Let's Brew Wednesday - Zum Uerige Alt

Thank you Fred Waltman. Thank you for posting a picture of a Zum Uerige brewing record on BeerAdvocate,

Because now I know for certain a couple of things. Like the grist. And I'm relieved to see that, unlike some Alt brewers, they don't get the colour from Sinamar or caramel. Three malts are in the mix: Pils-, Cara- and Röstmalz. Given the small quantity of Caramalz the colour must mostly come from the Röstmalz.

According to the Braugersten-Gemeinschaft, Röstmalz has a colour of 800 - 1500 EBC. Which makes it probably closer to chocolate malt than black malt. The Caramalz should be in the range 35 to 80 EBC.

Interesting that there are also three types of hops - Perle, Spalt and Hallertau. All classic German varieties. The hopping rate is even higher than that stated by Narziss - 500 gm/hl as opposed to 400 gm/hl**.

Uerige Alt March 2004
pils	1,060 kg	96.36%
cara	25 kg	2.27%
Röst	15 kg	1.36%
total	1,100 kg
Perle	6 kg	16.67%
Spalt	20 kg	55.56%
Hallertau	10 kg	27.78%
total	36 kg
gm/hl hops	500
hl	72
OG Plato	11.90
OG	1047.8
FG	1011.6
ABV	4.70
App. Atten-uation	75.73%
Source:
Zum Uerige brewing record

Sorry I've no mashing details. I suspect they probably decoct. Judging by the timings the boil is pretty short, no more than 90 minutes at most.

I realise it's a while since I posted a recipe. Hopefully thhis will partially make up for that.




* "The Soul of Beer: Malting Barley from Germany", Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., page 57.
** Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 14.

German malts at a glance

The title says it all. This is a short post in my current series on German malting.

I'm finding it fun even if you aren't. I'm having to churn out the posts this week because of my upcoming trips to the US. Actually, I'll be in the US when this posted. Slaving away in New Jersey.

Like much of what I do, this is really for my own reference. So I can easily find this information when I need it. I found it in a little booklet  produced by Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., a group dedicated to researching and breeding malting barley for brewing.

German Malt types
Malt type	Colour / EBC	Use	Amount	Purpose of use
Pilsner malt	3 - 5	Pilsner beers	100%	For the production of all pale beers
		Every other beer type		As base malt for speciality beers
Vienna malt	7 – 9	Export beers	100%	To achieve “amber coloured beers” and promote full-bodied flavour
		Märzenbier
		Festival beers
		Home-brewed beers
Munich malt I	I 12 – 17	Dark beers	up to 100 %	Underscores the typical beer character through intensified flavour
		Festival beers		Achieves intense beer colour
	II 20 – 25	Stouts
		Malt beers
		Black beers
Spitz malt	2.5 – 4.5	To compensate for highly soluble brewing malts	max. 15 – 20 %	Improved head retention
Smoked malt	3 – 6	Smoked beers	up to 100 %	Achieves the typical smoked flavour
		Lagers
		Kellerbier
		Speciality beers, e.g. for tavern breweries
		Wheat beers
Sour malt pH 3.4 – 3.6	3 – 7a	Pilsner beers	up to 5 %	Lowers the wort ph, thereby
		Light beers		Improves mashing performance
		Draught beers		Intensifies fermentation
				Effects pale beer colours in Pilsner beers
				Improves flavour stability
				More balanced beer flavour
Melanoidin malt	60 – 80	Wheat beers	up to 20 %	Improves flavour stability and full-bodied flavour
		Bocks		Balances beer colour
		Dark beers		Achieves reddish colour
		Red ales		Optimizes mash work
		Amber beers
Caramel malt light	20 – 30	Pale beers	10 – 15 %	Increases full-bodied flavour
		Export beers		Intensifies malt flavour
		Festival beers		Improved head retention
		Low alcohol malt beers (Nährbiere)		Full, balanced flavour
		Wheat beers	up to 30 %	Fuller beer colour
		Draught beers		Adjusts beer colour in Pilsner or Lager beers
		Light beers		Flavour optimization for yeast wheat beers
		Reduced-alcohol beers
		Alcohol-free beers
Caramel malt dark	60 – 160	Bock beers	up to 20 %	Improves flavour stability and full-bodied flavour
		Dark beers		Balances beer colour
		Red ale		Optimizes mash work
		Amber beers		Intensifies malt flavour
		Festival beers
		Non alcohol malt beers
		Low alcohol malt beers
		Light beers
Roasted malt	800 – 1500	Dark beers	1 – 5 %	Intensifies the typical flavour of dark beers and beer colour
		Stouts
		Alt beers
		Bocks
		Black beers
Diastatic barley malt	3 – 6	All beer varieties	as needed	High enzyme capacity, improves processing, optimizes solubility and breakdown of starch
				Production of malt extracts
Source:
"The Soul of Beer: Malting Barley from Germany", Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., page 57.

I told you it was a short post that's me done now.

I might do something similar for British malt types.

German Pilsner in 2014

For the second part of my modern German beer style series, we'll be looking at Germany favourite: Pilsner.

Though its popularity is definitely on the slide, down from almost 70% of sales in 1996 to 55% in 2010*. Though there's currently no obvious replacement nor even a vague challenger. No other style had a market share of more than 10% in 2010**.

It's often assumed that after Pilsner was first brewed in 1842 that it spread like wildfire across Europe. It didn't. Its progress was much slower and it's only really in the 1880's that it starts to be brewed in any quantities outside Austria. Even then it remained an expensive speciality, mostly drunk by the middle classes. As you can see, there are considerable parallels with Burton Pale Ale.

Pilsner's progress wasn't helped by the fact that the Munich breweries and Dreher from Vienna got in first. Münchner and Viener were the first Lagers to be brewed in most countries. The earliest analyses I have of a German Pilsner is from 1878. Intriguingly, they're all from the Saxon town of Chemnitz and are described as "Bömischer Art" or "Bohemian style".

Only one analysis is from the south, from Munich's Löwenbräu. Which makes sense. They had their own Lager tradition in Bavaria and were more reluctant than brewers from the north in adopting foreign styles. Munich brewers in particular were afraid of debasing their dark Lager brand if they brewed pale beers. Eventually they were unable to resist public demand and in the 1890's all the big Munich breweries introduced one.

Anyway, here's the table:

German Pilsener 1878 - 1893
Year	Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Lactic acid %
1900	unknown	unknown	Pilsener Draught	1043.6	1012.3	10.91	4.06	70.94%
1878	Feldschlösschen	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1044.3	1007.1	11.07	4.85	83.97%
1878	Böttger's Brauerei	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1044.5	1006.2	11.11	5.00	86.07%
1878	Societäts-Brauerei	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1044.5	1009.3	11.11	4.58	79.10%
1900	unknown	unknown	Pilsener Bottle	1047.4	1013.9	11.80	4.34	69.66%
1878	Bergschlösschen	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1048.5	1012.8	12.07	4.63	73.61%
1878	Schloss Chemnitz	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1050.1	1013.1	12.45	4.80	73.85%
1884	Bremer Aktien-Brauerei	Bremen	Pilsener	1050.3	1009.1	12.50	5.38	81.91%	0.145
1884	Union-Brauerei	Hannover	nach Pilsener Art	1050.7	1013.1	12.59	4.89	74.16%	0.136
1891	National-Aktien-Brauerei	Braunschweig	Pilsener	1050.7	1015.2	12.59	4.60	70.02%
1891	Aktien-Brauerei Streitberg	Streitberg	Pilsener	1051.3	1009.9	12.73	5.40	80.70%
1893	Brauerei Hammonia	Hamburg	Pilsener	1052.8	1020.3	13.09	4.20	61.55%
1884	Städtisches Brauerei	Hannover	nach Pilsener Art	1055.2	1014	13.65	5.36	74.64%	0.147
1893	Löwen-Brauerei	Hamburg	Pilsener	1056.1	1015.9	13.85	5.21	71.63%	0.405
1890	Löwenbrauerei	Munich	Pilsener	1057.5	1017.3	14.19	5.21	69.91%	0.405
	Average			1049.8	1012.6	12.38	4.83	74.78%	0.248
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156
The 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica
"Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" by Joseph König, 1889, pages 806 - 851
"Handbuch der chemischen technologie" by Otto Dammer, Rudolf Kaiser, 1896, pages 696-697

For comparison purposes, here are some Pilsners from Pilsen itself:

Bohemian Pilsener 1876 - 1893
Year	Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Lactic acid %
1888	Alt-Pilsener	Pilsen	Schenkbier	1039.7	1012.1	9.96	3.58	69.52%
1898	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Schankbier	1043.0	1011.5	10.76	4.09	73.26%	0.112
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1043.3	1014.5	10.83	3.73	66.51%
1886	Actien Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1043.7	1012.5	10.92	4.04	71.40%
1876	Actien Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1044.9	1011.1	11.21	4.39	75.28%	0.120
1878	unknown	Pilsen	Bömisches Bier	1045.0	1012.0	11.22	4.28	73.30%
1876	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1045.0	1013.0	11.23	4.15	71.11%	0.120
1876	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1046.5	1013.0	11.59	4.35	72.04%	0.160
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1047.3	1012.7	11.78	4.49	73.15%
1898	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1047.3	1012.6	11.78	4.50	73.36%	0.103
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1047.8	1015.4	11.89	4.19	67.75%
1890	unknown	Pilsen	Pilsener	1047.8	1013.0	11.91	4.34	72.83%
1897	Unknown	Pilsen	Original-Pilsener	1048.0	1014.3	11.95	4.36	70.21%	0.242
1890	Unknown	Pilsen	Pilsener	1048.1	1013.1	11.97	4.54	72.77%	0.186
1888	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1048.5	1015.0	12.07	4.34	69.07%
1898	Unknown	Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Berlin)	1048.5	1014.3	12.07	4.44	70.52%
1870	Actien-Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1048.6	1012.8	12.08	4.64	73.64%
1876	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1048.6	1012.8	12.09	4.65	73.66%	0.170
1891	Actien Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Zürich)	1048.9	1012.0	12.16	4.80	75.46%
1891	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Zürich)	1049.3	1014.6	12.26	4.50	70.39%
1876	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Schenkbier	1050.5	1013.8	12.54	4.76	72.67%
1892	Pilsener Export-Brauerei	Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Bern)	1052.2	1011.1	12.94	5.35	78.74%	0.120
1893	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1053.2	1013.2	13.18	5.20	75.19%	0.320
1890	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener Exportbier	1054.6	1014.5	13.51	5.22	73.53%	0.320
	Average			1047.5	1013.1	11.83	4.45	72.31%	0.179
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156
"Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" by Joseph König, 1889, pages 806 - 851
"Bericht über die Entwickelung der chemischen Industrie während des letzten Jahrzehends" by August Wilhelm von Hofmann, 1877, page 382
"Handbuch der chemischen technologie" by Otto Dammer, Rudolf Kaiser, 1896, pages 696-697

And now modern German Pilsners:

German Pils in 2014
Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	bitterness
Brauereigasthof Winkler	Berching	Premium Pils	1046.5	1011.2	11.6	4.60	76.04%
Brauerei Windsheimer	Gutenstetten	Pils	1047.8	1011.6	11.9	4.70	75.73%
Privatbrauerei Gessner	Sonneberg	Pilsner	1047.4	1010.5	11.8	4.80	77.83%
Holsten	Hamburg Altona	Pilsener	1044.9	1008	11.2	4.80	82.17%
Einbecker Brauhaus	Einbeck	Premium Pilsener	1044.9	1008	11.2	4.80	82.17%
Bürgerbräu Hersbruck	Hersbruck	Edel-Pils	1046.1	1009.2	11.5	4.80	80.05%
Zum Löwenbräu Flair Hotel	Adelsdorf	Edel-Pilsner	1049.1	1011.4	12.2	4.90	76.76%
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	Kulmbacher Edelherb	1045.3	1007.7	11.3	4.90	82.99%
Arnsteiner Brauerei	Seinsheim	Pils	1045.7	1008.1	11.4	4.90	82.27%
Brauhaus Leikeim	Altenkunstadt	Premium	1045.7	1008.1	11.4	4.90	82.27%
Einbecker Brauhaus	Einbeck	Brauherren Pils	1045.7	1008.1	11.4	4.90	82.27%
Privatbrauerei Gessner	Sonneberg	Premium Pils	1047.8	1010.2	11.9	4.90	78.76%
Braugasthof Grosch	Rödental	Grosch Prinz Albert Pils	1046.1	1008.5	11.5	4.90	81.57%
Paulaner	Munich	Premium Pils	1046.1	1008.5	11.5	4.90	81.57%
Brauerei Gasthof Wiethaler	Lauf an der Pegnitz	Neunhofer Pils				4.90
Brauerei Gasthof Wiethaler	Lauf an der Pegnitz	Neunhofer Edelpils				4.90
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	EKU Pils	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Brauerei Kanone Löhr	Schnaittach	Pils	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Brauerei Hermann Sigwart	Weißenburg	Premium Pils	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Braugold	Erfurt	Riebeck Premium Pilsener	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	Mönchshof Original Pils	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Schübel Bräu	Stadtsteinach	Pils	1047.0	1009.3	11.7	4.90	80.19%
Brauerei Hofmann	Pahres	Hopfengold-Pilsener	1047.4	1009.7	11.8	4.90	79.52%
Ammerndorfer Bier Dorn Bräu	Ammerndorf	Pils	1047.4	1009.7	11.8	4.90	79.52%
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer Premium	1050.3	1011.9	12.5	5.00	76.35%
Göller	Zeil am Main	Original	1047.4	1009	11.8	5.00	81.00%
Göller	Zeil am Main	Pilsner	1047.4	1009	11.8	5.00	81.00%
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer Krone Pils	1047.4	1009	11.8	5.00	81.00%
Gasthof Gundel	Kammerstein	Pils	1047.4	1009	11.8	5.00	81.00%
Brauerei Hofmann	Pahres	Pils 0.33	1047.8	1009.4	11.9	5.00	80.33%
Wolf	Zeil am Main	Land Pils	1046.1	1007.8	11.5	5.00	83.19%
Privatbrauerei Kesselring	Marktsteft	Premium Pils	1048.2	1009.8	12.0	5.00	79.67%
Kitzmann-Bräu	Erlangen	Edelpils	1048.2	1009.8	12.0	5.00	79.67%
Strauß Karl Brauerei	Treuchtlingen	Wettelsheimer Wet	1051.6	1013.1	12.8	5.00	74.61%
Strauß Karl Brauerei	Treuchtlingen	Wettelsheimer Pils	1051.6	1013.1	12.8	5.00	74.61%
Holsten	Hamburg Altona	Extra Herb	1044.9	1006.5	11.2	5.00	85.51%
Pyraser Landbrauerei	Thalmässing	Gutsherrn Pils	1047.4	1008.3	11.8	5.10	82.58%
Weihenstephan	Freising	Pilsner	1047.4	1008.3	11.8	5.10	82.58%
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	Pilsner	1047.4	1008.3	11.8	5.10	82.58%
Distelhäuser	Tauberbischofsheim	Pils	1050.3	1011.1	12.5	5.10	77.94%	22
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer HopfenGold	1047.8	1008.6	11.9	5.11	82.01%
Göller	Zeil am Main	Premium Pilsner	1049.9	1010	12.4	5.20	79.96%	33 - 34
Braugold	Erfurt	Erfurter Angerbräu Premium Pils	1050.3	1010.4	12.5	5.20	79.33%
Forschungsbrauerei	Munich	Pilsissimus Exportbier	1052.4	1009.5	13.0	5.60	81.88%
Average			1047.5	1009.4	11.8	5.0	80.31%	22.0
Sources:
Brewery websites.

What I find most remarkable is how similar all the sets are to one another. The average gravity of the 19th-century Czech and modern German examples is identical. Though the average gravity of the 19th-century German samples is half a degree Plato higher. Unsurprisingly, there's one big difference: the level of attenuation. It's 80% in the modern examples and below 75% in the older examples. For the 19h century, anything over 70% attenuation is quite high. Whereas in most modern German Lagers it's over 80%.

The modern Pilsners show less variation than the older ones. The gravity range is 9.96 to 13.51º Plato (3.55º difference) for 19th-century Czech Pilsners, 10.91 to 14.19º Plato (4.28º difference) in old German ones, 11.20 to 13.00º Plato (2.8º difference) in modern German ones. 23 of the 42 modern examples are 0.2º Plato either side of the average of 11.8º Plato (11.4º to 12º Plato) and 31 are 0.4º Plato either side of the average. That's 55% and 74%, respectively.

It's a shame that I've so few EBU bitterness values. They aren't enough to do anything sensible with.

Time for one final table. Of a modern phenomenon: Leicht Pils.

German Leicht Pils in 2014
Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	bitterness
Zum Löwenbräu Flair Hotel	Adelsdorf	Leichtes	1030.8	1009.2	7.8	2.80	70.15%
Distelhäuser	Tauberbischofsheim	Leichtes	1030.8	1008.4	7.8	2.90	72.75%	18
Ammerndorfer Bier Dorn Bräu	Ammerndorf	Leicht	1030.8	1008.4	7.8	2.90	72.75%
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer Feinherb	1031.2	1008.8	7.9	2.90	71.82%
Gasthof Gundel	Kammerstein	Nimm's leicht	1031.2	1008.8	7.9	2.90	71.82%
Pyraser Landbrauerei	Thalmässing	Das leichte Pyraser	1038.2	1009.7	9.6	3.70	74.61%
Average			1032.2	1008.9	8.1	3.0	72.32%	18.0
Sources:
Brewery websites.

They're all very similar to each other except the Pyraser, which looks like an Ordinary Bitter. The others all fall into the old Schankbier category, being under 8º Plato. While the Pyraser is slap in the middle of the old "forbidden zone" of 8º - 11º Plato. It's remarkable how few beers are brewed even now at the old forbidden gravities. I guess old habits die hard.

Hefeweizen next, I think.





* Brauwelt Brevier 2003 and Deutscher Brauer-Bund, Bonn.
** Deutscher Brauer-Bund, Bonn.