Here's the start of the Berliner Weisse text.
"Berliner Weissbier is brewed from soft Spree [the river that runs through the centre of Berlin] water and mostly wheat, in contrast to Berlin Braunbier , which is brewed from spring water and barley. When using fresh wheat malt, the Weissbier brewer normally mixes in some oat malt. As fresh wheat malt sticks together, oat malt is added to loosen it up. But, when the Weissbier brewer uses old malt, he uses pure wheat with just a little barley malt."
That's where I hit the first word I can't easily translate: "Begiesbottich". Something to do with malting. Anyone know the right English word? Laulichtes. That's another. word I don't know. And Gestelkübel. Though that's from a different text.
Any help gratefully received. Dolores is surprisingly crap at German brewing vocabulary.
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The wife speaks good German so I tried to get her to help out. She said its really hard not in context but she'll give it a shot:
Gestelkübel - Some sort of tun frame. Meaning the framework around a mash tun maybe? Gestel(l) - framework and kübel (tonne) - bucket or tub of some sort. So the framework of a vat or the like.
Laulichtes - lau as an adj means something like mild/tepid and licht is light. Mild light? How's it used?
Begiesbottich - Begies = nothing to us. However begießen means to water. Bottich is another work for vat or tun. Begießbottich would be watering vat. eg hot liquor tank.
How'd we do?
As fresh wheat malt sticks together, oat malt is added to loosen it up
I would have though that adding oats would have quite the opposite effect, ie, make it more porridgy, but I'm no practical brewer ...
Kristen, you've blown my excuse for not posting properly yesterday. I was desperate for a reason to stop.
The Begiesbottich is something where the wheat was put and sprinkled with water during malting. There may well be a precise word of phrase for it in English.
Words like these - ones referring to specific pieces of equipment, are the biggest problem when translating old texts. I have a German - English dictionary of brewing terms. But it only lists words which are in current usage.
The text wasn't even that difficult to understand, considering it was written in the 18th century. I've been trying to translate something about Breihan (or Broyhan or about another 20 different spellings) that makes no sense whatsoever.
Zythophile, I think it was a referring to the malt while it was still dry. Because it wouldn't make much sense after water had been added.
Im trying to understand what they mean by wheat malt sticking together. Malted wheat berries are huskless so that wouldnt be it. If its dry as you say Ron Im wondering wth they could mean. As for Zythophiles comments, absolutely oats make things MUCH stickier and wouldnt help the process when wet.
I got it all wrong. The oats were added to lighten it and stop it collapsing. That's how Dolores translated it. She's German, so she should know. I'll try to get a better translation together soon. MAybe even a complete translation.
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