Talking of weird wheat beers, here's some more about Grätzer. It's taken from "Die Herstellung Obergähriger Biere" by Franz Schönfeld, published in 1902, pages 61 and 62. A great book. I'm so pleased I found a copy.
I'll give you a full translation later. (Really. I promise.) This is a summary of the most interesting bits:
- 100% wheat malt
- the malt was exposed to smoke throughout the whole malting process -
pretty smoky then, I guess - the malt was highly dried, so I suppose reasonably dark
- 3 pounds of hops per 100 kg malt
- infusion mash
- yeast pitched at 15 - 18º C
- OG 7º Plato, FG 3º Plato
- bottle conditioned
- high CO2 content
- intense hop and smoked flavour
The flavour is described as both smoky and bitter. No mention of sourness. It specifically says that it keeps well and can still be bacteria free after a couple of years in the bottle.
A smoky and intensely hoppy wheat beer that's nearly alcohol-free? That sounds just great! This is a beer I'd really love to have available locally.
ReplyDeleteYou say nothing about what kinds of hops were used, and I assume Schönfeld doesn't either. Do you have any idea what it might have been?
Sounds incredible. But I assume none is being brewed today?
ReplyDeleteThe last Grodziskie (the Polish word for the style) was brewed in the early 1990's. Someone is supposedly currently planning to brew it again in Grodzisk.
ReplyDelete