Monday 8 November 2010

Late 19th century Pale Ales

I have various motives for posting stuff. Often not very obvious. At least that's what I like to think. See if you can guess why I've posted this.

Pale Ales, though not the biggest sellers, were all the rage in the late 19th century. As you can see from both brewers' price lists and brewing records. Many brewers produced more than one. Let's take a look, shall we:


Late 19th century Pale Ales
Date
Year
Brewer
Beer
Style
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lbs hops/ qtr
hops lb/brl
Pitch temp
dry hops (oz / barrel)
pale malt
PA malt
no. 1 sugar
no. 2 sugar
other sugar
flaked maize
flaked rice
total
15th Aug
1866
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1060.4
1016.6
5.79
72.48%
18.26
5.94
58º

80.78%



19.22%


100.00%
26th Nov
1866
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1060.7
1014.7
6.08
75.80%
15.20
4.50
58º

81.82%



18.18%


100.00%
15th Mar
1871
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1062.6
1020.5
5.57
67.26%
17.47
5.67
58º

82.23%



17.77%


100.00%
24th Mar
1871
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1063.7
1019.4
5.86
69.57%
17.30
5.57
58º

81.60%



18.40%


100.00%
6th Sep
1875
Whitbread
FA
Pale Ale
1052.1
1011.4
5.39
78.19%
12.37
2.93
58º

85.08%



14.92%


100.00%
30th Aug
1875
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1058.2
1014.7
5.75
74.76%
18.11
5.04
58º

92.13%



7.87%


100.00%
7th Dec
1875
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1060.1
1015.2
5.94
74.65%
15.72
4.64
58º

85.18%



14.82%


100.00%
11th Jul
1876
Whitbread
FA
Pale Ale
1054.8
1019.9
4.62
63.64%
12.24
3.15
60º

84.51%



15.49%


100.00%
11th Apr
1877
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1058.7
1014.7
5.83
75.00%
16.03
4.65
58º

74.64%



25.36%


100.00%
12th Jul
1880
Whitbread
FA
Pale Ale
1052.6
1008.6
5.83
83.68%
13.52
3.58
58º

60.48%



39.52%


100.00%
9th Aug
1880
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1065.4
1014.4
6.74
77.97%
17.12
4.30
58º

86.88%



13.12%


100.00%
16th Jul
1890
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1060.1
1013.0
6.23
78.37%
11.69
3.25
57º

78.57%



21.43%


100.00%
16th Jul
1890
Whitbread
2PA
Pale Ale
1055.4
1010.0
6.01
81.95%
11.69
2.99
57º

78.57%



21.43%


100.00%
20th Oct
1890
Whitbread
FA
Pale Ale
1054.8
1012.0
5.67
78.12%
11.01
2.73
57º

23.81%
55.56%


20.63%


100.00%
17th Nov
1890
Whitbread
PA
Pale Ale
1059.6
1015.0
5.89
74.81%
11.53
3.00
57º

58.14%
18.60%


23.26%


100.00%
1st Apr
1891
Whitbread
2PA
Pale Ale
1053.2
1011.0
5.58
79.32%
10.12
2.43
57º

21.74%
57.97%


20.29%


100.00%
12th Nov
1890
Whitbread
FA
Pale Ale
1054.0
1011.0
5.69
79.64%
11.17
2.73
57º

78.57%



21.43%


100.00%
12th May
1886
Barclay Perkins
PA
Pale Ale
1058.0
1013.0
5.95
77.55%
12.00
2.95
60º

71.64%

14.93%



13.43%
100.00%
15th Jul
1886
Barclay Perkins
PA
Pale Ale
1059.0
1016.1
5.68
72.77%
16.00
3.88
60º

71.64%

14.93%



13.43%
100.00%
7th Jan
1892
Barclay Perkins
PA
Pale Ale
1063.0
1021.1
5.55
66.58%
12.46
3.03
60º

72.97%

10.81%



16.22%
100.00%
29th Sep
1899
Barclay Perkins
XLK
Pale Ale
1051.6
1010.5
5.43
79.60%
10.11
2.13
60º

73.64%

18.18%



8.18%
100.00%
20th Apr
1900
Barclay Perkins
XLK
Pale Ale
1051.7
1013.9
5.01
73.21%
10.34
2.21
60º

73.64%

18.18%


4.09%
4.09%
100.00%
23rd Oct
1899
Barclay Perkins
XLK
Pale Ale
1051.1
1010.0
5.44
80.49%
10.00
2.14
60º
8.00
72.90%

18.69%



8.41%
100.00%
15th May
1900
Barclay Perkins
PA
Pale Ale
1059.4
1017.0
5.61
71.38%
11.13
4.00
59º
4.00
70.91%

18.18%


5.45%
5.45%
100.00%
31st Dec
1869
Simonds
SB
Pale Ale
1057.3
1016.1
5.46
71.98%
12.00
2.85
58º
16
100.00%






100.00%
2nd Mar
1886
Hodgson
Bitter Ale
Pale Ale
1063.4
1007.8
7.37
87.77%
14.00
3.57
52º

100.00%






100.00%
19th Mar
1886
Hodgson
FP Ale
Pale Ale
1058.2



10.00
2.45
59.5º

100.00%






100.00%
29th Jul
1869
Medway
B Beer
Pale Ale
1049.6



18.94
3.83
60º

82.21%


17.79%



100.00%
28th Aug
1869
Medway
BA
Pale Ale
1065.8



16.47
4.62
60º

82.21%


17.79%



100.00%
28th Oct
1870
Medway
IPA
IPA
1066.5



16.00
4.71
º

100.00%






100.00%
22nd Aug
1877
Truman (Burton)
P1
Pale Ale
1066.5
1022.2
5.86
66.67%
19.16
5.35
57º

100.00%






100.00%
18th Sep
1877
Truman (Burton)
P2
Pale Ale
1061.2
1015.8
6.01
74.21%
19.00
5.08
58º

100.00%






100.00%
11th Oct
1877
Truman (Burton)
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
1055.7
1016.6
5.17
70.15%
17.00
3.85
62º

100.00%






100.00%
19th Nov
1877
Truman (Burton)
P2 K
Pale Ale
1062.3
1020.5
5.53
67.11%
19.04
4.84
58º

100.00%






100.00%
19th Nov
1877
Truman (Burton)
P1 R
Pale Ale
1066.5
1019.4
6.23
70.83%
19.00
5.21
58º

100.00%






100.00%
29th Nov
1877
Truman (Burton)
P1 B
Pale Ale
1069.5
1024.9
5.90
64.14%
20.00
5.86
57º

100.00%






100.00%
10th Dec
1877
Truman (Burton)
P1 K
Pale Ale
1068.7
1022.2
6.16
67.74%
19.00
5.45
58º

100.00%






100.00%
15th Jan
1883
Truman (Burton)
P2
Pale Ale
1061.5
1020.8
5.39
66.22%
10.97
2.76
58º

100.00%






100.00%
16th Jan
1883
Truman (Burton)
P1 S
Pale Ale
1067.9
1019.4
6.41
71.43%
16.95
4.75
56º

100.00%






100.00%
18th Jan
1883
Truman (Burton)
P2 B
Pale Ale
1063.2
1020.8
5.61
67.11%
16.11
4.37
58º

100.00%






100.00%
19th Jan
1883
Truman (Burton)
P1 B
Pale Ale
1067.9
1022.2
6.05
67.35%
16.56
4.75
56º

100.00%






100.00%
22nd Jan
1883
Truman (Burton)
PA
Pale Ale
1057.6
1016.6
5.42
71.15%
11.89
2.83
58º

100.00%






100.00%
8th Feb
1883
Truman (Burton)
P1
Pale Ale
1066.5
1018.3
6.38
72.50%
16.95
4.62
56º

100.00%






100.00%
6th Mar
1883
Truman (Burton)
P2 S
Pale Ale
1062.6
1017.7
5.94
71.68%
18.00
4.65
58º

100.00%






100.00%
9th Apr
1883
Truman (Burton)
P1 export
Pale Ale
1068.7
1022.2
6.16
67.74%
17.44
5.17
54º

100.00%






100.00%
17th Jan
1887
Truman (Burton)
PA
Pale Ale
1055.7
1013.3
5.61
76.12%
14.70
4.05
58º

94.44%



5.56%


100.00%
18th Jan
1887
Truman (Burton)
P1 S
Pale Ale
1066.8
1019.9
6.19
70.12%
17.05
4.72
56º

98.47%



1.53%


100.00%
21st Jan
1887
Truman (Burton)
P1 S
Pale Ale
1068.1
1019.4
6.45
71.54%
17.44
4.93
56º

100.00%






100.00%
24th Jan
1887
Truman (Burton)
P2
Pale Ale
1062.0
1017.7
5.86
71.43%
14.63
4.00
57º

96.69%



3.31%


100.00%
27th Jan
1887
Truman (Burton)
P2 export B
Pale Ale
1057.9
1018.3
5.24
68.42%
20.27
4.84
58º

100.00%






100.00%
7th Feb
1887
Truman (Burton)
P2 S
Pale Ale
1062.6
1021.3
5.46
65.93%
18.29
5.17
56º

100.00%






100.00%
18th Feb
1887
Truman (Burton)
P2 R
Pale Ale
1062.0
1015.8
6.12
74.55%
15.00
4.03
57º

100.00%






100.00%
Sources:
Brewing records


Whitbread at first just brewed one, the imaginatively-named PA, which had a gravity of arouund 1060. Later this was acquired two siblings, FA (Family Ale, I think) and 2PA, both around 1055. The early versions of PA were massively hopped: over 5 lbs a barrel. It must have been a seriously bitter beer. The hopping rate fell in later years, but at 3 lbs and more per barrel, was still pretty high.

At Barclay Perkins the situation was much the same. PA at around 1060 and the weaker XLK at a tad over 1050. They were also hopped at much the same level as the Whitbread beers. The Bitter Ales from Medway and Hodgson and Simond's were very similar to the PA's from the London brewers.

Truman (at their Burton brewery) had the largest range of Pale Ales of the brewers in this sample. Three basic beer: in descending order of strength P1, P2 and Pale Ale, plus various Keeping, Bottling and export versions. P1 was almost 1070 and hopped at over 5 lbs per barrel. A formidable beer.

The grists are, to be honest, pretty dull. Pale malt alone or pale malt and sugar. With Barclay Perkins showing their keenness for adjuncts by throwing in maize and rice. Their beers had by far the lowest malt content.

A couple of the beers are very highly attenuated. Between 65% and 75% was typical for other styles of beer. Hodgson's Bitter Ale was pushing 90%. Very impressive. I wonder if the low pitching temperature (just 52º F) played a role?

I believe there are samples from enough different breweries to give us a representative view of Pale Ales of the period.

Like I said, I have many reasons for posting on particular topic. I'll be revisiting Pale Ales again soon for one of them. (Reasons, that is.)

3 comments:

Gary Gillman said...

The higher attenuation India Pale Ale generally received is very interesting. At 80-90% attenuation, the palate must have been rather dry.

A Wells India Pale Ale, imported to Ontario at 5% ABV or maybe a bit above, generally has little residual sweetness. It is one of the driest pale ales I know and probably is quite traditional in this respect. However, the current canned version seems sweeter than normal. I don't know if this is just natural variations or an intentional change.

I prefer it sweeter. The dryness of a high-attenuated beer can make it hard for some to drink. Logically this doesn't make sense for anyone who also likes wine, since many reds are as dry or drier by definition. But there is a degree of expectation with beer, based on the moderate sweetness (regardless of style) most have.

This Wells IPA was really good. It was two months from packaging (by my reckoning). It had a complex earthy/spicy taste (not flowery) from the hops but with some good biscuit and fruit underlying. Also, there was a sulphur-like or mineral note, which may denote Burtonization. I believe this taste might be close to some 1800's pale ales.

I wonder if pale ale departed the market by the end of the 1800's in India due to the fact of being too dry. In those pre-pasteurization days, the beer would have continued to condition and probably some samples reached 95% or more attenuation at destination.

Once lager came in, its residual sweetness was probably instantly more appealing. India kept on with some British or British-influenced drinks, notably whisky and tea, long after the Raj ended, but not pale ale.

I can only assume, and have read some evidence, that despite its fabled qualities, the palate was not perfected in the local market, or not appealing to enough people even at its best, to hang on much less thrive after German and other lager came in. This is a pity since few alcoholic drinks accompany Indian food as well as IPA.

Gary

Martyn Cornell said...

That's the Kingston upon Thames Hodgson, I'm assuming, not to be confused (though it has been) with the Bow one.

Ron Pattinson said...

Martyn, that's correct, the Kingston one.