Sunday 24 September 2023

HODGSON`S KINGSTON BREWERY Co Ltd : BEERS 1894 - 1897

How Do All ,

Today`s post is a ` Potted ` history of the Brook St brewery of Hodgson`s , coupled with a general list 
of the beers brewed 1894 - 1897 as drawn from the Brewing Books of Arthur J Baily , Part of the 
Brakspear`s Archive ; Cared for by the helpful and friendly team at the Oxfordshire History Centre
On Temple Rd in Cowley , Catalogue Nos : B 33 / A 13 / 1 - 3 ( January 1894 - March 1897 ) .
Photo of the Brewery Yard from the Brewry History Society Webpage on Hodgson`s

I hope that you alll enjioy the post ; 
Due to the complexity of balancing the Worts to Copper and the Yield to Fermenting Squares ; 
The analysis and conversion will , take a bit of time , however later this week , 
I`ll be posting a recipe from the earliest book ( Jan - Oct 1894 ) for the company`s
 Dark X X Ale ( See list below ) .

As these records are`nt from a ` Statutory / Company ` record ; 
The set of beers can safely be regarded as virtually complete . 
Though as the books contain date period gaps with ` Gyle Nos ` appended to an 
otherwise empty page , I assume that there are gaps in the range which would be obviated by the discovery of the company`s own brewing records from the period .

The Brook Street brewery that was to become Hodgson`s was founded Ca 1610 ; and by the time of it`s sale to Willkiam Hodgson in 1854 was owned by Charles Rowlls , with the purchase of the brewery including 90 Tied & Freehold properties .  William Hodgson died in 1875 ; 
Being succeded by his sons William Sandford and Charles Durant Hodgson .

The company was registered in October 1886 as , 
Hodgson`s Kingston Brewery Co Ltd to condense the brewing interests of the Hodgson brothers
into a limited company for the ` bargain ` price of ,£ 300 , 563 !!! . 
In 1903 , the brewery took over their local rivals ; Fricker`s Eagle Brewery of the 
High St in Kingston  , established in the early 19 Th century by Thos Fricker .


Photo from the Brewry History Society Webpage on Fricker`s Eagle Brewery

The Brook St brewery and it`s pubs were purchased by Courage & Co in 1943 , with brewing in 
Kingston continuing until 1965 , bringing to an end 355 years of brewing at Brook St .
Hodgson`s brewery was to survive as a building until being demolished in October 1971 .

Hodgson`s Kingston Brewery 
Brook Street
Kingston upon Thames 
Surrey
Photo of the Fermenting Room at Brook St 
From the B H S Webpage on Hodgson`s   

 
                                           A SELECTION OF BEERS BREWED 
                                                           1894   - 1897 

                                                         X X Ale ( Dark ) 
                                                         X X Ale ( Pale  ) 

                                                           X X X   ALE 
 
                                                          X X X X ALE 

                                                      FAMILY PALE ALE  
                                                            BITTER ALE  

                                                              PORTER 

                                                           D  .  STOUT 


                         An Analysis of Dark X X Ales brewed January - August 1894 

Gyle  No          DATE          O / Gravity   R / Gravity  Final Gravity  I B U   A B V  
 *     55       Wed  03/01/1894         1.055.5           1.013.25            1.010            24        6.0   %
**    73       Tue   06/02/1894         1.055.5           1.013.25            1.010            30        6.0   %
***101       Tue   29/03/1894         1.055.5           1.013.25            1.010            30        6.0   %
***113       Thu   19/04/1894         1.054.5           1.012.25            1.009            30        6.0   %
*    121       Thu   03/05/1894         1.054.5           1.012.25            1.009            30        6.0   %
***139       Tue   05/06/1894         1.052.75         1.011.25             1.008            32       5.9   %
***157       Thu   05/07/1894         1.052.75         1.011.25             1.008           28        5.9   %
***186       Fri     24/08/1894         1.052.75        1.011.25              1.008           30       5.9   %
                                                               Grist  Key 
*        = Sugars and Extract Malts 
**      = Sugars , Crystal & Malts  
***    = Sugars , Malts ( Inc Crystal ) & Flaked Maize 

I hope you`ve enjoyed today`s post ; If any readers know of other Hodgson`s 
Brewing records in Private Collections , or other Surrey breweries , I`d love to see them / photos ,
Please leave a comment below or get in touch with me through the ` Contact ` function on the 
Main blog page .

Cheers All , 

Edd 


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