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I’m surprised that Cairnes were still brewing a Table Beer as late as 1914. In England, most brewers dropped the type not long after it disappeared as a tax category in 1830. Though it seems to have survived longer in Scotland: until around 1900.

The gravity has dropped quite a bit since 1898, from 1045º to 1033º. Leaving it extremely weak for a pre-WW I beer, at just a little over 3% ABV. And extremely weak for a beer in Ireland, where average OG was 1066º in 1914.

Like all Cairnes recipes, it’s pretty simple. Just base malt, flaked maize and sugar. Though there were two types of pale malt, one from Irish barley, the other from Indian barley.

The hops were split evenly between English and Oregon, both from the 1912 harvest.
1914 Cairnes Table Beer
pale malt 5.00 lb 74.07%
flaked maize 0.75 lb 11.11%
No. 2 invert sugar 1.00 lb 14.81%
Cluster 120 mins 1.00 oz
Fuggles 60 mins 0.50 oz
Fuggles 30 mins 0.50 oz
OG 1033
FG 1007.5
ABV 3.37
Apparent attenuation 77.27%
IBU 36
SRM 6
Mash at 152º F
Sparge at 170º F
Boil time 120 minutes
pitching temp 57º F
Yeast Wyeast 1084 Irish ale


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