Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site
Funny thing, memory. It can play strange tricks on you. Just an observation.
XLK. It was one of Barclay Perkins standard beers for a very long time. It was first brewed in the 1880's and was still around after WW II. It started out with a gravity of 1053, but by 1945 was down to 1036. This beer is about in the middle of those two extremes.
What does XLK mean? The LK means "London Keeping". The X just that it was standard strength. Not that a 1920's drinker would have called it that. They'd have just ordered Bitter. Because that's what it was: Barclay Perkins ordinary draught Bitter.
If you look to your right you'll see a price list from the early 1940's. It shows you exactly where it slotted into their range: between Best Mild and Burton. Don't you just wish you could find that set of five draught beers on the bar? I know I do.
Just had a thought. What if me and Kristen do you a full set of Barclay Perkins draught beers for one particular year? Then you can recreate that old-time pub feeling in the comfort of your own shed, basement or garage. But remember, you'll have to invite me around for a few pints.
Not feeling that chatty today. I ate soemthing on Sunday that disagreed with my stomach. I would blame Dolores, but I cooked Sunday dinner. And made my own sandwiches for tea. Who else can I blame?
While I ponder that weighty question, over to Kristen . . . . .
General info: How about a tasty bitter shall we? A handsome fella with a bunch of different pale malts. The twist comes with the colorant being No2 and No3 invert. They give nearly the entire color to the beer. One could use caramel in their place but you would lose the flavor you bring with the color. Using dark inverts is a very cool way to bring along a lot of the dark stone fruit flavors without adding any sort of dark or roasty flavors you would get out of a darker crystal malt.Barclay Perkins - 1923 - XLK
Beer Specifics
Gravity (OG)Recipe by percentages
1.047
24.8% American 6 Row
13% Flaked Maize
Gravity (FG)
1.009
9.1% English 2 Row
8.7% Invert No2
ABV
5.07%
28.7% English 2 Row
5.2% Invert No3
Apparent attenuation
80.85%
10.4% English 2 Row
0% 0
Real attenuation
66.23%
IBU
33.1
1.5hmin@153°FMash
0.81qt/lb
SRM
9
1.5hmin@67.2°C
1.69L/kg
EBC
17.7
Boil2.25 hours
Homebrew @ 70%Craft @ 80%Grist5gal19L10bblAmerican 6 Row10hl
lb2.22
kg1.013
lb120.67
kg46.62
English 2 Row
lb0.82
kg0.373
lb44.46
kg17.18
English 2 Row
lb2.58
kg1.173
lb139.72
kg53.98
English 2 Row
lb0.94
kg0.426
lb50.81
kg19.63
Flaked Maize
lb1.17
kg0.533
lb63.51
kg24.54
Invert No2
lb0.78
kg0.355
lb42.34
kg16.36
Invert No3
oz0.47
g13.4
lb25.40
kg9.81
486.90
Hops
Goldings 4.5% 120min
oz1.27
g35.9
oz78.55
kg1.898
Goldings 4.5% 30min
oz0.62
g17.7
oz38.70
kg0.935
Goldings 4.5% dry hop
oz0.42
g11.8
oz25.77
kg0.623
Fermentation68°F /20°C
Nottingham ale yeastYeast
1335 British Ale Yeast II - WLP025 Southwold Ale Yeast
Tasting Notes:
Pomme fruit, grain husk, biscuits and a 'general' fruity character. Clean hop flavor with a punch of tannic hops at the end really dry this out. Very very crisp and clean. Very elegant notes of plums dance on the tongue after you swallow.
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