German top-fermenting styles in 1915 (part three)

Fun. That's that funny feeling of happiness we all experience now and again. Though probably not it in the next few minutes. Yes, I'm still banging on about German top-fermenting beer styles. In 1915.

As you'll be able to see from the label I've so thoughtfully provided as an illustration, it wasn't just sugar that was used to sweeten these beers. They used artificial sweeteners, too. For some reason that was allowed, even in the Reinheitsgebot days. It's amazing how many ingredients - other than the malt, hops, water, yeast - were allowed under the RHG.

"Süßbier and Malzbier, also Doppelbier and Kraftbier, are without exception dark in colour and have a sweet taste. The latter rests partly on the malt used in their manufacture; the minimum quantity of malt is, for such beers as Malzbier or those beers which have "Malz" in their name and are made with sugar, in the North German Brausteuergebiet legally set at a minimum of 15 kg per hectolitre. The sweet taste in these beers is also partly derived from sugar, which however is not used in all such products. The original gravity of these beers derived from malt differs greatly, however names such as "Doppel-", "Kraft-" and suchlike imply an especially concentrated wort, in whose manufacture at least the amount of malt normally used for bottom-fermenting Lager is employed. The malt is usually high-dried, and contains an addition of up to 10% Karamlemalz. It is coloured with Farbmalz, Farbebier or Biercouleur. Mashing schemes vary greatly and hopping is very light. For fermentation only lightly-attenuating yeast is used; lagering is performed in several ways according to one of the methods described. The addition of sugar, often in the form of a concentrated water solution, which these beers undergo, amounts to between 2 and 5 kg per hectolitre of beer and usually occurs during filling."
"Encyklopädisches Handbuch der technischen Chemie, Volume 4, Part 1", 1915, page 304. My translation.

Broyhan is next. That's the beer I'd most like to see revived. If only I could work out how the hell it was brewed. Maybe we'll find out tomorrow.

Einfachbier and Süßbier

It's taken a while, but today I finally publish the last of the translation of the "Special Beers" chapter in "Die Herstellung Obergähriger Biere" (page 66). Thanks for being patient.

"Apart from those just mentioned, Einfach- and Süßbiers have little or no individuality and and lack and striking, individyual piquant taste to tickle the tastebuds of drinkers. The only thing that marks them out is a higher CO2 content, acquired during a vigorous secondary fermentation in the bottle, which makes them extremely refreshing, nourishing and thirst-quenching and, especially in the warmer season, majes them lively, when in addition to livelythere's also a need for low-alcohol beers which don't cause much tiredness.

The lack of character and unexciting taste of these beers is usually seen as responsible for the decline in their consumption. It would be difficult to turn the backwards movement into advancing development again. For that, not only would the greatest effort be needed of the business to brew a storable [haltbar], infection-free beer, but also an improvement in quality through the making of maltier, spicier beers with a lasting head and a crystal-clear appearance. with a piquant taste and strong carbonation.

That such beers would find a good and profitable market is illustrated by the increase in production of some crystal-clear, fiery, sharp Special Beers and beer types with a good, characteristic flavour."

Schönfeld explicitly attributes the decline in demand for many top-fermenting to their lack of a distinctive, outdated brewing methods and the presence of infection. History has proved him right. These beers have disappeared without trace while those with the qualities he recommended - Berliner Weisse, Gose, Grätzer and Lichtenhainer - made it past WW II.

Berliner Weisse. I'll be posting a synopsis of the chapter about it in "Die Herstellung Obergähriger Biere" soon. And I've just found a detailed description of how to brew it from the 1950's in Dickscheit's "Leitfaden für Brauer und Mälzer". A translation of that will follow, too.