I'll start with a word of warning: for the Hamburg samples both the OG and FG are calculated. In the published analysis there was only extract (real FG Balling) and ABW. I know from plugging in other numbers that the measured extract often doesn't 100% match the one calculated from OG and FG. Which is my way of saying that there's room for a fair degree of error.
Quickly glancing at the Hamburg set, they look pretty much like the Lagerbiers from other German regions, with OG averaging 1053.6 or 13.28º Plato. That's a bit more than Hannover region and a bit less than Westphalia. I think we're seeing a definite trend here. When I've finished going through all the analyses, I'll calculate averages for the whole of Germany. I reckon OG will come out 1053-1054.
Hamburg Lagerbiers 1880 - 1893 | ||||||||||
Year | Brewer | Town | Beer | Style | OG | FG | OG Plato | ABV | attenuation | Lactic acid % |
1893 | Joh. Höbold | Hamburg? | Doppel-Malz Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1045.5 | 1017.6 | 11.35 | 3.60 | 61.32% | 0.351 |
1893 | Joh. Höbold | Hamburg? | Doppel-Malz Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1046.2 | 1015.3 | 11.52 | 4.00 | 66.88% | |
1893 | Joh. Höbold | Hamburg? | Doppel-Malz Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1047.8 | 1016.5 | 11.90 | 4.05 | 65.48% | 0.401 |
1893 | Richard Behn | Ottensen | Lagerbier Dunkel | Dunkles | 1048.8 | 1010.0 | 12.14 | 5.05 | 79.51% | |
1893 | Holsten Brauerei | Hamburg Altona | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1049.0 | 1008.8 | 12.19 | 5.24 | 82.04% | |
1893 | Richard Behn | Ottensen | Lagerbier Hell | Helles | 1049.5 | 1007.8 | 12.31 | 5.44 | 84.24% | 0.314 |
1893 | Germania Brauerei | Hamburg Wansbeck | Helles Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1049.9 | 1012.9 | 12.40 | 4.80 | 74.15% | 0.250 |
1893 | Joh. Höbold | Hamburg? | Malz-Export Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1050.2 | 1020.0 | 12.47 | 3.90 | 60.16% | |
1893 | Uelzener Brauerei | Hamburg Uelzen | Exportbier | Export | 1050.2 | 1017.3 | 12.47 | 4.25 | 65.54% | 0.270 |
1893 | Kaiserblume | Hamburg? | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1050.7 | 1011.5 | 12.59 | 5.10 | 77.32% | 0.135 |
1893 | Brauerei Hammonia | Hamburg | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1051.0 | 1017.7 | 12.65 | 4.30 | 65.26% | 0.180 |
1893 | Löwen-Brauerei | Hamburg | Kaiser-Tafelbier | Tafelbier | 1051.7 | 1016.9 | 12.83 | 4.50 | 67.31% | 0.293 |
1893 | Einbecker Export-Lagerbier-Brauerei | Einbeck | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1051.8 | 1013.3 | 12.85 | 5.00 | 74.32% | 0.150 |
1893 | Frisia Brauerei | Hamburg? | Exportbier | Export | 1052.0 | 1013.5 | 12.90 | 5.00 | 74.04% | |
1893 | Germania Brauerei | Hamburg Wansbeck | Exportbier | Export | 1052.5 | 1014.7 | 13.02 | 4.90 | 72.00% | |
1893 | Brauerei Hammonia | Hamburg | Pilsener | Pilsener | 1052.8 | 1020.3 | 13.09 | 4.20 | 61.55% | |
1880 | Leitmeritz Brauerei Elbschloss | Hamburg | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1053.0 | 1011.7 | 13.13 | 5.38 | 77.92% | |
1893 | Brauerei | Bahrenfeld | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1053.1 | 1017.8 | 13.16 | 4.56 | 66.48% | 0.272 |
1893 | Hansa-Brauerei | Hamburg | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1053.3 | 1014.0 | 13.20 | 5.10 | 73.73% | 0.270 |
1893 | Brauerei Ditmarsia | Heide | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1054.0 | 1014.4 | 13.37 | 5.15 | 73.33% | |
1893 | Elbschloss-Brauerei | Hamburg | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1054.2 | 1018.6 | 13.42 | 4.60 | 65.68% | 0.300 |
1893 | Einbecker Export-Lagerbier-Brauerei | Einbeck | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1054.6 | 1016.8 | 13.51 | 4.90 | 69.23% | 0.110 |
1893 | Marienthaler Gesellschaft | Marienthal | Helles Exportbier | Export | 1055.0 | 1016.4 | 13.59 | 5.00 | 70.15% | 0.175 |
1893 | Brauerei Hammonia | Hamburg | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1055.3 | 1021.5 | 13.67 | 4.36 | 61.12% | 0.198 |
1893 | Hansa-Brauerei | Hamburg | Export Lagerbier | Export | 1056.0 | 1016.7 | 13.84 | 5.10 | 70.18% | 0.212 |
1893 | Löwen-Brauerei | Hamburg | Pilsener | Pilsener | 1056.1 | 1015.9 | 13.85 | 5.21 | 71.63% | 0.405 |
1893 | Kronen u. | Hamburg? | Krystall-Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1057.1 | 1012.6 | 14.10 | 5.80 | 77.93% | |
1893 | Kaiserblume | Hamburg? | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1058.0 | 1011.9 | 14.31 | 6.01 | 79.48% | 0.200 |
1880 | Von Uelzen | Hamburg Uelzen | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1058.7 | 1013.4 | 14.47 | 5.90 | 77.17% | |
1893 | Löwen-Brauerei | Hamburg | Prälatenbräu | ??? | 1058.7 | 1016.4 | 14.47 | 5.50 | 72.06% | 0.315 |
1893 | Marienthaler Gesellschaft | Marienthal | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1059.8 | 1018.5 | 14.72 | 5.35 | 69.04% | 0.198 |
1893 | Brauerei Hammonia | Hamburg | Klosterbräu | ??? | 1059.8 | 1023.4 | 14.73 | 4.70 | 60.87% | 0.300 |
1880 | Von Uelzen | Hamburg Uelzen | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1063.0 | 1014.6 | 15.47 | 6.31 | 76.83% | |
1880 | Holsten Brauerei | Hamburg Altona | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1064.6 | 1009.5 | 15.84 | 7.23 | 85.29% | |
Average | 1053.6 | 1015.2 | 13.28 | 4.98 | 71.45% | 0.252 | ||||
Source: | ||||||||||
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156 |
Again, there are examples at the top and bottom end that look like they belong elsewhere. The bottom three - all under 12º Plato - look more like Schenkbier. At the top are a couple that look like Bock. You may have heard of the brewery behind the strongest of the set: Holsten. Now isn't that handy. The Holsten website list the OG in Plato. Which means I can put together a little table of their beers.
Holsten beers in 2014 | ||||||||
Year | Beer | Style | OG | FG | OG Plato | ABV | attenuation | bitterness (EBU) |
2014 | Pilsener | Pilsener | 1044.9 | 1008.0 | 11.20 | 4.80 | 82.17% | 28 |
2014 | Edel | Helles | 1044.9 | 1007.3 | 11.20 | 4.90 | 83.73% | 23 |
2014 | Export | Export | 1047.4 | 1007.5 | 11.80 | 5.20 | 84.17% | 27 |
2014 | Extra Herb | Pilsener | 1044.9 | 1006.5 | 11.20 | 5.00 | 85.51% | 40 |
2014 | Stark | Bockbier, Dunkel | 1066.2 | 1012.7 | 16.20 | 7.00 | 80.88% | 16 |
Source: | ||||||||
Holsten website http://www.holsten-pilsener.de/biere.html |
That's interesting. The rate of attenuation has hardly increased. But that's only because the Holsten had untypically high rates of attenuation. The strongest 19th-century Lagerbier even has a higher degree of attenuation that the nearest equivalent modern beer, Stark.
Einbecker Brauhaus also list the OG, so I can treat you to another table:
Einbecker Brauhaus beers in 2014 | |||||||
Year | Beer | Style | OG | FG | OG Plato | ABV | attenuation |
2014 | Brauherren Pils | Pilsener | 1045.7 | 1008.1 | 11.40 | 4.90 | 82.27% |
2014 | Dunkel | Dunkles | 1046.1 | 1008.5 | 11.50 | 4.90 | 81.57% |
2014 | Weihnachtsbier | Festbier | 1050.7 | 1010.1 | 12.60 | 5.30 | 80.19% |
2014 | Ur-Bock Dunkel | Bockbier, Dunkel | 1066.2 | 1016.3 | 16.20 | 6.50 | 75.36% |
2014 | Ur-Bock Hell | Bockbier, Hell | 1066.2 | 1016.3 | 16.20 | 6.50 | 75.36% |
2014 | Mai-Ur-Bock | Bockbier, Hell | 1066.2 | 1016.3 | 16.20 | 6.50 | 75.36% |
2014 | Winter-Bock | Bockbier, Bernstein | 1074.9 | 1017.5 | 18.20 | 7.50 | 76.63% |
2014 | Premium Pilsener | Pilsener | 1044.9 | 1008.0 | 11.20 | 4.80 | 82.17% |
2014 | Landbier Spezial | Landbier | 1047.4 | 1007.5 | 11.80 | 5.20 | 84.17% |
Source: | |||||||
Einbecker website http://www.einbecker.de/product-range |
In this case the modern attenuation is much higher, as you would expect.
Once again, the average lactic acid content, at 0.252%, looks very high.
On to Bremen. What a weird set these are. For a start, half of them are dark. Though I'm not sure exactly what colour "Hellbraun" (pale brown) is. Only the Piksener and the beer below it really seem to Lagerbier strength. most of the examples aren't just in Bock country, they've strayed well up the Doppelbock mountain. I fail top see how these can be described as Lagerbier.
Bremen Lagerbiers 1879 - 1884 | |||||||||||
Year | Brewer | Town | Beer | Style | OG | FG | OG Plato | ABV | attenuation | Lactic acid % | CO2 % |
1879 | Unknown | Bremen | Lagerbier Hellbraun | Dunkles | 1035.5 | 1014.5 | 8.94 | 0.00 | 71.59% | ||
1884 | Hemelingen bei Bremen | Bremen | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1049.5 | 1012.1 | 12.31 | 2.71 | 59.15% | 0.137 | 0.174 |
1884 | Bremer Aktien-Brauerei | Bremen | Pilsener | Pilsener | 1050.3 | 1009.1 | 12.50 | 4.86 | 75.56% | 0.145 | 0.168 |
1884 | Bremer Aktien-Brauerei | Bremen | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1060.6 | 1016.2 | 14.91 | 5.38 | 81.91% | 0.142 | 0.152 |
1884 | Andr. Müller, Bremen | Bremen | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1064.4 | 1011.7 | 15.79 | 5.78 | 73.27% | 0.040 | 0.260 |
1879 | Unknown | Bremen | Lagerbier braun | Dunkles | 1067.1 | 1012.0 | 16.42 | 6.89 | 81.83% | ||
1879 | Unknown | Bremen | Lagerbier Hellbraun | Dunkles | 1067.1 | 1012.0 | 16.42 | 7.21 | 82.12% | ||
1884 | Andr. Müller, Bremen | Bremen | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1067.7 | 1013.8 | 16.56 | 7.21 | 82.12% | 0.010 | 0.220 |
1879 | Unknown | Bremen | Lagerbier braun | Dunkles | 1070.0 | 1016.5 | 17.08 | 7.05 | 79.62% | ||
1879 | Unknown | Bremen | Lagerbier braun | Dunkles | 1081.4 | 1014.0 | 19.67 | 6.98 | 76.43% | ||
1879 | Unknown | Bremen | Lagerbier Hellbraun | Dunkles | 1082.6 | 1016.0 | 19.94 | 6.98 | 76.43% | ||
Average | 1063.3 | 1013.4 | 15.50 | 5.55 | 76.36% | 0.095 | 0.195 | ||||
Source: | |||||||||||
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156 |
The rate of attenuation is shockingly high - over 80% for some beers with gravities over 16º Plato. And blow me, the level of lactic acid is actually just about acceptable , resting a little below 0.1%.
Finally the beers from Kiel. It's worth noting that at this point Kiel hadn't long been part of Germany. Schleswig-Holstein, the region it's in, was Danish until 1864.
Kiel Lagerbiers 1884 - 1893 | |||||||||||
Year | Brewer | Town | Beer | Style | OG | FG | OG Plato | ABV | attenuation | Lactic acid % | CO2 % |
1884 | Schlüter & Co., Kiel | Kiel | Hell | Helles | 1050.0 | 1015.5 | 12.42 | 0.00 | 78.76% | 0.111 | 0.169 |
1884 | Kieler Aktein-Brauerei | Kiel | nach Wiener Art | Vienna | 1050.3 | 1015.3 | 12.50 | 4.48 | 69.00% | 0.020 | 0.390 |
1893 | Brauerei Holsatia, Kiel | Kiel | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1051.0 | 1016.3 | 12.66 | 4.54 | 69.58% | 0.133 | |
1884 | Schlüter & Co., | Kiel | Dunkel | Dunkles | 1052.4 | 1013.8 | 12.99 | 4.54 | 69.58% | 0.128 | 0.150 |
1884 | Dreves & Co., Kiel | Kiel | Lagerbier | Lagerbier | 1063.2 | 1018.9 | 15.52 | 5.01 | 73.66% | 0.020 | 0.310 |
Average | 1053.4 | 1016.0 | 13.22 | 3.71 | 72.12% | 0.070 | 0.230 | ||||
Source: | |||||||||||
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156 |
There's a bit of everything in there: Helles, Dunkles and Vienna Lagers. And they all look like Lagerbiers, except for the strongest example. With that excluded the average gravity is 1050.9. I've not much else to say, other than that the average lactic acid content is the lowest we've seen so far: 0.07. Well done, Kiel!
I'm not too sure what normal CO2 levels are. I can say that the beers of Kiel were fizzier than those of Bremen. Is that good or bad?
What next? Königsberg and Erfurt. I think. Might change my mind.
5 comments:
Images, please. Can't see the right edge of some of the tables. I won't be able to sleep until I can!
Why are Uelzen, Heide, and Einbeck listed under Hamburg? Unlike the other localities, they were never incorporated into the city (and won't be, as they're quite a ways away still).
Gerrit,
just as a way of grouping beers together. And because that's how the source grouped them.
Jeff,
fixed. I was a bit rushed when I wrote it.
I'm going to guess this may not be possible, but is it possible to make educated guesses what some of these might taste like? If I've learned anything from reading your blog, it's that the characteristics of a style can change pretty significantly over time and a Helles circa 1890 may well taste significantly different from what's sold today.
Since it appears you don't have enough information from these records to know things like color and carbonation, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't much information on how these might differ from modern counterparts, but any kind of educated guesses on these German beers would certainly be interesting to read. (Maybe it's clear to some people, but I'll admit my knowledge of things like how malts and hops have changed over the past century is pretty limited).
Post a Comment