Watering beer again

We're back with the Dutch brewers' association discussing gravity reductions during WW II.

The committee member from Grolsch suggested doing away with the class of intermediate beer altogether.

"Mr. de Groen points out that the gravity of the intermediate beer is very close to heavy, which may make it difficult to maintain the price difference. The speaker asks whether the intermediate beer cannot be dropped.

Mr Stikker points out that the C.B.K. such a measure would affect the livelihoods of some breweries which only produce intermediate beer. The C.B.K. should not interfere further than is necessary in the commercial relations of individual breweries. 

Heer van Wijk believes that the objection of Heer de Groen is met by setting the gravity of the intermediate beer at 8.8 to 9.1%, so that, according to the present situation, it is somewhere in the middle between the gravity of Pilsener and lager.

The breweries that sell only intermediate beer are mentioned:

Huyben in Horn
Smeysters in Echt
Geenen in Neer
Maes in Stamproy

while the Drie Hoefijzers produces intermediate beer and presumably also the Phoenix and other breweries."
Minutes of the management of the CBK on 14th November 1940, held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document number 31121-1, pages 305 - 306.

Interesting that Mr. Stikker stuck up for the intermediate brewers, as his company, Heineken, didn't produce this type of beer. I can't say I've come across it at all. I'm surprised that it was all some breweries produced. As I've not heard of any of the four, they must have been pretty small.

There would need to be enforcement of the new rules and the CBK wanted to be in control of it.

"The speaker pointed out that sanctions against violations will of course be necessary under the aforementioned regulation. These can come from the N.A.C. and consist of a brewing ban or exclusion from distribution. The C.B.K. will insist that such sanctions are only applied on the recommendation of the C.B.K., so that difficulties can first be viewed within one's own circle. Therefore checks by the C.B.K. will also be necessary, for which purpose statements will have to be made to the C.B.K., which can be verified if necessary by accountants or laboratory research, while moreover the cooperation of the tax authorities is in sight."
Minutes of the management of the CBK on 14th November 1940, held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document number 31121-1, page 306.

They finally agreed to the proposed gravity reductions.

"After some further discussion, the board decides unanimously on the proposal of Mr Stikker:

a. that as of January 15, the percentages of the different beer types will be reduced equally to:

lager beer	7.5 - 7.8 %
between beer	8.8 - 9.1%
heavy beer	10.0 -10.3%
Stout	to be determined (e.g. 15%)

"
Minutes of the management of the CBK on 14th November 1940, held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document number 31121-1, page 307.

I'm not sure any Stout was brewed at all after this point.

Why were the reductions only coming into effect two months later? Because the majority of beers were Lagers and there was a couple of months gap between brewing and sale.

Just three days later, Heineken swung into action. Not by brewing their beers weaker. Well not directly. They mashed the same but added water in the cooler to pull down the gravity to the required level.

Heineken watering November 1940
beer	before	after
Pils	11.80	9.85
Licht Lagerbier	8.90	7.38
Donker Lagerbier	8.90	7.38
Source:
Heineken brewing record held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document number 834 - 1759.

Note that the Pils was below the minimum gravity of 10º Plato.