Saturday 20 September 2014

A load more Lagerbiers from the North

I'm a bit reluctant to say "North Germany" because many of these beers are from places no longer in Germany. They were at the time, though.

One of the columns in my enormous spreadsheet of beer details is country. For place that have switched nationality over the last century or so, my choice is always likely to be arbitrary. More based on my convenience rather than being a political statement. So breweries in Prague and Pilsen I class as Czech, ones in Vienna and Graz as Austrian. It can't possibly be perfect. Where's the right country to assign to Königsberg? Russia? I don't think so.

But I'm wandering off again. As you can see, these are odds and sods or anonymous. Not the best sets ever. You'll probably be delighted to hear that his will be the Lagerbiers done. I've only just started extracting the Exports so there may be a small pause in this series. You know me, I'll get to it eventually.

As I'll eventually get to discussing these beers. Beginning with those from Königsberg, formerly capital of East Prussia, now part of Russia. I wonder if there's a brewery there today?  All five beers from Königsberg are towards the top end of the scale. Interesting to see an Autumn beer - Herbstbier - for the first time. It looks like a Bock to me. With that crap degree of attenuation it resembles a Munich Bock of the period

Random Northeast German Lagerbiers 1880 - 1897
Year Brewer Town Beer Style OG FG OG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation lactic acid % CO2 %
1880 Wickholder Königsberg März-Bräu Märzen 1054.6 1019.0 13.51 4.60 65.20% 0.230
1880 Ponarther Königsberg Sommerbier Sommerbier 1056.3 1025.0 13.91 4.03 55.60% 0.250
1880 Woriener Königsberg Sommerbier Sommerbier 1056.5 1017.2 13.96 5.10 69.56% 0.180
1880 Schönbuchser Königsberg Sommerbier Sommerbier 1062.0 1018.8 15.23 5.60 69.65% 0.190
1880 Schönbuchser Königsberg Herbstbier Herbstbier 1065.4 1026.5 16.01 5.01 59.45% 0.240
Average 1058.9 1021.3 14.52 4.87 63.89% 0.218
1887 Brauerei-Aktien-Gesellschaft Berlin Königstadt Lagerbier Hell Helles 1056.0 1015.7 13.84 5.24 71.96% 0.141 0.346
1887 Brauerei-Aktien-Gesellschaft Berlin Königstadt Lagerbier Dunkel Dunkles 1061.9 1023.8 15.22 4.93 61.55% 0.148 0.323
1887 Brauerei-Aktien-Gesellschaft Berlin Friedrichshain Lagerbier Lagerbier 1065.8 1024.6 16.12 5.33 62.61% 0.295
Average 1061.2 1021.4 15.06 5.16 65.38% 0.145 0.321
1894 Unknown Breslau Lagerbier? Lagerbier 1045.7 1010.0 11.40 4.64 78.12% 0.247
1897 Unknown Breslau Lagerbier? Lagerbier 1048.7 1014.6 12.10 4.41 69.99% 0.161 0.322
Average 1047.2 1012.3 11.75 4.53 74.05% 0.161 0.285
Source:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

Talking of Munich Bockbier, there are a whole load of Salvator analyses coming up. Lots from Zacherl, but also other breweries.

Where was I? Königsberg beers. Pretty poor attenuation overall. They must have had a lot of body, these beers. No lactic acid number, so I've no idea how acidic they were. The Märzen actually looks much like a modern version, apart from the crappy attenuation.

Next three random beers from Berlin. Note the big difference between the attenuation of the Helles and the Dunkles. You quite often see that today, too, that Dunkles has a lower degree of attenuation. I suppose because drinkers expect more body. The acidity is, as with just about every other set, quite high. You'll see something very odd when we get to Berliner Weisse. But I won't spoil that now. The CO2 level is the highest we've seen. Does that mean they liked their beer fizzier in Berlin? Too small a sample to really say. Though Berliner Weisse, a very highly-carbonated style, was popular in the city.

Now for the Erfurt beers. Did I mention that I spent my wedding night in Erfurt? The next day we lost Eddie when he was distracted by a group of Russian soldiers. The Erfurt beer was really good. Angerbräu Pils was one of my favourite DDR beers. Lovely stuff, especially on draught, Really nice and hoppy.

Erfurt Lagerbiers 1879
Year Brewer Style OG FG OG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation lactic acid % CO2 %
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1045.9 1010.6 11.45 4.59 76.91% 0.16 0.25
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1047.0 1016.5 11.71 3.94 64.89% 0.15 0.15
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1047.5 1014.1 11.83 4.33 70.32% 0.15 0.20
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1048.7 1013.9 12.12 4.51 71.46% 0.09 0.15
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1048.7 1015.0 12.12 4.36 69.20% 0.15 0.21
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1049.1 1011.5 12.21 4.89 76.58% 0.12 0.27
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1050.6 1016.4 12.57 4.43 67.59% 0.06 0.20
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1050.8 1017.6 12.61 4.30 65.35% 0.10 0.18
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1051.0 1019.0 12.66 4.14 62.75% 0.11
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1051.3 1015.3 12.73 4.66 70.18% 0.11 0.25
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1051.7 1021.2 12.83 3.94 58.99% 0.09 0.10
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1052.0 1013.7 12.90 4.98 73.65% 0.13 0.20
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1054.1 1015.6 13.39 5.00 71.16% 0.06 0.15
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1054.2 1013.3 13.40 5.31 75.44% 0.15
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1055.2 1016.7 13.65 4.99 69.75% 0.15
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1055.4 1016.3 13.70 5.08 70.58% 0.11 0.10
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1055.5 1016.3 13.72 5.09 70.63% 0.10 0.20
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1057.5 1018.7 14.19 5.03 67.48% 0.09 0.20
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1063.7 1015.1 15.63 6.34 76.30%
1879 Unknown Lagerbier 1067.6 1022.8 16.53 5.80 66.27% 0.09 0.08
Average 1052.9 1016.0 13.10 4.78 69.77% 0.11 0.18
Source:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

Right, Erfurt Lagerbiers. There's a fair spread of gravities but, once again, the average comes out to about 1053. Attenuation, at just under 70%, is a bit worse than most other sets. Though for once, at 0.11%, the lactic acid content is almost reasonable. Interesting how much lower the CO2 content is compared to the Berlin samples.

As a special treat, here are some modern beers from Erfurt - including Angerbräu Pils:

Walhaus-Bräu, Erfurt beers in 2014
Beer Style OG FG OG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation
Waldhaus-Bräu Helles? 1048.6 1010.2 12.1 5.00 79.03%
Stock-Dunkel  Dunkles 1049.1 1009.9 12.2 5.10 79.82%
Märzenbier  Märzen 1056.7 1015.9 14 5.30 71.95%
Weizen  Weizen  1050.3 1011.9 12.5 5.00 76.35%
Maibock  Maibock  1069.2 1020.7 16.9 6.30 70.09%
Rotbier  Rotbier  1049.1 1013.6 12.2 4.60 72.28%
Rauchbier  Rauchbier  1050.3 1011.9 12.5 5.00 76.35%
EM-Festbier  Helles 1048.2 1009.8 12 5.00 79.67%
Oktoberbock  Bock 1067.5 1017.6 16.5 6.50 73.98%
Doppelbock  Doppelbock  1076.2 1018.8 18.5 7.50 75.33%
Weihnachtsbier  Festbier 1058.8 1016.5 14.5 5.50 72.04%
Rauchbierbock  Bock Rauch 1067.9 1019.5 16.6 6.30 71.35%
Rauchweizendoppelbock  Doppelbock Rauchweizen 1079.3 1025.5 19.2 7.00 67.91%
Waldhaus WM-Bier  Festbier 1055.4 1015.4 13.7 5.20 72.30%
Average 74.17%
Source:
Waldhaus website
http://www.waldhaus-erfurt.de/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=50

Braugold, Erfurt beers in 2014
Beer Style OG FG OG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation
Braugold Festbier Festbier 1052.01 1007.6 12.9 5.80 85.39%
Braugold Spezial Spezial 1046.95 1009.3 11.7 4.90 80.19%
Braugold 1888 Helles 1050.32 1011.1 12.5 5.10 77.94%
Braugold Hell Helles 1046.11 1009.2 11.5 4.80 80.05%
Braugold Bock Bock 1068.33 1018.4 16.7 6.50 73.07%
Erfurter Angerbräu Premium Pils Pilsener 1050.32 1010.4 12.5 5.20 79.33%
Riebeck Premium Pilsener Pilsener 1046.53 1008.9 11.6 4.90 80.87%
Braugold Porter Porter 1048.21 1017.3 12 4.00 64.22%

Average 77.63%
Source:
Braugold website
http://www.braugold.de/produkte.html

The degree of attenuation is far higher, with the exception of the Waldhaus Märzen and the Braugold Porter.

As I said, there will probably be a gap before the next set. I'll maybe fill in with stuff from an 1960 article of Danish and German brewing.

1 comment:

A Brew Rat said...

"I wonder if there's a brewery there today?"

Yes there is, and its a division of Heineken. The beers have been imported to the U.S., and they are the typical mass produced Russian pilsners. Nothing to get excited about.

http://www.getbrand.com/blog/konigsberg-posle-rekonstrukcii-2/