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Finally, we're at the end of the AK road, having reached the post-war period. I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have. However unlikely that might be.Even though not everyone was aware of them all, there were at least three AKs still being brewed at the start of the 1980s. McMullen's, the obvious one, Courage's (formerly Holes), the obscure one and Eldridge Pope's, the hidden one.

As you can see, versions after the war were very much like those produced during it, in terms of strength. A fairly puny one, at around 1030º. About the minimum level that's worth bothering with.
The hopping rate rate is also similar to that of wartime, at around 5 lbs per quarter (336 lbs) of malt. Which is also pretty low.
Varying from just over 60% to 85%, the apparent rate of attenuation is all over the place. So much so, that I can't really draw any conclusions.


AK after WW II
Date Year Brewer Beer OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/brl
22nd Jan 1946 Shepherd Neame AK 1027.1 1005.8 2.82 78.57% 4.64 0.55
15th Jul 1947 Shepherd Neame AK 1027.1 1004.2 3.04 84.69% 4.80 0.53
19th Mar 1952 Strong SAK 1030.5 1006.1 3.22 80.00% 5.03 0.61
3rd Jan 1964 Eldridge Pope BAK 1030.2 1007.8 2.97 74.31% 5.10 0.61
6th Jan 1967 Eldridge Pope BAK 1030.2 1011.6 2.46 61.47% 5.81 0.69
17th May 1982 Eldridge Pope BAK 1030.2 1006.1 3.19 79.82% 9.03 0.82
27th Jun 1984 Eldridge Pope BAK 1032.7 1005.0 3.66 84.75% 4.00 0.54
Average 1029.7 1006.6 3.05 77.66% 5.49 0.62
Sources:
Strong brewing record, number 79A01-A3-3-27.
Eldridge Pope brewing record.
Shepherd Neame brewing record held at the brewery.
To finish, here are some details of the current survivor, McMullen'a:

McMullen's AK 1967 - 2002
Year Brewer Beer OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation colour
1967 McMullen AK 1034 1004.5 3.69 86.76% 25
1977 McMullen AK 1033
1979 McMullen AK 1033
1981 McMullen AK 1033
1982 McMullen AK 1033
1982 McMullen AK 1033
1983 McMullen AK 1033
1989 McMullen AK 1033 1003.8 3.80 88.48%
1999 McMullen AK 1034
2002 McMullen AK 1036
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Good Beer Guide 1978, Good Beer Guide 1980, Good Beer Guide 1982, Good Beer Guide 1983, Good Beer Guide 1983, Good Beer Guide 1984, Good Beer Guide 1990.
What's Brewing (Beer) May 2005, p.17; July 2005 p.5
What's Brewing (Beer) July 2005 p.5
Interesting to see that the gravity increased a little in the 1990s.
Grists next time.



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