Here's Lees Mild, or K as it was known within the brewery:
Lees Mild 1939 - 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Date | Year | OG | FG | ABV | App. Attenuation | lbs hops/ qtr | hops lb/brl | barrels | lbs hops | qtrs malt | boil time (hours) | Pitch temp | dry hops (oz / barrel) | colour | pale malt | black malt | glucose | other sugar | flaked barley | flaked oat |
21st Feb | 1939 | 1035.0 | 1005.0 | 3.97 | 85.71% | 6.87 | 1.04 | 111 | 115 | 16.75 | 60º | 2.02 | 29 | 85.71% | 1.59% | 6.35% | 6.35% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |
2nd Jan | 1940 | 1034.0 | 7.10 | 0.94 | 116.5 | 110 | 15.5 | 59.5º | 2.20 | 91.67% | 1.67% | 4.44% | 2.22% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |||||
20th Jan | 1941 | 1033.0 | 6.67 | 0.87 | 115.25 | 100 | 15 | 60º | 0.97 | 91.38% | 1.72% | 4.60% | 2.30% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |||||
7th Apr | 1941 | 1032.0 | 6.90 | 0.89 | 112.75 | 100 | 14.5 | 60º | 0.99 | 91.07% | 1.79% | 4.76% | 2.38% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |||||
6th Aug | 1941 | 1030.0 | 6.04 | 0.76 | 112.5 | 86 | 14.25 | 60º | 1.00 | 90.91% | 1.82% | 2.42% | 4.85% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |||||
29th Oct | 1941 | 1030.0 | 5.89 | 0.74 | 113 | 84 | 14.25 | 60º | 0.99 | 90.91% | 1.82% | 2.42% | 4.85% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |||||
22nd Apr | 1942 | 1028.0 | 5.85 | 0.66 | 114.5 | 76 | 13 | 60º | 0.98 | 86.00% | 2.00% | 2.67% | 5.33% | 4.00% | 0.00% | |||||
4th May | 1942 | 1028.0 | 5.85 | 0.66 | 115 | 76 | 13 | 60º | 0.97 | 86.00% | 2.00% | 2.67% | 5.33% | 4.00% | 0.00% | |||||
31st Jul | 1942 | 1028.0 | 5.85 | 0.66 | 114.5 | 76 | 13 | 60º | 0.98 | 90.00% | 2.00% | 2.67% | 5.33% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |||||
21st Sep | 1942 | 1028.0 | 5.85 | 0.68 | 112 | 76 | 13 | 60º | 1.00 | 90.00% | 2.00% | 2.67% | 5.33% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |||||
15th Feb | 1943 | 1028.0 | 5.85 | 0.66 | 116 | 76 | 13 | 60º | 0.97 | 86.00% | 2.00% | 2.67% | 5.33% | 4.00% | 0.00% | |||||
30th Apr | 1943 | 1028.0 | 5.85 | 0.67 | 113.25 | 76 | 13 | 60º | 0.99 | 78.00% | 2.00% | 2.67% | 5.33% | 12.00% | 0.00% | |||||
19th Aug | 1943 | 1028.0 | 5.66 | 0.68 | 110.8 | 75 | 13.25 | 2 | º | 1.01 | 74.51% | 1.96% | 2.61% | 5.23% | 0.00% | 15.69% | ||||
25th Aug | 1943 | 1028.0 | 5.66 | 0.68 | 110.2 | 75 | 13.25 | 2 | º | 1.02 | 74.51% | 1.96% | 2.61% | 5.23% | 0.00% | 15.69% | ||||
14th Feb | 1944 | 1028.0 | 6.42 | 0.73 | 116.4 | 85 | 13.25 | 1.75 | º | 0.96 | 74.51% | 1.96% | 2.61% | 5.23% | 15.69% | 0.00% | ||||
29th Jun | 1944 | 1028.0 | 5.66 | 0.65 | 115.3 | 75 | 13.25 | 1.75 | º | 0.97 | 74.51% | 1.96% | 2.61% | 5.23% | 15.69% | 0.00% | ||||
14th Mar | 1945 | 1028.0 | 5.66 | 0.67 | 111.6 | 75 | 13.25 | 1.75 | º | 1.00 | 74.51% | 1.96% | 5.23% | 2.61% | 15.69% | 0.00% | ||||
16th Mar | 1945 | 1028.0 | 5.66 | 0.66 | 113.4 | 75 | 13.25 | 1.75 | º | 0.99 | 74.51% | 1.96% | 5.23% | 2.61% | 15.69% | 0.00% | ||||
7th May | 1945 | 1028.0 | 5.45 | 0.66 | 114.3 | 75 | 13.75 | 1.75 | º | 0.98 | 85.71% | 2.26% | 6.02% | 6.02% | 0.00% | 0.00% | ||||
Source: | ||||||||||||||||||||
JW Lees brewing records | ||||||||||||||||||||
And here's Whitbread X/XX:
Whitbread Mild 1939 - 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date | Year | OG | FG | ABV | App. Attenuation | lbs hops/ qtr | hops lb/brl | barrels | lbs hops | qtrs malt | boil time (hours) | boil time (hours) | Pitch temp | colour | pale malt | black malt | crystal malt | MA malt | PA malt | no. 3 sugar | other sugar | wheat malt | flaked barley | barley meal | flaked rye | flaked oat |
25th Sep | 1939 | 1033.6 | 1010.0 | 3.12 | 70.24% | 8.27 | 1.10 | 790 | 897 | 108.5 | 1.25 | 1 | 65º | 17 + 40 | 75.73% | 0.00% | 13.59% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 9.06% | 1.62% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
23rd Apr | 1940 | 1033.6 | 1009.0 | 3.25 | 73.21% | 8.12 | 1.14 | 790 | 897 | 110.5 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 65º | 16 + 40 | 24.30% | 0.00% | 13.08% | 54.21% | 0.00% | 4.98% | 1.56% | 1.87% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
31st Jul | 1940 | 1031.5 | 1008.5 | 3.04 | 73.02% | 8.42 | 1.09 | 823 | 897 | 106.5 | 1.25 | 1 | 65º | 16 + 40 | 77.54% | 0.00% | 13.57% | 1.94% | 0.00% | 5.17% | 1.78% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
20th Nov | 1940 | 1031.1 | 1010.0 | 2.79 | 67.85% | 8.42 | 1.07 | 574 | 897 | 106.5 | 1.17 | 0.75 | 66º | 16 + 40 | 81.42% | 0.00% | 11.63% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 6.95% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
31st Jan | 1941 | 1030.0 | 1009.0 | 2.78 | 70.00% | 8.10 | 1.00 | 575 | 830 | 102.5 | 2.17 | 1.5 | 65º | 16 + 40 | 21.74% | 0.00% | 13.04% | 63.04% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 2.17% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
10th Oct | 1941 | 1031.2 | 1009.0 | 2.94 | 71.15% | 6.38 | 0.76 | 1717 | 1308 | 205 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 65º | 14 + 40 | 65.39% | 0.00% | 11.98% | 4.99% | 4.99% | 0.00% | 5.66% | 2.00% | 4.99% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
30th Jan | 1942 | 1029.1 | 1007.5 | 2.86 | 74.23% | 5.84 | 0.75 | 1604 | 1200 | 205.5 | 1 | 1 | 65º | 18 + 40 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 12.02% | 68.11% | 0.00% | 4.01% | 1.84% | 2.00% | 12.02% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
30th May | 1942 | 1028.4 | 1007.0 | 2.83 | 75.35% | 6.19 | 0.75 | 811 | 610 | 98.5 | 1 | 1 | 65º | 16 + 40 | 46.32% | 0.00% | 12.63% | 16.84% | 0.00% | 5.61% | 1.75% | 2.11% | 8.42% | 1.05% | 5.26% | 0.00% |
5th Apr | 1943 | 1027.8 | 1008.0 | 2.62 | 71.22% | 6.07 | 0.76 | 1605 | 1220 | 201 | 1 | 1.25 | 65º | 15 + 40 | 9.28% | 0.00% | 10.31% | 55.67% | 0.00% | 5.50% | 1.72% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 17.53% |
2nd Sep | 1943 | 1028.2 | 1008.0 | 2.67 | 71.63% | 6.07 | 0.73 | 834 | 610 | 100.5 | 1 | 0.83 | 65º | 14 + 40 | 46.39% | 0.00% | 10.31% | 18.56% | 0.00% | 5.50% | 1.72% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 17.53% |
7th Apr | 1944 | 1028.3 | 1007.5 | 2.75 | 73.50% | 5.79 | 0.69 | 823 | 570 | 98.5 | 1 | 0.75 | 65º | 14 + 40 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 10.45% | 71.08% | 0.00% | 4.18% | 1.74% | 0.00% | 12.54% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
11th Dec | 1944 | 1028.4 | 1008.5 | 2.63 | 70.07% | 5.91 | 0.72 | 788 | 570 | 96.5 | 1 | 1 | 65º | 14 + 40 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 7.42% | 73.14% | 0.00% | 2.83% | 1.77% | 0.00% | 14.84% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
5th Apr | 1945 | 1028.4 | 1008.5 | 2.63 | 70.07% | 5.67 | 0.71 | 808 | 570 | 100.5 | 1 | 0.75 | 65º | 15 + 40 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 7.39% | 62.32% | 0.00% | 9.86% | 3.52% | 0.00% | 16.90% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
24th Aug | 1945 | 1028.1 | 1010.0 | 2.39 | 64.41% | 5.67 | 0.71 | 804 | 570 | 100.5 | 1 | 0.75 | 65º | 13 + 40 | 36.97% | 0.00% | 7.39% | 25.35% | 0.00% | 9.86% | 3.52% | 0.00% | 16.90% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Source: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Whitbread brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As you can see, the gravities are very similar, starting in the low 1030's before the war and dropping to 1028 after 1942. Whitbread's Mild was tiny bit more heavily hopped, but scarcely enough to be significant.
The grists are quite different. Lees was much simpler: just pale malt, a touch of black malt, glucose and invert sugar. Until flaked barley and flaked oats appear in the later war years. Whitberad used more different types of malt, in particular crystal and MA malt. But the biggest differnce is the colour. Whitbread Mild was around 90 EBC, Lees just 29. So despite being broadly similar in terms of strength, thse two beers must have tasted and looked pretty different.
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4 comments:
Lees Mild looks a fair bit more thin and watery with that crazy low final gravity too, compared to Whitbread's.
The Lees 1939 mild was a good bit more attenuated 1.005 v's Whitbread Mild 1.010. An if this trend continued through the decade it would would have been a much dry beer than the Whitbread Milds
Note the decline in hopping rates starting in late 1941. It's more pronounced for Whitbread, but both recipes were altered.
Did this reflect wartimes shortages, resulting in beers with lower levels of hop bittering, or was it due to introduction of new hop varieties with higher levels of alpha acids?
Thomas, the reduction in hopping is probably due to shortages. Britain was importing a considerable percentage of the hops used in brewing. If you look at logs from the 1930's you'll see American hops, Saaz, Hallertau, Poperings. Obviously, there was no access to continental hops after 1940.
The gravity was falling, too. So you would expect some reduction in hopping rate. The one to look at to remove the influence of the beer's gravity is the hopping rate per quarter of malt. Which, for Whitbread, fell from 8 lbs per quarter to around 6. For Lees, it was dropped from around 7 pounds to a shade under 6.
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