Tuesday 15 August 2023

H BENTLEY & CO YORKSHIRE BREWERIES LTD : PORTERS & STOUTS 1892 - 1894

 How Do All ,

Today`s post is about the Porters and Stouts as contained in the 1892 - 1894 Brewing Book ,
from theBentley`s Yorkshire Breweries Collection ; 
Deposited with the ever helpfull team over at West Yorkshire Archives ( Morley ) branch ,
Catalogue No : WYL 2045 / 288 / 106 .

This Analysis & Commentary C Edd Mather 2023

                                                   THE PORTERS AND STOUTS OF 
                               Henry Bentley & Co Yorkshire Breweries Ltd 1892 - 1894 

Henry Bentley & Co Yorkshire Breweries Ltd
Eshaldwell Brewery
Woodlesford 
Nr Leeds
West Riding 
Yorkshire 



The weakest of these beers was " x P " , employing a fairly constant malts grist make up , 
Eg : Wednesday 3 Rd May 1893 : Brew No 158  
             Yorkshire     @ 83.5  %
             Black           @ 16.5 % 
             Invert Sugar @ 1.014 
The x P also used a small addition of caramel during the boil ; in this case 2 Gallons added to the Copper 
at Let Off - 45 Minutes to 81 Wt Barrels ; In common with the x Ale , this beer didn`t have racking hops added ; Leading me to the conclusion that this would have been brewed and consumed within a relatively short period ; Probably within 1 - 2 Months of being racked to casks for Draught Consumption or, for Bottling at the brewery or an ` Out` bottlers .
                                                  Sample Analysis  Brewings of  x . P 1893

 No            DATE              Original Gravity     Racking Gravity  Final Gravity       I B U     A B V 
 158   Wed  03/05/1893         1.052.75                   1.015                  1,012            34       5.3    %
 173   Tue   25/06/1893         1.055                        1.020                  1.014            32        5.4    %
 210   Tue   01/08/1893         1.054                        1.019                  1.015            34        5.1    %
 239   Thu  24/08/1803          1.053.5                    1.021.5               1.016             38        4.9    %
   44   Wed  22/11/1893         1.051.25                   1.016.5              1.013              32       5        %

Brewed 25 times December 1892 - December 1893 

The next beer is a slight oddity , It`s entered as a XXX , But as the brewings indicate the use of a Black Malt broth addition during the boil , I`ve come to the conclusion that this is more of a Porter than 
A Mild  or Old X X X Ale . . A relative rarity in terms of brewings 1892 - 4 , being brewed only 9 times.
 The grists employed were quite consistent in their use of " Smyrna " and " Yorkshire " malts , 
With the volume of  the Black Malt Broth addition varying slightly from brew to brew ;
 X X X : Brew No 65  Monday 15 Th November 1893 
 78.5 % Yorkshire 
 21.5 % Smyrna 
Black Malt Broth to Copper @ 12 Gallons to 78 Wort Barrels in Copper 
  1.013.75 Invert Sugar 
                                              Sample X X X Brewings 1892 - 1894 
                                   
No              DATE             Original Gravity   Racking Gravity    Final Gravity     I B U   A B V 
  58    Thu  15/12/1892         1.066.25                 1.018.25               1.014             48       6.9    %
116    Thu  30/03/1893         1.067.75                 1.023.75               1.015             30       6.9    %
  65    Mon 15/11/1893         1.069                      1.018.25               1.014             44       7.3    %
  94    Tue   03/01/1894        1.062.75                1.019.5                  1.013             36       6.6    %


                                                                      B  .  S
Entered in the brewing book as " B . S " , This would have ( imo ) a bottled product line ; 
 The grist proportions of this beer vary , in common with others in their use of main / extract 
Malts , with the proportion of Black Malt added to the grist varying little in the 7 breings recorded 
In the 1892 - 4 Book . 
SAMPLE GRISTS : Brew No :  99  03 / 03 / 1893 
                                  Yorkshire                      69.5  %
                                  Smyrna                         13     %
                                  Black                            17.5  %
Sugar : 1.017 Invert  
                          
                                  Brew No : 175 22 / 06 / 1893 
                                   Yorkshire                      82.25  % 
                                   Black                            17.75  % 
Sugar : 1.017.25 Invert 

The grist percentages continue in roughly the same proportions , though the main extract malt 
Supplier may differ Eg Brew No 198 July 1893 : Ipswich @ 82.25 % , Black Malt @ 17.75 %
September 1893 : Brew No 258 : Yorkshire ( Musgrave ) @ 82.75 % , Black Malt @ 17.25 % ..

Selected Brewings Analysis :
No              DATE             Original Gravity   Bottling Gravity    Final Gravity     I B U   A B V 
  99    Fri   03/03/1893           1.063.5                1.014.75                1.012            40     6.8   %  
125    Wed 12/04/1893          1.064                   1.015.75                1.013            36    6.75  %
144    Wed 18/05/1893          1.064                   1.016.75                1.014            44    6.6    %
175    Thu  22/06/1893          1.065.5                1.018.75                1.016            34    6.8    %
198    Wed 19/07/1893          1.064.5                1.018.75                1.016            38    6.4    %
258    Mon 12/09/1893          1.065.5                1.017.75                1,015            34    6.7    %
  51    Thu  30/11/1893          1.064                   1.021.5                   1.018.75      40    6.3    %           


                                                 Double Brown Stout (  "  D B S " ) 
Brewed only once in the period covered by the book ( December 1892 - March 1894 ) ;
This beer utilises the standard mixture of Yorkshire and Smyrna Malts with a percentage as below of 
Black Malt : D B S , Brew No : 50 Friday 9 Th December 1892 ; 48 I B U , 8.1 % A B V 
                     O / Grav : 1.075  Bottling Gravity : 1.016.75 - 1.016.5  Final Gravity : 1.014 
        Grist : Yorkshire    @  70      %
                   Smyrna        @ 14.5   %
                   Black            @ 14.5  %
Sugars : 1.021 Invert 
This brew featured an above average ` Coppering / Boil ` time @ 3 Hours and featured a respectable
Racking Hop Addition of 7 Oz Per Barrel of " Kent Noakes 1892 


I have a small favour to ask , 
If any blog readers know of brewing records in priivate collections and are able to facilitate access / send photos ; I`d love to hear from you , as I`m currently thinking about and planning  my next research project( s ) ; One of which is attempting to trace old brewing records from any breweries in the North of England in private collections *
* Pre 1968 For Defunct Companies and beer brands , Pre 1920 For current breweries & beer brands .

Cheers All ,

Edd 

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