Let's Brew - 1939 Heineken Beiersch

One of Heineken’s first Lagers, Beiersch simply means “Bavarian” in Dutch. It was presumably intended to be a Much type of Dark Lager. Although it was called Beiersch in the brewhouse by 1939 it was being marketed as Münchener.

With a slightly higher OG than Pils, it was their strongest year-round beer. Not that they brewed it that often – only 15 times in the whole of 1939. A volume of just 4435 hl out of a total of 299,053 hl brewed (in the Rotterdam brewery).

The grist is surprisingly complicated with no fewer than four malts. In addition to the base pilsner malt there’s caramel malt, broeimout (“heating malt”) which is a type of amber malt, and kleurmout (“coloured malt”) which is a type of black malt. There’s also some caramel.

There was a single type of Hallertau hops from the 1938 harvest. Not a huge amount of them, though. Which is pretty typical of Heineken’s beers of this period. If I’ve interpreted the brewing record correctly, most were added fairly late in the boil. 

1939 Heineken Beiersch
pilsner malt	10.25 lb	87.83%
caramel malt 60 L	0.50 lb	4.28%
amber malt	0.67 lb	5.74%
carafa III	0.125 lb	1.07%
caramel 1000 SRM	0.125 lb	1.07%
Hallertau 90 mins	0.25 oz
Hallertau 60 mins	0.25 oz
Hallertau 30 mins	0.50 oz
OG	1051
FG	1013
ABV	5.03
Apparent attenuation	74.51%
IBU	12
SRM	18
Mash double decoction
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	48º F
Yeast	WLP830 German Lager

Mash in at 35º C (95º F)	5 minutes
Warm whole mash to 52º C (126º F)	20 minutes
Rest whole mash at 52º C (126º F) (protein rest)	15 minutes
Draw off first mash and without a rest bring to the boil	30 minutes
Boil first mash	10 minutes
The rest of the mash remains at 52º C (126º F)	40 minutes
Mash at 70º C (158º F)	25 minutes
Rest whole mash at 70º C (158º F) (saccharification rest)	30 minutes
Draw off second mash and without a rest bring to the boil	15 minutes
Boil second mash	10 minutes
Mash at 76º C (169º F) and mash out	20 minutes