BrewingTechniques
Table I: Profile of Representative 19th Century Old Ales
Ale Gravity
(O.G.)
Alcohol
(% [w/w])
Lactic
(%)
Comment
1896 Bass Strong Ale 1.097 6.85 0.288 Probably quite sweet
1901 Olde English Ale 1.086 8.75 0.162 Dry and Strong
1882 Somerset, three-year old 1.091 8.57 0.63 Possibly somewhat, sour, firm, and dry
1800 Worthington 1.103 8.7 0.6095 A massive, tart beer
1890 Worthington 1.097 7.85 0.3695 Impressively large
Averages of the above 1.096 8.14 0.412 Big, strong, sharp beers
1896 American Stocks 1.067 5.55 0.256 Big and tart
1900 Canadian Stock 1.058 4.75 -- Would not seem unfamiliar today
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Porter Style Guidelines
Preparing Main Malt Mash:
Mash in 4025 lb malt with 38 barrels of water at 38 Reaumur* (48 C., 118 F.). When malt is well mashed in, adjust mash temperature with steam to 38 R. (48 C., 118 F.). Rest mash at this temperature for a period of one to one and one-quarter hours. Mash up with steam and required amount of boiling water (beginning with the 14 barrels required by the flakes--Ed.). While mash machine is operating add in the 1260 lbs. of flakes. Raise mash temperature to 52 R. (65 C., 149 F.). Rest mash at this temperature for conversion, period not to exceed 12 minutes. Mash off with steam to 58 R. (73 C., 163 F.), then raise up mashing rakes and admit through the underlet 3 barrels of hot water, for every 100 barrels of wort, to flush out the underdough. Rest mash for 30 minutes, and immediately make iodine test for the presence of any unconverted starch. Then drain and sparge (76 bbl, temperature unspecified--Ed.) into brew kettle.

Boiling Wort:
Boil wort in the usual manner, total boiling time not to exceed 2.5 hours. Hop boiling period not to exceed 1.5 hours (160 lbs. hops identified only as "domestic"--Ed.). The 1780 lbs. of invert syrup should be added into the brew kettle 60 minutes before striking out. Separate wort from hops as rapidly as possible "so as to prevent abnormal input of hop extractives."

Cooling and Wort Pitching:
Wort should be cooled to about 11 Reaumur (14 C., 57 F.). Pitch wort with . . . (50 pounds of dry yeast, or 34 pounds pure cultured ale yeast--Ed.).

Fermenting Room Operation:
Keep cellar temperature at approximately 10 R. (13 C., 55 F.). It is safe to permit the wort temperature to rise to 16 R. (20 C., 68 F.). Skim off after 24 hour period each day until yeast comes through, after which skim off twice daily. The first yeast will appear within the 65th hour. The best yeast for subsequent repitching other worts will come through between the 70th and 110th hours. After fermentation action drops, then turn on the attemporators gradually. When fermentation action has ceased, then turn on the attemporators full, and cool to 6 R. (7.5 C., 45.5 F.). Then drop the fermented wort into dry-hopping vessel. The cellar in which this vessel is located must be maintained at the same temperature as the fermented wort, namely 6 R. (7.5 C., 45.5 F.).

Storage and Finishing Operations:
If dry-hopping is to be conducted, use no less than 1Ú4 pound of imported, or choice Yakima hops per each barrel of ale. The hops should be placed in a suitable cloth bag, that will not pass through any of the insoluble hop substances. The preferable method of conducting the dry-hopping operation is to weigh down the bags containing the hops so that they will be submerged below the surface [of] the fermented wort. The bags must then be secured to facilitate removal. The fermented wort should be circulated around to produce a uniform flavor throughout the entire tank. The optimum dry-hopping period is about 28 days and the fermented wort must not be disturbed during the last 7 days of the dry-hopping period. As a substitution for dry-hopping, genuine distilled hop-oil may be used. After dry-hopping has been finished, the ale should be cooled to not less than 0 R. (0 C., 32 F.) and then transported to the permanent ale storage tanks. The ale should be stored for not less than 4 weeks, and during this period finings and chill-proofing should be added. The ale may be finished off by carbonation. The best method is to carbonate twice, once when going into the chilling tank and secondly when the ale is pumped to the racker or the bottling tanks.

   --From A.L. Nugey, Brewing Formulas Practically Considered (self-published, Rahway, New Jersey, 1937).

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