Jacobsen to Jacobsen

The J. C. Jacobsens Arkiv (https://jcjacobsenarkiv.carlsbergfondet.dk/dokumenter) has the correspondence between the elder and younger Jacobsen, when the latter was studying in the UK. Specifically, at William Younger in Edinburgh. Wher Carl Jacobsen was an apprentice. They provide a wonderful insight both into what was happening in Edinburgh brewing and, to a lesser degree, in Copenhagen.

This is a letter for Jacobsen senior to his son.

1868-11-17
Dear Carl! As soon as I received your letter yesterday, I asked Lind to prescribe Poitevin's Lexicon for you. I did not meet him at home and therefore do not know how soon it can be expected, but hopefully it will get here before the shipping from here to Leith stops. I am surprised, by the way, that the booksellers in the intelligent city of Edinburgh are not more clever. As for sending beer from here, I think I will have to limit myself to sending a case of beer in bottles this autumn (in December) as a present to Theilmann. Sales have exceeded the calculated amount in recent months, so much so that my beer is always younger than it should be for home use and is therefore only slightly suitable for shipping. In addition, I fear that it would be less fitting for your position in Younger's Brewery if your father began to act as a competitor in Edinburgh or to announce a competition, which, however small it would be, would hardly be well received by the brewers there. - When you have gone to Burton or London next year, this consideration will certainly fall away and only then will I be able to send beer that I can be honored by, and honor is, as always, more important to me in this case than possible advantage.

A couple of interesting points there. First, that due to high demand, Carlsberg was skimping on lagering time. Making their beer not really suitable for export. Second, Carlsberg was already considering exporting to Scotland. And the only reason they didn't, was out of courtesy to Carl Jacobsen's hosts.

This next bit comes as a surprise. After 20 years of bottom-fermenting at Carlsberg, why were they making experiments with top-fermentation?

The experiments that I have been thinking of and hope to have the opportunity to make this winter should be nothing more than to refresh the experience that I gained many years ago with regard to cold-fermented beer, for which I will use my usual Bavarian wort. It will therefore only be a fermentation experiment to compare the results of top-fermented and bottom-fermented beer from the same wort. If I can manage more, I would be willing to also make some brewing experiments in the small apparatus that previously stood and is to be re-equipped at the end of the Swallow House, but I do not attach much importance to it until you have been to Burton and have gained a more complete insight into English brewing, which can serve as a guide for me. 

The reference to Burton has me wondering whether Jacobsen senior was considering brewing a Pale Ale.

Jacobsen senior seemed somewhat bemused by some of the practices at Younger's Edinburgh brewery.

You have not told me whether you have a place in Edinburgh with Younger or can get him to make you acquainted with the Porter brewery. There is no hurry and you must of course take one thing at a time, but I am very interested to know whether you can get some insight into porter brewing this winter. Your notes on the Abbey Brewery and its method have interested me very much, although there are not a few things that seem to me anything but rational, e.g. the use of copper for mash vats and even for fermentation vats!! Likewise the semi-dry mashing even for thinner beers (how large is the yield in relation to the amount of malt?) and the use of quite fresh malt, etc. Later on, however, you will be able to better understand what is the consequence of a principle or of old habit or of accidental and local circumstances. I have not had time to reduce the analysis sizes to Danish terms, but I see that the water in Edinburgh is in any case not the best for lager beer, whereas the water in Burton is excellent. The latter analysis I have found verbatim in Tizards' work.

Burton water excellent for Lager? With all those minerals? That goes against everything I've learned about water chemistry. I really struggle to understand what the fuck he means.

[Crossed out] Is there any developed brewing literature in England? 

Does not Mr. Smith or his son speak of what they have seen in Germany. Do they show any inclination to introduce improvements? How long has the now useful mash apparatus been used and do you know whether it is common in the breweries in England? Are deep, cold cellars used anywhere for storage or ice for cooling? For how many months of the year is porter brewed for export in London? Is that kind of porter brewed in Burton. With this I must conclude for today. 

With regards from your Mother 

your

Jacobsen.

The answer to that question about deep cellars and ice is: no. That practice only starts when Lager brewing kicks off in the UK, which was a few years later, in the 1870s.

I'm guessing that export Porter was usually brewed between October and March. I could be wrong, though, as Porter brewers brewed the year round. The Porter brewed in Burton was different to that from London. And had been called "black Pale Ale".

If you like this, let me know. There's loads more of this.