LONDON - BEER FROM COAL

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 12th Year

Issue

Issue No.

10

Date Released

Jun 1959

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1GLAMORGANSHIRE - WELSH SHOVEL
2. 2LONDON - BEER FROM COAL
3. 3LANCASHIRE - FRED NORRIS

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: The use of coal in a brewery; shots of pub signs followed by pub scenes. Delivery of coal to brewery. Shots of workings of boiler pipes etc.; mash tub; copper where hops are added; fermenting tanks and heads of various beers; ‘browsing’; cleaning of casks; beer put into the casks; bottling department with cleaning empties, refilling, corking, pasteurising, labelling, crating; more pub scenes.
NCB Commentary - All over the country, in every type of community, a glass of beer in the local is a favourite relaxation, yet how many people realise that coal is used in the brewing of Britain’s beer.
One large brewery uses a 150 tons a week, several times every day the big lorries discharge their loads to keep the batteries of Lancashire boilers in steam, for steam is used in tremendous quantities. At peak time 60,000 pounds an hour pass through mains to all parts of the brewery. As the coppers are cleaned, it is possible to see the spiral steam pipes which will heat the wort, as the barley malt is known at this stage.
In the mash tuns the barley is steeped in liquor - water to you, but it’s never called that in a brewery. The wort passes to the coppers where the hops are added in quantities which depend on the type of beer being brewed - bitter takes most.
Next the fermenting vats. As experienced brewer can tell exactly how the process is going by various formations of the head.
At intervals the mixture is circulated by pumping to speed the fermentation - they call it rousing.
Meanwhile, the casks are being cleaned in readiness. They are moved from one steam jet to another, each one reaching a different part of the cask. Finally the outside is given a wash and brush up. Then in goes the beer and away go the barrels to your pub.
But it’s in the bottling store that automation really comes into its own. The empties jostle each other like a crowd trying to get to the bar at the Cup Final. After being steam cleaned they form up like good little soldiers and march off for filling. In go the bottles, out comes the beer. In goes the beer and on go the corks. Most bottled beers are pasturised by raising and then lowering the temperature. Then to the labelling machines and finally to the crates.
So in the long run it’s thanks to coal we can all enjoy our evening at the local.

Keywords

Food and cooking; Industry and manufacture; Fuels

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.13 No.157 November 1959, p586.
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board