Let's Brew Wednesday - 1895 Ny Carlsberg Lagerøl Export

I've started with Lagers, so why should I stop? Another 19th-century Carlsberg beer.

Carlsberg were very nice about letting me photograph their archived brewing records. And didn't make me sign any NDAs. Unlike some brewers.

The export version of Lagerøl is a slightly odd beast. What exactly is it?  You couldn’t call it an Export, because it’s too strong and dark. Dunkles Export, then? Too strong. It’s just about Bock strength. So you could, perhaps, consider it a Dunkles Bockbier.

Export? A classier beer, you would expect. Yet the grist is a third barley flour. The rest, Munich malt. The former is the reason that the colour is paler than that of standard Lagerøl.

The hopping is a bit heavier at the equivalent of 2.5 lb per quarter (336 lbs) of malt. Quite a lot more than in the domestic version. Still way short of a UK export beer, which would have four or five times as many hops.

Those hops were, which makes this a bit more interesting, a combination of Saaz and East Kent hops. I’ve assumed the latter were something Goldings-like.

1895 Ny Carlsberg Lagerol Export
Munich malt 20L	11.50 lb	69.70%
barley flour	5.00 lb	30.30%
Saaz 150 mins	0.75 oz
Saaz 60 mins	0.75 oz
Goldings 30 mins	0.75 oz
OG	1064
FG	1028
ABV	4.76
Apparent attenuation	56.25%
IBU	24
SRM	17
Mash double decoction
Boil time	150 minutes
pitching temp	44º F
Yeast	Wyeast 2042 Danish lager

I’d give a beer of this gravity four months of lagering.

These are the decoction mash details:

Mash in at 35º C (95º F)	5 minutes
Warm whole mash to 52º C (126º F)	20 minutes
Rest whole mash at 52º C (126º F) (protein rest)	15 minutes
Draw off first mash and without a rest bring to the boil	30 minutes
Boil first mash	10 minutes
The rest of the mash remains at 52º C (126º F)	40 minutes
Mash at 70º C (158º F)	25 minutes
Rest whole mash at 70º C (158º F) (saccharification rest)	30 minutes
Draw off second mash and without a rest bring to the boil	15 minutes
Boil second mash	10 minutes
Mash at 76º C (169º F) and mash out	20 minutes

 

Let's Brew - 1895 Ny Carlsberg Lagerøl

It's always nice to publish some Lager recipes for a change. So I'm sticking with Carlsberg.

A massive percentage of the brewery’s output at this point was in the form of Lagerøl. Listed as “B” in the brewing record, which I’m guessing stands for Bayerskt: Bavarian. Because this is an attempt at a Bavarian-style Dark Lager.

The recipe is even simpler than for the Pilsner. Just base malt – in this case, Munich – and Hallertau hops. I’m going to struggle to spin much out of that. But that’s not going to stop me trying.

Note the pretty crappy rate of attenuation of under 70%. Low rates of attenuation were typical of 19th-century Lagers. It’s rare to come across anything that gets as high as the 75% which was fairly standard in the UK.

The hopping rate is very low compared to UK beers. It’s only about the equivalent of 1.75 lbs per quarter (336 lbs) of malt. Even the most lightly hopped Milds usually had at least 4 lbs per quarter.

As a Lager, this would, obviously, need some lagering. Three to three and half months you’d need for a beer of this gravity. Though I’m not sure the original got that.
 

1895 Ny Carlsberg Lagerøl
Munich malt 20L	13.75 lb	100.00%
Hallertau 180 mins	0.50 oz
Hallertau 60 mins	0.50 oz
Hallertau 30 mins	0.50 oz
OG	1057
FG	1018
ABV	5.16
Apparent attenuation	68.42%
IBU	18
SRM	19
Mash double decoction
Boil time	150 minutes
pitching temp	51º F
Yeast	Wyeast 2042 Danish lager

These are the decoction mash details:

Mash in at 35º C (95º F)	5 minutes
Warm whole mash to 52º C (126º F)	20 minutes
Rest whole mash at 52º C (126º F) (protein rest)	15 minutes
Draw off first mash and without a rest bring to the boil	30 minutes
Boil first mash	10 minutes
The rest of the mash remains at 52º C (126º F)	40 minutes
Mash at 70º C (158º F)	25 minutes
Rest whole mash at 70º C (158º F) (saccharification rest)	30 minutes
Draw off second mash and without a rest bring to the boil	15 minutes
Boil second mash	10 minutes
Mash at 76º C (169º F) and mash out	20 minutes

 

Lager in the early 20th century

For the next couple of months I'll be back before WW I. Now that my attention has turned full time to my book "Free!".

During my research, I came across this passage on the different types of Lager.

Our attention must now be directed to the principal subject of this evening's paper: Lager Beers ("Lager Biere"). Of these there are four recognised types :—Bohemian, Vienna, Bavarian, and American. As a general rule, three varieties of each are brewed : Light, Ordinary  or Summer Lager, and Export. The exports are all brewed consider ably stronger and contain more alcohol. All the types vary a good deal in colour, flavour, palate-fulness, amount of hops, acidity and alcohol. For example :—

1. Bavarian and Munich beers possess a light to dark-brown shade of colour, are lightly hopped, and are characterised by their palate fulness, sweet taste and malt flavour. Their gravities vary from 12.5° to 15.0° B. in the Light, and from 15.0° to 18.0° B. in the Export beers.

2. The Bohemian are light-yellow, as in the case of the Pilsener, to a peculiar greonish-yellow colour. They taste somewhat sharp, dry and wine-like, but with a prevailing bitter of hops as opposed to the lightly-hopped Bavarians. Their gravities vary from 10.5° to 11.5° B. for the Light, and from 11.0° to 12.8° B. for the Heavy.

3. The Vienna Lagers come somewhere midway between the Bavarian and Bohemian, especially as regards colour, hops, and taste. The gravities vary from 10.5° to 13.5° B. in the Light, and from 13.5° to 15.5° B. for the Heavy and Export beers. The larger amount of the common beer of Vienna is brewed at a gravity of 13.5° B.

4. The American Lagers generally follow the German rather than the Austrian types, yet differ considerably in the many American cities.
"Lager Beers" by James Grant in Journal of the Institute of Brewing Volume 15, Issue 3, May 1909, page 379. 

Interesting that American Lager was considered a type in its own right. Though, of course, there were various different styles of Lager brewed in the USA. These did have European Lagers as their inspiration, but had been adapted to meet American tastes and production methods.

 

Pilsener and WW I (part three)

A really fascinating article to start with. It's discussing the run-up to the draconian legislation to regulate the drinks trade.

It looks at the views of the opposition Unionist party (the Conservatives today). It sounds as if there was some hope that they might moderate the proposals of the governing Liberal party, many of whose leading members were teetotallers. Notably Lloyd George, who as chancellor a few years previously had heaped extra taxation on brewers. He wasn't a very popular man in the brewing trade.

"FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.
LONDON, Tuesday Night.
Unionist Leaders and the Drink Question.
Some surprise has expressed that the Opposition leaders have given no sign while the drink problem has been much discussed. They are in close consultation with the Government as to the measures be taken, and doubtless pending a decision they do not feel it necessary to give the country any indication as to their attitude. They are not ready, it may be surmised, to go quite so far as many Ministers, and it will be remembered that Mr. Austen Chamberlain separated himself from Mr. Lloyd George in regard to the measure of relief to be given to the trade in connection with the increase in the beer duty, but they are certainly prepared to assent to measures more drastic than the most revolutionary Government would have dreamed of before the war. The question of compensation is a difficult problem, which may give rise to a divergence of view between Ministers and the Opposition, but there is agreement on the essential point that matters cannot remain they are and that further measures are required. Mr. Bonar Law’s personal sympathies are, I fancy, in favour of strong measures. He himself is practical if not a theoretical teetotaler. His beverage at dinners is ginger beer or ginger ale, and he has sometimes caused embarrassment. When he became leader of the party in the House Commons and dined out more than had been his wont, his hosts on several occasions forgot his partiality for these harmless drinks, and servants had be sent out hurriedly at the last minute to buy bottles of ginger beer at the nearest shop in a back street.

Mr. Balfour and Light Ales.
Mr. Balfour’s views would be of particular interest at this moment, and although we have heard nothing from him he has doubtless been consulted. He would certainly in the abstract be in favour of severe measures against whisky and the lenient treatment of light ales. He has always urged that on these lines, rather than by restrictive legislation, would be found the best solution of the drink problem, and he is getting support now for that opinion. He has frequently deplored the growing taste in Scotland and Ireland for whisky in preference to beer, and he will now have an opportunity of helping to correct that unfortunate tendency. It may be some consolation to the Germans in the hour of their defeat to learn that one of their conquerors is considering the adoption of their beer drink as the national beverage. We cannot adopt lager beer altogether. The climatic differences must be taken into account, and in the colder atmosphere of the north Pilsener or Munich would be an insipid drink ; but there are plenty of light ales brewed in England and Scotland which would satisfy the taste for alcohol in some form, and would have no bad effects."
Liverpool Daily Post - Wednesday 14 April 1915, page 6.

OK, they didn't go for total Prohibition, but there were still huge restrictions, for example in the form of drastically reduced opening hours and limits on the strength and quantity of beer produced.

You can see once again that Pilsener is trotted out as near-temperance beverage. Britain's climate too cold for Lager? What about North Germany? Hamburg doesn't have a better climate than London or Manchester. I've mentioned before the light bottles beers that appeared towards the end of the 19th century. At around 4.5% ABV, these were comparable to Pilsener in strength.

Though this writer disagrees with me:

"LIGHTER THAN LAGER.
It has frequently been matter of commonplace comment to remark, "Why cannot we brew light beer similar to lager?" German lager beer, either Pilsener or Munich, despite popular notions to the contrary, contains to 3.5 to 4.5 per cent. of alcohol. Our own beers are equally low in alcohol. The majority of light bottled beers — dinner ales or stout — come within the range 3.5 to 4 per cent. of alcohol.

If any measures are to taken in dealing with the drink question full consideration should be given to the low alcohol contents of beer and its claim to regarded as national beverage.

ALCOHOL IN GINGER BEER.
The "Lancet." discussing the alcohol strength of beverages, points out that a total prohibition order would, strictly speaking, include ginger beer, which may reach an alcohol strength 2 to 3 per cent. by volume. The brewing industry, especially if it be confined to brewing light beers, is much less likely to do harm than the distilling industry, which is bound by statute to keep up its product to a very high alcoholic strength."
Liverpool Echo - Friday 09 April 1915, page 5.

In the set of German Pilsners I have from 1878 to 1900 the weakest is just over 4% ABV, the strongest 5.38% ABV. They average 4.89% ABV. If those figures are ABV, the strength he quotes for light bottled beers I'm sure are wrong. I can't remember seeing anything other than Table Beer that was under 4% ABV before WW I.

Finally, what was happening in Asia:

"The Germans have many smart well as shameful things to their credit. In the former is the success with which have been able to capture a considerable portion of the Indian market with their beer. The most famous of all English beers — pale ale — which is known and appreciated all over the world, originated with the demand by Anglo-Indians, and, according to tradition, the reputation and fortune of one of our greatest brewing firms owes its origin to the wreckage of a cargo off the British Isles, when the virtues "East India Pale Ale" first became known to stay-at-homes. The explanation of the present esteem of the German article lies in a preference for a lighter drink. At the moment Japanese brews are replacing those of Munich and Pilsen. But surely England will come into its own again."
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Monday 25 January 1915, page 3.

Lager had made substantial inroads in India after artificial refrigeration and improved bottling techniques made it possible to ship Lager long distances. British beer was far tougher, but not so much to the taste of those living in the tropics. Japanese beer also replaced European Lager in the Dutch East Indies. It made sense. Japan was closer and there was no threat of German U-Boats.

British beer never made a comeback in India as the author hoped.

I've lots more of this stuff.

Pilsener and WW I

 I keep stumbling upon dead interesting stuff with my wide searches of the newspaper archive. This is all about German beer in Britain in 1914.

The war caused considerable problems in the supply of Lager. In the early years, it was because much had come from the now hostile powers of Austria-Hungary and Germany. Later it would be U-Boats making supply from neutral countries impossible.

On the outbreak of war, people felt it their patriotic duty to boycott everything German:

"All Germany commodities have been barred from the London clubs. Hot as the weather is, nobody dreams of asking for a Pilsener!"
Cheltenham Looker-On - Saturday 15 August 1914, page 8.

This is just weird:

"WAR DECLARED ON GERMAN BEERS BY CHELTENHAM ALE.
"Stoppered Press."—An ultimatum has been delivered by Cheltenham Ale to Pilsener and Lager beers : —That as they are German beers and have invaded the territory where better and more wholesome beers are brewed, and as these beers are brewed from local resources and have the recommendation of local, medical and lay opinions, that in future they are required to confine themselves to their own territory under pains and penalties being tried and found quite unsuited to the British Liberal Conservatism."Cheltenham Looker-On - Saturday 29 August 1914, page 11.

This next text is from a newspaper article which seems to be a piece of fiction. But it does contain some fascinating information.

"I happened to be in London the next few days and found my way, in spite of the prevailing gloom, some my old haunts. Curiosity led me to the "Ye Olde Gambrinus," that famous haunt of Germans, where excellent Pilsener beer and more excellent sausage is the great attraction. But when I entered what a change! "Ye Olde Gambrinus" had become a '"Cafe Brasserie," waiters Saxon and Bavarian, had given place spruce Frenchmen, and the glorious placards of the veritable Pilsen and Munchen beers had disappeared. The crowd was still cosmopolitan. Little Oddy still flitted, smiling, here and there. But it was all strange. Now, truth to tell, I love German beer, and I had come with the hope a long draught even at the expense of my patriotism. Around people were sucking syrups and dallying with liqueur. I called the waiter.

"Pilsen." I murmured. He shook his head.

"We have some excellent lager," he said, suavely. "Brewed in Holland."

"I'll try it." I said disdainfully. Try I did — and again — and once more. It was really excellent. Clever fellows those Dutchmen. Got just the right touch. It was really difficult to say which was the better. I tried recall the pleasures of past Pilsener — then called for another Dutch. Excellent. I went home that night in better frame of mind than for months past. What matter if the war did last for years. We could stick it, and we were bound to win. Then I thought of Charlie Smithson. He, too, I remembered, liked a glass or two of Pilsener. I must cheer him by sharing my knowledge.

But it was some weeks before I saw again—he was a great deal from home, and so was I. But I passed him one day in the street as I was hurrying to my train. He certainly looked more cheerful, and filled his clothes better.

"Come up and see me," he called out, as I rushed past.

"Right oh!" I replied.

So that, night I determined to do so. Rachel was still knitting.

"I'll stroll up to Smithson's," I said casually, after dinner.

"Knit 3, 1 over, pull over 1 — don't be late," murmured Rachel.

I went, and as I toiled up the hill I devoutly hoped that Smithson was not in one of his gloomv moods. If he is, I reflected, I'll (excision by Censor). I noticed a flat cart coming down the hill, and as it drew nearer I observed that it had a load of empty cases. And as I glanced again I saw. in bold letters, the words "Brewed in the Royal Brewery at Amsterdam" stamped on the cases. "Heavens!" I cried as a thought came me, and I pressed on.
Newcastle Journal - Saturday 28 November 1914, page 3.

Ye Olde Gambrinus really existed and was a German pub and restaurant. It didn't take it long to change its name after the war started.

A postcard of Ye Olde Gambrinus

It's fascinating, but not so surprising that Dutch Lager was brought in as a replacement for beers from the Central Powers. The author even handily tells us which brewery it comes from: Amstel. Though not in so many words.

Here's some more about the Gambrinus:

"By the beginning of the twentieth century the largest "beer hall" appears to have been "Ye Olde Gambrinus" with branches in both Regent Street and Glasshouse Street in Piccadilly. This fiem gave itself various plaudits including "The Home of Lager Beer in England" and "the Largest Original Beer Hall in England". Its drinks included genuine Munich Pshorrbräu and Kulmbacher "Monchshof " on tap."
"Migration and Transfer from Germany to Britain 1660 to 1914" edited by Stefan Manz, Margit Schulte Beerbühl, John R. Davis, 2007, page 154.

Now we know exactly what the some of the beers it sold were: Pshorrbräu from Munich and Monchshof from Kulmbach. I think the authors are displaying a lack of knowledge of London geography. Glasshouse Street runs behind Regent Street:

OS map of 1896

That part of London must have been popular with Germans - the London Pavillion Music Hall on the far right of the map housed a Spaten beer hall

In reality, Gambrinus was a single pub with two entrances:

"The Gambrinus has entrances in both Regent Street and Glasshouse Street."
"The Gourmet's Guide to London" by Newnham-Davis, 1914, page 378.

I'm shocked at how many German beer halls London had before WW I.

Lots more about Pilsener and WW I to come.

Random 1880's beer analyses

Random analyses from a random chemistry journal.

British beers in the 1880's
	English various
	Burton									Somersetshire Old Vat Ales
	Mild	Pale	Bitter	Mild X	XX	XXX	X	AK Bitter	AK Bitter	A. 2 years	B. 3 years
Maltose	2.13	1.75	1.62	1.87	1.99	2.88	2.14	0.84	0.81	1.54	1.363
Dextrine	3.64	2.48	2.601	1.881	1.728	2.045	1.37	1.48	0.754	2.48	1.963
Albuminoids	0.26	0.21	0.156	0.201	0.202	0.3	0.23	0.16	0.207	0.42	0.705
Lactic & Succinic acids	0.18	0.14	0.171	0.144	0.151	0.098	0.09	0.1	0.144	0.64	0.63
Colouring matters, hop extract, ash, etc (by difference)	0.53	0.55	0.876	1.301	1.368	1.477	1.17	0.39	0.849	0.94	0.835
Total solids	6.74	5.13	5.424	5.397	5.439	6.8	5	2.97	2.764	6.02	5.496
Acetic acid	0.01	0.02	0.015	0.036	0.031	0.024	0.01	0.03	0.06	0.07	0.225
Alcohol by weight	6.78	5.37	5.44	4.6	5.13	6.5	3.29	4.34	4.69	6.5	8.57
Water by difference	86.47	89.48	89.121	89.967	89.4	86.676	91.7	92.66	92.486	87.41	85.709
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Alcohol by volume	8.45	6.71	6.78	5.76	6.41	8.1	4.12	5.44	5.86	8.1	10.69
Original Gravity	1080	1062	1064	1055.5	1060.7	1073.7	1044	1045	1044.6	1071	1085
Ratio of Maltose to Dextrine	1:1.7	1:1.4	1:1.6	1:1	1:0.87	1:0.7	1:0.6	1:1.07	1:1	1:1.6	1:1.38
Source: "Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, Volume 1, 1882", page 20.

Scotland and Ireland:

British beers in the 1880's
	Scotch various				Dublin Stout
	Mild	Export Bitter	Bitter	Bitter	XX	XXX
Maltose	1.5	1.621	0.87	0.87	3.45	5.35
Dextrine	1.86	2.5	1.45	1.38	3.07	2.09
Albuminoids	0.35	0.3	0.3	0.32	0.26	0.43
Lactic & Succinic acids	0.14	0.091	0.1	0.2	0.172	0.252
Colouring matters, hop extract, ash, etc (by difference)	0.23	0.7	0.48	0.78	1.76	1.4
Total solids	4.08	5.212	3.2	3.55	8.712	9.522
Acetic acid	0.03	0.16	0.02	0.03	0.012	0.036
Alcohol by weight	4.62	5	5.5	5.87	5.5	6.78
Water by difference	91.27	89.628	91.28	90.55	85.776	83.662
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100
Alcohol by volume	5.78	6.21	6.86	7.32	6.86	8.45
Original Gravity	1053	1057	1057	1059	1074	1089
Ratio of Maltose to Dextrine	1:1.2	1:1.5	1:1.7	1:1.6	1:0.88	1:0.39
Source: "Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, Volume 1, 1882", page 20.

Now what does that tell us?

Maybe a bit more if we make a comparison with Lagers of the same period.

German beers in the 1880's
	Sold in London			Sold in Germany
	Vienna	Pilsen	Tivoli	Vienna	Pilsen	Munich
Gravity of wort	1052.4	1045.5	1062	1058.6	1040.3	1064
Gravity of beer	1015	1005	1014	1016.5	1011.8	1021
Solids in beer	5.34	3.102	5.58	5.991	4.21	7.08
Nitrogen *(by soda lime)	0.084	0.082	0.06	0.134	0.09	0.103
Albuminoids	0.24	0.195	0.17	0.365	0.2	0.4
Alcohol	4.25	4.44	5.31	4.69	3.29	4.75
Maltose	1.054	0.534	1.75	1.643	0.69	1.57
Dextrine	2.847	1.44	2.15	2.736	2.65	3.15
Lactic & Succinic acids	0.09	0.08	0.12	0.126	0.09	0.14
Acetic acid	0.036	0.018	0.02	0.024	0.02	0.01
Colouring matters, hop extract, ash, etc	1.109	0.953	1.39	1.121	0.59	1.82
Water by difference	90.374	92.34	89.09	89.295	92.47	88.16
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100
alcohol by volume	5.32	5.6	6.63	5.86	4.12	5.94
Ratio of Maltose to Dextrine	1:2.7	1:2.7	1:1.23	1:1.66	1:3.8	1:2
Source: "Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, Volume 1, 1882", page 22.

And some Bohemian ones, too.

German beers in the 1880's (analysed by Hebenstreit
	Bohemian					Bavarian
	1	2	3	4	Averages	1	2	3	4	Averages
Gravity of wort	1042.8	1043	1042	1045.8	1043.5	1054.5	1049.4	1054.7	1061.2	1055
Gravity of beer	1007	1006	1009	1012	1008	1020	1009	1011	1024	1016
Solids in wort	11.42	11.46	11.28	12.22	11.59	14.53	13.19	14.59	16.33	14.66
Solids in beer	3.66	3.46	3.96	4.8	3.97	6.64	4.71	5.53	9.81	6.17
Dextrine	2.42	2.4	1.82	1.92	2.14	3.21	3.18	2.96	3.69	3.26
Maltose	0.48	0.48	0.48	0.85	0.57	1.04	0.62	0.9	0.92	0.87
Alcohol (ABW)	3.88	4	3.66	3.71	3.81	3.96	4.24	4.53	4.26	4.14
Ratio of Maltose to Dextrine					1:3.75					1:3.75
Source: "Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, Volume 1, 1882", page 22.

Did you spot it? That's right, the Lagers have a much higher proportion of dextrine.

Fascinating, fascinating.



You can find the original  tables here:



http://books.google.com/books?id=1ijOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=high-dried+malt&source=bl&ots=hr75U31OfF&sig=4yRjiB0ByyzO_IkNE-F7WF_jSM8&hl=en&ei=unNZS7GJM4a1tgey2aioAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCgQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=high-dried%20malt&f=false