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What a rare treat this is. It seems like only yesterday we were speculating about what a "C" Ale might have been like. And now here's a recipe. Cool or what?

I'm still none the wiser as to what the C might stand for. But I do t least have a pretty good idea of what the beer itself was like. Dark, moderately strong, medium hopping. Sounds like a variation on the Burton/weaker Old Ale theme.

Lees didn't brew their "C" Ale for long. Just for a few years at the end of the 1940's and beginning of the 1950's. Other brewes in the region, such as Groves & Whitnall, had already brewed one in the 1890's.

Here's a quote from page 12 of "Manchester Breweries of Times Gone By, Vol 2":

"The brewery's [Openshaw] included best mild and bitter, Grade A pale ale, Openshaw Stout and also a "C" Ale. "C" Ale seems to have been a local brew, the origin of which is uncertain. Groves and Whitnall of Salford became well known for their version of "C" Ale in the 1890s; it was discontinued during the last war but reintroduced in 1950. John Henry Lees of Moss Side also brewed a "C" Ale, as did Wilsons Brewery."



That's me about done. Time for Kristen to do his thing . . . .





Lee's - 1951 - C-ale
General info: Finally, after hundreds of logs, scouring the planet, we finally have found it. A 'C'-ale. What is it? I have absolutely no idea! Its some sort of very dark ale (112EBC), coloured mostly with coloured malt extract and caramel color, with a touch of hops and a good portion of regular invert and a vast amount of pale malt. How to explain this? Well, you really gotta taste it. So get out there and make it. Take pictures and lets compare!
Beer Specifics


Recipe by percentages
Gravity (OG)
1.054


56.9% English Pale malt 1
1.1% Black malt
Gravity (FG)
1.012


17.1% English Pale malt 2
15.2% Invert No1
ABV
5.54%


2.8% American 6-row
2.5% C.M.E.
Apparent attenuation
77.59%


4.3% Crystal 75L


Real attenuation
63.56%













IBU
20.0


Mash
90min@149°F
1.13814863102999qt/lb


SRM
57



90min@65°C
2.38L/kg


EBC
112.3

















Boil
1.75 hours





















Homebrew @ 70%
Craft @ 80%
Grist
5gal
19L
10bbl
10hl
English Pale malt 1
5.68
lb
2.585
kg
307.98
lb
118.99
kg
English Pale malt 2
1.70
lb
0.775
kg
92.40
lb
35.70
kg
American 6-row
0.28
lb
0.129
kg
15.40
lb
5.95
kg
Crystal 75L
0.43
lb
0.197
kg
23.47
lb
9.07
kg
Black malt
0.10
lb
0.048
kg
5.68
lb
2.20
kg
Invert No1
1.51
lb
0.689
kg
82.13
lb
31.73
kg
C.M.E.
4.06
oz
116.0
g
13.75
lb
5.31
kg


9.715


4.423


540.80426





Hops












Fuggle 5.5% 90min
0.72
oz
20.5
g
44.80
oz
1.082
kg
Fuggle 5.5% 30min
0.24
oz
6.8
g
14.93
oz
0.361
kg















Fermentation
63°F /17.2°C



























Yeast
Manchester ale


1318 London Ale Yeast III -















Tasting Notes: Deep dark fruits. Very little roast. Quite similar to a Caribbean stout. No real hop character but enough to clean up the finish. Lots of biscuits and bread from the pale malt. Very different but smooth.


That's one legendary but obscure beer style done. Where next? Broyhan, perhaps.


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