Bohemian Lagers of the 1880's and 1890's (part one)

I can't express my love for "Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" in words. Perhaps I should write a song.

I've caught 350 new analyses in the last week or so. There are hundreds more. I've really improved my data set on Czech Lagers, much to my delight. I never dreamed that I'd be able to find so many details. I suppose I should really do something constructive with them. Which I guess this sort of is.

The 58 beers in this set I've somewhat arbitrarily lumped together in 5 groups: Schenkbier, Helles Lagerbier, Dunkles, Pilsener and stronger Lagers. It's arbitrary because the Pilseners are also Pale Lagerbiers and some of the Schenkbiers are Pilseners. But I had to draw the lines somewhere. Feel free to rearrange everything in your head if you disagree with my categorisations.

All the place names were given in German and, where I've been able to work out the Czech name, I've put that in brackets

I'll begin with Schenkbier, because I've the most of them. Which is another confirmation that this was the most common type of beer in Bohemia. As it still is today. I suppose I could have used the modern Czech name of Výčepní Pivo, which is what these beers really are.

Bohemian Pale Schenkbiers 1888 - 1894
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lactic acid %
1895	Aktien-Brauerei Eger (Cheb)	Abzugsbier	Schenkbier	draught	1031.2	1003.0	7.89	3.68	90.38%	0.089
1890	Petromitzer	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1037.7	1012.4	9.48	3.28	67.11%	0.270
1890	Nusler	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1037.9	1015.6	9.53	2.88	58.84%	0.170
1890	Popowitzer (Popovice)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1038.4	1010.9	9.65	3.56	71.61%	0.170
1890	Wisotschauer	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1039.0	1013.0	9.79	3.36	66.67%	0.150
1890	Raudnitz (Roudnice nad Labem)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1039.2	1010.6	9.84	3.71	72.96%	0.150
1890	Miliner(Milín)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1039.4	1010.5	9.89	3.75	73.35%	0.230
1890	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1039.6	1007.0	9.94	4.24	82.32%	0.170
1888	Alt-Pilsener	Schenkbier?	Schenkbier	draught	1039.7	1012.1	9.96	3.58	69.52%
1890	Konopischter (Konopiště)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1040.0	1017.8	10.03	2.86	55.50%	0.140
1890	Jinonitzer	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1040.3	1014.7	10.11	3.31	63.52%	0.120
1894	Unknown	Abzugsbier	Schenkbier	draught	1040.9	1012.0	10.25	3.75	70.66%	0.115
1890	Wrschowitzer (Vršovice)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1042.0	1018.2	10.51	3.06	56.67%	0.180
1895	Bürgerliches Brauhaus in den Kgl. Weinbergen, Prague	Helles gewönhl. Bier	Schenkbier	draught	1042.3	1011.6	10.59	3.98	72.58%	0.098
1890	Actien Brauhaus, Smichov	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1042.4	1016.4	10.61	3.35	61.32%	0.170
1891	Unknown, Pilsen	Pilsener Schenkbier	Schenkbier	bottled	1042.6	1014.8	10.66	3.59	65.26%	0.092
1891	Pracer	Schenkbier	Schenkbier	bottled	1042.9	1012.4	10.73	3.95	71.10%	0.131
1898	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Schankbier	Schenkbier	draught	1043.0	1011.5	10.76	4.09	73.26%	0.112
1890	Pracer	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1043.0	1012.7	10.76	3.93	70.47%	0.170
1894	Unknown	Abzugsbier	Schenkbier	draught	1043.2	1014.5	10.80	3.71	66.44%	0.108
1894	Unknown	Abzugsbier	Schenkbier	draught	1044.7	1016.6	11.16	3.63	62.86%	0.092
1890	Kreuzherrn (Krizovnicka)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1045.5	1020.3	11.35	3.25	55.38%	0.150
1892	Gödinger (Hodonín)	Schenkbier	Schenkbier	draught	1047.6	1018.0	11.85	3.83	62.18%	0.218
1892	Budweiser	Schenkbier	Schenkbier	draught	1047.7	1010.8	11.88	4.80	77.36%	0.258
	Average				1041.3	1013.2	10.33	3.63	68.22%	0.154
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

I was surprised by how low the gravities were for some of this class. Quite a few are below 1040º and one barely over 1030º. On the other hand, a couple at the top end have gravities more in line with a Lagerbier. Thought the majority are between 10º and 11º Plato. The average gravity is just a touch over 10º Plato, which is about what I'd expect.

You'll note that a lot of the weaker examples are bottled beers. I find it a little that the weakest beers should be bottled.

In common with most 19th-century Lagers, the average rate of attenuation isn't great at 68%. In some examples it's a good bit worse than that, leaving the odd beer under 3% ABV. This really isn't how you usually imagine Lager of the 1800's.

Once again, the average acidity looks high. I'd expect a maximum of 0.1%. Compare this values with these ones from the 20th century:

20th-century Czech Lagers
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Attenuation	Acidity	colour
1935	Pilsner Urquell	Pilsner Urquell	Pils	bottled	1049.4	1013.8	12.28	4.62	72.06%	0.05
1961	Pilsner Urquell	Pilsner Urquell	Pils	bottled	1032.5	1010.9	8.21	2.70	66.46%	0.02	10
1950	Pilsner Urquell	Lager	Pils	bottled	1049	1013.5	12.19	4.61	72.45%	0.08	10.5 B
1950	Pilsner Urquell	Lager	Pils	bottled	1038.9	1010.3	9.77	3.71	73.52%	0.05	11 B
1957	Pilsner Urquell	Pilsner Urquell	Pils	bottled	1036.4	1010.1	9.16	3.41	72.25%	0.04	12
1957	Pilsner Urquell	Pilsener	Pils	bottled	1036.3	1010	9.14	3.41	72.45%	0.04	9
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

What next? How about Pilseners? Using modern Czech terminology, these would be called Světlý Ležák. Or Pale Lagerbier in German. I know. It's very inconsistent as I've also got a group Pale Lagerbiers.

Bohemian Pilseners 1888 - 1894
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lactic acid %
1894	Mährisch-Neustädter (Uničov)	Lagerbier a la Pilsen	Pilsener	draught	1047.1	1011.1	11.74	4.68	76.43%	0.194
1890	Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Pilsener	bottled	1047.2	1015.8	11.76	4.06	66.53%	0.210
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1047.8	1015.4	11.89	4.19	67.75%
1897	Unknown Pilsen	Original-Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1048.0	1014.3	11.95	4.36	70.21%	0.242
1890	Unknown Pilsen	Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1048.1	1013.1	11.97	4.54	72.77%	0.186
1888	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1048.5	1015.0	12.07	4.34	69.07%
1898	Unknown Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Berlin)	Pilsener	draught	1048.5	1014.3	12.07	4.44	70.52%
1891	Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Zürich)	Pilsener	draught	1048.9	1012.0	12.16	4.80	75.46%
1891	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Zürich)	Pilsener	draught	1049.3	1014.6	12.26	4.50	70.39%
1892	Pilsener Export-Brauerei	Pilsener (sold in Bern)	Pilsener	draught	1052.2	1011.1	12.94	5.35	78.74%	0.120
1893	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1053.2	1013.2	13.18	5.20	75.19%	0.320
	Average				1049.0	1013.6	12.18	4.59	72.09%	0.212
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

You'll see I've got a few from Pilsen itself. Bürgerliches Brauhaus, I'm sure you realise, is Pilsner Urquell. In terms of gravity and ABV the average is scarily close to modern Pilsner Urquell. Interestingly, four of the 5 strongest examples had been exported abroad.

Attenuation is better than for the Schenkbiers, but still well below the level of modern Lagers. Once again the level of acidity is high, even higher than in Schenkbier.

There are going to be just too many tables if I do all of this in one go. You'll have to wait until next time for the Dark Lagers, strong Lagers and, er, Pale Lagers,