German month

The trees are starting to bud, the ground painted with the vibrant colours of spring bulbs, birds twitter in the trees. It must be spring. And what's the first country that spring brings to mind? That's right, San Marino. Just kidding. You know damn well it's Germany.

Yes, April is officially German Month here at Barclay Perkins. It was either that or shameless self-promotion month. I thought you'd prefer the former. (Not that I'll be holding back on the self-promotion. The kids need shoes and I'm certainly not breaking into my beer budget to pay for them.)

To give you a taste of the fun in store, here's a table of numbers.

German Top-fermenting beers
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	Acidity	FG	OG	ABV	attenuation
1850	Unknown	Brandenburgisch Bier	Brandenburgisch Bier	0.34	1022.62	1036.47	1.77	37.15%
1850	Freundes	Braunbier	Braunbier	0.43	1036.56	1056.94	2.60	34.57%
1890	Löwenbrauerei	Doppelbraunbier	Braunbier	0.279	1015.45	1029.85	1.85	48.24%
1890	Löwenbrauerei Aktiengesellschaft, Hamburg	Braunbier	Braunbier	0.297	1015.45	1029.85	1.85	48.24%
1879	Remmer	Einfach Braunbier	Braunbier		1016.4	1038.5	2.85	57.40%
1850	Unknown, Berlin	Werder'sches Braunbier	Braunbier		1012.02	1030.42	2.37	59.74%
1850	Unknown, Berlin	Berliner Braunbier	Braunbier	0.51	1041.40	1058.10	2.12	27.63%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier		1010	1059.1	6.42	83.08%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier		1014	1057.3	5.63	75.57%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier		1022	1049.9	3.59	55.91%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier		1012	1049.5	4.87	75.76%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier		1012.5	1044.5	4.15	71.91%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier		1012	1061.1	6.41	80.36%
1850	Unknown, Halberstadt	Halberstädter Breyhan	Breyhan	1.29	1012.69	1034.67	2.84	62.59%
1884	Hannover, Städtisch	Einfacher Broyhan	Broyhan	0.158	1022.54	1031.43	1.03	27.67%
1884	Hannover, Städtisch	Doppelter Broyhan	Broyhan	0.06	1043.60	1053.37	1.20	17.55%
1850	Unknown	Carthäuser Bier	Carthäuser Bier	1.07	1010.57	1029.85	2.49	63.89%
1850	Unknown	Cöpenicker Moll	Cöpenicker Moll	1.19	1022.54	1033.68	1.43	32.35%
1850	Unknown, Cottbus	Cottbuser Bier	Cottbuser Bier	1.11	1009.20	1025.63	2.12	63.50%
1850	Unknown	Crossener Bier	Crossener Bier	0.85	1015.01	1037.05	2.84	58.58%
Sources: “Archive der Pharmacie”, 1855, pages 216-217 "Handbuch der chemischen technologie" by Otto Dammer, Rudolf Kaiser, 1896, pages 696-697 "Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" by Joseph König, 1889, pages 806 - 851 Handwörterbuch der reinen und angewandten Chemie by Justus Liebig, Johann Christian Poggendorff, Friedrich Wöhler, 1858, page 1038 Wahl & Henius, pages 823-830

It's a fairly random selection of top-fermenting styles. You'll notice quite a few - Einfacher Broyhan is a good example - are barely fermented, let alone alcoholic. Of the beers listed, only the Braunbier from Bremen had any real sort of kick .

Much more random German fun will follow. Unless my theme slips my mind again. That's what happenned last month. I failed to remember it was Mild Month for more than 5 seconds. Remind me if I forget this month's theme. Please.