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Another recipe from my wonderful new book that tells you everything you ever needed to know about beer in WW I. You really should buy a copy now.

Somehow Truman S4 managed to go through the war at just about the same strength. Even in that most difficult year, 1918.

Though, given the rules in force, they couldn’t have brewed very much of it. Despite having several beers with gravities below 1030º.

The grist has seen flaked maize dropped and a tiny black malt added. As with all Truman’s beers, the base remains a combination of pale and high dried malt.

The hops are noticeably better than for their other, weaker beers. They’re all English from the 1918 harvest. So basically as fresh as was possible, given this beer was brewed in March.


1918 Truman S4
pale malt 7.25 lb 45.31%
high dried malt 6.00 lb 37.50%
flaked maize 1.75 lb 10.94%
No. 2 invert sugar 1.00 lb 6.25%
Cluster 120 mins 3.00 oz
Fuggles 90 mins 1.75 oz
Goldings 30 mins 1.75 oz
Goldings dry hops 1.00 oz
OG 1072
FG 1022
ABV 6.61
Apparent attenuation 69.44%
IBU 91
SRM 10
Mash at 151º F
Sparge at 170º F
Boil time 120 minutes
pitching temp 57.5º F
Yeast Wyeast 1028 London Ale (Worthington White Shield)

You can find this recipe, along with history of British brewing during WW I, and ludicrous number of recipes, iin my latest book. Buy several copies and give the spare ones to your friends.




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