What I was going to do

Translate a chapter of "Die Herstellung Obergähriger Bier" entitled Special Beers. That's what I was going to do today. I just about did. But I like to do things properly.

As way of compensation, here's a tidbit I picked up from the same book about Berliner Weisse. Until the 1860's, they used smoked wheat malt. One brewer experimented with an unsmoked version and drinkers liked it so much, within a couple of years all the other brewers followed suit.

And the yeast. The mixed yeast/lactobacillus strain only developed in the 1830's or 1840's. Before that, if they kept repitching, the beer became too sour. Brewers regularly brought in fresh top-fermenting Bitterbier yeast from Cottbus.