60º F
Yeast WLP002 English Ale



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