This is Sixty Shilling part two

Another of my little videos. In this one, I discuss my recipe for 1940 Drybrough P 60/. It's one I recently published on the blog.

 

Let's Brew - 1940 Drybrough P 60/-

Continuing my look at modern Shilling Ales, here’s a 60/- recipe from the start of WW II.

Being brewed early on in the conflict, the gravity hasn’t been reduced yet from its interwar strength. By the end of the war, the gravity was reduced to not much over 1030º. Or about as weak as beer got. Though a shitty level of attenuation leaves this beer not much over 3% ABV.

You’ve probably heard me bang on about how Scottish beers usually had no coloured malts in them at all. This beer is an exception, as there’s a tiny quantity of black malt. I assume just for colour. Other than that, it’s just base malt and sugar.

There were three types of sugar: Fison, Avona and invert. I’ve substituted No. 1 invert for all three. Perhaps No. 2 invert would be a better choice. I’ll leave that decision up to you.

Just one type of hops: English from the 1938 season. Not all that many of them, either. Leaving the finished beer at a mere 20 IBU.

It’s quite likely that this beer was coloured to several different shades through the addition of caramel at racking time.

1940 Drybrough P 60/-
pale malt	7.00 lb	89.06%
black malt	0.04 lb	0.51%
No. 1 invert sugar	0.75 lb	9.54%
malt extract	0.07 lb	0.89%
Fuggles 135 min	0.50 oz
Fuggles 60 min	0.50 oz
Goldings 30 min	0.50 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.25 oz
OG	1036
FG	1013
ABV	3.04
Apparent attenuation	63.89%
IBU	20
SRM	7
Mash at	151º F
Sparge at	170º F
Boil time	135 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

 

Youngs adjuncts and sugars in 1939

Moving on, let’s look at the rest of the grist. There’s not much in the way of adjuncts. There’s just the one, flaked oats. At least, I think it was flaked oats. The brewing record simply says “oats”, meaning that it could also have been in malted form. I’ve gone with flakes, simply because that was the more common form.

Not using adjuncts in their other beers is quite unusual. Though by no means unique. Whitbread, for example, also brewed adjunct-free. Most brewers, however, employed flaked maize. UK brewers’ favourite adjunct for most of the 20th century.

Every beer contains some malt extract. Presumably there to add extra enzymes. It was reasonably common in mid-20th-century recipes.

Two numbered invert sugars make an appearance. The lightest in colour, No. 1, is, logically enough, in the two Pale Ales. In a relatively large proportion of around 12%. Which would have helped to keep the colour nice and pale, as is appropriate for the style.

No. 3, on the other hand, appears in the Mild and Strong Ales. In a rather smaller amount, just 7% to 8%. Its purpose would be dual, to add both colour and flavour. There was even less in the Black Beers, a mere 5%.

Rather surprisingly, caramel doesn’t turn up in the Black Beers, only the Mild and Strong Ales. In both of the latter, the quantities are quite small. The purpose being colour correction.

The overall average of 12% is a bit below the national average of 16%. Only the two Pale Ales are close to that national figure. 

Youngs adjuncts and sugars in 1939
Beer	Style	flaked oat	malt extract	no. 1 sugar	no. 3 sugar	caramel	total sugar
A	Mild		3.30%		6.60%	0.96%	10.87%
X	Mild		2.21%		7.19%	0.97%	10.37%
PA	Pale Ale		3.23%	12.90%			16.13%
PAB	Pale Ale		2.86%	11.43%			14.29%
P	Porter	5.00%	5.00%		5.00%		10.00%
S	Stout	5.00%	5.00%		5.00%		10.00%
XXX	Strong Ale		2.68%		8.05%	0.75%	11.48%
XXXX	Strong Ale		2.68%		8.05%	0.75%	11.48%
	Average						11.83%
Source:
Young's brewing record held at Battersea Library, document number YO/RE/1/8.

 

Youngs beers in 1940

A year into the war, what had happened to Youngs beers? To be honest, not very much.

The situation was very dynamic, so it’s worth saying exactly when this snapshot was taken. All these beers were brewed in August 1940, except for XXXX, which is from December.

Things hadn’t yet become so bad that drastic action was required. Just a few tweaks were necessary. That wouldn’t be the case for the whole of the war. For now, there was little change to the beers being brewed. Other than the price.

For example, the cost price of a 36-gallon barrel of X Ale had risen from 49 shillings and 11d in August 1939 to 111 shillings and 9d twelve months later.  That more than doubling in price was mostly due to increases in tax.

The most obvious change is a slight reduction in gravities. Most beers lost 1º, the exceptions being A, PAB and XXXX, which were unchanged, and XXX, which fell by 2º.

It’s a similar story with hopping rates. Those for the two Black Beers and the Mild Ales are unchanged. While that of the Pale Ales has been reduced by 1 lb per quarter (336 lbs) of malt.

The rates of attenuation look somewhat higher in this set. I wouldn’t read that much into it, as final gravities varied quite a bit from brew to brew. And even across the different fermenters in a single batch.

Youngs beers in 1940
Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl
A	Mild	1029	1005.5	3.10	80.90%	6.14	0.71
X	Mild	1034	1005	3.84	85.34%	5.60	0.81
PAB	Pale Ale	1039	1008.3	4.06	78.69%	7.00	1.07
PA	Pale Ale	1047	1012.7	4.53	72.89%	7.00	1.29
P	Porter	1034	1008.3	3.40	75.56%	7.00	0.99
S	Stout	1052	1016.6	4.68	68.04%	7.00	1.52
XXX	Strong Ale	1055	1017.2	5.00	68.77%	5.60	1.31
XXXX	Strong Ale	1081	1036	5.95	55.54%	6.09	2.00
Source:
Young's brewing record held at Battersea Library, document number YO/RE/1/9.

 

Brewing in East Germany just after WW II (part two)

I was having so much fun with post-WW II communist brewing fun, that I decided to do a second part. I can never get me enough DDR. Unlike most of those who lived there.

Beer production seems to have quickly got going, already in 1946.

After overcoming some initial difficulties, primarily due to transportation problems, continuous production in the brewing industry and a sufficient supply of beer for the population were secured in 1946. The 3º beer produced found good sales, especially during the summer months due to a lack of other beverages. However, with the onset of the colder months, signs of a downward trend became apparent. In 1947, eleven breweries were operating again in East Berlin, and ten in West Berlin. These breweries produced approximately 180,000 hectolitres in the first half of 1947 and 150,000 hectolitres in the third quarter of 1947.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.

I can see that a low-alcohol could replace pop in hot weather. Not quite so attractive when it's cold out.

This next bit really surprised me. Beer in the UK never returned to its pre-war strength.

On October 1, 1948, after many years, beer production with a 12º Plato original gravity was resumed. This sudden change in the original gravity initially caused significant internal difficulties and losses for most breweries, not to mention the worries and challenges regarding sales of the initially much too young, high-proof beer. Because the breweries, due to quarterly planning and the longer lead time required by the technology, were unable to immediately brew larger quantities of 12º Plato beer, it wasn't until around mid-March 1949 that the first mature beer with a 12º Plato original gravity and a maturation period of eight to twelve weeks could reach the market.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 104.

Already brewing Vollbier in 1948? I'm impressed. As I am by the fact that they ideally aged it 8 to 12 weeks. A very decent lagering time for a 12º beer.

Breweries also had to produce soft drinks.

In addition to beer production, the brewing industry also took over a considerable portion of the production of non-alcoholic beverages after the war. This was primarily done using sweetener, which was allocated to companies in the Soviet occupation zone according to quotas. A continuous supply of the other basic ingredients was not yet possible. Breweries and manufacturers were reliant on self-procurement. In this context, it must be emphasized that in the post-war years, Einfachbier Dunkel (Malzbier) played a significantly more important role in supplying the population with non-alcoholic beverages than it does today. The mash from higher-alcohol beers could easily be used for mashing.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 104.

What would the raw materials of soft drinks be? Sugar, CO2 and flavourings? Sweetener? Malzbier was still being used as a soft drink a few decades later. Dolores drank it as a child in the 1980s.

Oh, and CO2 was one of the things in short supply.

Securing a supply of carbon dioxide for the production of non-alcoholic soft drinks also proved difficult. The carbon dioxide shortage was most acutely felt in the hospitality industry, which frequently had to resort to using compressed air devices and other makeshift solutions for serving beer.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 104.

Resort to compressed air? It's a much better awy of serving than CO2 pressure. The method used in Czechoslovakia before 1990 that everyone seems to have forgotten about.
 

Brewing in East Germany just after WW II

I didn't say DDR, because this is before its foundation.

I find the period around the end of the war particularly fascinating. And particularly difficult to find much information about. This section from the VLB book on brewing in the DDR fills in some of the gaps.

In the Soviet zone, they were already brewing in 1945. In the British zone, the only brewing allowed was for the British army. It was a couple of years before the civilian population were allowed beer.

8.1.1 Development of Beverage Supply
Towards the end of 1945, the systematic management and supply of the brewing industry in the Soviet occupation zone began, based on the new harvest. This was based on an order issued by the Supreme Commander of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany on December 3, 1945. As already described elsewhere, this order uniformly set the original gravity of beers at 3º Plato for the civilian population and 6º Plato for the occupying forces. The production of 6º Plato beer took place in precisely defined quantities and in breweries selected by the military administration. Control over this production was very strict, beginning with the milling of the malt and ending with the bottling of the beer. The storage tanks were sealed. Nevertheless, the brewers repeatedly managed to find ways to fill their caps with the slightly stronger beer.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.

For those not acquainted with the Plato sytem. 3º Plato is about 1012º in SG. Beer brewed to this gravity would be, perhaps, 1.2% ABV. Piss weak, in other words. 6º Plato would be about double that. So, maybe, 2.4% ABV. Still not going to get you pissed. I'm glad the brewers managed to get their hands on a little.

The supply of ingredients was strictly controlled.

The regional administrations allocated the required quantities of barley and malt to the breweries in quarterly planned quantities. The necessary hops were initially taken from existing stocks of the joint-stock companies.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.

That all sounds nicely socialist. Central planning and all that. Though ther ewas something very similar in the UK. Where breweries were allocated a certain quantity of ingredients.

This also has echoes of the UK.

The population was initially supplied with beer primarily through the distribution of draft beer via restaurants and factory canteens, as well as through the distribution of bottled beer via retailers. However, due to a severe shortage of bottles, the bottled beer trade remained limited.
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.

During, and immediately after, the war, beer bottles were in short supply. Also limiting the amount of botled beer produced.

 

The Berlin brewing industry in 1944

Getting numbers for brewing in Germany in WW II isn't an easy task. I only have very incomplete information. Mostly, for the  early war years.

It may well be that there is no accurate information for the final chaotic months of the war. When people had lots of other things to worry about. And brewing statistics weren't much of a priority. If brewing was taking place at all.

That's why I was so happy to find these numbers for brewing in Berlin in 1944.

I'm fairly gobsmacked at the total quantity produced: almost 4 million hl. Though that does include drinks other than beer. And I imagine that most of the beer was so weak as to be barely recognisable as beer.

There are 21 breweries in total. Of which, 11 were in East Berlin. Interesting, that. As West Berlin was double the size of East Berlin. However, the two largest breweries, Kindl Neuköln and Schulthess Kreuzberg, were both in the West.

Several companies operated multiple breweries: Schulthess 6, Engelhardt 3, Kindl 2 and Löwenbrauerei 2. With these spread across the East and West sections of the city. Which made things complicated. In the 1980s, there were beers branded Schultheiss and Kindl in both the East and West. Using exactly the same logos, even though they were completely separate enterprises. 

Key operational data of Berlin breweries 1944
Brewery	Production of beer and beverages in hl	Total employees	Special production/headcount in hl/a	Special production/Total workforce in hl/a	Energy consumption in kg/hl 2)
Berliner Bürgerbräu	201,915	211	1309	914	13.62
Böhmisches Brauhaus-Löwenbrauerei	268,628	354	1226	783	16.25
Bergschloß-Brauerei	104,821	107	1442	957	22.7
Bötzow-Brauerei	113,311	218	776	513	18.15
Engelhardt-Brauerei, Abt. Stralau	161,607	203	1468	817	17.44
Engelhardt-Brauerei, Abt. Pankow	155,730	183	1426	874	20.07
Engelhardt-Brauerei, Abt. Charlottenb.	55,215	78	1222	689	13.25
Groterjan-Brauerei	276,270	420	1083	622	7.45
Hochschul-Brauerei 1)	30,503	57	824	535	21.98
Monopol-Brauerei	97,724	99	1396	1303	18.28
Kindl-Brauerei. Abt, Neukölln	392,522	508	1570	837	20.76
Kindl-Brauerei. Abt, Weißensee	272,657	321	1855	931	22.17
Schloß-Brauerei 2)	150,972	185	1399	851	17.58
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Kreuzberg	421,659	511	1310	872	14.42
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. NO	304,497	524	675	563	18.25
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Schönh. Al.	245,648	326	1150	802	11.46
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Spandau	233,024	351	938	693	16.88
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Nd.-Schw.	220,137	254	1121	899	16.15
Schultheiss-Brauerei, Abt. Stromstr.	193,899	335	830	604	14.08
Willner Brauerei	14,167	41	616	383	26.44
Total	3,914,906	5,286
1) Already bomb damaged
2) In kilograms of hard coal at 6600 heat units/kg
Source:
Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 111.

 

Starting from zero

After the war, in what would become the DDR, the brewing industry faced some serious problems. Ones which the western part of Germany didn't have. These were caused by a combination of the division of Germany and the loss of territories to the East. 

The biggest of these problems were:

• no hop growing
• limited malting barley cultivation
• uneven distribution of breweries
• no brewing equipment manufacturers

The first two were agricultural problems, which needed to be addressed by encouraging the cultivation of hops and malting barley. The former had been exclusively grown in western parts of Germany. While much malt had been sourced either from the northern parts of West Germany or territory which now belonged to Poland.

Before the war, breweries in West Berlin had supplied much of the area around Berlin. With the country divided, new sources of beer needed to be found. Especially as the breweries in East Berlin didn't have the capacity to pick up the slack. One of the long-term solutions was to construct a large brewery in Potsdam, just outside Berlin.

It wasn't until the 1960s that the manufacture of brewing equipment really got underway. Even then, it could never produce enough to meet demand. I can understand now why many breweries were still using outdated equipment. It wasn't through laziness or a reluctance to invest. There just wasn't enough equipment available for everyone. And certain breweries - notably exporters like Radeberger and Wernesgrüner - got first dibs on the goodies.

People often bang on about the economic miracle of post-war West Germany. What the DDR achieved is far more impressive. It started from a much worse position. And, unlike West Germany, didn't have Marshall Plan money poured into it. Quite the opposite, with the Soviets actively removing industry and raw materials from the East.

This information is taken from Die Brau- und Malzindustrie in Deutschland-Ost zwischen 1945 und 1989, VLB, 2016, page 103.
 

Bottled Indonesian beer after WW II

Another extract from my monster gravity table. Courtesy of the Heineken gravity book. Who, with their brewery in Soerabaja, had a commercial interest in what was then the Dutch East Indies.

You'll have to excuse me for this type of post. In my current impaired state, I can't really perform at 100%. And I still need to churn out posts daily. I know, it's a rod I've created for my own back. But I just can't give it up. If I drop dead on a trip, you probably won't realise for a week as my preloaded posts continue to appear.

You can see the effect of WW II in the relatively low strength of all the beers. With all the examples under 4% ABV and the weakest under 3% ABV. While pre-war there had been 5% ABV beers.

Do I have any other interesting observations on these beers? Not really. Look at the table your fucking selves. I'm not going to do everything for you.

Batavia, in case you're wondering, was the colonial name for Jakarta.

Bottled Indonesian beer after WW II
Year	Brewer	Town	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Colour
1948	ABC	Batavia	Pilsener	Pils	1033.2	1010.0	2.97	69.88%	0.22
1948	ABC	Banging	Pilsener	Pils	1033.9	1009.6	3.09	71.69%	0.22
1948	Heineken	Soerabaja	Javabier	Pils	1032.1	1005.9	3.39	81.63%	0.22
1948	Heineken	Soerabaja	Licht Javabier	Pils	1032.0	1009.5	2.88	70.31%	0.25
1949	Heineken	Soerabaja	Licht Javabier	Pils	1031.8	1008.0	3.09	74.95%	0.22
1950	Heineken	Soerabaja	Licht Javabier	Pils	1032.8	1006.7	3.37	79.56%	0.28
1948	Heineken	Soerabaja	Licht Pilsener	Pils	1034.3	1009.9	3.15	71.23%	0.35
1949	Heineken	Soerabaja	Licht Pilsener	Pils	1036.0	1007.0	3.74	80.51%	0.24
1950	Heineken	Soerabaja	Licht Pilsener	Pils	1036.4	1008.8	3.57	75.81%	0.28
1950	Oranje	Batavia	Anker	Pils	1034.0	1012.8	2.76	62.30%	0.35
1950	Oranje	Batavia	Diamant	Pils	1035.7	1011.8	2.98	67.02%	0.35
Source:
Rapporten van laboratoriumonderzoeken naar producten van Heinekenbrouwerijen in binnen- en buitenland en naar producten van andere brouwerijen held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document number 834 - 1794.

 

 

Dutch beer during WW II

I'm off travelling again. Nothing really beer-related. It's my annual trip to Folkestone with Mikey. Which, obviously, will involve a degree of beer-drinking.

Every trip necessitates queueing up a good few posts. And what better way to generate posts than to consult my massive gravity spreadsheet. I first stared collecting gravities more than 20 years ago. The first iteration had maybe 50 entries. Now, it's just shy of 25,000. Most of which - 21,600 - are from the UK. It's an incredibly handy resource.

Anyway, I digress. I thought that it might be interesting to compare Dutch beers of WW II with the German ones we looked at yesterday. All of the beers I have analyses of would be confusing. Instead, I've plumped for those of two largest breweries from Holland's two largest cities: Amstel from Amsterdam and Oranjeboom from Rotterdam.

Though gravities had fallen below their pre-war strength, until the end of 1941, you could still find a beer of around 3% ABV. Not long into 1942, that dropped to 1.5% ABV at most. SO pretty much a waste of time, other than for hydration.

Note that there was much more than just Pils being brewed. With Dark Lagers both at full-strength (Münchener) and lower-gravity (Donker Lagerbier). 

Amstel beers during WW II
Date	Year	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
19th Mar	1941	Donker Lager	Donker Lagerbier	draught	1030.7	1006.7	3.10	77.99%	6.80
18th Feb	1941	Licht Lagerbier	Licht Lagerbier	draught	1036.3	1006.7	3.79	81.41%	0.40
28th Dec	1941	M	Münchener	draught	1029.2	1010.9	2.35	62.67%	8.00
28th Jan	1941	Pils	Pils	draught	1041.4	1009.0	4.16	78.34%	0.48
30th May	1941	Pils	Pils	bottled	1039.6	1006.9	4.24	82.55%	0.40
5th Jun	1941	Pils	Pils	draught	1033.6	1006.7	3.46	80.17%	0.42
5th Dec	1941	Pils	Pils	draught	1029.2	1007.9	2.73	72.85%	0.45
18th Dec	1942	M	Münchener	draught	1014.5	1002.9	1.51	80.14%	2.50
18th Dec	1942	Pils	Pils	draught	1014.7	1003.7	1.41	74.83%	0.42
26th Jan	1943	Lager	Licht Lagerbier	draught	1010.1	1002.5	1.01	75.01%	2.80
25th Jan	1943	Pils	Pils	draught	1014.6	1003.3	1.46	77.13%	0.42
Source:
Rapporten van laboratoriumonderzoeken naar producten van Heinekenbrouwerijen in binnen- en buitenland en naar producten van andere brouwerijen held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document number 834 - 1794.

 

Oranjeboom beers during WW II
Date	Year	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
19th Mar	1941	Donker Lager	Donker Lagerbier	draught	1030.1	1008.9	2.75	70.62%	6.80
17th Sep	1941	Donker Lager	Donker Lagerbier	draught	1025.0	1007.7	2.26	69.10%	10.00
30th Dec	1941	Dortmunder	Dortmunder	draught	1030.4	1005.4	3.24	82.27%	0.50
18th Feb	1941	Licht Lagerbier	Licht Lagerbier	draught	1030.9	1006.6	3.13	78.79%	0.48
17th Sep	1941	Licht Lagerbier	Licht Lagerbier	draught	1026.0	1005.2	2.71	79.86%	0.35
17th Sep	1941	M	Münchener	draught	1034.9	1007.1	3.61	79.67%	12.50
30th Dec	1941	M	Münchener	draught	1033.9	1007.1	3.43	78.96%	12.50
28th Jan	1941	Pils	Pils	draught	1040.6	1009.5	4.00	76.64%	0.52
30th May	1941	Pils	Pils	bottled	1032.5	1009.5	2.74	70.76%	0.60
17th Sep	1941	Pils	Pils	draught	1034.2	1005.7	3.66	83.22%	0.52
2nd Jan	1942	Belegen Gerste	Gerste	draught	1021.9	1006.1	2.01	72.14%	10.00
18th Dec	1942	Belegen Gerste	Gerste	draught	1011.9	1003.0	1.18	75.07%	4.80
2nd Jan	1942	Pils	Pils	draught	1030.7	1005.0	3.29	83.60%	0.55
26th Jan	1943	Belegen Gerste	Gerste	draught	1011.9	1003.6	1.07	69.87%	5.00
Source:
Rapporten van laboratoriumonderzoeken naar producten van Heinekenbrouwerijen in binnen- en buitenland en naar producten van andere brouwerijen held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document number 834 - 1794.