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Tuesday, 26 July 2022

1980 DDR beer strength

The 1980 version of TGL 7764 doesn't list the alcohol content  of the beers. But, as it does give the OG and rate of attenuatio0n, it's pretty easy to work it out. Especially if, like me, you already have all the necessary calculations plugged into spreadsheet.

It's all much what you would expect. With Berliner Weisse around 3% ABV, Hell a bit over 4%, Pilsner around 5%, and Bock 6-6.5%. Compared to the West, the Hell and Weizenbier are slightly weaker. The other styles, however, are roughly in line with what occurred on the other side of the Inner German Border.

The bottom limit for Vollbier was lower in the DDR - in the West it was 11º Plato. A beer at the lower DDR limit of 10.5º Plato wouldn't have been allowed in West Germany, nor would extra. Beers weren't permitted to be brewed to gravities between the top limit for Schankbier (8º Plato) anf the lower limit for Volbier (11º Plato).

1980 DDR beer strength
Type min OG Plato max OG Plato app. Atten-uation min ABV max ABV
Dunkel (Einfachbier) 5.8 6.2 65 1.93 2.06
Weißbier 7 8 75 2.70 3.10
Extra 8.5 9.3 75 3.30 3.63
Hell 10.5 11 75 4.13 4.33
Edel-Bräu Hell 10.5 11 75 4.13 4.33
Dunkel (Vollbier) 10.5 11 75 4.13 4.33
Schwarzbier 11.7 12.3 70 4.32 4.56
Deutsches Pilsner 12 12.5 75 4.75 4.97
Deutsches Pilsator 12 12.5 78 4.94 5.16
Deutsches Pilsner Spezial 12 12.5 78 4.94 5.16
Märzen 13.7 14.3 70 5.11 5.36
Weizenbier 11.5 12 75 4.54 4.75
Weißer Bock or Bockbier Hell 15.7 16.3 75 6.35 6.61
Dunkler Bock or Bockbier Dunkel 15.7 16.3 72 6.10 6.35
Deutscher Porter 17.7 18.3 64 6.18 6.41
Source:
1980 TGL 7764, pages 9 - 10.

 

 

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous28 July 2022 at 05:32

    It's interesting that the ABV wasn't totally down the drain -- it probably says something about the place of beer in the DDR, although I'd love more context.

    For instance, did the state subsidize the industry and produce a lot of beer to make people happy and compensate for the lack of other things? I seem to recall that bannanas and blue jeans were in short supply, for example. Did they raise prices to limit consumption, or directly ration sales in some way, for instance for the purpose of selling exports and getting hard capital? Or was it something that the system could produce in decent quantities without much interference one way or another?

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