What is Berliner Weisse?

Yet another video. This time looking into the history of Berliner Weuisse. A style which, sadly, is close to extinction.

 

Brewing in East Germany just after WW II (part two)

I was having so much fun with post-WW II communist brewing fun, that I decided to do a second part. I can never get me enough DDR. Unlike most of those who lived there.

Beer production seems to have quickly got going, already in 1946.

After overcoming some initial difficulties, primarily due to transportation problems, continuous production in the brewing industry and a sufficient supply of beer for the population were secured in 1946. The 3º beer produced found good sales, especially during the summer months due to a lack of other beverages. However, with the onset of the colder months, signs of a downward trend became apparent. In 1947, eleven breweries were operating again in East Berlin, and ten in West Berlin. These breweries produced approximately 180,000 hectolitres in the first half of 1947 and 150,000 hectolitres in the third quarter of 1947.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.

I can see that a low-alcohol could replace pop in hot weather. Not quite so attractive when it's cold out.

This next bit really surprised me. Beer in the UK never returned to its pre-war strength.

On October 1, 1948, after many years, beer production with a 12º Plato original gravity was resumed. This sudden change in the original gravity initially caused significant internal difficulties and losses for most breweries, not to mention the worries and challenges regarding sales of the initially much too young, high-proof beer. Because the breweries, due to quarterly planning and the longer lead time required by the technology, were unable to immediately brew larger quantities of 12º Plato beer, it wasn't until around mid-March 1949 that the first mature beer with a 12º Plato original gravity and a maturation period of eight to twelve weeks could reach the market.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 104.

Already brewing Vollbier in 1948? I'm impressed. As I am by the fact that they ideally aged it 8 to 12 weeks. A very decent lagering time for a 12º beer.

Breweries also had to produce soft drinks.

In addition to beer production, the brewing industry also took over a considerable portion of the production of non-alcoholic beverages after the war. This was primarily done using sweetener, which was allocated to companies in the Soviet occupation zone according to quotas. A continuous supply of the other basic ingredients was not yet possible. Breweries and manufacturers were reliant on self-procurement. In this context, it must be emphasized that in the post-war years, Einfachbier Dunkel (Malzbier) played a significantly more important role in supplying the population with non-alcoholic beverages than it does today. The mash from higher-alcohol beers could easily be used for mashing.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 104.

What would the raw materials of soft drinks be? Sugar, CO2 and flavourings? Sweetener? Malzbier was still being used as a soft drink a few decades later. Dolores drank it as a child in the 1980s.

Oh, and CO2 was one of the things in short supply.

Securing a supply of carbon dioxide for the production of non-alcoholic soft drinks also proved difficult. The carbon dioxide shortage was most acutely felt in the hospitality industry, which frequently had to resort to using compressed air devices and other makeshift solutions for serving beer.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 104.

Resort to compressed air? It's a much better awy of serving than CO2 pressure. The method used in Czechoslovakia before 1990 that everyone seems to have forgotten about.
 

Brewing in East Germany just after WW II

I didn't say DDR, because this is before its foundation.

I find the period around the end of the war particularly fascinating. And particularly difficult to find much information about. This section from the VLB book on brewing in the DDR fills in some of the gaps.

In the Soviet zone, they were already brewing in 1945. In the British zone, the only brewing allowed was for the British army. It was a couple of years before the civilian population were allowed beer.

8.1.1 Development of Beverage Supply
Towards the end of 1945, the systematic management and supply of the brewing industry in the Soviet occupation zone began, based on the new harvest. This was based on an order issued by the Supreme Commander of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany on December 3, 1945. As already described elsewhere, this order uniformly set the original gravity of beers at 3º Plato for the civilian population and 6º Plato for the occupying forces. The production of 6º Plato beer took place in precisely defined quantities and in breweries selected by the military administration. Control over this production was very strict, beginning with the milling of the malt and ending with the bottling of the beer. The storage tanks were sealed. Nevertheless, the brewers repeatedly managed to find ways to fill their caps with the slightly stronger beer.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.

For those not acquainted with the Plato sytem. 3º Plato is about 1012º in SG. Beer brewed to this gravity would be, perhaps, 1.2% ABV. Piss weak, in other words. 6º Plato would be about double that. So, maybe, 2.4% ABV. Still not going to get you pissed. I'm glad the brewers managed to get their hands on a little.

The supply of ingredients was strictly controlled.

The regional administrations allocated the required quantities of barley and malt to the breweries in quarterly planned quantities. The necessary hops were initially taken from existing stocks of the joint-stock companies.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.

That all sounds nicely socialist. Central planning and all that. Though ther ewas something very similar in the UK. Where breweries were allocated a certain quantity of ingredients.

This also has echoes of the UK.

The population was initially supplied with beer primarily through the distribution of draft beer via restaurants and factory canteens, as well as through the distribution of bottled beer via retailers. However, due to a severe shortage of bottles, the bottled beer trade remained limited.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.

During, and immediately after, the war, beer bottles were in short supply. Also limiting the amount of botled beer produced.

 

Wandering back

No need to get up very early. Breakfast lasts until 10. And Peter is picking us up at 11.

We enter the breakfast room at 8:30. There aren’t many others there.

I give the spread a look over. Surprisingly, there is some warm food. Which is a plus. No bacon. There is scrambled egg. And baked beans. Not bad.

I get some cheese to go with my scrambled egg. Recreating a South American breakfast. I’m so imaginative.

Dolores gets herself a boiled egg and some beans. The egg is rock hard all the way through. And cold. And rather green. She doesn’t eat it. I don’t blame her.

“Are your scrambled eggs warm?” She asks.

“Not really.”

“My beans are cold, too.”

The tea and coffee are warm. Which is something.

We don’t rush. Hanging around until 10, drinking coffee and generally chilling.

Back in our room, we prepare for the train. I create one of my “special” drinks by decanting the remainder of my expensive whisky into a half-emptied cols bottle. 

“That should keep me warm inside.”

“Don’t go crazy, Ronald.”

“When do I ever go crazy?”

“Let’s not have this conversation again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just don’t go crazy with the whisky on the train.”

Peter van der Meer picks us up at 11 on the dot. And is soon setting us down at Essen Hauptbahnhof.

It’s surprisingly busy for a Sunday morning. I notice that the sandwiches are way cheaper than in Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof. I wonder why that is? I suppose they just charge what they can get away with.

I just hang around guarding our luggage and taking in the vibes, while Dolores does some shopping.

The train to Viersen is pretty full. We’re lucky to get seats. Where we’re jammed in with our luggage. This is fun. 

An awful lot of people get off at Viersen with us. That’s not a good sign. As they don’t leave the station. Looks like they’re all headed for Holland, too. Bum.

When the Venlo train pulls in, it looks full. Very full. Triple bum. We have trouble squeezing ourselves in. Looks like we’ll be standing all the way to Venlo. I think that serves a: fuck!

A bloke has his bag on one of the fold-down seats. He takes pity on me and shifts his bag so I can sit down. Brilliant!! I might make it back to Amsterdam alive.

Everyone is bound for Holland. For King’s Day, which is tomorrow. There’s another stampede at Venlo, as everyone rushes to the platform where the Amsterdam train is.

Fortunately, it’s a much larger train than the one from Viersen. We manage to find a coach that’s pretty empty. With no need to use Dolores’s train elbows. Honed on many a Deutsche Reichsbahn journey, when she was a student. 

Now there’s enough space for me to enjoy my “special drink”, which I haven’t touched so far.

“Don’t go crazy with the whisky, Ronald.”

“No need to worry. You know me.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m asking you to not go crazy.”

“You don’t have much faith in me.”

“I’m just realistic.”

“Cynical, more like.”

The train starts to fill up the further we get into Holland. All going to Amsterdam for King’s Day. The centre is going to be packed. As usual. Luckily, I don’t have to go there.

Fortunately, this train isn’t going to Amsterdam Centraal. Just Amsterdam Zuid and Schiphol. Loads of people get off in Utrecht to switch to a train headed for Centraal. Emptying our carriage out nicely.

“Why are you filming fields again?”

“It’s for a video.”

“One of those that forces people to listen to your horrible music?”

“It isn’t horrible music.”

“Then why will no-one listen to it voluntarily?”

Dolores can be very cruel.

The last part of the journey is nice and quiet. Which is how I like my journeys: quiet and uneventful.

We don’t have to wait long for a bus. Soon we’re trundling into our flat. With the children rushing up joyfully to greet us. I wish. Andrew is absorbed by his laptop. And Alexei is upstairs in his room.

“Is the tea ready, Andrew?” I ask.

“Very funny, Dad. Make it yourself if you want some.”

How charming.

“I suppose you don’t want a cup then?”

“I didn’t say that.”

It’s great to be home. 

 

 

A couple of videos about our trip to Essen.

 

 

 

Me talking about the history of IPA

Excerpts from my talk on the history of IPA at Fronhauser Sudwerkstatt. Fairly short excerpts, as the talk was 150 minutes. I hard to stop once I get started.

 

Away we go

“Do you fancy coming to Essen, Dolores?”

“Why are you going there?”

“I’m giving a talk.”

“Are you getting paid?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good. Maybe.”

Such enthusiasm.

Dolores had already agreed to come, when she discovered that the trains to Germany were buggered up on the relevant weekend. Some sort of works on the rails. Normally, we could get a train to Duisburg – under two hours – and then have a short hop on the S-Bahn to Essen.

Except the ICE service to Düsseldorf and Cologne is diverted via Venlo. Using that, getting to Essen would involve changing a couple of times. And take getting on for four hours, rather than two and a bit.

“How will we get there?” Dolores asked.

“Good question.”

“An answer would be nice.”

“I’ve no idea.”

“Business as usual, then.”

“Haha.”

“Just sort it out.”

“OK.”

Not wanting to invoke the wrath of Dolores, I did some poking around on the internet. And found an alternative route. Taking an NS train to Venlo and then changing to a couple of regional German trains. Not just quicker, but also more convenient. As the tickets would be valid for every train, not just specific ones.

Problem solved. Dolores happy. Me happy.

We leave home around 10:30 bound for Amsterdam Zuid. Now there’s another advantage of this route: we don’t have to go to Amsterdam Centraal. Through the tourist hell of the city centre.

Amsterdam Zuid is more of a commuter station. Currently undergoing a massive rebuilding programme. Sometime in the not-too-distant future the motorway will disappear underground. Currently, cars whizz past just a few metres away from the platforms. Lovely.

The service to Venlo is one of the longest train journeys you can take from Amsterdam, without running of the edge of the country. Lasting around two hours. We settle in for the ride.

I’m so used to stupidly long flights that a couple of hours seems like fuck all. Especially in the comfort of a train. Dolores is playing with her new MP3 player. While I read the latest Viz. I’m feeling quite relaxed. And A true intellectual.

I take some video of the fields.

“People like cows.” I say, defensively.

“You’re weird. No-ne wants to see boring fields.”

“With cows in them. “

“Right. A few cows suddenly make fields interesting.”

“More interesting.”

“Than what?”

“A field without cows.”

“You’re weird and stupid.”

There’s a bit of a stampede in Venlo as pretty well everyone on our train rushes to get onto the German one. We’re lucky enough to get seats. Rather crammed in mind, as the carriages weren’t built with luggage in mind.

Everything ran perfectly smoothly while we were in Holland. Virtually as soon as we cross the border, things start going wrong. With our train stopping to wait foe freight trains. We miss our planned connection in Viersen. The train service in Germany has turned to total shit. It makes the Dutch railways look like those of Japan.

It’s a rather desolate station. With half a dozen windswept platforms and not much else. 

“Would you fancy moving here, Dolores?”

“No. I’d rather move back to Eisenach?”

“You’d be up for that then?”

“No. There’s nothing to do there. I just wouldn’t want to move here. It looks shit.”

“Far enough. I wouldn’t want to move back to Newark, either.”

Not unless the only other option was Grantham. Newark’s evil twin. I’d rather move to hell. Or Newark. Not much difference, really.

Luckily, we don’t have to wait very long. Just 15 minutes for the next Essen-bound train. Which is also pretty crowded. We do find seats, though.

We’re being collected at Essen Hauptbahnhof by Peter van der Meer. Owner and brewer of Frohnhauser Sudwerkstatt. A tiny brewery in an inner-city suburb of Essen. I send him a message to let him know that we’re running a little late.

We don’t have to wait long for Peter to pick us up and whisk us off to our hotel. My talk not being scheduled to start for a few hours, we have a chance to relax in our room. Though there’s only space for one of us to stand at a time. And getting onto the toilet requires some contortion.

We drop by Lidl for supplies. 

All the essentials. Rolls, cheese and ham for the journey back to Amsterdam. And a bottle of the cheapest whisky. Under 7 euros on special offer. Fuck me, that’s cheap. It would be stupid not to buy a bottle. And I pride myself on not being an idiot. (Not that the kids would agree with me on that.)

“I hope you’re not going to drink all that whisky tonight.”

“No, that’s a sipping whisky.”

“At under 7 euros a bottle?”

“Yes, I’ll last all of today and tomorrow.”

“That’s “sipping”? Drinking a bottle of whisky in two days?”

“Sounds like a challenge to me.”

“Fuck off, Ronald. Just drink yourself to death.”

“Sounds like a . . .”

“Fuck off.”

We marvel at bottles of organic wine for under two euros a pop. Almost as good value as the whisky. Wondering why Dutch cheese is cheaper here than at home. And why eggs increase 50% in price when they cross the border into Holland.

A tear comes to my eye when I get to the checkout and see 100 ml bottles of Chantré next to the sweets. It’s the classic impulse Schnapps. Heartwarming to see the tradition alive and well.

We wander down to the brewery around 17:30. And get stuck into some beer. Just to get my throat lubricated for all the talking I’ll be doing. Which is quite a lot.

My talk is on the history of IPA. And Peter has brewed five historic beers to go along with it. 1838 Combe IPA, 1877 Truman P1, 1911 Whitbread IPA, 1939 Barclay Perkins IPA and 1991 West Coast IPA.

The beers are served at appropriate points in the talk. And I actually get to properly drink them this time. Very nice they are, too.

It’s a pretty relaxed talk. With me digressing on wild tangents a few times. With a short break in the middle, I talk for 2.5 hours. Plenty of laughs. And interesting questions. When it goes well, I really love talking. 

Though, let’s be honest, I love talking even when it isn’t going great. Like with my audience of one in Brazil a couple of years back. I just like talking when no-one is allowed to interrupt me. Unlike in most of my life.

I feel pretty knackered when I’m done. But happy. Time for more beer.

A bottle of 1980s DDR Berliner Weisse appears. Such wonderful stuff, even after all these years.

I don’t stay up too late. I’m too old for that nonsense. And I want to be human for the train back to Amsterdam. With Deutsche Bahn, you never know what might happen.



Frohnhauser Sudwerkstatt 
Pollerbergstrasse 3
45145 Essen
https://www.frohnhauser-sudwerkstatt.de/

 

A couple of videos about the trip.

 

 

 

I travel to Essen

My trip to Essen to speak at Frohnhauser Sudwerkstatt to talk about the history of IPA.

 

Beer production in East and West

Yes, more DDR stuff. At least I've thrown in some stuff about West Germany, too.

The DDR was behind the West in terms of consumption per capita for most of its existence. Just about catching up towards the end. What does that tell us? Well, just that the East recovered more slowly from WW II. And beer output took a while to catch up with unfulfilled demand.

Would people have drunk more in the DDR in the 1950s and 1960s if it had been available? Probably. Assuming they had the money to pay for it. But the production capacity and raw materials simply weren't there to brew more beer.

Getting on for three litres a week is quite a lot of beer. That's probably about as much as I drink nowadays. Along with a couple of litres of whisky.

I've not much more to say. Just lean back and admire the numbers. They deserve that.

Beer production and consumption in the 2 bits of Germany 1950 - 2000
	DDR			BRD
Year	Production Soft Drinks	Production Beer	Per capita consumption Beer in liters	Beer consumption	Per capita consumption in liters
1950	923	3,820	22	18,176	35.6
1955	1,416	11,772	52		67
1960	3,546	13,424	68.5	52,633	94.7
1965	4,765	13,633	79.5	72,063	122.1
1970	6,470	16,642	95.7	85,603	141.1
1975	11,443	20,380	119.2	91,408	147.8
1980	13,094	23,633	139.7	89,820	145.9
1985	14,409	24,288	140	88,977	145.8
1989	17,661	24,843	141	88,586	142.7
1990				98,283	142.7
1991				113,871	141.9
1992				114,424	142
2000				103,309	125.6
Source:
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 301.

 

The Berlin brewing industry in 1944

Getting numbers for brewing in Germany in WW II isn't an easy task. I only have very incomplete information. Mostly, for the  early war years.

It may well be that there is no accurate information for the final chaotic months of the war. When people had lots of other things to worry about. And brewing statistics weren't much of a priority. If brewing was taking place at all.

That's why I was so happy to find these numbers for brewing in Berlin in 1944.

I'm fairly gobsmacked at the total quantity produced: almost 4 million hl. Though that does include drinks other than beer. And I imagine that most of the beer was so weak as to be barely recognisable as beer.

There are 21 breweries in total. Of which, 11 were in East Berlin. Interesting, that. As West Berlin was double the size of East Berlin. However, the two largest breweries, Kindl Neuköln and Schulthess Kreuzberg, were both in the West.

Several companies operated multiple breweries: Schulthess 6, Engelhardt 3, Kindl 2 and Löwenbrauerei 2. With these spread across the East and West sections of the city. Which made things complicated. In the 1980s, there were beers branded Schultheiss and Kindl in both the East and West. Using exactly the same logos, even though they were completely separate enterprises. 

Key operational data of Berlin breweries 1944
Brewery	Production of beer and beverages in hl	Total employees	Special production/headcount in hl/a	Special production/Total workforce in hl/a	Energy consumption in kg/hl 2)
Berliner Bürgerbräu	201,915	211	1309	914	13.62
Böhmisches Brauhaus-Löwenbrauerei	268,628	354	1226	783	16.25
Bergschloß-Brauerei	104,821	107	1442	957	22.7
Bötzow-Brauerei	113,311	218	776	513	18.15
Engelhardt-Brauerei, Abt. Stralau	161,607	203	1468	817	17.44
Engelhardt-Brauerei, Abt. Pankow	155,730	183	1426	874	20.07
Engelhardt-Brauerei, Abt. Charlottenb.	55,215	78	1222	689	13.25
Groterjan-Brauerei	276,270	420	1083	622	7.45
Hochschul-Brauerei 1)	30,503	57	824	535	21.98
Monopol-Brauerei	97,724	99	1396	1303	18.28
Kindl-Brauerei. Abt, Neukölln	392,522	508	1570	837	20.76
Kindl-Brauerei. Abt, Weißensee	272,657	321	1855	931	22.17
Schloß-Brauerei 2)	150,972	185	1399	851	17.58
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Kreuzberg	421,659	511	1310	872	14.42
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. NO	304,497	524	675	563	18.25
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Schönh. Al.	245,648	326	1150	802	11.46
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Spandau	233,024	351	938	693	16.88
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Nd.-Schw.	220,137	254	1121	899	16.15
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Stromstr.	193,899	335	830	604	14.08
Willner Brauerei	14,167	41	616	383	26.44
Total	3,914,906	5,286
1) Already bomb damaged
2) In kilograms of hard coal at 6600 heat units/kg
Source:
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 111.

 

Starting from zero

After the war, in what would become the DDR, the brewing industry faced some serious problems. Ones which the western part of Germany didn't have. These were caused by a combination of the division of Germany and the loss of territories to the East. 

The biggest of these problems were:

• no hop growing
• limited malting barley cultivation
• uneven distribution of breweries
• no brewing equipment manufacturers

The first two were agricultural problems, which needed to be addressed by encouraging the cultivation of hops and malting barley. The former had been exclusively grown in western parts of Germany. While much malt had been sourced either from the northern parts of West Germany or territory which now belonged to Poland.

Before the war, breweries in West Berlin had supplied much of the area around Berlin. With the country divided, new sources of beer needed to be found. Especially as the breweries in East Berlin didn't have the capacity to pick up the slack. One of the long-term solutions was to construct a large brewery in Potsdam, just outside Berlin.

It wasn't until the 1960s that the manufacture of brewing equipment really got underway. Even then, it could never produce enough to meet demand. I can understand now why many breweries were still using outdated equipment. It wasn't through laziness or a reluctance to invest. There just wasn't enough equipment available for everyone. And certain breweries - notably exporters like Radeberger and Wernesgrüner - got first dibs on the goodies.

People often bang on about the economic miracle of post-war West Germany. What the DDR achieved is far more impressive. It started from a much worse position. And, unlike West Germany, didn't have Marshall Plan money poured into it. Quite the opposite, with the Soviets actively removing industry and raw materials from the East.

This information is taken from Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.
 

Beer in the DDR (part 5)

Not finished yet with my DDR talk. Clearly, it's better when I'm giving it in person. As then you get all my bad jokes.

You do, at least, get to admire some of my DDR label collection. I have, literally, hundreds of the things. I just really love the aesthetic. And they bring back back happy memories of the socialist days.

These slides are where I start running through the styles individually. Starting with the most popular type, Helles. 

Various types of Pilsner were brewed. With Pilsner Spezial and Pilsator being more heavily hopped an containing better quality ingredients. Some of the Pilsators were cracking beers. For example, the one from Sternquell in Plauen whose label decorates the appropriate slide.

Dunkles is a type that I never came across in the wild. There can't have been much of it brewed. I only have a few labels for it. 

 

  

Beer in the DDR (part 4)

Still more of my DDR beer talk slides.

Kicking off with a nice drawing of a Steinecker brew house. Though I'm not sure if any brewery had enough hard currency to buy such a system. Most brewing equipment was manufactured in the DDR. There were some occasions, though, when some was imported from West Germany. Usually, because there wasn't the capacity to produce it in the DDR.

We then continue with boiling and hopping rates. Not much to say about that. Obviously, beers like Pilsner were amongst the most heavily hopped.  Porter was the beer which received the most hops. Which made sense, as it was both very strong and  a beer.

Fermentation follows. As most beers were bottom-fermented, the temperature was pretty low.

Lagering was mostly in horizontal tanks. Though from the 1980s some of the larger breweries started to install conical fermenters where beer was both fermented and lagered. Full-strength beers were lagered for three to six 

The shelf-life of bottled beers was mostly shorter than the lagering time. Just 8 days for Helles.I remember Eisenach Helles not being particularly stable. You wouldn't want top walk back from the shops too slowly in case it had gone off before you got hoe,.

We finish by starting to look at DDR beer styles. 

 

Beer in the DDR (part 3)

Yes, more slides from my DDR talk.

There's more stuff about the DDR hop industry. Including information about how hops were used. Showing how much hop extract could be used. And the small quantity of aroma hops used. Mostly in the posher types of beer.

Then there's some stuff about mashing. Fun fact: the DDR Helles mashing scheme is very similar to how Budweiser was brewed in the 1990s. Both have a rice cereal mash that is used as a decoction. How odd is that?

  

Beer in the DDR (part 2)

 Time for the second lot of DDR slides. Lots of tables. I love tables. Especially ones stuffed full of lovely, plump numbers.

 

A note about the hop growing. The first hops were planted in 1950 by Sudeten Germans expelled from Bohemia. Initially the hops were all Saaz. In the 1960s, Northern Brewer was introduced and eventally accounted for around 90% of the cultivated area.