Wednesday 19 October 2022

KIRBY , WRIGHT & Co : X ALE 1865

How Do All , 

Here`s my recipe for the X Ale , It`s from the earliest known commercial brewing record in a Public Archive from a Sheffield Brewery . 
The brewing book of Kirby , Wright and Co does contain various details such as Malts & Hops used and Gravities , sadly it  doesn`t record brewlengths and only rarely does it record the initial liquor heat. 
A similar situation exists with the attenuation and yeast use records , though these are , sadly absent ,
 So in the replication of this beer I`ve used Period, Area and Type  records to exprapolate the Fermentation Schedule as outlined below .
The records at the end of the book are from the time immediately before Septimus Ward`s purchase of the brewery outright in 1871 ; Happily these records do include ( occasionally ) some mashing and other details which have allowed me to extrapolate the brewlength yields and collection gravities used in the Kirby , Wright & Co beers .

The Sheaf Island Brewery was established in 1837 by William Roper & John Kirby ,
 with George Wright joining the business in 1861 and by Septimus Ward in 1868 , who bought the business in 1871 and then moved to the Soho Brewery of Bradley & Co , purchased in 1876 which was re named " The Sheaf Brewery " which continued to brew until 1999  .

I hope you all enjoy this recipe; If you know of any Brewing Records from Yorkshire or other breweries in private collections please leave a comment below and are able to allow access , 
Please leave a comment below or pop me an e mail ,  I`d love to hear from you .


This recipe C Edd Mather 2022 

                          This recipe for 32.500 Wort Litres in Copper @ 1.054.5 ; 75 % Efficiency 


Kirby , Wright & Co 
Sheaf Island Brewery
Effingham Street 
Sheffield

                                             X   ALE 
                                                Thursday 2 Nd March 1865 
                  Original Gravity : 1.066.5  Racking Gravity : 1.013  Final Gravity : 1.010 
                                            I  B  U  : 30                            A B V  : 6 . 75 % 

                                              MALTS
Crisp Malt :                                   Chevalier     @ 70 % = 5.470 Kg
French & Jupps :                           Amber Malt @ 18 % = 1.575 Kg 
Malting Company of Ireland      Irish Ale Malt @ 12 % = 0.990 Kg 

                                     MASHING, SPARGING  & COLLECTION  
Use a Soft brewing Liquor , and Thoroughly Pre Warm the Mash Tun , Ensuring the Liquor is 1.5 " ABOVE the Plates - 10 Minutes BEFORE Mashing In .
                              1  St Mash Heat : 63 c At       0 - +  30  Minutes = 19.325 Litres 
                              2 Nd Mash Heat : 66 c At + 30 - +  90  Minutes =    8.785 Litres 
                              3 Rd Mash Heat : 68 c At + 30 - + 130 Minutes =  23.600 Litres  
At 130 Minutes , Slowly open the Mash Tun Valve and RETURN Over the Mash UNTIL CLEAR ;
Then Once CLEAR & BRIGHT , Cast to the Copper .
SPARGE : At Clear Wort to Copper + 10 Minutes AT 72 c = 15.970 Litres then at 1.006 , STOP TAPS ,
Then Collect Wort in the Copper .
AT COLLECTION : ADD LIQUOR to the Wort , REDUCING the Gravity to 1.054.25 ,
THEN CONDENSE TO 1.054.5 ON 32.500 Wort Litres in Copper , REMOVE any scum floating on Wort Surface BEFORE adding the 1 St Hop Charge .

                                                             COPPER  
A 2 1/2 Hour Boil ON HOPS , 1 St Charge @ Let Off - 150 Minutes , then at Let Off - 90 Mins ,
ADD The 2 Nd Hop Charge . At Let Off - 30 Minutes , ADD the 3 Rd Hop Charge .
At Let Off - 12 Minutes , ADD Copper Finings then at Let Off , STAND 1/2 Hour ,
Then COOL A S A P to Pitching Heat .

                                                                HOPS 

                             1 St Hop Charge : To 32.500 Wort Litres @ 1.054.5 
                                        Cluster @ 6.5 % a/a = 23 g for 13 IBU 

                               2 Nd Hop Charge : To  30.410 Wort Litres @ 1.058 
                                            Goldings @ 6    % a/a =   6 g for 3 IBU 
                                              Fuggles @ 5.5 % a/a = 10 g for 5 IBU  

                               3 Rd Hop Charge : To 27.785 Wort Litres @ 1.063
                                               Goldings @ 6    % a/a = 9 g for 5 IBU 
                                                 Fuggles @ 5.5 % a/a = 7 g for 4 IBU 

                                                                 YEAST   
                                        Pitch with 140 g Weight of a LIVE YEAST @ 15 c 
                                                      TO 26.205 Wort Litres @ 1.066.5 
                                                 West Yorkshire area Type Yeast Strain 

                                                         ATTENUATION 
DAY   Hour   Heat    Gravity                                   REMARKS 
   1           P       15          1.066.5
   2          M       17          1.064
                E       18          1.052
   3          M       19          1.045
                E       19.5       1.039
   4          M       20          1.032
                E       20          1.024
   5          M       18          1.020
                E       18          1.014
   6          M       14          1.013
   7          M       14          1.013  
Rack and Fine TO DRAUGHT then , STAND : 2 Days at 15 - 18 c 

CELLAR : 3 Weeks at 10 c 

STILLAGE : 1 Week at 10 c then FULLY VENT then + 12 - 18 Hours Q . C .


Cheers All and Happy Brewing 

Edd 


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