Where has all the dextrine gone?

In his introduction to the second edition of "The Theory and Practice of Modern Brewing" notes some of the reasons he has had to update his book. It's fascinating stuff. Especially when he talks about the change in wort composition.

It seems that this change was at least partly due to the switch in taxation from malt to the OG of the wort before fermentation. A change which had only taken place a few years earlier, in 1880. 

"For instance, since the abandonment of the malt duty, types of grain have come into use and methods of malting have been carried out that have led insensibly to the production of infusion worts almost entirely destitute of dextrine, or, at any rate, of dextrine in sufficient quantity to determine that persistent palate of beer that is thought so necessary, while as public taste has been drifting in the direction of a decided preference for low gravity beers in place of those of extreme body and strength, that were indeed so diligently sought after a few years ago, this question of infusion extract and its general composition has of necessity become more and more important."
"The Theory and Practice of Modern Brewing" by Frank Faulkner, 1888, page vi.

By "types of grain" I think he's talking about unmalted grains, such as flaked maize and flaked rice. Which I doubt produced much dextrine.

It's funny when he talks about the low-gravity that drinkers now prefer. These wouldn't be what we would consider low-gravity nowadays. The would have been at least 1050º.

The typical dextrine content of wort had about halved, from 20-22% to 10-12%. Quite a big change.

"It is well known, I think, that the theoretical transformation products of malt starch (or rather of malt extract) contain, as a rule, about 60 or 62 per cent, of maltose and 20 or 22 per cent, of dextrine, while for reasons in connection with altered character of material, the adoption of low infusion heats, subdivision of mash wort, and stewing during collection process, this theoretically normal composition of wort extract is no longer very common, the ordinary dextrine constituent in the case of infusion worts having diminished to a proportion not exceeding, as a rule, some 10 or 12 per cent, upon total solids.

I am not saying or wishing my readers to infer for a moment that the dextrinous bodies are the sole constituents of wort capable of communicating body, viscidity, or foaming capacity to resulting beer; but they are, at any rate, of very great importance, the exact percentage in which they exist having much to do not only with the condition of beer, but the way in which it matures during lengthy storage."
"The Theory and Practice of Modern Brewing" by Frank Faulkner, 1888, page vi.

The decline in the public's enthusiasm for aged beer would also have had an effect. Beers served no more than a couple of weeks after racking didn't need a high dextrine content to provide fuel for the secondary fermentation.

The difference between Lager and British beer in 1882

What a snappy title. But descriptive, you have to admit that. It's sort of a continuation of yesterday's post, if you can remember back that far.

You've already seen that Lagers contained loads more dextrine than English Bitters and Milds. Well there was something else they had more of. CO2.

"The Bavarian beer, if of the same original gravity as the English, has greater fulness on the palate, because with less attenuation, and, therefore, less alcohol, and also more albuminoids.

These various differences show why a beer of 1040 original gravity, if brewed on the German method, tastes very different from English harvest ale of the same gravity. There remains, however, a still more important factor in giving fulness to beers of medium original gravity, and that is the carbonic acid. Beer cooled to a few degrees above the melting point of ice must necessarily contain more carbonic acid than at 60° F., which may be taken as the average temperature of English beer as consumed. We all know that draught or bottled ales, if allowed to stand some hours, become insipid and flat, and taste as if several pounds per barrel less in the original gravity. The important influence of carbonic acid in making beers taste fuller and rounder has long been carefully attended to by the German brewer, whose great aim has been to secure as large an amount as possible. Hence an important part of the duty of a German brewer is to have his beers in perfect condition in the cellar, so that with a fortnight's closing of the bunghole, a sufficient amount of carbonic acid shall be formed and retained. For the same object one often finds in restaurants and beer kellers, air or carbonic acid forcing pumps to increase the amount of gas when the beer becomes too flat. The greater amount of carbonic acid in German beer is partly due to the greater amount of saccharine and albuminoid matters, but chiefly to the low temperature. The influence of temperature in the lager cellar upon the amount of carbonic acid has been the subject of some experiments by Professor Langer and Dr. Schultze. The beer they experimented on was made from a wort showing 10 degrees Balling, and had been attenuated 60 per cent. The carbonic acid found in 100 volumes of beer was at—

0.4° C. . .. 0.332 by weight 100 volumes by volume
1.6° C. . .. 0.320 by weight 96.4 volumes by volume
2.8° C. . .. 0.311 by weight 93.7 volumes by volume
4.0° C. . .. 0.297 by weight 89.5 volumes by volume
4.7° C. . .. 0.285 by weight 85.8 volumes by volume"

"Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, Volume 1, 1882" page 23.

Did you see the temperature British beer was usually consumed at? 60° F, according to this article.Seems a little on the warm side, even for cask beer.