German Beer Production 1872 - 1881

If you haven't realised my love for numbers yet you're either a new reader or a dozy twat. I'd like to think none of you are in the latter category.

That should warn you that we're headed for a very number-heavy post. All kicked off by some statistics I stumbled upon in a 19th-century German technical publication, the unputdownable "Jahresbericht über die Leistungen der chemischen Technologie 1882". It had me literally in stitches*.

The numbers cover the first years of the newly-founded German Empire. It was a very dynamic time in Germany. Political union brought all sorts of economic advantages with it and the German economy boomed. Rapid industrialisation was accompanied by a surge in population, which grew from 41 million in 1871 to 56 million in 1900. And, it being Germany, those extra 15 million souls drank beer. Any guesses as to what the trend in German beer output might be over these years?  It doesn't take a genius to work that one out.

Let's get the barrel rolling with the initial set of numbers that kicked my mind off working. But first a little explanation. The German Empire was a complicated place. It wasn't a centralised state the way modern countries are. As a leftover from the way the country was nailed together in the 1870's, there were anomalies in various areas. Like beer tax. Several systems of beer taxation were in use in different parts.

That's why this table is split up in such a weird way. It's divided by beer tax district, which isn't the same as the administrative divisions - the equivalent of modern Germany's states. There was a standard system in much of the country - basically the bits the Prussians had controlled before unification. That's the Reichssteuergebiet (also called the Brausteuergebiet) - the Empire Tax Area. Then there were the traditional brewing regions of the South: Bavaria, Württemberg and Baden who retained their own system of taxing beer. Finally the newly-annexed territory of Alsace-Lorraine.

One last point. The way it's divided up tells us the source of these figures: tax authorities.

Ah, just found some numbers that continue from the first set, neatly doubling the size of the table. How brilliant is that?

Beer production in the German customs area 1872 - 1881 (hl)
Year	Reichssteuergebiet	Bayern	Württemberg	Baden	Alsace-Lorraine	Total
1872	16,102,179	10,905,836	4,197,274	926,957	812,454	32,944,700
1873	19,654,903	11,256,208	3,995,056	1,094,634	987,752	36,988,553
1874	20,494,914	12,079,760	3,596,144	1,133,865	889,191	38,193,874
1875	21,358,228	12,084,910	3,662,418	1,066,661	763,313	38,935,530
1876	20,873,379	12,347,153	3,879,006	1,050,841	706,694	38,857,073
1877/78	20,360,491	12,205,377	3,801,519	1,098,500	803,136	38,269,023
1878/79	20,371,925	12,122,483	3,067,305	1,085,020	787,905	37,434,638
1879/80	19,984,613	12,152,532	3,172,634	1,085,655	788,542	37,183,976
1880/81	21,136,031	11,821,915	3,396,292	1,155,450	982,659	38,492,347
Average 1872 - 1881	20,037,407	11,886,242	3,640,850	1,077,509	835,738	37,477,746
per head of population	62	285	192	71	54	88
1881/1882	19,244,000	11,826,000	3,396,000	1,155,000	932,000	36,663,000
1885/86	22,105,000	12,655,000	2,879,000	1,244,000	691,000	39,822,000
1890/91	29,374,000	14,427,000	3,508,000	1,679,000	837,000	49,925,000
1891/92	29,695,000	14,490,000	3,454,000	1,643,000	875,000	50,268,000
1892/93	30,186,000	15,104,000	3,749,000	1,714,000	912,000	51,795,000
1893/94	31,290,000	15,025,000	3,478,000	1,710,000	907,000	52,528,000
1894/95	30,916,000	15,186,000	3,493,000	1,728,000	869,000	52,311,000
1895/96	34,337,000	16,034,000	3,885,000	1,914,000	997,000	57,299,000
1896/97	34,904,000	16,206,000	3,796,000	2,192,000	937,000	48,169,000
1897/98	37,707,000	16,982,000	4,100,000	2,741,000	964,000	62,649,000
1898/99	38,465,000	17,455,000	4,069,000	2,947,000	1,058,000	64,164,000
1899/1900	39,320,000	17,739,000	4,128,000	3,095,000	1,128,000	65,621,000
Source:
"Jahrbuch der Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin, 1911", p.585-589
Jahresbericht über die Leistungen der chemischen Technologie 1882, 1883, page 871.
https://archive.org/stream/jahresberichtbe02gottgoog#page/n900/mode/2up

In terms of per capita production, Bavaria and Württemberg are way out in front. Wondering why Baden is so far behind the other southern regions in terms of beer output? The answer is simple: it's more wine country.

Now let's look at that in terms of percentage of total output. (These are derived from the figures in the first table.)

Beer production in the German customs area 1872 - 1881 (%)
Year	Reichssteuergebiet	Bayern	Württemberg	Baden	Alsace-Lorraine
1872	48.88%	33.10%	12.74%	2.81%	2.47%
1873	53.14%	30.43%	10.80%	2.96%	2.67%
1874	53.66%	31.63%	9.42%	2.97%	2.33%
1875	54.86%	31.04%	9.41%	2.74%	1.96%
1876	53.72%	31.78%	9.98%	2.70%	1.82%
1877/78	53.20%	31.89%	9.93%	2.87%	2.10%
1878/79	54.42%	32.38%	8.19%	2.90%	2.10%
1879/80	53.75%	32.68%	8.53%	2.92%	2.12%
1880/81	54.91%	30.71%	8.82%	3.00%	2.55%
Average 1872 - 1881	53.46%	31.72%	9.71%	2.88%	2.23%
1881/1882	52.49%	32.26%	9.26%	3.15%	2.54%
1885/86	55.51%	31.78%	7.23%	3.12%	1.74%
1890/91	58.84%	28.90%	7.03%	3.36%	1.68%
1891/92	59.07%	28.83%	6.87%	3.27%	1.74%
1892/93	58.28%	29.16%	7.24%	3.31%	1.76%
1893/94	59.57%	28.60%	6.62%	3.26%	1.73%
1894/95	59.10%	29.03%	6.68%	3.30%	1.66%
1895/96	59.93%	27.98%	6.78%	3.34%	1.74%
1896/97	72.46%	33.64%	7.88%	4.55%	1.95%
1897/98	60.19%	27.11%	6.54%	4.38%	1.54%
1898/99	59.95%	27.20%	6.34%	4.59%	1.65%
1899/1900	59.92%	27.03%	6.29%	4.72%	1.72%

Isn't that fascinating? It shows a long-term trend of the North of Germany producing a large percentage of the total at the expense of Bavaria and even more so from Württemberg. That can easily be explained. It was in the North where most of the industrialisation was taking place. And where large, modern, bottom-fermenting breweries were starting to appear, replacing small, old-fashioned top-fermenting breweries.

I'll be doing some more playing around with these numbers. I like to make statistics dance for their tea.





* I fell asleep while reading it and fell onto a glass, slashing my palm open.

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.

Austrian beer output by º Balling in 1888 (part two)

Yes, it's time for another little compare and contrast exercise. Well you didn't think I was going to leave these plump, nubile numbers unmolested, did you?

This time we're looking at three German-speaking provinces whiuch still form part of Austria today: Upper Austria, Styria and Salzburg. Like our last three provinces, these form a contiguous piece of territory. Though, as we'll soon see, that doesn't mean it was a homogenous unit in terms of types of beer produced.

Looking through these statistics for the different parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, you get some idea as to why it might have fallen apart. There are huge contrasts between provinces and not a huge amount of common ground. Add to that dozens of languages and multiple systems of currency and you get some idea of the possibility for chaos.

It reminds me of one of my favourite bits in the Good Soldier Svejk, when the hero tries on a Russian uniform and gets captured by his own side. When his German-speaking captors ask him where he's from and he replies "Praha" (Prague), they think he's a Pole from Praga (a suburb of Warsaw. I think it neatly sums up the absurdity of the Empire.

OK, let's crack on with some numbers. First the full set:

Austrian Beer output by º Balling in 1888 (hl)
º Balling	Upper Austria	%	Salzburg	%	Styria	%	Total	%
6	0		0		0		2,233	0.02%
7	0		0		0		54	0.000%
8	0		0		0		0	0.00%
9	41,590	4.39%	10	0.003%	150	0.02%	278,431	2.12%
10	167,274	17.66%	6,438	2.15%	8,105	1.23%	7,226,651	54.99%
11	240,492	25.40%	67,664	22.56%	28,626	4.34%	1,924,339	14.64%
12	486,201	51.34%	203,899	67.97%	209,795	31.78%	2,126,679	16.18%
13	9,516	1.00%	20,007	6.67%	202,434	30.67%	1,173,621	8.93%
14	1,076	0.11%	1,650	0.55%	135,124	20.47%	254,212	1.93%
15	820	0.09%	0	0.00%	75,631	11.46%	148,318	1.13%
16	22		300	0.10%	276	0.04%	4,973	0.04%
17	0		0		0		1,497	0.01%
18	0		0		0		441	0.003%
19	0		0		0		200	0.002%
20	0		0		0		732	0.01%
22	0		0		0		48	0.00%
total	946,991	7.21%	299,968	2.28%	660,141	5.02%	13,142,429
active breweries	228	11.74%	60	3.09%	68	3.50%	1942
inactive breweries	20	6.90%	2	0.69%	4	1.38%	290
average output per brewery	4,153		4,999		9,708		6,767

We'll begin with what the three provinces have in common: 12º was the most brewed. Though the percentage share this type had varies a lot: 68% in Salzburg, 51% in Upper Austria and 32% in Styria. In the latter 12º only won by a nose from 13º. Drilling down further, A fair proportion of 10º was brewed in Upper Austria (18% of the total), but minimal amounts in the other two provinces. While in Styria large quantites of 13º, 14º and 15º were made, but very little in the other two. It's interesting that over 50% of the 14º 15º brewed in the whole Empire came from Styria. There must be a reason for that. very little beer in the Bock category - 16º and up - was brewed in either of the three provinces.

1,907,100 hl were brewed in the three provinces combined, or about 14.5% of the Empire total. The breweries in Styria were clearly operating on a larger scale, averaging 9,708 hl per brewery, or about double that of the other two.

Grouping the numbers together into strength bands that roughly represent beer types, the picture becomes clearer:

º Balling	Upper Austria	%	Salzburg	%	Styria	%
6 to 10	208,864	22.06%	6,448	2.15%	8,255	1.25%
11 to 12	726,693	76.74%	271,563	90.53%	238,421	36.12%
13 to 15	11,412	1.21%	21,657	7.22%	413,189	62.59%
16 to 22	22	0.002%	300	0.10%	276	0.04%

Upper Austria is three-quarters Lagerbier strength, one quarter Schankbier. While Salzburg is over 90% Lagerbier and 7% Märzen/Export. Finally Styria is one-third Lagerbier and two-thirds Märzen/Export. The difference are too great to be insignificant or random.

I'm saving another three provinces for next time. Try not to miss them.

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4 shitting my pants - that's how I counted the clothes I need for Newark. You never know.

Don't pretend it's never happened to you. An over enthusiastic fart can ruin anyone's day.

20% off my Lulu books

until the end of 11th August with this code:

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Looks a pretty good deal to me. A good chance to buy one of my pricier books like Porter! or Numbers!

Barclay Perkins Bookstore

Watney Porter quality 1922 - 1923

Here we are at the W's again. The finishing tape is almost in sight. Almost.

It's bizarre how much time I've spent discussing Watney and their beers. Because even though they were plenty of them around, there's only one of their beers I ever tried: Fined Bitter. It was OK, if you couldn't find anything better. It didn't come in normal casks but some weird modified keg. I wonder when that was last brewed?

Watney - or Watney, Combe, Reid to give them their offical name - was created by the first big brewer merger. Three largish London brewers joined together to form a huge one. They were an ambitious company and embarked on an advertising campaign, mostly through the form of posters. The Red Barrel logo appeared surprisingly late - in 1930. A competition, open to the general public and with a prize of £500 for the winner, was held to find a design. There were more than 26,000 entries, from which the Red Barrel was chosen.*

A long-running campaign were the so-called "brick wall" posters. I think the reason they were called that is pretty obvious - they were in the form of graffiti chalked on a brick wall. The series kicked off in 1937 with the classic "What we want is Watneys" and continued through the war years and beyond.**

This is from Advertisers Weekly, quoted on page 50 of "The Story of Watneys":

"Giving Watneys Wall the appearance of a real brick wall was more than a good stunt. It made the poster look bigger whenever it appeared on a hoarding fixed to a brick wall (in the same way as a Press advertisementwithout a border is often enlarged by the white margin; of a red bus poster looks bigger when it merges with the red of a London bus).

And so, Watneys Wall - first considered by some critics just as a shortlived stunt - gradually became a friendly, familiar sight. And when the face of some streets had changed as a result of the war, Watneys Wall, too, reflected this change. Overnight it developed cracks, overnight it became partly ruined . . . yet carrying the optimistic message: 'Build up with Reid's Stout' . . . with a bit of blue sky showing."

Having damaged walls on wartime posters is absolutely brilliant.

Right. That's enough advertising crap. Let's slide gently up to our pint of Watney's Porter. But time for a quick recap on the scores so far. Watney has been doing well. Second palce of seventeen for their Mild with an average score of 1.25. Their Burton didn't fare so well, coming ninth of fourteen, but still averaged 0.77. Their Pale Ale more than made up for that slightly disappointing showing by coming second of fifteen with an impressive average of 2.21.

Let's see how their Porter did:

Watney Porter quality 1922 - 1923
Year	Beer	FG	OG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Flavour	score	Price
1922	Porter	1011.8	1035.3	3.04	66.57%	good	2	6d
1922	Porter	1010.4	1034.4	3.11	69.77%	poor	-1	6d
1922	Porter	1008	1034.5	3.44	76.81%	v fair	2	6d
1922	Porter	1010	1034.5	3.17	71.01%	v fair	2	6d
1923	Porter	1012	1033	2.71	63.64%	fair	1	5d
1923	Porter	1009.8	1035.8	3.37	72.63%	fairly good	1	6d
1923	Porter	1009.3	1035.3	3.37	73.65%	v fair	2	6d
1923	Porter	1009.8	1038.8	3.76	74.74%	v fair	2	6d
1923	Porter	1009.2	1033.7	3.17	72.70%	v fair	2	6d
Average		1010.0	1035.0	3.24	71.28%		1.44
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001

Pretty damn well, is the answer. Only one with a negative score and no less than six samples with a score of two. Leaving a very healthy average score of 1.44. Even more surprising given this is one of the weakest Porters, with one example under 3% ABV.

I think I'm starting to agree with the wall. What I want is Watneys. At least in the 1920's. Obviously it's to be avoided like the plague in the 1970's.




* "The Story of Watneys", edited by Walter Pearce Serocold, 1949, pages 48 - 49.
** * "The Story of Watneys", edited by Walter Pearce Serocold, 1949, pages 49 - 50.

Modern life is too easy

Do you know much time (and trouble) it took me to get my hands on Green Fuz?

Austrian beer output by º Balling in 1888

Another round of Austro-Hungarian statistics. I'm enjoying them, even if you aren't.

Austro-Hungarian Empire was a very diverse place containing dozens of nationalities and languages. This is reflected in the beer industry. The quantity of beer brewed and its strength were very divergent. Luckily detailed figures, broken down by region, are available. What they make clear is that the types of beer brewed in different parts of the empire varied hugely. It would cruel not to share them with you. I suppose you can guess what's coming: lots more tables.

Just so you know where everywhere is.

This is a little embarrassing. I don't have the source of these figures. I collected them a while ago and for some reason didn't note down where I'd found them. I've very similar numbers for slightly different years and I'm pretty sure these ones are accurate. I'll try not to let it happen again.

I've selected two groups of Austrian regions. Basically because including all of them would make the table too big. The nine regions I've picked were responsible for 12,594,228  hl of the 13,142,429 hl total for the whole empire. That's 96%. The amounts brewed in some regions were tiny - little more than a big brewpub could turn out in a year. They aren't statistically significant and untidy up the tables to no purpose.

But first I will show you some figures forthe whole empire. I was going to entitle it beer consumption per head. Then I realsied it was really beer output per head. Not really the same thing. They vary from pretty much nothing to Bavaria-like levels, with Salzburg, right on the border with Bavaria coming top.

Here's the table:

Beer output per head (litres)
Carinthia	40.5
Upper Austria	125
Salzburg	183
Styria	54
Tirol und Vorarlberg	29
Lower Austria	112
Galicia	12
Silesia	54
Bohemia	98
Moravia	50.5
Carniola	10
Bukovina	10
Kustenland	0.2
Hungary and Siebenbergen	3
Croatia and Slavonia	1
Military border	3
Average 1888	35
Average 1887	33

You can see that beer production was very much concentrated in Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Silesia, Bohemia and Moravia. Not such a huge surprise, that. They're still the areas of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire with the most brewing activity.

On to the next table. I'm starting with the three provinces which produced the most beer: Lower Austria, Bohemia and Moravia. The brewed 9,181,850 hl between, 70% of the total. Bohemia alone brewed more than 40%.

Austrian Beer output by º Balling in 1888 (hl)
º Balling	Lower Austria	%	Bohemia	%	Moravia	%	Total	%
6	0		0		0		2,233	0.02%
7	0		0		0		54	0.000%
8	0		0		0		0	0.00%
9	3,506	0.13%	180,274	3.29%	7,572	0.70%	278,431	2.12%
10	1,899,015	72.77%	4,103,117	74.78%	623,265	57.44%	7,226,651	54.99%
11	75,280	2.88%	727,084	13.25%	257,111	23.70%	1,924,339	14.64%
12	51,558	1.98%	448,982	8.18%	177,070	16.32%	2,126,679	16.18%
13	484,855	18.58%	19,866	0.36%	17,556	1.62%	1,173,621	8.93%
14	43,367	1.66%	4,299	0.08%	1,282	0.12%	254,212	1.93%
15	51,113	1.96%	1,564	0.03%	814	0.08%	148,318	1.13%
16	1,050	0.04%	1,456	0.03%	406	0.04%	4,973	0.04%
17	0		80	0.001%	0		1,497	0.01%
18	0		0		0		441	0.003%
19	0		200	0.004%	0		200	0.002%
20	0		108	0.002%	0		732	0.01%
22	0		0		0		48	0.00%
total	2,609,744	19.86%	5,487,030	41.75%	1,085,076	8.26%	13,142,429
active breweries	76	3.91%	772	39.75%	161	8.29%	1942
inactive breweries	12	4.14%	126	43.45%	37	12.76%	290
average output per brewery	34,339		7,108		6,740		6,767

One thing is immediately obvious: the vast majority of the beer brewed in these provinces was 10º. What is called Výčepní Pivo today. It comes to 6,625,397, which is 72% of all the beer they brewed. But what I find equally interesting is that it's 92% of all the 10º brewed in the empire. Put simply, lots of 10º was brewed in these three provinces and almost none anywherre else. In Bohemia and Moravia most of the rest was 11º and 12º. Not so surprising. Though I would have expected rather more in Bohemia. Combined they come to 21% of Bohemia's total. Odd because Ležák - which is what these categories are - is the type of beer that made Pilsen and Budweis world famous. Just 0.5% of the beer brewed in Bohemia and 2% of that in Moravia was 13º or higher  (modern Speciální Pivo). Very little at all - fewer than 50,000 hl for the two combined.

In Lower Austria, it was very different. Not a great deal of 11º and 12º was brewed. Most of the rest there was 13º, so Märzen. What confuses me is this: why is there almost no 10º beer currently brewed in Austria? When and why did it disappear?

I was surpeised that the output per brewery was so low in Bohemia - barely more than the average for the whole country, and about a fifth of that in Lower Austria. The latter's figure will be so high because of the large breweries around Vienna. As there were already industrial breweries in Bohemia there must have still been a lot of small ones.

There's quite a bit more of this to come.

Truman Porter quality 1922 - 1923

We're nearing the shoreline in our unedifying swim through sour Porter. Only a few more strokes and we'll be back on dry land.

To start, a random newspaper article. An infomercial piece about a rebuilt Truman's pub in Chelmsford.

"THE GOLDEN FLEECE
THE HOTEL DESCRIBED.
The latest addition the new buildings of Chelmsford is that "The Golden Fleece" Hotel. It stands on the site the old inn, on the corner of Threadneedle Street which leads to the market, with main frontage to Duke Street. The illustration above shows how the new hotel enhances the architectural appearance of the town. The situation is in the centre Chelmsford, within stone's throw of the Shire Hall, and a minute's walk from the railway station. The market is only a few paces distant. The County Hall, when the extensions have been completed, will be alongside on the other side Threadneedle Street, as the sketch indicates. The frontage of "The Golden Fleece" has been set back as to allow for the widening of Duke Street, thus effecting great improvement, and will be in line with the Duke Street frontage of the County Hall.

When the old "Golden Fleece" was demolished last year, a copy of "the London Gazette" was found, published in 1699, years before even The Essex Chronicle was established. The London Gazette was then a small single sheet, printed both sides, and sold for 2/-, a marked difference in value compared with The Essex Chronicle the present day, which offers the public a weekly journal of ten large pages for a penny. In this copy of "the London Gazette," dated Monday, April 17th, to Thursday, April 20th, 1699, the following advertisement appeared:-

The Golden Fleece Inn Chelmsford at Essex, a Freehold and well repaired, hath convenient Stables and Outhouses, stands in the Market place, is to sold at reasonable rate. Enquire Mr. Beesley, Attorney, on Bread street hill, Loudon.

* * * * *

These historic licensed premises, now re-built in Duke Street, combine the friendly atmosphere of the old-type of inn with the modern efficiency of an up-to-date hotel. The hotel was designed by Mr. George E. Clay, A.R.I.B.A., of Gravesend, by whose courtesy the sketch is reproduced, and was built and equipped by local craftsmen, using, as far as possible, locally-manufactured materials. It is a fine testimony to the professional ability and local mechanical skill. The owners, Messrs. Truman, Hanbury, Buxton, and Company, Limited, and their Essex Manager, Mr. E. S. Collins, deserve recognition for the contribution to employment which the building has given in the course of erection. Many modern and efficient ideas have been incorporated in the design.

The sketch gives an excellent idea of the general elevation. The external design of the building is 18th century in character, while features of the earlier East Anglian traditional work are in evidence. The exterior is built in local multi-coloured red bricks, with Portland stone dressings, and the roof is covered with local tiles. Ample accommodation has been provided for all classes, and it is a noticeable feature that attention has been given to provide the utmost possible comfort. The public rooms consist of the public bar, market bar, private bar, saloon bar, off-licence counter, and dining-room. The necessity for quick service is met by the provision of a four-sided central serving bar in direct communication with each public room, and from the office in the middle of this service space every portion of the public accommodation can be supervised.

The whole of the external and internal joinery is of oak, the floors are in oak strip flooring, with teak blocks in the public, market, and off-licence departments. The saloon bar, entered from the main hall, is panelled throughout in oak, and the dog grate to the fireplace is surrounded with Portland stone. It is a very attractive room. The dining room, with seating for about seventy diners, situated off the first floor, is approached by a staircase leading off the main hall, and the walls are treated with unique panelling. The food service, connected with the kitchen, opens directly into the dining-room. The kitchen, washing-up, and service rooms are tiled throughout, and the cooking equipment with modern gas cookers, plate warmers, hot cabinets, etc. The whole building is provided with both central heating and large open coal fires, and every provision is made ensure a well-ventilated atmosphere. There is private clubroom and lounge on the first floor, specially designed for small dinner parties, etc., and the second floor comprises staff bed and sitting rooms and guest bedrooms, all of which are excellent, and have been tastefully furnished by local firms. The lighting and fittings throughout are thoroughly up to date, and display much taste. Ample lavatory accommodation for both sexes is provided throughout the building, and to all public rooms. All the bedrooms are fitted with hot and cold water.

Mr. Frank George Collis, late of the Orange Tree Hotel. Totteridge, Herts., and several London houses, is the resident licensee. He is conversant with all sides of catering, and he will be assisted Mrs. Collis on this side of the business. Mr. Collis personally superintends every branch of the house, and is in touch with all sports. He has been for over thirty years connected with the Lynn Athletic Club, and is a referee on the British Boxing Board of Control, and vice-president of the Dorking Football Club. He will make a capable host, for he is, in the words of Shakespeare, a man of infinite discourse."
Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 03 March 1933, page 2.

It all sounds rather grand, doesn't it? The Golden Fleece looks slightly less posh today:

For some reason they weem toi think it's a 17th-century building. Only a couple of centuries wrong.


Let's do that recappy type thing. Truman's Mild was sixth of seventeen, averaging 0.5. Which is OK. Their Burton Ale did a little better, placing fifth of fourteen, with an average of 1.09.  And it wasn't that far behind first place, which was Whitbread with an average score of 1.33. But it's Truman's Pale Ale which has done best so far, coming second of fifteen with an average of 1.62. Will their Porter keep up the run of positive average scores?

Truman Porter quality 1922 - 1923
Year	Beer	FG	OG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Flavour	score	Price
1922	Porter	1010	1037.5	3.57	73.33%	fair	1	6d
1922	Porter	1011	1037	3.37	70.27%	fair	1	6d
1922	Porter	1010	1037.5	3.57	73.33%	fair	1	6d
1922	Porter	1010.8	1037.3	3.43	71.05%	fair	1	6d
1923	Porter	1010.4	1036.4	3.37	71.43%	fair	1	5d
1923	Porter	1009.4	1036.4	3.50	74.18%	moderate	1	6d
1923	Porter	1011.2	1035.2	3.11	68.18%	poor	-1	6d
1923	Porter	1010.8	1038.8	3.63	72.16%	poor but sound	-1	6d
1923	Porter	1010.8	1036.8	3.37	70.65%	v fair	2	6d
Average		1010.5	1037.0	3.43	71.62%		0.67
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001

Yes, it does. In fact it does pretty well, with seven out of nine getting positive scores. And none of the negatives is greater than -1. It's a pretty consistent set of scores. Giving an average of 0.67.

Truman's houses would be one of first choices, should I ever find myself in 1920's London.