Saturday 26 August 2017

Let’s Brew 1921 Barclay Perkins X

In the summer of 1921, the last gravity restrictions and price controls were removed. Happy days.

June 30 1921: Restriction as to Average Permitted Gravities ended. Aug. 31 1921 All control of prices abolished.
Source: "The Brewers' Almanack 1928" pages 100 - 101.

The way the recipe has changed from two years earlier is intriguing. The ingredients in the grist have remained identical, but their proportions have changed. The percentage of pale malt has increased, while that of amber malt has decreased. The crystal percentage has remained about the same. Flaked maize is up and sugar content down.

The biggest change is in the hopping, where American hops have made a return. These were unavailable during the war years. Why did they start using them again after years of sticking to just English hops? Because they were cheap. It was as simple as that.

Once again, I’ve substituted No. 4 invert sugar for Martineau’s BS. That’s just a guess, but it leaves the beer with about the right colour.


1921 Barclay Perkins X
pale malt 5.50 lb 63.29%
amber malt 0.66 lb 7.59%
crystal malt 60 L 0.50 lb 5.75%
flaked maize 1.25 lb 14.38%
No. 3 invert sugar 0.25 lb 2.88%
No. 4 invert sugar 0.50 lb 5.75%
caramel 1000 SRM 0.03 lb 0.35%
Cluster 120 mins 1.00 oz
Fuggles 60 mins 1.00 oz
Fuggles 30 mins 0.50 oz
OG 1040.3
FG 1009
ABV 4.14
Apparent attenuation 77.67%
IBU 41
SRM 18
Mash at 152º F
Sparge at 170º F
Boil time 120 minutes
pitching temp 61º F
Yeast Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

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