Bohemian and Lower Austrian Lagers in 1876

"Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" is the gift that just keeps on giving. I've harvested some great analyses this last week. Mostly German, but I've just hit an Austrian orchard.

The last set I particularly like. They all come from 1876, which is a period when Austrian beer was still pretty influential internationally. They cover a fairly small geographical area, too. The Czech ones all come from Bohemia as far as I can tell (I haven't been able to discover the Czech names for a couple of the towns). The Austrian ones are all from Lower Austria, but are mostly from the Vienna area. What's even better is that there are both Abzugsbier and Lagerbier samples for most breweries.

I'll warn you now - this is going to be table-heavy. But if that sort of thing put you off, I guess you wouldn't be reading this in the first place. Now where shall I start? What about with the Bohemian beers? OK, we're agreed.

Apologies for the small size of the Schenkbier sample. And I'm not 100% sure that's what they are. The source didn't state what type of beer they are. I've just guessed that, based on their gravity. It's too low for them to be Lagerbiers so they must be Schenkbiers. You can see that the Schenkbiers average out to 10.5º and the Lagerbiers 11.5º Plato. That's quite a small difference. And the higher degree of attenuation of Schenkbier means the difference between the ABVs - 4.26% and 4.02% - isn't huge.

Bohemian Schenkbier and Lagerbier in 1876
Brewer	Beer	Acidity	OG	OG Plato	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
Bömisch-Kamnitzer(Česká Kamenice)	Schenkbier	0.12	1043.2	10.80	1012.8	3.94	70.37%
Münchengrätzer (Mnichovo Hradiště)	Schenkbier	0.08	1041.2	10.32	1009.0	4.19	78.16%
Libotschauer (Libočany)	Schenkbier	0.11	1041.3	10.35	1011.0	3.93	73.37%
Average		0.10	1041.9	10.49	1010.9	4.02	73.96%
Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener	0.16	1046.5	11.59	1013.0	4.35	72.04%
Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Lagerbier	0.17	1048.6	12.09	1012.8	4.65	73.66%
Wittingauer (Třeboň)	Lagerbier	0.14	1044.5	11.11	1014.0	3.95	68.54%
Budweiser	Lagerbier		1045.6	11.38	1011.4	4.44	75.00%
Jaroscher	Lagerbier	0.09	1047.7	11.88	1014.4	4.31	69.81%
Napageldner	Lagerbier	0.12	1045.8	11.43	1013.4	4.20	70.74%
Leitmeritzer (Litoměřice)	Lagerbier		1046.8	11.66	1013.9	4.26	70.30%
Pardubitzer	Lagerbier	0.13	1046.9	11.69	1015.0	4.13	68.02%
Medleschitzer	Lagerbier	0.12	1044.4	11.09	1011.2	4.31	74.77%
Olmützer	Lagerbier		1047.3	11.78	1016.2	4.03	65.75%
Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Lagerbier	0.12	1045.0	11.23	1013.0	4.15	71.11%
Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen	Lagerbier	0.12	1044.9	11.21	1011.1	4.39	75.28%
Average		0.13	1046.2	11.51	1013.3	4.26	71.25%
Source:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

There's not a huge spread of gravities in the Lagerbiers, with a 1º Plato difference between the weakest and strongest. None of the examples varies more than 5% from the average gravity. The Schenkbier sample is too small to make this sort of comparison.

Note that the level of acidity is a good bit lower than in the Dresden area beers. It still looks high by modern standards, though. Unsurprisingly, Schenkbier, which was sold younger, is less acidic.

Here's the comparison in table form:

Comparison between Bohemian Schenkbier and Lagerbier
	Acidity	OG	OG Plato	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
average Schenkbier	0.10	1041.9	10.49	1010.9	4.02	73.96%
average Lagerbier	0.13	1046.2	11.51	1013.3	4.26	71.25%
difference	0.03	4.3	1.02	2.4	0.25	-2.71%

One final word. In terms of gravity, these beers look very much like modern Czech 10º (Výčepní Pivo) and 12º (Světlý Ležák).

On with the Lower Austrian beers. This is not only a fuller set, but the type of each beer was also stated in the source. Take a look:

Lower Austrian Abzugsbier and Lagerbier in 1876
Brewer	Beer	Acidity	OG	OG Plato	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
Liesinger	Abzugsbier	0.17	1043.9	10.96	1016.2	3.58	63.06%
St. Marx	Abzugsbier	0.1	1041.3	10.35	1014.8	3.43	64.16%
Simmering	Abzugsbier 6 weeks old	0.1	1040.4	10.13	1014.9	3.29	63.12%
Brunner	Abzugsbier 1 month old	0.1	1041.1	10.30	1013.6	3.56	66.91%
Hütteldorf	Abzugsbier	0.09	1039.1	9.82	1014.7	3.15	62.40%
Nussdorf	Abzugsbier 6 weeks old	0.09	1043.6	10.90	1015.3	3.66	64.91%
Währinger	Abzugsbier	0.1	1041.4	10.37	1010.5	4.01	74.64%
Grinzinger	Abzugsbier	0.11	1039.7	9.96	1013.1	3.44	67.00%
Lichtentaler	Abzugsbier	0.08	1040.0	10.03	1014.2	3.34	64.50%
Ottakringer	Abzugsbier	0.11	1041.1	10.30	1009.6	4.09	76.64%
Rauensteiner	Abzugsbier	0.12	1042.4	10.61	1015.6	3.46	63.21%
Average		0.11	1041.3	10.34	1013.9	3.55	66.41%
Schwechater	Böhmisches Bier	0.17	1050.4	12.52	1015.7	4.50	68.85%
Schwechater	Lagerbier	0.13	1052.6	13.04	1017.6	4.53	66.54%
Liesinger	Lagerbier	0.15	1053.8	13.32	1017.9	4.65	66.73%
Simmeringer	Lagerbier 3 months old	0.2	1060.3	14.84	1021.1	5.08	65.01%
Brunner	Lagerbier 5 months old	0.16	1053.2	13.18	1014.0	5.09	73.68%
Hütteldorfer	Lagerbier	0.11	1052.9	13.10	1014.9	4.93	71.81%
Nussdorfer	Lagerbier 3 months old	0.13	1054.0	13.37	1019.6	4.45	63.70%
Währinger	Lagerbier	0.14	1052.4	12.99	1015.3	4.81	70.80%
Grinzinger	Lagerbier	0.12	1053.3	13.20	1015.3	4.93	71.29%
Lichtentaler	Lagerbier	0.1	1048.4	12.04	1014.0	4.46	71.07%
Ottakringer	Lagerbier	0.16	1052.8	13.09	1015.7	4.81	70.27%
Schellenhofer	Lagerbier	0.15	1052.3	12.97	1019.8	4.20	62.14%
Rauensteiner	Lagerbier		1056.5	13.96	1020.2	4.70	64.25%
Average		0.14	1053.3	13.20	1017.0	4.70	68.17%
Source:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

One point should leap out at you: there's a much bigger difference in gravity than for the Bohemian beers. The Lagerbiers average over 13º Plato - almost 3º higher than the Abzugsbiers. And, in a reverse of the situation for Bohemian beers, the stronger beer has a higher degree of attenuation. What's that telling us? Not sure at all. But it does mean that there's quite large difference in ABV, over 1%.

There's a much larger variation in gravity amongst Lower Austrian than Bohemian Lagerbiers. The weakest is 9% below the average and the strongest 12% above. For the Abzugsbiers, the variation is lower, about 5% above and below the average.

Comparison between Lower Austrian Abzugsbier and Lagerbier
	Acidity	OG	OG Plato	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
average Abzugsbier	0.11	1041.3	10.34	1013.9	3.55	66.41%
average Lagerbier	0.14	1053.3	13.20	1017.0	4.70	68.17%
difference	0.04	12.0	2.86	3.1	1.16	1.75%

Again, the beer served younger, Abzugsbier, is less acidic.

Here's a comparison, where I have them, of the same brewery's Abzugsbier and Lagerbier:

Comparison Lower Austrian Abzugsbier and Lagerbier
Brewer	Beer	Acidity	OG	OG Plato	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
Brunner	Abzugsbier 1 month old	0.10	1041.1	10.30	1013.6	3.56	66.91%
Brunner	Lagerbier 5 months old	0.16	1053.2	13.18	1014.0	5.09	73.68%
difference		0.06	12.1	2.88	0.4	1.53	6.77%
Grinzinger	Abzugsbier	0.11	1039.7	9.96	1013.1	3.44	67.00%
Grinzinger	Lagerbier	0.12	1053.3	13.20	1015.3	4.93	71.29%
difference		0.01	13.6	3.24	2.2	1.49	4.29%
Hütteldorfer	Abzugsbier	0.09	1039.1	9.82	1014.7	3.15	62.40%
Hütteldorfer	Lagerbier	0.11	1052.9	13.10	1014.9	4.93	71.81%
difference		0.02	13.75	3.28	0.2	1.78	9.40%
Lichtentaler	Abzugsbier	0.08	1040.0	10.03	1014.2	3.34	64.50%
Lichtentaler	Lagerbier	0.10	1048.4	12.04	1014.0	4.46	71.07%
difference		0.02	8.4	2.01	-0.2	1.13	6.57%
Liesinger	Abzugsbier	0.17	1043.9	10.96	1016.2	3.58	63.06%
Liesinger	Lagerbier	0.15	1053.8	13.32	1017.9	4.65	66.73%
difference		-0.02	9.95	2.36	1.7	1.08	3.67%
Nussdorfer	Abzugsbier 6 weeks old	0.09	1043.6	10.90	1015.3	3.66	64.91%
Nussdorfer	Lagerbier 3 months old	0.13	1054.0	13.37	1019.6	4.45	63.70%
difference		0.04	10.4	2.47	4.3	0.79	-1.20%
Ottakringer	Abzugsbier	0.11	1041.1	10.30	1009.6	4.09	76.64%
Ottakringer	Lagerbier	0.16	1052.8	13.09	1015.7	4.81	70.27%
difference		0.05	11.7	2.79	6.1	0.73	-6.38%
Rauensteiner	Abzugsbier	0.12	1042.4	10.61	1015.6	3.46	63.21%
Rauensteiner	Lagerbier		1056.5	13.96	1020.2	4.70	64.25%
difference			14.1	3.35	4.6	1.24	1.04%
Simmeringer	Abzugsbier 6 weeks old	0.10	1040.4	10.13	1014.9	3.29	63.12%
Simmeringer	Lagerbier 3 months old	0.20	1060.3	14.84	1021.1	5.08	65.01%
difference		0.10	19.9	4.71	6.2	1.79	1.89%
Währinger	Abzugsbier	0.10	1041.4	10.37	1010.5	4.01	74.64%
Währinger	Lagerbier	0.14	1052.4	12.99	1015.3	4.81	70.80%
difference		0.04	11	2.62	4.8	0.80	-3.84%

You can see that in every case there's a difference of more than 2º Plato in gravity. In all but one case the Lagerbier was always more acidic. The attenuation is all over the place and doesn't tell us much. Three of the Lagerbiers have a lower degree of attenuation than the corresponding Abzugsbiers, for the other seven it's higher.

And finally a comparison between Bohemian and Lower Austrian beers. You can see that there's little difference between Schenkbier and Abzugsbier, except that the latter is more poorly attenuated. While there's a huge difference in the gravity between the Lagerbiers - more than 1.5º Plato. Though the greater attenuation of the Bohemian ones means the gap in ABV is relatively smaller.

Comparison between Bohemian and Lower Austrian Lagers
	Acidity	OG	OG Plato	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
average Schenkbier	0.10	1041.9	10.49	1010.9	4.02	73.96%
average Abzugsbier	0.11	1041.3	10.34	1013.9	3.55	66.41%
difference	0.003	-0.6	-0.15	2.9	-0.47	-7.55%
	Acidity	OG	OG Plato	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
average Bohemian Lagerbier	0.13	1046.2	11.51	1013.3	4.26	71.25%
average Lower Austrian Lagerbier	0.14	1053.3	13.20	1017.0	4.70	68.17%
difference	0.01	7.1	1.69	3.7	0.44	-3.09%

As I keep warning you, there's a lot more to come. There are some more Bohemian numbers from the 1880's I want to look at next.