German Light Lagerbeers in 1984

A bit of a change of pace today. So nothing about WW II. Instead some fairly random analyses of German Lagers.

I doubted that the "light" referred to the colour, as a couple are definitely on the amber side.  Surely 14 EBC is too dark for a Helles?

When I bothered to look at the accompanying text, I learnt that in the South of Bavaria and around Munich, Helles was very pale, but in the Northeast of Bavaria it was darker. There's a new style for you: Northeast Bavarian Helles.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this table is the inclusion of bitterness values. In which there's a fair amount of variation, from 18 to 28.5. According to modern style Nazis, the bitterness level should be around 20.

I'm surprised in the variation in colour of the base malt, between 2.8 and 8 EBC. I would have assumed that the base malt would be all fairly similar pils malt. Even more of a shock is the inclusion of some quite dark malts.

Most of the beers used a double decoction, though one used a simple infusion. I suspect that, if a similar analysis were done today, that there would be more infusions and fewer decoctions.

Light lagerbeers of different character extract ca 11.5% P = 1046º G
Brewery	1	2	3	4	5	6
colour of beer EBC	5.5	7.5	7.5	9	11	14
Bitter units EBC	18	22	28.5	26	23	20
Alcalinity of brewing liquor ºGH	-3	2	-2	3	3	4
colour EBC of malt	2.8	3	3	4.3	6	8
Specialmalts %
cara lightest (5 EBC)		3
cara light (40 EBC)				3	3	3
cara dark (130 EBC)				or	1	3
dark malt (15 EBC)				10		or 40
Mashing procedure	D2	I	D2	D2	D2	D2
Mashing-in temp ºC	62	45	52	52	52	37
I = infusion mash
D2 = two mash decoction
Source:
Journal of the Institute of Brewing Vol. 90, 1984, page 355.

Munich Helles in 1902

To go with yesterday’s post, here’s one about fat old Dunkles’ slim blond younger brother. Helles.

It’s going to be a compare and contrast exercise. Which is always fun.

Let’s start with OG. 13.52º for Dunkles, 12.35º for Helles. What’s interesting, is that the average ABV of Helles is an eensie weensie bit higher – 4.65% compared to 4.62%. No surprise than that the rate of attenuation is higher for Helles.

Quite a lot more dextrin in the Dunkles: 3.22% to 2.26%. No shock there either, I guess.

Neither that Helles was much paler on average, 9.1 to 30. Though both styles had a difference of about 100% between the palest and darkest examples.

That’s me done. Free day tomorrow. And Abt to drink this evening.

Munich Helles in September 1902
FG	OG	extract	ABV	maltose	dextrin	lactic acid	real atten-uation	colour
1015.6	12.63	5.64	4.60	2.16	2.16	0.18	55.34	9
1012.5	11.89	4.87	4.60	1.17	2.09	0.16	59	6.5
1015.7	12.35	5.6	4.43	1.9	2.15	0.19	54.66	10
1014.8	12.96	5.52	4.42	1.5	2.42	0.17	54.98	11.6
1012	12.14	4.82	4.80	1.01	2.47	0.14	60.29	7.5
1017.1	13.17	5.99	4.80	1.96	2.51	0.19	54.52	10
1014.8	12.48	5.35	4.69	1.95	2.12	0.19	57.13	12.6
1016.1	12.64	5.72	4.55	1.1	3.23	0.17	54.75	10.6
1010.2	12.23	4.87	5.16	0.99	2.14	0.17	64.27	7.5
1011.4	11.78	4.57	4.71	1.26	1.88	0.18	61.21	8
1015.2	12.33	5.5	4.48	1.72	2.44	0.15	55.39	10
1016.2	11.81	5.6	4.06	2.16	2.09	0.16	52.58	8
1012.4	12.96	5	5.25	1.34	2.16	0.19	61.42	9.6
1014.3	12.81	5.47	4.89	1.95	2.12	0.16	57.3	8.5
1013.2	11.74	5.05	4.43	1.96	1.91	0.14	56.99	8
highest	13.17	5.99	5.25	2.16	3.28	0.19	64.27	12.5
lowest	11.74	4.37	4.06	1.01	1.88	0.14	52.58	6.5
average	12.35	5.27	4.65	1.61	2.26	0.17	57.32	9.1
Source:
Bayerisches Brauer-Journal issue 49, December 1902, page 353.

Munich Helles vs. Dunkles in 1902 and 2014

As thromised, some more lovely numbers pertaining to Munich’s two most popular styles, Helles and Dunkles.

It’s going to be mostly numbers. The day is warm and my arse is lazy. Starting with a comparison of Dunkles and Helles in 1902:

Dunkles vs Helles in 1902
style	Acidity	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Colour
Dunkles	0.18	13.52	1054.66	1019.14	4.55	65.01%	29.71
Helles	0.17	12.35	1049.68	1014.07	4.58	71.71%	9.21
difference	-0.01	-1.18	-4.98	-5.07	0.03	6.70%	-20.50

Despite having a gravity more than 1º Plato higher, Dunkles is on average a tiny bit weaker than Helles. And an awful lot darker. Nothing particularly unexpected there.

The pattern in 2014 is remarkably similar:

Dunkles vs Helles in 2014
style	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
Dunkles	12.58	1050.64	1010.88	5.18	78.53%
Helles	11.62	1046.62	1007.65	5.08	83.58%
difference	-0.96	-4.02	-3.23	-0.10	5.05%

About a difference of 1º Plato in the OG, but a broadly similar ABV. That tells me that while the styles themselves may have changed, the relationship between the two has remained broadly similar.

Now let’s take a look at how Dunkles has changed over the years:

Dunkles 1902 vs 2014
style	Acidity	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Colour
Dunkles 1902	0.18	13.52	1054.66	1019.14	4.55	65.01%	29.71
Dunkles 2014		12.58	1050.64	1010.88	5.18	78.53%
difference		-0.95	-4.03	-8.26	0.63	13.52%

The gravity has dropped by 1º Plato, but the ABV has increased by more than 0.5%. Obviously due to a huge increase in the rate of attenuation.

Finally, how Helles has changed:

Helles 1902 vs 2014
style	Acidity	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Colour
Helles 1902	0.17	12.35	1049.68	1014.07	4.58	71.71%	9.21
Helles 2014		11.62	1046.62	1007.65	5.08	83.58%
difference		-0.73	-3.06	-6.42	0.50	11.87%

A slightly smaller drop in OG, but a similar increase in ABV.

That’s enough tables for now.

Munich Helles in 1902 and 2014

As promised, more numbers. This time regarding that other great Munich style, Helles.

As you would expect, the numbers look very different to those for Dunkles. We’ll be comparing the two sets later. But first I’d like to concentrate on Helles.

In 1902 it was still a relative newcomer on the Munich scene. The first versions were only brewed in the 1890’s. Munich brewers, who were associated all over the world with dark Lagers, didn’t want to dilute their brand. Eventually they gave in to the inevitable and began brewing beers “Nach Pilsner Art”, which later came to be called simply Helles.

The attenuation of the Helles examples looks more reasonable, averaging over 70%. But the generally lower gravity means the ABV is about the same as for Dunkles.

I’m always surprised by the high level of acidity in old Lagers. As a means of comparison, the acidity in British draught beers measured by Whitbread in the 1920’s and 1930’s is usually below 0.10%. Here it’s averaging 0.17% lactic acid.

If anyone has any suggestions as to why Lagers were so acidic, I’d love to hear them. I always thought they were meant to be very clean beers.

Munch Helles in September 1902
Year	Brewer	Beer	Acidity	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Colour
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.18	12.63	1050.87	1015.6	4.53	69.33%	9
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.16	11.89	1047.75	1012.5	4.53	73.82%	6.5
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.19	12.35	1049.69	1015.7	4.36	68.40%	10
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.17	12.26	1049.31	1014.8	4.35	69.98%	11.6
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.14	12.14	1048.80	1012	4.72	75.41%	7.5
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.19	13.17	1053.15	1017.1	4.66	67.83%	10
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.19	12.48	1050.23	1014.3	4.61	71.53%	12.6
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.17	12.64	1050.91	1016.1	4.48	68.38%	10.6
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.17	12.23	1049.18	1010.2	5.07	79.26%	7.5
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.18	11.78	1047.29	1011.4	4.64	75.89%	8
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.15	12.33	1049.60	1015.2	4.41	69.36%	10
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.16	11.81	1047.41	1016.2	4.00	65.83%	8
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.19	12.96	1052.26	1012.4	5.16	76.27%	9.6
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.16	12.81	1051.63	1014.3	4.81	72.30%	8.5
1902	Unknown	Helles	0.14	11.74	1047.12	1013.2	4.36	71.99%	8.7
	Average		0.17	12.35	1049.68	1014.07	4.58	71.71%	9.21
Source:
"Bayerisches Brauer-Journal vol. XII", 1902, page 353.

Unsurprisingly, modern versions have a lower gravity, but higher attenuation, leaving them 0.5% ABV stronger. As you can see in our next table:

Munich Helles in 2014
Year	Brewer	Beer	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
2014	Paulaner	Münchner Hell	11.5	1046.11	1008.5	4.90	81.57%
2014	Löwenbräu	Original	11.8	1047.37	1007.5	5.20	84.17%
2014	Spaten	Münchner Hell	11.7	1046.95	1007.1	5.20	84.88%
2014	Hacker-Pschorr	Münchner Hell	11.5	1046.11	1007.75	5.00	83.19%
2014	Weihenstephan	Original	11.6	1046.53	1007.4	5.10	84.10%
	Average		11.62	1046.62	1007.65	5.08	83.58%
Sources:
Brewery websites

There’s not as big a difference in the OG as with Dunkles, only 0.73º Plato. But the big difference in FG and attenuation must mean that modern versions are much thinner than ones of a century ago.

That’s been so much fun, I’ll be back with some more tables and shit derived from the same data.

Where they drank Dunkles in Bavaria in the 1930’s

Did I mention I have several hundred beer-related books? I reckon around 700, but I’m not sure. Too many for me to remember them all.

I was making a quick search for duplicates amongst my German books – I know there are some – when I chanced upon a book I forgot that I owned. "Die Besteuerung des Haus-Brauwesens in Bayern" by Otto Rizzi, published in 1933. I think I bought on one of my trips to Bavaria, but I’m not 100% certain.

As soon as I opened it, I could see why I bought it. Certainly not for the typeface, a hard to read Gothic. No, for the tables. Of which there are lots. I love a good table, me. The topic – the taxation of house brewers in Bavaria – is pretty dry. But it’s packed with data about both communal and commercial breweries. Dead, dead handy. Why have I never used any of it? Because I’m overwhelmed with data. I can’t collect it all. There’s just too much of it.

A couple of the smaller tables particularly attracted my attention. Like the one we’ll be looking at today. It shows percentage sales of Helles and Dunkles in the different regions of Bavaria. Not something I’ve seen before. And not at all what I expected.

Let me explain. One of the best books ever written about German beer in general is "Die Biere Deutschlands" by Wolfgang Kaul & Dietrich Höllhuber, published in 1988. I can remember ordering a copy when I lived in Rotterdam. It’s where I first learned of Gose, something that started a quest to track down the style.

But they also wrote a series of walking guides to Franconia for the beer drinker ("Fränkische Schweiz. Ein Wanderführer für Biertrinker", for example). Their photos and descriptions of rural beer gardens made my mouth literally water. What particularly struck me was how many of the places they covered only sold Dunkles. It sounded like heaven.

When I finally got to Fränkische Schweiz, I saw plenty of Dunkles. One of my favourite places, Kathi-Bräu, brews nothing else. And most of the small breweries had one available. That’s why these numbers shocked me so much:

Output of beer in Bavaria by colour 1930-1931
	pale	dark
Oberbayern	25.8	74.2
Niederbayern	55	45
Schwaben	56	44
Oberfranken	96	4
Mittelfranken	90	10
Unerfranken	90	10
Oberpfalz	78.2	21.8
Pfalz	96.7	3.3
Source:
"Die Besteuerung des Haus-Brauwesens in Bayern" by Otto Rizzi, 1933, page 197.

Fränkische Schweiz is in Oberbayern Oberfranken, where just 4% of beer was Dunkles in the 1930’s. I would never in a million years have guessed that. All the Dunkles was drunk in the southern half of Bavaria. Oberbayern ( Munich and surroundings), Niederbayern (Passau and the Bavarian Forest) and Schwaben (The area bordering Baden Württemberg).

I’m amazed at how dramatic the split is between the north and south of the state. Though, thinking more carefully, it shouldn’t be such a surprise that Franconia had a different beer tradition. It only became part of Bavaria during the Napoleonic Wars.

Here’s a map of Bavaria to make things clearer:

German beer classes in the 1930’s next.

Braustolz beers

Another day, another brewery from the former DDR.

And from a town that sort of exemplified the DDR, it being the one they changed the name of: Karl-Marx-Stadt, or Chemnitz as it’s once again called. I’m still getting used to the name Chemnitz, even after 25 years. Hardleers, is what the Dutch would call me. (Not sure what a correct English translation of that would be.)

Friedrich August Kupfer founded the Feldschlösschen Brauerei in 1868. It was an early example of the new Lager breweries established in the North of Germany. The breweries which would sweep away the old top-fermenting styles of the region. Later it adopted the name Braustolz.

As a relatively large business, Braustolz left private ownership in the first round of nationalisations in the 1950’s and became VEB Brautolz. At the time there were five breweries in Karl-Marx-Stadt, of which one other, Schloß was also nationalised  and three privately owned, Einsiedler, Germania and Reichenbrand. Surprisingly, both Einsiedler and Reichenbrand are still in business.

In the second round of nationalisations in 1972, all five breweries were grouped together as the VEB Getränkekombinat Karl-Marx-Stadt. Lumping together all the breweries in a region into one group was a feature of the late DDR.

In the 1990’s, Braustolz was bought by the Kulmbacher Brauerei. One of my least favourite in Franconia, if I’m honest. Though it has continued to operate the brewery in Chemnitz. It currently produces beer under the brads Braustolz and Kappler (named after the part of Chemnitz where the brewery is located). It brews around 150,000 hl a year. This is their current range:

Braustolz beers in 2015
Beer	style	OG Plato	ABV
Braustolz Helles Lager	Helles	9.7	4%
Braustolz Pilsner	Pilsner	11.1	4.9%
Braustolz Landbier	Helles	11.7	5.2%
Braustolz Schwarzbier	Schwarzbier	12	5.2%
Braustolz Spezial Export	Export	12.1	5.4%
Braustolz Bockbier	Dunkler Bock	16.1	6.6%
Braustolz Doppel-Caramel	Doppel-Caramel		0.0%
Kappler Braumeister	Export		5.2%
Kappler Festbier	Festbier		5.4%
Source:
Braustolz website http://www.braustolz.de.

A couple of interesting beers in there. I’m amazed that they still brew Doppel-Caramel, though it can’t be the same as the DDR-period version, as that contained some alcohol. The Helles Lager has a very odd gravity for a German beer. Being under 11º Plato, it doesn’t count as a Vollbier. Though the high degree of attenuation means that it’s probably almost the same ABV as their old Hell.

The Pilsner and Bock are most likely the beers that have changed the least. Landbier is a popular, but essentially meaningless, name. All sorts of beers of different strengths and even colour have the name plonked on them. I guess the idea is to make it sound like an old-fashioned country beer. Schwarzbier also tells a story. I can’t recall there being any example, other than Köstritzer. There may have been, but I’ve never even seen a label for one. The style has grown in popularity since reunification and many breweries in Saxony make one.


Sources:
Brauerei-Adressbuch, 2014/2015

http://www.braustolz.de/brauerei/geschichte.html
http://www.bierguru.de/Biergegenden/Sachsen/Chemnitz/

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1932 Barclay Perkins Draught Lager

What an impressive run of Let's Brews this has been. Several weeks in a row, on Wednesday. And all Lager recipes.

I'm getting very close to telling you why I had all these Lager recipes to hand. I've booked my flights, so I'm pretty much committed. But funnily enough, this isn't one of those recipes. I've written it especially for this. Just to complete the set of pre-war Barclay Perkins Lager recipes.

On with the beer itself.  I'm not sure exactly when it was brought on as a sub, but it wasn't in the starting lineup. Sometime between 1928 and 1932. It's sign that demand for Lager was increasing, the fact it could be served on draught.

Trade price lists from WW II tell us something about how this beer was packaged and served:

The barrel sizes are revealing. 11 gallons is 50 litres. These are obviously of Continental design. But they're  also quite small. Most beer was delivered to pubs in 36-gallon barrels of 54-gallon hogsheads.

Then the prices. Lets say ten bob a gallon for Export and Dark. That comes to 360/- an Imperial barrel. No wonder they're priced by the gallon. Even Home Light - the beer we're looking at - was 306/- a barrel. And was about the same strength as XLK. As always in Britain, Lager was crap value on a price/ABV basis.

You see that they've now got three draught Lagers. Export and Dark, their original pair, had been added to the prosaic Draught.

I also know it was served on CO2 pressure, because "tubes of gas" get a mention on the flip side:

(Excuse the dirty fingernail. I'd been in the archive all day. You can't imagine the filth you're covered with after the sixtieth brewing book. I usually try to dress all in black.)

That's the contextual crap. Time to look more closely at the recipe. Not that there's much to look at. It's a near-smash recipe, with only Hallertau spoiling the show. I'm surprised by the diversity of Barclay Perkins Lager recipes.This is all malt. Unlike Export, their other pale Lager, whose grist was almost 25% corn grits.

This is how it compares with some of Barclay Perkins' other beers:

Barclay Perkins beers in 1932
name	description	OG
X	Ordinary Mild	1032.8
XX	Best Mild	1040.87
XLK	Ordinary Bitter	1043.88
PA	Best Bitter	1050.76
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/01/617.

Draught was around the same strength as Best Mild or Ordinary Bitter. Which is a bit different from the situation after 1960, when Lager was around the same strength as Cooking Mild.

That's more than I intended writing. Best stop now and switch off Nigella.




Over to me again . . . . .

1932 Barclay Perkins Draught Lager
lager malt	9.50 lb	100.00%	9.50 lb
Hallertau 90 min	0.88 oz
Saaz 60 min	0.67 oz
Saaz 30 min	0.67 oz
OG	1043.5
FG	1011
ABV	4.30
Apparent attenuation	74.71%
IBU	29
SRM	3
Mash at	155º F
Sparge at	160º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	48º F
Yeast	Wyeast 2042 Danish lager

Here's the original mashing scheme for the masochists amongst you:

Fed up with Lager recipes yet? I've a few more. Including some odd ones. Like the second Scottish Lager.