REPORT ON THE MALT LIQUORS SOLD IN THE UNITED KINGDOM:
WITH ANALYSES AND COMMENTS.
III.—Bitter Ale And Beer.
The samples of beer referred to in the accompanying table were obtained, as stated, partly from public houses, and partly from the brewers themselves or from their agents. The results of analysis show that there are considerable differences in the quality of the beer sold retail by publicans at the same price, and that there are also differences between it and the best kinds of beer supplied by the brewers. Thus, for instance, the variation in the ale sold at fourpence per pint is from 4.08 to 7.10 per cent, of alcohol, and from 3.22 to 7.53 per cent, of extract — a variation which corresponds to a difference in the amount of malt used in the brewing as much as 1.58 bushel per barrel.
In comparing the results of analysis with the object of judging as to the quality of beer, some considerable allowance must, however, be made for differences in those characters of beer which are not clearly expressed by the amount either of alcohol or of extract, nor even by the proportion of malt used in brewing, as indicated by the original gravity. In this respect, the system of brewing adopted in any particular case may be of far greater influence in determining the quality and character of beer, than the mere amounts of alcohol and of extract that it contains; but, subject to this influence, the amount of malt indicated by the original gravity of beer as having been used in the brewing may be regarded as a fair approximative test of quality.
The relative proportions of alcohol and of extract in beer will also have some influence on its fitness in a medical point of view for certain persons; and, in some instances, thin dry beer, that has had the fermentation carried so far as to reduce the amount of extract to a minimum, may be far preferable to beer containing a larger proportion of extract.
In regard to the nutritive value of beer over and above the stimulant and tonic actions due to the alcohol and to the bitter principle of the hop, it is worth notice that a pint of bitter beer contains from half an ounce to an ounce of solid extract.
The amount of free acid in British beer appears to be uniformly larger than in the Viennese or Bavarian beer, and sometimes it is very much larger. This free acid is represented in the tables as acetic acid; but there is reason to believe that only a part of it is acetic acid, and that beer probably contains lactic acid and some substance analogous to glucic acid, which, according to Graham, Hofmann, and Redwood, appears to be produced in the fermentation of beer-worts, as practised in this country.
In most of these samples of beer, the amounts of alcohol and of extract, as well as the corresponding amount of malt used per bushel, were larger than they were found to be* in the Viennese and Bavarian beer now sold in London, but in one or two cases they were rather less. Taking price into consideration, however, the comparison is generally very much in favour of the home-made beer, notwithstanding the late reduction in the price of the Viennese beer.
For the convenience of medical practitioners, the amounts of alcohol, of extract, and of free acid, have been calculated so as to show the actual quantities contained in a pint of beer.
contents per pint Kind of Ale Obtained from price per imperial pint Specific gravity % of alcohol % of extract acetic acid original gravity of wort malt per barrel alcohol fl. ozs extract ozs. acid grs. 1. Allsopp's Messrs. S. Allsopp and Sons, 61 King William Street 1010.38 5.74 4.89 0.18 1064.16 2.37 1.46 0.98 15.91 2. Allsopp's (bottled) Messrs. J.F. Biggs and Co., Royal Exchange 1013.47 5.75 5.8 0.15 1068.45 2.53 1.47 1.17 13.3 3. Allsopp's Redan Tavern, Farringdon St. 4d 1005.61 5.34 3.6 0.16 1056.27 2.08 1.35 0.72 14.08 4. Allsopp's Golden Lion Tavern, Warwick Place, Holborn 4d 1008.33 4.82 4.19 0.14 1054.3 2.01 1.22 0.84 12.35 5. Allsopp's Ditto 4d 1005.68 4.08 3.22 0.18 1044.17 1.64 1.03 0.64 15.84 6. Bass's Brewed 2nd January, 1869 Messrs Berry Brothers, 3 St. James's Street, Piccadilly 1010.21 5.86 5.05 0.17 1065.89 2.44 1.49 1.02 15.03 7. Bass's Brewed 24th December, 1868 Ditto 1012.51 5.57 5.37 0.16 1065.41 2.42 1.42 1.08 14.17 8. Bass's Brewed 27th January, 1869 Ditto 1011.78 5.76 5.4 0.13 1066.67 2.47 1.47 1.09 11.5 9. Bass's Spiers and Pond's Restaurant, Ludgate Station 4d 1013.2 5.45 5.85 0.28 1067.03 2.48 1.39 1.18 24.82 10. Bass's Brook's, Fetter Lane 3d 1010.13 4.78 4.68 0.29 1056.52 2.08 1.21 0.93 25.63 11. Crowley's, Alton 260 Holborn 4d 1008.36 4.48 4.03 0.14 1050.77 1.88 1.13 0.81 12.35 12. Flower and Sons Bull's Head Tavern, Hyde Street, Oxford Street 4d 1012.53 5.24 5.45 0.16 1063.01 2.33 1.33 1.1 14.17 13. Fowler's Prestonpans Brewery R Porter and Co., 34 Old Broad Street 1013.42 4.27 5.28 0.29 1053.55 1.98 1.08 1.07 23.78 14. Fowler's Prestonpans Brewery Ditto 1012.83 4.3 5.15 0.29 1054.76 2.02 1.09 1.04 25.71 15. Fowler's Prestonpans Brewery Ditto 1006.97 3.96 3.52 0.27 1044.99 1.66 1.05 0.71 25.7 16. Fowler's Prestonpans Brewery Barber, Holborn 1004.68 3.94 2.16 0.28 1039.15 1.45 0.99 0.43 24.54 17. Ind and Coope's Crown Coffee House, Holborn 4d 1009.93 5.27 4.92 0.22 1061.22 2.27 1.33 0.99 19.44 18. Ind and Coope's George Tavern, Brooke Street 3.5d 1010.12 5.3 4.71 0.14 1060.39 2.23 1.35 0.95 12.37 19. Nunneley's Old Bell Tavern, Holborn Hill 4d 1018.71 7.1 7.53 0.27 1086.96 3.22 1.81 1.53 32.98 20. Perry's Brixton Brewery 1.5d 1006.48 3.87 3.65 0.14 1045.82 1.69 0.98 0.73 7.97 21. Usher's, Park Brewery, Edinburgh 22, Waterloo Road 4d 1004.52 5.69 3.66 0.15 1058.96 2.18 1.44 0.73 13.8 22. Usher's (bottled), Park Brewery, Edinburgh Ditto 1005.54 5.31 3.63 0.15 1055.96 2.07 1.34 0.73 13.2 23. Worthington's Prince Albert Tavern, Gray's Inn Road 4d 1011.17 6.5 5.55 0.4 1074.98 2.77 1.65 1.12 35.39
"British Medical Journal 1869, vol. 2", 1869, page 245.
While there's considerable variation in strength, there's one thing all the beers have in common: a high degree of attenuation. Only three are below 80% apparent attenuation. Four are over 90%. All must have been pretty dry.