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As a special treat for the week of the 4th July, I’m publishing an American recipe for once.

I didn’t come up with the idea myself. It was a suggestion of a reader. And a very good suggestion it was. I just wish it had come a few days earlier.

This recipe has an interesting history. I originally wrote it for my book The Home Brewer’s Guide to Vintage Beer. There was initially a chapter at the end on American beers. Then I changed my mind, deciding I’d like to save those for a later book. Which obviously hasn’t happened do far. One day, one day.

Getting back to the beer itself, Burton was a style that never really caught on in the US. Beers with the name pop up every now and again in the Northeast, but with nothing like the frequency of IPA, Porter or Stock Ale. The most famous example, Ballantine Burton, was only ever brewed a few times and wasn’t available for purchase, being given by the brewery as a Christmas gift.

In terms of strength, this looks more like a Bass No. 1 type Burton Ale than the London draught beer (usually called KK). That would have had an OG of about 1075º in this period. Even the stronger London KKK would have been weaker than this beer.

Amsdell’s Burton does have much in common with London Burton. The brown colour and heavy hopping, for a start. Plus the combination of pale malt, maize and sugar. Not seen black malt in a London version of this period, though.

I’ve made one slight adjustment to the recipe, changing grits to flaked maize. If you fancy having a go at a cereal mash, feel free to use grits as in the original. I assume most of you would rather not bother.

Almost forgot. Amsdell was a largish Ale brewery in Albany, New York.


1904 Amsdell Burton
pale malt 6 row 15.25 lb 72.62%
Black malt 0.25 lb 1.19%
fructose 1.50 lb 7.14%
Caramel
Flaked corn 4.00 lb 19.05%
Cluster 90 min 4.00 oz
Cluster 30 min 4.00 oz
OG 1094
FG 1028
ABV 8.73
Apparent attenuation 70.21%
IBU 113
SRM 20
Mash at 148º F
Sparge at 180º F
Boil time 90 minutes
pitching temp 60º F
Yeast Wyeast 1098 British ale - dry
Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale


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