Malzbier between the wars (part two)

Time for more watery Malzbier fun with Schönfel. Though this time there are some of almost normal strength.

"In addition to them, there were a number of stronger beers, mostly with 7-9% and sometimes also with 10-12% E. gravity, which soon bore this, now that name, and to which the multiple wheat malt beers (beers made from barley and wheat malt), Hannoversch Broihan (also a wheat malt beer of 7-9% gravity flavored with cloves, cinnamon, anise, etc.), Werdersches Bier, the Braunbier of the Kretschmer breweries in Breslau, the beers produced in East and West Prussia, and many others. They were all poorly attenuatted and mostly deeply dark in color. Some agricultural areas were offered a so-called harvest beer in the summer, which was brewed strong and well-hopped.

Mostly made from pure barley malt, but often with the addition of sugar, which could account for up to 20% of the mash material, they were more or less characterized by a mild and malty-sweet taste."
"Obergärige Biere und ihre Herstellung" by Dr. Franz Schönfeld, 2nd edition, Verlag von Paul Parey, Berlin, 1938, page 133 - 134.

None of that sounds very Reinheitsgebot-compliant. I can't remember coming across Broyhan having so many spices added to it before. Though I know that spices were used to flavour beer. Even in Bavaria, where for a while coriander was allowed.

That's odd with the harvest beer. In the UK, beer intended for harvesters was weaker than standard beer, as it was intended to refresh rather than intoxicate.

"The fermentation took place either in vats or in barrels, from one-ton pieces up to casks of 6-7 tons.

The fermentation period was finished in 2-3 days at the usual temperature of 15-18 ° C.

For barrel fermentation, especially when using small barrels, slightly higher temperatures (20-22 ° C) were advantageously chosen, so that the yeast could be better discharged.

The barrels lying at an angle during the main fermentation were straightened after the yeast growth had ended and, with constant refilling and keeping it full up to the the bung, left to rest for 1-2 days for a short fermentation and 8-10 days for a longer fermentation."
"Obergärige Biere und ihre Herstellung" by Dr. Franz Schönfeld, 2nd edition, Verlag von Paul Parey, Berlin, 1938, page 134.

Barrel fermentation sound rather like a ponto: having the barrel at an angle tso excess yeast could be discharged and refilling with fresh wort.

Here are a few beers of these types:

Broyhan and Braunbier 1850 - 1890
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	pH
1884	Hannover, Städtisch	Einfacher Broyhan	Broyhan	1031.4	1022.5	1.03	27.67%	3.78
1884	Hannover, Städtisch	Doppelter Broyhan	Broyhan	1053.4	1043.6	1.20	17.55%	3.99
1850	Unknown, Halberstadt	Halberstädter Breyhan	Breyhan	1034.7	1012.7	2.84	62.59%	3.32
1850	Freundes	Braunbier	Braunbier	1056.9	1036.6	2.60	34.57%	3.56
1850	Unknown, Berlin	Werder'sches Braunbier	Braunbier	1030.4	1012.0	2.37	59.74%
1850	Unknown, Berlin	Berliner Braunbier	Braunbier	1058.1	1041.4	2.12	27.63%	3.52
1879	Remmer	Einfach Braunbier	Braunbier	1038.5	1016.4	2.85	57.40%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier	1059.1	1010	6.42	83.08%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier	1057.3	1014	5.63	75.57%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier	1049.9	1022	3.59	55.91%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier	1049.5	1012	4.87	75.76%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier	1044.5	1012.5	4.15	71.91%
1879	Unknown, Bremen	Braunbier	Braunbier	1061.1	1012	6.41	80.36%
1890	Löwenbrauerei	Doppelbraunbier	Braunbier	1029.9	1015.5	1.85	48.24%	3.65
Sources:
Wahl & Henius, pages 823-830
“Archive der Pharmacie”, 1855, pages 216-217
Handwörterbuch der reinen und angewandten Chemie by Justus Liebig, Johann Christian Poggendorff, Friedrich Wöhler, 1858, page 1038
"Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" by Joseph König, 1889, pages 806 - 851
"Handbuch der chemischen technologie" by Otto Dammer, Rudolf Kaiser, 1896, pages 696-697

You'll see that some of the beers are stronger than Schönfeld writes. Five of the beers in the table have an OG of over 14º Balling. Some are also pretty sour.

Erntebier

Erntebier – “Harvest Beer” – is exactly what it sounds like: beer drunk at harvest time. By harvesters.

It was a tradition in the UK, too. Agricultural labourers expected to be served beer during the harvest as part of their wages. Harvesting was reckoned to be impossible without sufficient supplies of beer.

In the UK, Harvest Ale was usually a form of Mild Ale but, and here’s the important bit, weaker. So when X Ale averaged around 5% ABV, Harvest Ale was more like 4% ABV. You wouldn’t want something strong enough to incapacitate your workers.

The Erntebier in Saxony was rather different, being stronger than the standard beer it was based on. How odd.

Here’s my paraphrasing of Olberg again.

In many regions, but especially in Saxony, Erntebier is brewed.

It’s a Braunbier which is usually brewed top-fermenting, except while Braubier and Weissbier in the region is usually brewed to a gravity of 8 to 8.5º Balling, Erntebier has an OG of 9.5 to 10º and must also be lagered longer. It’s also more heavily hopped than Braunbier, at a rate of 1.2 kg. per 50 kg. of malt.

When primary fermentation has finished, the casks are washed and kept completely filled and sealed by hand with wooden bungs, without using a hammer. Through this the beer gets some life and is liked by the harvesters because it tastes powerful and has particular thirst-quenching properties. For a further description see the chapter “Braunbier”
Source: Olberg, Johannes (1927) Erntebier in Moderne Braumethoden, pp 68, A. Hartleben, Wien & Leipzig.

So just like Saxon Braunbier, except a little stronger and a little hoppier. Funnily enough, a beer of 9.5 to 10º Plato is about exactly the same strength as pre-WW I British Harvest Ale. The hopping rate, which is the equivalent of 8lbs per quarter of malt, is pretty much the same, too.

Here are a couple of modern German Erntebiers, both from Bavaria. Note that the one from Grosch is, at under 3% ABV, pretty weak.

Modern German Erntebier
Year	Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
2014	Arnsteiner Brauerei	Seinsheim	Ernte Hell	1044.44	1008	4.80	82.90%
2014	Braugasthof Grosch	Rödental	Grosch Erntebier	1031.23	1010	2.80	69.26%
Sources:
Arnsteiner Brauerei website
Grosch website

Saxon Braunbier

I know that Saxony was one of the regions of Germany where top fermentation hung on the longest. Also that a local speciality was Braunbier. It’s nice to have some more details about it.

Though looking at the numbers, that’s not quite so clear:

Output and no. of breweries per region in 1893
	top-fermenting breweries	bottom-fermenting breweries	top-fermenting beer	bottom-fermenting beer	% top-fermenting	% bottom-fermenting
Brandenburg	430	138	1,724,795	3,157,941	35	65
Königreich Sachsen	541	190	1,710,653	2,476,475	41	59
Rheinland	575	377	761,519	3,121,390	20	80
Schlesien	576	219	977,143	1,794,259	35	65
Provinz Sachsen	451	186	594,312	1,862,008	24	76
Westfalen	456	233	84,020	2,250,789	4	96
Thüringen	264	578	243,652	1,974,374	11	89
Hessen-Nassau	66	275	23,019	1,712,756	1	99
Schleswig-Holstein	582	56	247,960	1,009,047	20	80
Hannover	310	101	131,494	1,121,364	10	90
Grossherzogtum Hessen	7	183	660	1,055,851	0	100
Ostpreussen	154	55	266,334	609,050	30	70
Pommern	243	79	108,453	554,576	16	84
Hamburg	18	13	169,130	476,537	26	74
Westpreussen	33	62	133,917	463,095	22	78
Braunschweig	42	33	22,870	463,654	5	95
Posen	101	57	177,038	307,800	37	63
Mecklenburg	346	43	115,318	293,561	28	72
Anhalt	53	18	90,838	285,073	24	76
Bremen	9	10	19,778	204,697	9	91
Oldenburg	61	17	25,855	125,421	17	83
Hohenzollern	84	143	4,596	122,088	4	96
Lübeck	26	6	31,485	65,126	33	67
Total Brausteuergebiet	5,428	3,072	7,664,839	25,506,932	23	77
Sources:
“Zeitschrift für das gesammte Brauwesen 1894”, p.23
Handbuch der deutschen Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte  2 vols. Stuttgart, 1971-76, vol. 2, p. 18.

There were indeed a large number of top-fermenting breweries in Saxony, but they produced far less beer than the rather smaller number of bottom-fermenting breweries.

I’m going down the summarising rather than translating route again. It makes life much easier for me and I reckon it’s all the same to you in the end.

Braunbier is a well-liked top-fermenting beer in the province of Saxony.

It’s brewed from high-dried malt (dried at 66-70º C) with about 2 kg of Farbmalz per 50 kg.

The kettle mashing system is used with either one or two boils of the mash. OG 8-8.5º Plato, 1.5 hour boil, hopping rate 1-1.1 pounds per 50 kg of malt.

It is pitched with top-fermenting yeast at 20º C, in cold cellars 25º C. First the entire wort is transferred to a collecting tun in order to remove sediment and the yeast added. As soon as the wort displays a thin white head it is transferred to already prepared casks of 1 to 2 hl. And bung fermentation carried out.

Because the wort had been in the collecting tun for a few hours the sediment is completely removed. When the fermentation is complete the casks are stood up straight again, washed and refilled to the top. In the following days a nice cap of yeast seals the bung hole. Now the barrels are sent out to the pub, where they are stored for a few more days until the beer is almost clear. Only then is it filled into one litre stone jars sealed with new corks. After 8 to 14 days, according to the time of year, it foams strongly and is particularly thirst-quenching. The colour is cherry-red like Bockbier.

Source: Olberg, Johannes (1927) Braunbier in Moderne Braumethoden, pp 62-63, A. Hartleben, Wien & Leipzig.

The finished beer would have been 3-3.5% ABV and not very hoppy. It sounds quite different to the Berlin type of Braunbier but, like that, it was delivered to publicans pretty much at the end of primary fermentation and bottled by them.

I wonder when the last Saxon Braunbier was brewed? It sounds like it wold be pretty easy to recreate.

More Porter Adulteration

How many cases of Porter adulteration have I brought to your attention? Loads, I know that. Because a lot of it went on.

It seems that, in some periods, unadulterated Porter wasn’t so much a rarity as totally non-existent. Except for maybe in the brewery tap of one of the London big boys. Whitbread, Truman, Barclay Perkins. People like that. Ordinary publicans weren’t to be trusted. If you were lucky, they just watered it. If you weren’t . . . . who knows what poisonous potions you’d consume?

But this one is different. Because it’s from Germany. An Altona trader in bottled beer was caught cutting Porter with Braunbier. Obviously something much cheaper. Analysis of his beer and Original-Porter (it’s not clear if that was imported Porter from the UK or locally-brewed stuff) showed around 25% Braunbier had been added. Found guilty, the trader was fined 30 marks. Which I guess was quite a lot of dosh back then.*

Here’s the table in a more readable, English-language format:

	confiscated Porter	Original Porter
specific gravity	1013.8	1017
ABW	4.05%	5.23%
Extract	5.37%	6.63%
mineral content	0.34%	0.38%
OG (Plato)	13.17%	16.59%
degree of attenuation	59.23%	59.80%
hydrochloric acid	undetectable	undetectable
artificial sweetener	undetectable	undetectable

* "Übersicht über die Jahresberichte der öffentlichen Anstalten zur technischen Untersuchung von Nahrung und Genussmitteln im Deutschen Reich für das Jahr 1902" by Kaiserliches Gesundheitsamt, 1905, page 103.

German Top-Fermentation Breweries

Here's something else I can't claim the credit for finding. Now I just have to remember who passed it on to me. I never thought I'd be complaining about having too much material, but that's exactly what's happened. I sometimes feel I'm going down for the third time in an ocean of data.

German top-fermenting beer. One of my many things. And I couldn't ignore this artiucle as it comes from thge master himself, Schönfeld. Probably my favourite German author after Erich Maria Remarque and Klaus Mann.

"German Top-Fermentation Breweries.*
The author undertook a journey last autumn with the object of obtaining information and samples, and I now gives the result of his labours.

The brewing of top-fermentation beer is chiefly confined to North and Central Germany, but even there in most cases only holds a secondary position, less care beimg bestowed on its preparation than on that of the loW fermentation varieties.

Usually three kinds of top-fermentation beer are brewed: white beer, bitter, and single or brown beer. The mashing process varies considerably, being in some cases by infusion alone, in others by decoction, and in and in others again a combination of both systems is pursued. Initial heats vary from about 30°—45º R. (100º—133º F), saccharification temperatures between 50° and 56º R. (144º—158º F.), and the whole process occupies some seven or eight hours. The differential treatment for the production of the various kinds of beers mentioned begins after the mashing is completed with the exception that colouring matter when used is added previous to boiling. The beers are mostly weak, 12 per cent, being an unusual strength, the worts averaging 6—8 per cent, of extract, some sinking as low as 3 per cent. White beer is, on the whole, the richest in extract, with 8—10 per cent., although some of the bitter beers are brewed with 10 to 12 per cent.

The worts after staying a short time in the cooler are ready for pitching, but there does not appear to be usually any great anxiety to maintain regularity in this respect. Where more care is exercised 16º—18° R (68º—72.5° F.), or a couple of degrees higher in winter, is about the figure, none going below 12° R. (59° F.) and only one as high as 22° R. (81º F.).

The yeast is first mixed with a few litres of wort and when fermentation commences is added to the bulk. In some instances low-fermentation yeasts are employed to give a milder and more pleasant flavour to the beer, but the same conditions of fermentation and storage are maintained. No exact distinction between primary and secondary fermentation  is maintained, the former being considered terminated when the surface of the beeer remains clear and quiet after removal of the yeast, a stage generally reached in 5 to 6 days. The head first thrown up is chiefly a scum of resins, &c., and is usually thrown away. On removal to the storage cask the secondary fermention continues without a break and a copious head is now expelled through the bung hole, whence it runs down into a receptacle on the floor, these runnings being used to fill up the fermenting-tun. After some forty-eight hours the fermentation slackens, the head then remaining compact without overflowing, and so continues for a further 4 - 6 days at a temperature of about 10 - 15º R. (54.5º - 66º F) by which time the final attenuation will have been reached. The beer is then either left to ripen in the storage cask or is mixed with fresh beer (from low-fermentation "kraüsen" beer) and sent out in barrels to the retailer, who either leaves it to ripen or bottles it (often adding water), no attempt at clarification being made in the brewery ; indeed, beer is often sent out directly after the primary fermentation is over.

The yeast employed in pitching is seldom of pure culture ; generally the head skimmed from one tun is used for a fresh batch without washing, and sometimes both head and sediment are mixed up for use. Notwithstanding this method of procedure the beer is expected to be brilliant and stable, with a firm sedimental yeast in bottle so in many instances the adoption of pure cultures would be highly desirable. It is somewhat remarkable in view of the great risk of infection from the methods of manipulation employed in the majority of cases examined that streak cultures of the yeasts and samples of beer exhibited a very low proportion of wild yeasts, a circumstance probably due to the high fermenting temperatures. Bacteria, particularly lactic, and acetic-acid ferments, were rather more prevalent, and as their presence is undesirable except in the case of Berlin "Weissbier," it is evident that a greater amount of care and cleanliness would be benficial."

* F Schönfeld in the "Woch. f. Brau.," No. 24.
"The Country Brewer", November 21st, 1895, page 778.

I'll translate those three beer types back into German to make it more obvious what they are: Weissbier, Bitterbier and Braunbier. Weissbier means stuff like Berliner Weisse, Broyhan (still just about clinging on at this point), Lichtenhainer and similar. Braunbier or Einfachbier was low-gravity, coloured brown and sometimes sweetened, though I'm not sure if that was the case in the 1890's. Bitterbier I think is the precursor of Kölsch and Alt. I've also seen it called Rheinisch Bitterbier.

We've seen plenty of times before that the old top-fermenting styles - with a couple of exceptions - weren't very alcoholic. By extract they mean the gravity in degrees Balling. 6º to 8º Balling is approximately 1024º to 1032º. But because these types of beer often had pathetically low attenuation, the ABV would have been under 2% in many cases. From other sources, it does seem that Bitterbier was usually brewed at Vollbier gravity, that is 11 to 12º Balling.

I was slightly surprised that decoction mashing was sometimes used. I've always had the impressiuon that  most of the top-fermenting breweries were pretty small and had basic equipment. Which would make decoction a bit tricky.

If those are pitching temperatures, they're very high. British breweries pitched at 57º to 64º F, depending on the gravity of the wort. I can't say that the yeast handling sounds very professional. Sounds like it was asking for an infection. 5 to 6 days primary sopunds very look consiudering the low gravity of the wort and the high fermentation temperature. The secondary fermentation sounds very much like cleansing in pontos. Except that the expelled beer was returned to a fermenting vessel rather than the cask.

I've read in otehr places about beer being sent out at the end of primary fermentation. Berliner Weisse, Berliner Braunbier and Gose were all handled this way. And I know that Berliner Weiss was often watered at bottling time. SOmething I'm pretty sure would have beem illegal in Britain. Was kräusening top-fermenting beer with bottom-fermenting beer allowed in the Reinheitsgebot? Given the rules for top- and bottom-fermenting beer were different, it wouldn'y shock me if you hadn't been allowed to mix them.

I don't think it was just Berliner Weisse where the presence of acidifying bacteria didn't matter: it wasn't the only sour style.

For once, there's no more to come. That's it.

The brewing industry in Bavaria 1910 - 1915

You're going to have to endure loads more statistics based posts like this, now I've got me a new stash of German technical brewing magazines. Just tell me if you want me to stop. I won't pay any attention, but you'll feel better for having voiced your opinion.

Sadly this magazine didn't publish any of these numbers after 1915. They were probably too depressing. The effect of the war is already clear in the 1915 figures. Malt usage is down 25%, but beer production only 18%. That can only mean one thing: a drop in beer gravity.

I'm not totally sure what is meant by beer exports in this table. It could include shipments to other parts of Germany. Given that the amount exported increased in 1915, that's probably the case. Whatever the exact details, you can see that, although they were only responsible for about 25% of beer production, around 50% of Bavarian exports came from Munich breweries.

What's also obvious is that the huge number of Weissbier breweries produced bugger all beer. Before the war only 40-odd hectolitres each.

I was pleasantly surprised to se the number of Kommunbrauers making beer for personal use increased between 1912 and 1913. Though it did start dropping once war started. These Kommunbrauer were almost all in two regions: around Bamberg and Schweinfurt. On the eve of war there were a very respectable 490 communal breweries. I doubt there are 20 left today.

The organisation of the majority of bottom-fermenting breweries was still pretty old-fashioned, as only 80-odd out of 3,000 plus were limited companies. I'd bet a good percentage of those 80 were located in Munich and Nuremberg.

The proportion of top-fermented beer was tiny, under 1% for all of these years. I'm sure that's very different now, given the huge surge in popularity of Weissbier since the 1970's.

I've done a little maths on the beer production and malt usage statistics to come up with an average gravity figure. But I'm saving that for next time.

The brewing industry in Bavaria 1910 - 1915
	1910	1911	1912	1913	1914	1915
malt usage (D -Ztr)	3,515,466	3,719,250	3,585,684	3,531,458	3,089,019	2,327,042
beer production total	18,119,473	19,641,640	19,300,262	19,088,071	17,020,404	14,191,893
bottom-fermenting	17,943,345	19,462,625	19,121,839	18,908,908	16,865,399	14,086,697
top-fermenting	167,128	179,015	178,423	179,163	155,005	105,196
beer exports	2,576,364	2,670,577	2,748,336	2,759,218	2,306,601	2,497,779
beer imports (Zollgebiet)	71,498	76,617	74,982	73,723	72,737	58,334
beer imports (abroad)	4,080	4,354	1,775	1,948
bottom-fermenting breweries			3,582	3,485	3,396	3,031
Aktienbrauereien			86	84	80	81
Other breweries				2,911	2,807	2,482
Kommunbrauereien				490
Braunbierbrauer			11,937	11,931	12,083	10,580
Kommunbrauer				8,936
home-use Kommunbrauer			6,735	6,843		6,523
commercial Kommunbrauer			2,128	2,093	2,015	1,480
Weisbierbrauer			4,832	4,741	4,825	4,385
Munich breweries
malt usage (D -Ztr)		956,941	905,632	889,952	742,603	642,840
beer production total		4,853,994	4,638,063	4,528,741	3,854,735	3,749,708
Weissbier production					43,728	32,795
beer exports		1,283,544	1,325,700	1,325,262	1,048,012	1,253,442
Sources:
1910 - 1913: Bayerisches Brauer-Journal 1914, pages 375-376
1914 - 1915: Bayerisches Brauer-Journal 1916, pages 241-242

Winterbier, Sommerbier (part two)

More 19th-century bottom-fermenting fun. Bet you're as excited as I am.

Let's kick off with a revealing table of hopping rates:

Hopping rate per 100 pounds of beer
place	beer	lbs hops
Munich	Sommerbier	4
Munich	Winterbier	2.3
Bamberg	Sommerbier	8
Bamberg	Winterbier	4.4
Kulmbach	Sommerbier	12
Kulmbach	Winterbier	4
Karlsruhe	Sommerbier	7
Karlsruhe	Winterbier	2.9
Bohemia	Sommerbier	3.3
Bohemia	Winterbier	2.2
Prague	Sommerbier	4.4
England	Porter	12
England	IPA	32
Scotland	Ale	12
Source:
Deutsche Vierteljahrsschrift für öffentliche Gesundheitspflege, Volume 2, 1870, page 276.

You're bound to have remarked that Sommerbier was always more heavily-hopped than Winterbier. That's logical. Sommerbier was stronger and had to last all through the warm summer months. But what I found most revealing was how much more hopped the British styles were. Very high hopping rates was, for the 19th century, one of its major distinguishing features.

Here's a description of the different types of beer in Germany around 1900:

"Apart from individual local beers, beer is classified as barley, wheat and rice beer, also Braunbier made from highly-kilned malt, Weissbier from lightly-kilned malt; depending on the quantity of hops you obtain Süßbier or Bitterbier, depending on the quantity of malt used for a certain quantity, einfaches Bier or Doppelbier, high-alcohol beers are called "dry" in contrast to those high in residual sugars, those with a low original gravity are called light beers, weak are those with little alcohol, strong those with much alcohol, and heavy those with a large amount of unfermented extract. Lagerbiers are Winterbier or Schenkbier, that is intended for early consumption, or Sommerbiers (Lagerbiers in the narrower sense) that are stored in special cellars until well into the summer and autumn. This difference was particularly true for Bavaria, as long as brewing only took place from October to April and from 1 hl of malt on average of 2.5 to 2.6 hl of Winterbier, but only 2 to 2.1 hl of Sommerbier was produced. The introduction of the refrigerator, which allows brewing in the summer, has blurred the differences more and more. The excellence of Bockbier is based on the same conditions as Märzenbier. Condensed beers with a sweet, liqueur-like taste are mainly prepared in London by evaporating high-gravity beer in a vacuum to around a fifth of its original volume."
"Meyers grosses Konversations-Lexikon, Volume 2", 1903, page 846.

Clearly artificial refrigeration was the beginning of the end for the distinction between Sommerbier and Winterbier. With year-round brewing, trhere was no longer a need to brew a beer designed to last the whole summer without spoiling.

Note also the distinction which still existed between Braunbier and Weissbier. It was all to do with how the malt was kilned, not which type of grain was used. A Weissbier could be brewed from either barley or wheat. I dread to think how often that word has been incorrectly translated. One reason I prefer  to use German-language sources for information about German beer.

Don't worry. There's plenty more on Sommerbier and Winterbier to come. I've been saving my very best tables until last. I just cait wait for tomorrow to come.