Wednesday 10 September 2014

Bohemian Lagers of the 1880's and 1890's (part one)

I can't express my love for "Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" in words. Perhaps I should write a song.

I've caught 350 new analyses in the last week or so. There are hundreds more. I've really improved my data set on Czech Lagers, much to my delight. I never dreamed that I'd be able to find so many details. I suppose I should really do something constructive with them. Which I guess this sort of is.

The 58 beers in this set I've somewhat arbitrarily lumped together in 5 groups: Schenkbier, Helles Lagerbier, Dunkles, Pilsener and stronger Lagers. It's arbitrary because the Pilseners are also Pale Lagerbiers and some of the Schenkbiers are Pilseners. But I had to draw the lines somewhere. Feel free to rearrange everything in your head if you disagree with my categorisations.

All the place names were given in German and, where I've been able to work out the Czech name, I've put that in brackets

I'll begin with Schenkbier, because I've the most of them. Which is another confirmation that this was the most common type of beer in Bohemia. As it still is today. I suppose I could have used the modern Czech name of Výčepní Pivo, which is what these beers really are.

Bohemian Pale Schenkbiers 1888 - 1894
Year Brewer Beer Style package OG FG OG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation lactic acid %
1895 Aktien-Brauerei Eger (Cheb) Abzugsbier Schenkbier draught 1031.2 1003.0 7.89 3.68 90.38% 0.089
1890 Petromitzer Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1037.7 1012.4 9.48 3.28 67.11% 0.270
1890 Nusler Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1037.9 1015.6 9.53 2.88 58.84% 0.170
1890 Popowitzer (Popovice) Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1038.4 1010.9 9.65 3.56 71.61% 0.170
1890 Wisotschauer Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1039.0 1013.0 9.79 3.36 66.67% 0.150
1890 Raudnitz (Roudnice nad Labem) Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1039.2 1010.6 9.84 3.71 72.96% 0.150
1890 Miliner(Milín) Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1039.4 1010.5 9.89 3.75 73.35% 0.230
1890 Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1039.6 1007.0 9.94 4.24 82.32% 0.170
1888 Alt-Pilsener Schenkbier? Schenkbier draught 1039.7 1012.1 9.96 3.58 69.52%
1890 Konopischter (Konopiště) Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1040.0 1017.8 10.03 2.86 55.50% 0.140
1890 Jinonitzer Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1040.3 1014.7 10.11 3.31 63.52% 0.120
1894 Unknown Abzugsbier Schenkbier draught 1040.9 1012.0 10.25 3.75 70.66% 0.115
1890 Wrschowitzer (Vršovice) Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1042.0 1018.2 10.51 3.06 56.67% 0.180
1895 Bürgerliches Brauhaus in den Kgl. Weinbergen, Prague Helles gewönhl. Bier Schenkbier draught 1042.3 1011.6 10.59 3.98 72.58% 0.098
1890 Actien Brauhaus, Smichov Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1042.4 1016.4 10.61 3.35 61.32% 0.170
1891 Unknown, Pilsen Pilsener Schenkbier Schenkbier bottled 1042.6 1014.8 10.66 3.59 65.26% 0.092
1891 Pracer Schenkbier Schenkbier bottled 1042.9 1012.4 10.73 3.95 71.10% 0.131
1898 Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen Schankbier Schenkbier draught 1043.0 1011.5 10.76 4.09 73.26% 0.112
1890 Pracer Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1043.0 1012.7 10.76 3.93 70.47% 0.170
1894 Unknown Abzugsbier Schenkbier draught 1043.2 1014.5 10.80 3.71 66.44% 0.108
1894 Unknown Abzugsbier Schenkbier draught 1044.7 1016.6 11.16 3.63 62.86% 0.092
1890 Kreuzherrn (Krizovnicka) Flaschenbier served in Prague Schenkbier bottled 1045.5 1020.3 11.35 3.25 55.38% 0.150
1892 Gödinger (Hodonín) Schenkbier Schenkbier draught 1047.6 1018.0 11.85 3.83 62.18% 0.218
1892 Budweiser Schenkbier Schenkbier draught 1047.7 1010.8 11.88 4.80 77.36% 0.258
Average


1041.3 1013.2 10.33 3.63 68.22% 0.154
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

I was surprised by how low the gravities were for some of this class. Quite a few are below 1040º and one barely over 1030º. On the other hand, a couple at the top end have gravities more in line with a Lagerbier. Thought the majority are between 10º and 11º Plato. The average gravity is just a touch over 10º Plato, which is about what I'd expect.

You'll note that a lot of the weaker examples are bottled beers. I find it a little that the weakest beers should be bottled.

In common with most 19th-century Lagers, the average rate of attenuation isn't great at 68%. In some examples it's a good bit worse than that, leaving the odd beer under 3% ABV. This really isn't how you usually imagine Lager of the 1800's.

Once again, the average acidity looks high. I'd expect a maximum of 0.1%. Compare this values with these ones from the 20th century:

20th-century Czech Lagers
Year Brewer Beer Style package OG FG OG Plato ABV App. Attenuation Acidity colour
1935 Pilsner Urquell Pilsner Urquell Pils bottled 1049.4 1013.8 12.28 4.62 72.06% 0.05
1961 Pilsner Urquell Pilsner Urquell Pils bottled 1032.5 1010.9 8.21 2.70 66.46% 0.02 10
1950 Pilsner Urquell Lager Pils bottled 1049 1013.5 12.19 4.61 72.45% 0.08 10.5 B
1950 Pilsner Urquell Lager Pils bottled 1038.9 1010.3 9.77 3.71 73.52% 0.05 11 B
1957 Pilsner Urquell Pilsner Urquell Pils bottled 1036.4 1010.1 9.16 3.41 72.25% 0.04 12
1957 Pilsner Urquell Pilsener Pils bottled 1036.3 1010 9.14 3.41 72.45% 0.04 9
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.


What next? How about Pilseners? Using modern Czech terminology, these would be called Světlý Ležák. Or Pale Lagerbier in German. I know. It's very inconsistent as I've also got a group Pale Lagerbiers.

Bohemian Pilseners 1888 - 1894
Year Brewer Beer Style package OG FG OG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation lactic acid %
1894 Mährisch-Neustädter (Uničov) Lagerbier a la Pilsen Pilsener draught 1047.1 1011.1 11.74 4.68 76.43% 0.194
1890 Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen Flaschenbier served in Prague Pilsener bottled 1047.2 1015.8 11.76 4.06 66.53% 0.210
1886 Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen Pilsener Pilsener draught 1047.8 1015.4 11.89 4.19 67.75%
1897 Unknown Pilsen Original-Pilsener Pilsener draught 1048.0 1014.3 11.95 4.36 70.21% 0.242
1890 Unknown Pilsen Pilsener Pilsener draught 1048.1 1013.1 11.97 4.54 72.77% 0.186
1888 Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen Pilsener Pilsener draught 1048.5 1015.0 12.07 4.34 69.07%
1898 Unknown Pilsen Pilsener (sold in Berlin) Pilsener draught 1048.5 1014.3 12.07 4.44 70.52%
1891 Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen Pilsener (sold in Zürich) Pilsener draught 1048.9 1012.0 12.16 4.80 75.46%
1891 Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen Pilsener (sold in Zürich) Pilsener draught 1049.3 1014.6 12.26 4.50 70.39%
1892 Pilsener Export-Brauerei Pilsener (sold in Bern) Pilsener draught 1052.2 1011.1 12.94 5.35 78.74% 0.120
1893 Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen Pilsener Pilsener draught 1053.2 1013.2 13.18 5.20 75.19% 0.320
Average 1049.0 1013.6 12.18 4.59 72.09% 0.212
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

You'll see I've got a few from Pilsen itself. Bürgerliches Brauhaus, I'm sure you realise, is Pilsner Urquell. In terms of gravity and ABV the average is scarily close to modern Pilsner Urquell. Interestingly, four of the 5 strongest examples had been exported abroad.

Attenuation is better than for the Schenkbiers, but still well below the level of modern Lagers. Once again the level of acidity is high, even higher than in Schenkbier.

There are going to be just too many tables if I do all of this in one go. You'll have to wait until next time for the Dark Lagers, strong Lagers and, er, Pale Lagers,

5 comments:

Pivní Filosof said...

Petromitzer must be Petrovický (Petrovice was a village back, now it's part of Prague)

Nusler is Nuselský (the brewery is still there, in Nusle, a neighbourhood just southeast of the centre. It's been closed since the 1960s, I think, and is now used as a wine storage, but there're rumors that someone wants to set up a microbrewery there)

Jinotizter is Jinonický (a town just outside Prague)

Bürgerliches Brauhaus in den Kgl. Weinbergen is the long, German name of Vinohradský Pivovar. Shut down in the 1950s and now turned into flats, but a brewpub is set to open this year in the old fermenting cellars.

Actien Brauhaus Smíchov is today's Staropramen

Alistair Reece said...

Hey Ron,

Some suggestions on the German - Czech names:

Wisotschauer - Vysočany
Nusler - Nusle (a district of Prague)
Jinonitzer - Jinonice

Doug Warren said...

I need a language lesson. I understand what schankbier is. Is schenkbier a dialectical variation or a different beer?

Ron Pattinson said...

Pivni, Al.

thanks very much. Some of the names are fairly easy to work out, others a nightmare.

Ron Pattinson said...

Doug,

yes, Schenkbier and Schankbier are just spelling variations for the same thing.