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Ah, another new decade of Whitbread Porter. This time the 1830's. You may have detected a certain logic to this. Starting at the beginning and moving forwards in time in a linear fashion until I reach the end. Seems a logical enough approach.
Brown malt. I have to mention that. Especially in regard to that classic made-up style, Robust Porter.You'll see that Whitbread only briefly flirted with a brown malt-free grist. In 1832 brown malt was not only back in the grist, but in a considerably greater quantity than it had been at any time since the introduction of black malt. Mostly it madee up 10% ofr more og the grist, while in the 1820's it had been just 3 or 4%.
The proportion of black malt continued to creep up. It rose from around 1.5% at the start of the decade to closer to 2.5% by its end. You'll see later that this trend continued right through the 19th century.
After 1839, there was a significant drop in the hopping rate, falling from 14 lbs per quarter to 11. This took it back to about the same level it had been in the early 1820's. Yet with 2.5 to 2.75 lbs of hops per barrel, you couldn't describe theses these beers as lightly-hopped. Time for me to bang on about Porter being something you would expect to be quite heavily-hopped, it being a Beer rather than an Ale. But I'm sure you've remembered that.
The gravity was, at 1060-1062, a couple of points higher than in the 1820's. Attenuation remained much the same, 67-70%. The pitching temperature, mostly 63.5-64º F was perhaps half a degree cooler on average than in the 1820's. No very significant change there. The first wort was boiled a tad longer.
Whitbread Porter 1831 - 1840
Date
Year
Beer
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
boil time (hours)
Pitch temp
pale malt
brown malt
black malt
total
24th Mar
1831
P
1057.11019.15.0266.50%14.873.5311.53464º98.22%
1.78%15th Aug100.00%
1831
P
1058.41019.95.0965.88%18.064.571.252.54
64º98.51%
1.49%17th Sep100.00%
1831
P
1058.7
13.133.331.252.54
64º98.58%
1.42%30th Mar100.00%
1832
P
1058.41017.25.4670.62%12.993.2911.53464º88.50%10.15%1.35%8th Nov100.00%
1832
P
1058.21019.45.1366.67%12.613.231.2524
63.5º87.76%10.88%1.36%19th Nov100.00%
1832
P
1058.21019.15.1767.14%12.723.311.2524
64º87.76%10.88%1.36%21st Mar100.00%
1833
P
1058.71016.15.6472.64%12.483.1711.53463.5º86.05%12.36%1.59%17th Aug100.00%
1833
P
1058.41018.05.3569.19%12.553.73124
64.5º88.42%10.05%1.53%19th Oct100.00%
1833
P
1058.71016.15.6472.64%13.253.31124
64º87.59%10.86%1.55%11th Aug100.00%
1834
P
1059.61016.95.6471.63%12.483.52123
64º88.35%9.67%1.98%14th Aug100.00%
1834
P
1059.31018.35.4269.16%13.023.45123
63.5º87.76%10.16%2.08%16th Aug100.00%
1834
P
1060.91019.45.5068.18%13.083.52123
64.25º87.76%10.16%2.08%11th Dec100.00%
1834
P
1058.71017.55.4670.28%13.113.35123
64º85.79%12.46%1.75%31st Oct100.00%
1834
P
1059.31018.35.4269.16%12.893.25123
64º85.79%12.46%1.75%6th Aug100.00%
1835
P
1060.11017.25.6871.43%12.533.2711.53463.25º83.04%15.08%1.88%19th Oct100.00%
1835
P
1061.21018.65.6469.68%13.473.4911.53463.5º88.93%9.23%1.85%15th Jul100.00%
1836
P
1064.01019.95.8368.83%14.563.571.51.53463.5º77.43%19.80%2.77%3rd Aug100.00%
1836
P
1064.31017.76.1672.41%14.253.451.51.53463º77.43%19.80%2.77%30th Nov100.00%
1836
P
1061.21018.05.7270.59%14.743.641.51.53463.5º90.11%7.61%2.28%18th May100.00%
1837
P
1060.11018.85.4668.66%13.673.181.51.53463.5º89.94%7.59%2.47%8th Jul100.00%
1837
P
1060.41019.95.3566.97%12.812.891.51.53463.5º89.94%7.59%2.47%19th Jul100.00%
1837
P
1060.11018.65.5069.12%13.613.311.51.53463.75º89.94%7.59%2.47%30th Aug100.00%
1837
P
1059.81018.05.5369.91%13.793.341.51.53464º81.98%15.67%2.35%24th Jul100.00%
1837
P
1059.81019.45.3567.59%13.513.171.51.53463.5º89.94%7.59%2.47%6th Sep100.00%
1837
P
1059.61017.55.5770.70%13.763.291.51.53463.5º81.98%15.67%2.35%4th Sep100.00%
1837
P
1058.71017.75.4269.81%13.833.261.51.53464º81.98%15.67%2.35%30th Oct100.00%
1837
P
1059.01019.45.2467.14%13.853.191.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%19th Oct100.00%
1837
P
1059.61018.05.5069.77%13.763.281.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%4th Aug100.00%
1838
P
1059.81021.65.0663.89%13.012.971.51.53464º86.10%11.58%2.32%31st Jul100.00%
1838
P
1061.51018.85.6469.37%12.963.191.51.53464º86.10%11.58%2.32%11th Sep100.00%
1838
P
1061.81021.15.3965.92%14.073.471.51.53462º86.10%11.58%2.32%20th Oct100.00%
1838
P
1061.21019.15.5768.78%11.772.971.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%27th Sep100.00%
1838
P
1061.51019.45.5768.47%14.283.371.51.53463.25º86.10%11.58%2.32%28th Jan100.00%
1839
P
1062.31018.85.7569.78%14.143.341.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%24th Aug100.00%
1839
P
1061.81019.45.6168.61%10.502.531.51.53464º86.10%11.58%2.32%3rd Aug100.00%
1839
P
1062.31019.95.6168.00%10.642.601.51.53466º86.10%11.58%2.32%2nd Sep100.00%
1839
P
1061.51019.15.6168.92%10.322.561.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%16th Nov100.00%
1839
P
1061.51020.85.3966.22%9.982.951.51.53464º86.10%11.58%2.32%9th Sep100.00%
1839
P
1062.01020.85.4666.52%10.462.511.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%14th Sep100.00%
1839
P
1061.21019.75.5067.87%10.282.511.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%25th Sep100.00%
1839
P
1061.81020.55.4666.82%10.272.561.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%19th Oct100.00%
1839
P
1062.61021.35.4665.93%10.312.601.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%27th Jul100.00%
1840
P
1061.81020.25.5067.26%10.942.711.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%13th Jul100.00%
1840
P
1061.51020.25.4667.12%10.682.611.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%28th Jul100.00%
1840
P
1062.91018.85.8370.04%11.132.881.51.53464º86.10%11.58%2.32%10th Aug100.00%
1840
P
1062.61020.25.6167.70%11.112.811.51.53463.75º86.10%11.58%2.32%18th Aug100.00%
1840
P
1061.81018.05.7970.85%10.832.701.51.53463.75º86.10%11.58%2.32%16th Sep100.00%
1840
P
1061.81020.55.4666.82%10.442.641.51.53463.5º86.10%11.58%2.32%19th Oct100.00%
1840
P
1062.01019.75.6168.30%10.922.821.51.53463.5º85.94%11.56%2.50%Source:100.00%
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives
Documents:
LMA/4453/D/09/024, LMA/4453/D/09/025, LMA/4453/D/09/026, LMA/4453/D/09/027, LMA/4453/D/09/028, LMA/4453/D/09/029, LMA/4453/D/09/030, LMA/4453/D/09/031, LMA/4453/D/09/032, LMA/4453/D/09/033, LMA/4453/D/09/034
The table shows the way Porter evolved through the 19th century. The occasional dramatic change followed by long periods of little or only very gradual change. The sudden reintroduction of brown malt to the grist in 1832 must have caused a perceptible difference in the finished beer.While the gradual edging up of the black malt content probably went unnoticed by drinkers.
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