German brewing in 1966 - kilning

We're just about done with malting, thank god. I've been struggling to keep my eyes open.

First it's the kilns themselves:

"Kilning.—Most kilns are single units. In addition to automatic direct coke firing, one finds direct and indirect oil firing, in which case a suitably-designed furnace will avoid "magpie" malts. However, oil containers are expensive and the construction is connected with a series of difficulties, so that interest has been shown in a gas-heated kiln, particularly as natural gas and refined gas is available in considerable quantities, and it is expected that its price will approach the prices of other fuels. The content of methane in natural gas and of hydrogen in processed gas results in combustion of these gases to water, so the air has a reduced drying effect. As a result, a 10% increase in ventilation is necessary and, when re-circulating, the amount of fresh air will also have to be increased. In passing, it is noted that automation of a kiln is a very profitable investment."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 17.

I wonder if they did go over to using natural gas? I'm pretty sure that it got cheaper in the 1970's and 1980's when supplies from Europe kicked in.

I wasn't quite sure what 'magpie' malt was, so I looked it up:

"High sulphur fuels, when burned, give rise to sulphur dioxide (SO2) and sulphur trioxide (SO3). One the one hand, these acid gases damage and corrode the kiln structure and add to atmospheric pollution. High levels may cause local discoloured marks on malt grains, producing 'magpie' malt."
"Malts and Malting" by D.E. Briggs, 1998, page 226.

It's what I had guesses - malt with two colours. But it's nice to have it confirmed.

Now it's about the kilning process itself.

"The various types of malt are kilned according to the beer requirements. For Pilsener and very light export beers a very pale but intensively kilned malt is required: colour, approximately 2.5° E.B.C.; protein modification, 37-40% Kolbach; coarse/fine grind difference, 1.5-2.0. Some maltings try to achieve a lower modification in order to improve the head of the beer. Even for the pale-coloured heavy beers (original gravity 16.5-17.5%) a very pale coloured malt is used."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 17.

There's so much about malting I don't understand. Like why a lower level of modification helps head retention. I suspect British brewers wouldn't bother with that and would just throw in some wheat instead. Because of the weirdness of the Reinheitsgebot, that wouldn't be allowed in a German bottom-fermenting beer.

Her's what Briggs has to say about Lager malts:

"The palest of the European products are Pilsen malts (Pilsener Malz). In the past these were undermodified but now they are fully modified and are prepared from barleys having moderate nitrogen contents. They are kilned at low temperatures to minimize colour formation. Typical analyses are E, at least 81% (EBC, on dry), fine-coarse extract difference 1-2%; TN, 1.68 (10.5% protein); Kolbach index 38-42%; moisture less than 4.5%; -amylase 40 DU; DP 240-300 ºW.-K.; saccharification time 10-15 min.; colour, 2.5-3.4 ºEBC; boiled wort colour, 4.2-6.2 ºEBC; wort pH, 5.9-6.0. Helles (pale; light) malts are rather similar, but are made from barleys richer in nitrogen. British lager malts are all pale and well modified. Analyses are usually in the ranges: HWE 300-310 lº/kg (on dry), TN, 1.55-1.75%; TSN, 0.5-0.7%; SNR, 31-41%; DP, not more than 70 ºIoB; moisture less than 4.5%; saccharification time less that 15 minutes. Colour may be 3.0 ºEBC. Because of the low temperatures used in kilning lager malts (finishing curing at e.g., 70 ºC; 158 ºF) are rich in enzymes and so sometimes give slightly higher extracts than pale ale malts, which are cured at higher temperatures (finishing at 95-105 ºC; 203-221 ºF), and have more characteristic flavours but lower enzyme activities."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, page 27.

Briggs says that the difference between Helles and Pilsner malts is the nitrogen content, while Narziss claims that they are a bit darker than Pilsenr malt:

"The West German export beers are somewhat darker. For these beers, as well as for the Bavarian pale-coloured lager beers, malt with a good modification and a colour of approximately 4° E.B.C. is required. Occasionally a certain percentage of "Wiener" malt with a colour 5.0-6.00 E.B.C. is used in the grist, although this malt is normally used for "Marzenbieren" (medium coloured beers). The dark Munich malts have a very wet and intensive germination and are kilned off at 100-105° C; as a result they obtain a good aroma. Owing to the lengthy kilning they are poor in enzymes and have to be mashed very carefully. They are used on their own, or together with approximately 1% coloured malt for the brewing of dark beer. For Marzenbiere they are blended to 50% with pale malt."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 18.

That's interesting. The colour quoted for Wiener malt is a good bit lower than Weyermann's specification, which gives it as 6-9º EBC. One of the biggest difference between British and German brewing are base malts. In Britain you've only really got a choice of two: pale malt of pils malt. While in Germany you've also got Wiener malt, two types of Munich malt and smoked malt.

Nice of Narziss to quote some grists. Though he doesn't mention one of my personal favourites for a dark Lager. It's what Hofmann id Hoheschwärz uses: 99% Vienna malt and 1% Farbmalz. Do Munich breweries still use Munich malt as a base for the Dunkles? I suspect Paulaner do, though they may have brought that back. Last time I tried it there was the distinctive nutty malt flavour which I associate with Munich malt. I'm sure it hadn't been there a few years ago.

Here's Brigg's take on darker malts:

"In German practice the next type is Viennese malt (Wiener Malz), which is used for making `golden' lagers. This is made from normally modified green malt kilned to a final temperature of about 90 ºC (194 ºF), giving a colour of 5.5-6.0 ºEBC. Munich malt (MuÈnchener Malz) is relatively dark, very well modified and aromatic and is made by germinating nitrogen-rich barley, steeped to a high moisture content, so that it is well grown (all acrospires at least three-quarters grown) and finishing germination warm, at 25 ºC (77 ºF). Kilning involves some stewing and curing is finished at 100-105 ºC (212-221 ºF), conditions causing appreciable enzyme destruction. This malt has a colour of 15-25 ºEBC. The wort is rich in melanoidin precursors and darkens on boiling, e.g., from 15 to 25 ºEBC. Other typical analyses are: E, 80%, (on dry); fine-coarse extract difference 2-3%; total protein 11.5% (TN, 1.84%); Kolbach index, 38-40%; saccharification time, 20-30 min.; wort fermentability, about 75% (compared to wort from Pilsen malt of about 81%). -Amylase and DP values are low, at 30DU and 140 ºW.-K. respectively. Analyses of a British made, Munich-style malt are: HWE, 300 lº/kg, (on dry); moisture 4.5%; TN, less than 1.65%, TSN less than 0.65%, colour about 15 ºEBC and DP at least 30 ºIoB."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, page 27.

I see that he agrees with Narziss about a finishing temperature of 100-105º C for Munich malt. And also tells us that it produces a less fermentable wort. Having looked at analyses of plenty of modern German Dunkles recently, and only four of tewnty four examples had attenuation of below 76%. So I guess most are using pils malt as base. I suppose this partly explains the rubbish degree of attenuation in 19th-century examples. They must have been producing even less fermentable worts back then.


He also agrrees with Narziss about Wiener malt being around 6º EBC. Clearly Weyermann are getting it wrong.

Next time we'll finally be getting into the brewhouse.

Bottled beer in Egypt

div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> More random stuff from by blind sweep through the newspaper archives.

This is a excerpt from an article about trade in Egypt.

"Bottled Beer.
Outside the Army of Occupation and the British community there is very little demand for the ordinary English beer, which, as has been stated in previous reports, is too heavy to suit the local taste, but a light kind of beer would be likely to find purchasers. The Acting Consul-General quotes the following passage from a report of the British Chamber of Commerce, which seems deserving of the attention of British brewers: "Continental brewers push the consumption of their article in Egypt by financing the owners of the 'brasseries' (bars), thus enabling them to establish these in good localities and in an attractive manner, thereby obtaining a large turn-over." A large brewery, fitted with the latest machinery, has been established on the outskirts of Alexandria by a Belgian Company. Light Pilsener beer is now being actively brewed, and it is probable that the Company will place tbeir beer on the market in two or three months. This will probably compete seriously with European beer.
Morning Post - Friday 30 December 1898, page 2.

First let's look at British beer exports to Egypt. They really weren't that big:

British beer exports to Egypt 1890 - 1930
1890	1900	1910	1913	1919	1920
6,591	18,597	20,600	20,530	10,408	9,796
1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926
11,619	11,305	8,592	8,971	9,840	10,760
1926	1927	1927	1928	1929	1930
10,760	10,510	10,510	10,659	12,571	14,603
Sources:
Brewers' Almanack 1928, page 115.
Brewers' Journal 1921, page 24
Brewers' Journal 1923, page 26
Brewers' Journal 1925, page 27
Brewers' Journal 1927, page 28
Brewers' Almanack 1928, page 115.
Brewers' Journal 1929, page 30
Brewers' Journal 1931, page 34

To put those numbers into context, in the same period around 20,000 barrels were exported to Malta. I don't need to tell you that Egypt's population is many times that of Malta. The anount is so small that it probably was mostly being drunk by British expats.

That British beer was too heavy for hotter countries is a complaint you often see towards the end of the 19th century when continental Lager brewers started to export their beers outside Europe. The growing popularity of Lager in the tropiocs had a serious impact on sales of British beer. That's one of the reasons Allsopp decided to install a Lager brewery in Burton: to be able to compete with European brewers in tropical markets.

The author clearly wasn't keen on the continental breweries buying their way into the Egyptian market. Even more surprising is a Belgian company building a brewery in Egypt. Especially as it would be brewing Pilsener. I'm not sure if anyone was brewing Pilsener in Belgium itself at the time. The style onlty really took off after WW I.

The beer Britain drinks

We're back with Sir William Harcourt's love of Pilsener. And a few more facts and figures.

In particular, it has numbers on the amount of beer imported into Britain and exported from Germany. To prove that in fact the amount of German beer entering Britain was tiny.

"THE BEER BRITAIN DRINKS.
SALE OF LAGER.
It is to be feared that Sir William Harcourt's reference to the partiality- of his friends for Pilsener beer will serve to increase the belief that this and other foreignmade beer 3 are popular in the United Kingdom. When one finds specialists making misleading statements the subject, it not surprising if the ordinary reader is led astray. Before the Beer Materials Committee one witness, Mr Gordon Salmond, a well-known consulting chemist, expressed the belief that thte quantity of Continental beer imported was considerable, the fact being that only 45,000 barrels of beer of all kinds were imported in 1896, the year in which gave his evidence. was followed Dr Moritz, joint author with Morris of the leading text-book on brewing, who told the committee that Pilsener beer came from North Germany. As a matter of fact, it is made at Pilsen, fifty miles from Prague.

I have been favoured (writes a London correspondent) with a copy of the first monthly number of what promises to be most useful publication, the Revenue Review, edited by Mr J. T. Mulqueen, chief of the Revenue staff in Falkirk and Linlithgow, who is well known by repute to all who take interest revenue matters. The first article this review deals with lager beer. I find that the writer is inclined to foster the delusion, for he refers to German beers being in considerable favour here. As are having just little too much of this German competition bogey, it is as well perhaps once for all to slay it. In 1891 we imported 33,728 barrels of beer; the following year, 38,881; in 1897 the quantity was 45,752; and last year the small quantities include not only imports from the Isle of Man, Germany, Austria, and the United States, but British beer returned by foreign customers as unsuitable.

When it is remembered that our consumption of British-made beer amounts to 36.5 millions of barrels per annum, to speak of German beer, the trade in which probably never reached 30,000 barrels, being largely in favour here, is an exaggeration. As the late Chancellor of the Exchequer has given these lager beers an advertisement, is will probably be useful to widen the question and make a comparison. The German Empire total exports were 1,244,479 hundreds of kilogrammes of beer in 1888; -the year following and 776,845 in 1890. If we step forward ten years find her figures for were 910,445; for 1899 the quantity was 966,812; and for last year 1,113,790. I may add that her exports of beer in 1886 and 1887 were much larger than 1888. Where outside the German Empire the increasing popularity of German beer is to be discerned is not therefore very obvious, except it be in her new possession, Kiao-Chau, or possibly among the Boxers captured in and around Pekin.

As regards British exports, suffice it to say that in they totalled 503,000 barrels, and last year 509,000. Pilsener, which Sir William Harcourt's friends affect, is, like Japanese saki, made solely from rice. It is much more intoxicating tnan the bottled beers usually sold in this country. Last year the total exported by Austro-Hungary was 916,102 hundreds of kilogrammes. This was decrease of 11.3 cent, on the figures for 1899. " Dundee Evening Post - Monday 01 April 1901, page 2.

You can see from this table just how insignificant imported beer was:

UK beer production, consumption, imports and exports 1890 - 1914
	Production (bulk barrels)	Production (standard barrels)	Consumption (bulk barrels)	Exports (bulk barrels)	Exports (standard barrels)	Imports (bulk barrels)	% of consumption imported
1890		30,808,315	30,340,175	503,221	502,921	35,081	0.12%
1891	31,927,053	30,868,315				33,728
1892						38,881
1895		31,678,486	31,290,143	432,742		44,399	0.14%
1897		34,203,049				45,752
1900	37,105,042	37,091,123	36,668,274	487,643	510,845	50,875	0.14%
1903	37,153,978					55,560
1905	35,415,523	34,404,287	34,979,824	487,643	521,476	51,944	0.15%
1910	34,299,914	32,947,252	33,779,912	570,929	590,346	50,927	0.15%
1914	37,558,767	36,057,913				74,205
Sources:
Ireland Industrial and Agricultural, 1902, page 458.
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 110
“The Brewers' Society Statistical Handbook 1988” page 7
Manchester Evening News - Thursday 28 November 1901, page 3.
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 115
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 57
Dundee Evening Post - Monday 01 April 1901, page 2.

Imports increased a little in the years leading up to WW I, but still accounted for just 0.15% of consumption. And that's all imported beer, not just from Germany. Based on adverts of the period, I'd guess more beer was coming in from Scandinavia thabn from Germany.

Assuming a litre of beer weighs about a kilo, 100 kilos is about a hectolitre. Meaning you can take those numbers for German exports to be approximately the volume in hectolitres. 1,244,479 hl (the 1888 figure) is around 750,000 barrels, or about 50% more than Britain exported. The lowest figure quoted, 776,845 in 1890, is about 500,000 barrles, or about the same as UK exports.

Why did people think Pilsener was made from 100% rice? Just because it was so pale?

I love this sort of numbers fun.

Berlin in London

The early history of Lager in Britain I find fascinating. So I was delighted to discover another Munich beer hall in Victorian London.

I already knew about the Spaten place of Piccadilly Circus. But it turns out around the corner in Leicester square there was another, this time serving Pschorr beer.

"BERLIN IN LONDON.
Londoners who wish to spend an hour in a German brasserie will have no occasion to go to the Fatherland; for the palatial restaurant and hotel, which has been opened this week by Messrs Baker and Co., in Leicester-square, will, no doubt, be one of the great attractions and novelties of the metropolis. The new Grand Hotel and Brasserie de l'Europe offers to the public a combination of the cafe-restaurant and the beer-hall on the same lines as the brasserie which Parisians and Germans so much admire.

In the basement is a large lager beer hall, where, together with the finest brews from Munich, a number of German dishes and "delicatessen" will be served. The beers come from the vats of the famous Pschorr Brauerei at Munich and from the Burgerliches Brauhaus Pilsen. On the ground floor is the grand cafe, which both in appearance and in style will be found quite continental, while above is the Italian room, which it is intended to use as an a la carte restaurant.

This last achievement of the well-known architect, Mr Walter Emden, is the best thing he has ever done. The elevation show a freely-treated design in granite, with pilasters of green, while the upper portions of the structure is in terra-cotta. A noticeable feature will be found in the projecting corners, surmounted with turrets, which are covered with gilt copper - an effect quite new to London. The ornamental portions of the terracotta are picked out in gold, and the granite pilasters are finished with bronze sags and ornaments. From basement to roof the building is of fireproof construction, but an additional precaution has been taken by the erection of an outside staircase from the top floors. The lager-beer hall in the basement is decorated in Alhambra style, the walls being fanelled out and filled in with mirrors, while the dado is of marble. The grand cafe on the ground floor is elaborately decorated in the style of the German Renaissance, the panels of the walls being filled in both with mirrors and with pictures representing events famous in German history. In this room a striking effect is obtained by hanging from the beams and columns festoons of leaves and flowers in repousse copper, the fruit on these imposing garlands being represented by electric lamps. Generally speaking the colouring of the decorations is similar to that of a German cafe. gold being largely used in the ornamental portions. On the first floor is the Italian Renaissance room, which will be used as an a la carte restaurant. The panels on the walls are filled in alternately with silk and mirrors, and the general colouring is ivory white and gold. Columns and pilasters of Pavonazze marble and a dado of American maple are also features in the decoration of this apartment. A reception room in the Louis XVI. style adjoins the Italian Renaissance room. In the upper portion of the building are the sitting rooms and bedrooms of the hotel. These are all decorated and furnished in the most complete and modern manner. The main entrance of the hotel is in Leicester-place, and both the entrance hall and staircase are decorated in the style of the German Renaissance. Pictures illustrative of familiar German legends here play an important part in the architect's scheme. The hotel, which will be open this evening for business, is equipped with an elaborate lift, while the electric lighting and the sanitary arrangements are planned upon the most approved principles. The place bids fair to be as popular as the Taverne Pousset, on the Boulevard des Italiens, Paris. "
The Era - Saturday 23 September 1899, page 18.

I believe this is the earliest mention I've found of Pilsner Urquell on draught in London. Why did they have that and Pschorr beer? Probabky because Pschorr didn't brew a pale Lager at the time.

A couple of decades later, after all the animosity to Germans during WW I, I can't imagine anyone would have opened such an openly German establishment. Even now there's still a smouldering resentment of Germans in Britain and few restaurants or pubs s that style themsleves as German.

What were the beers on sale like? Luckily I've analyses of both brewies' beer from around the same period:

Pschorr beers 1885 - 1901
Year	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Attenuation	Acidity
1885	Export	1057.0	1017.9	14.07	5.00	67.31%	0.140
1895	Bock	1074.5	1041	18.10	4.28	44.93%
1896	Export	1057.8	1024.0	14.26	4.34	57.08%	0.108
1897	Export	1056.7	1020.5	14.00	4.64	62.57%	0.045
1901	Export	1053.5	1017.2	13.26	4.65	66.82%	0.072
Sources:
Wahl & Henius, pages 823-830
Brockhaus' konversations-lexikon, Band 2 by F.A. Brockhaus, 1898.

Bürgerliches Brauhaus beers 1885 - 1898
Year	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Acidity
1883	Export	1049.9	1014.4	12.40	4.60	71.14%	0.180
1886	Pilsener	1047.8	1015.4	11.89	4.19	67.75%
1886	Lagerbier	1047.3	1012.7	11.78	4.49	73.15%
1886	Pilsener	1043.3	1014.5	10.83	3.73	66.51%
1886	Winter Beer	1044.9	1013.83	11.20	4.02	68.21%
1887	Lagerbier	1047	1012.61	11.72	4.47	72.27%
1888	Pilsener	1048.5	1015.0	12.07	4.34	69.07%
1888	Export	1048	1013.79	11.95	4.44	70.29%
1890	Exportbier	1054.6	1014.45	13.51	5.22	73.53%	0.320
1893	Pilsener	1053.2	1013.2	13.18	5.20	75.19%	0.320
1898	Schankbier	1043.0	1011.5	10.76	4.09	73.26%	0.112
1898	Lagerbier	1047.3	1012.6	11.78	4.50	73.36%	0.103
1898	Export	1055.9	1014.78	13.82	5.35	72.50%
Sources:
"Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" by Joseph König, 1889, pages 806 - 851
Wahl & Henius, pages 823-830
"Handbuch der chemischen technologie" by Otto Dammer, Rudolf Kaiser, 1896, pages 696-697
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

You can see that Pilsner Urquell hasn't changed much in terms of gravity and ABV. While Pschorr's Export is very different from a modern Dunkles: higher OG, much lower rate of attenuation and ABV.
Emden was a famous theatre architect, who designed many in London.

"Mr Emden's early commissions in theatrical work were to reconstruct the Globe, to alter the St. James's and the Royalty, and to build the Court Theatre - which in the meantime he has rebuilt. In 1872 Mr Emden was appointed architect to the Dublin Exhibition. He designed an opera house for Rome, which was not built, the Italian Government eventually declining the expenditure; but incidentally acquired a most useful experience of Italian styles. Terry's Theatre was a notable achievement of Mr Emden's - Mr Charles Wilmot, who was the original owner, committing himself unreservedly to the architect's ideas as to a fireproof structure, as Terry's Theatre undoubtedly is. Mr Emden was, by the way, one of the judges of the first firemen's exhibition. The original plans for the Garrick, the Trafalgar-square, and the Tivoli were Mr Emden's work; and he reconstructed the English Opera House, which we now know as the Palace Theatre. Mr Emden has also done a great deal of work in the provinces."
The Era, 6th of November 1897.

So there you go. Dead famous. Emden died in 1913. The building still stands on Leicester square, though it's no longer a hotel.

The use of hop substitutes

Hop substitues - what a fun topic. I think I've even got some numbers somewhere. Start reading while T take a look.

There were plenty of accusations of the first half of the 19th century - when Britian effectively had a Reinheitsgebot - about the use of all sorts of noxious substance to bitter. After 1880, when tax was shifted from malt and hops to beer, their use was allowed. As long as it wasn't harmful to human health. But they never really did take off. This explains why.

"THE USE OF HOP SUBSTITUTES.
At last week's sitting of the Beer Materials Committee Dr. Edward R. Moritz, the scientific adviser to the Country Brewers' Society, gave some evidence as to the use of substitutes for hops the manufacture of beer. Speaking as a brewers chemist, he said that substitutes were used to some extent in the year of the hop famine, about 1880 or 1881, but since then he had never known any hop substitutes to be used. It was simply the prohibitive price of hops that led to the use of hop substitutes. Hops had preservative influence on the beer, and substitutes, such as gentian, camomile, or quassia had not that preservative effect, and that was probably the principal reason why brewers would not use substitutes when they could get hops anything like reasonable price. Although did not personally attach very much weight to the food value of beer, still he wished to point out that in Pilsener beers, which were the favourite foreign beers imported into this country, the proportion of food value to alcohol was lower than it was in the light ales of Bass and Allsopp. No brewer doing competitive trade could use substitutes, because the beer was unmarketable compared with beer bittered with hops — the first-named being harsh bitter. So long as the beer was good flavour, bright, and kept well, the public were thoroughly satisfied with light beers. As to tied houses, owing to the high prices asked for public-houses, there were great brewers who had determined this year not to add to their tied houses. All the brewers examined before the Committee had said that in dealing with very fine qualities of English barley, the question of substitutes did not come in much, but they could not deal with malt made from second and third grade barleys unless brewed with substitutes or a great deal of foreign malt.
Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald - Saturday 28 May 1898, page 7.

I can't remember coming across hop substitutes of preparations of hops very often, There are a few Whibread logs from WW II where Lupulin appears, which I guess is some sort of hop preparation.

This gives an idea of just how few hop substitutes or preparations were used compared to hops:

Hop and hop substitutes 1902 - 1932
year	hops	preparations of hops	hop substitutes
1902	647,547		173
1905	556,793		439
1910	551,248		36
1913	561,709		169
1914	559,423		174
1915	467,176		99
1918	263,386		38
1919	367,707		152
1920	503,140	132	116
1922	398,506	160	34
1924	350,428	54	44
1926	355,375	79	28
1928	330,662	119	38
1930	307,289	101	91
1931	277,406	91	59
1932	219,587	72	38
Sources:
1902 - 1913; 1915 - 1919 Brewers' Almanack 1928, page 111
1914; 1932 - 1953 Brewers' Almanack 1955, page 62

In the 19th century the preservative effect of hops was one of the principal reasons for their use. Flavour was mostly a seconday factor.

I like the bit about tied houses. There was a scramble to buy up pubs in the 1890's as legislation began to restrict the number of licences. The debt breweries incurred buying up pubs brought many into financial difficulties in the first decade of the 20th century. And when the value of those pubs fell, many breweries had to restructure and reduce their capital by marking down their shares, sometimes to as little as 10% of their original value.

And finally we're told that Pilsener was the most popular imported beer. It's the beginning of the rise of Pale Lager in Britain.

The free list of the Pilsener beer

Here's another result of my random sweep of the newspaper archives for "pilsener".

This is a really weird one. Especially when you learn a little more about Sir William Harcourt.

"Sir William Harcourt stands a good chance of being put on the free list of the Pilsener beer manufacturers for the rest his days. In the course of the debate on the second reading of the Pure Beer Bill, Sir William extolled the good qualities of Pilsener, mentioning that it was the only beer he-himself consumed! There has been quite, a boom in Pilsener since Sir William made this interesting revelation, and as there are innocent people who are under the impression that Pilsener-beer, being made from rice, is a harmless decoction like Apollinaris or lager beer, it is time..the point was cleared up. It is quite a delusion to suppose that Pilsener is a temperance drink. Pilsener is much more intoxicating than the bottled beers sold in this country, and hence, perhaps, the favour it has found in the eyes, or rather with the palate, of the Squire of Malwood. At all events, it is well to know that the beer which Sir William has ostentatiously extolled is not the innocent decoction that some people have imagined; and as we have an abundance of potent beers of home-manufacture already on the market, there is really no reason why encouragement should be given to this North-German product."
Aberdeen Journal - Wednesday 03 April 1901, page 4.

We'll get onto Sir William Harcourt in a minute. First let's look at those claims about Pilsener. Claiming it was made from rice is a bit weird. Especially as it's also being called North German. While there had been beer brewed with rice in North German in the 19th century, by 1909 the Reinheitsgebot had been extended to all Germany. Brewing with rice was illegal.

The claim that Pilsener was much more alcoholic than British bottled beers is just total bollocks. I recently published a table of fifteen German Pilseners brewed between 1878 and 1900. The average gravity was 1049.8 and the average ABV 4.83%. By pre-WW I British standards that's weak. The strongest sample was 5.21% ABV - lower than the average strength of British beer. To claim that it was much stronger is just completely wrong.

And finally Sir William Harcourt. He was a Liberal politician who served under Gladstone. In 1893 and 1895, while serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he introduced a Local Veto Bill. This was what temperance campaigners dreamed of. It would have allowed parishes to vote for the elimination or limitation of licensed premises. How weird that such a man would sing the praises of a type of beer.

Wet and dry in the States

Here's another result of my traawl for the word "pilsener" in the newspaper archive.

It's an article about the creeping prohibition in the US in the years leading up to WW I. I've been as guilty as everyone alse of thing that prohibition was introduced at a stroke in 1919. In reality, it had been happening county by country for some time.

Temperance campaigners in Britain took note and that's why they were so keen on getting "local option" legislation introduced. That would allow district to vote to close all alcohol outlets. After WW I, such legislation was introduced in Scotland and a few areas did become "dry". But in the 1920's the temperance campaign was running out of steam and they were unable to persuade voters to ban alcohol in most of the country.

"WAGES AND THE COST OF LIVING IN AMERICA.
A COMPARISON.
"WET" AND "DRY" IN THE STATES.
[By Special Western Gazette Correspondent.]
As in England, the liquor traffic question is very much to the front at this time the United States. The promoters of the trade and the townships and counties which permit the sale of drink are known "wet", and the prohibitionist party and districts "dry." A wave of temperance and "dryness" appears be spreading over the land. The raising of the cost of licenses from 350 dollars to 1,000 dollars of course caused the weeding out of many the small saloons, but the pace was not fast enough for the prohibitionists, and now the people are generally voting "dry." Racial feeling has, no doubt, something to do with the vigorous prosecution of the campaign against the saloons in the .Southern States, the ostensible object being remove one of the chief causes of crime among the coloured population. In the North the moralists receive great support from the moderate drinkers, who see in the war against the liquor interests a just retribution for the unjustifiable uses they have made of their vast monopolies. In this State of Ohio 66 out 88 counties have gone "dry," and in the adjoining State of Indiana 78 out of 92.


A WAY OUT.

New York City is declared "dry" on Sundays, a surprising fact when one sees the amount of business and pleasure going on there during that day. But it doesn't need even bold imitator of the "bona-fide traveller" in England get "wet" in New York. In justice to the hotels of that city, it is only fair to say that the drinking bars are not prominent features of the establishments. Still, you can find the buffets when needed. On the Sunday I was there I saw two men who had not registered at the hotel call for glasses of Pilsener. The smiling waiter hinted that the order must include food, and brought a couple of sandwiches with the beer. The sandwiches remained untasted, and would probably do duty again and again for the same purpose, much as that noted contract beast, "Old Jerusalem," was tendered and rejected at the British camps in South Africa during the Boer War."
Western Gazette - Friday 09 July 1909, page 5.

Of course, even when total prohibition came in, getting a drink wasn't much of a problem

I've seen something similar to the untouched sandwiches. I was drinking in a bar in Krakow in the meid 1980's. You had to have food to get an alcoholic drink. There were several blokes with a boiled egg an two 100 ml glasses of vodka.

A growing demand for Lager Beer in Hull

I found this fascinating article with one of my regular newspaper archve sweeps with  a very general search term. In this case, "Pilsener".

I meant to search the 19th-century but, because I failed to change the date filter, I searched 1900 to 1909 instead. I'm glad I did now. Because it's a rare insight into Lager in the UK on the eve of WW I.

The article is about the opening of a specialist Lager bottling store in Hull.

"LAGER BEER IN HULL
A GROWING DEMAND.
The growing taste for lager beer has been responsible for innovation at Hull, namely, the establishment of the Continental Beer Agency, with commodious, well-equipped premises at 35 and 36, Pryme-street, Hull. The prospects for the consumers of products of the foreign breweries is a bright one, for this company is in a position to place lager beers, whether from Munich, Christiania. Copenhagen, Gothenburg, and Bremen, on the English market in the condition as when they were bottled in those breweries. This is assured bottling from the huge butts at the bottling stores in Pryme-street, and it is now possible to order a bottle of lager that has not travelled a long journey. Major Gleadow is the chairman of the oompany, with Major Smithson, Mr P. Robson, Mr J. H. Tate, and Mr F. Moor as directors, the last two mentioned being the managing directors. The retailers in Hull and district who have visited the establishment expressed satisfaction at the demonstration given them, and on Thursday a number of visitors who were invited formed similar good opinions. Amongst many others accepting the invitation the directors were Mr John Tate, Mr J. Westrope, Mr Stanley Mr W. Dyson, Mr J. Fanthorpe, Mr R. N. Ross, and Mr W. Walker, of St. Pauli Breweries, Bremen.

The ground floor of the premises covers an area of 900 square yards. well equipped office occupies portion of the frontage to the street, and on passing through the commodious empties warehouse is reached. On this floor is the boilerhouse, and at the end the refrigerating plant and machinery, which is driven by electricity, is housed. A representative was next invited to step into the chilling chambers, where the lager, in large casks, containing 104 gallons each, is reduced to the same temperature when it left the breweries. A glance the thermometers showed that the temperature stood at freezing point, which was altogether too chilly to be comfortable to a man in a summer suit, although it makes the beer delicious. The storage provided is for about 100 butts. After the lager has been kept in the cold store for a specific period, extractors are placed in the casks, and the liquid is driven by air pressure through suitable channels, outside the insulated walls to the bottling machines. In the bottling department the latest and best plant has been installed, of type, it is said, that no other store in this country possesses. The directors have visited breweries and stores in England and abroad, and the experience gained has enabled them to bring into use machinery and plant to ensure the lager being skilfully and carefully handled, and placed on the English market in perfect condition. The bottle-washing machinery ensures scrupulous cleanliness, for in successive machines the bottles are washed, scoured, and brushed till they glisten, and are as clear as crystal. The light yellow and clear liquid is then run into the bottles, and the patent pull-over fasteners are fixed. This does not however, complete the processes. The lager securely sealed in bottles is next placed in pasteurising crates, and for two hours the bottles of lager remain in the pasteurising plant. It is not necessary to go into the benefits arising from this last process, except to say that the lager will now keep in perfect condition any length of time. Having been labelled, the bottles of lager are now ready to be despatched in cases to their destinations. family trade price list has been prepared, follows: Allsopp's Burton Lager, 2s 3d per dozen half-pints; Tennent's Glasgow Lager, 2s 3d do.; St. Pauli (Bremen Brewery) Light, 3s per dozen foreign size, 2s 6d per dozen half-pints; St. Pauli, Munich, 3s 3d per dozen foreign size, 2s 9d per dozen half-pints ; Christiania Breweries, Pilsener 2s 3d, Lager 2s 3d, Bock 2s 6d per dozen foreign size; Tuborg Lager, Copenhagen, 2s 6d do-; J. W. Lyckholm and Co., Goteborg, 2s 6d do.; Urquell Brewery, Pilsen (Bohemia), 3s 3d do.

Messrs Habron and Robson were the architects, and Messrs T. Goates and Son carried out the extensieve alterations that were necessary in adapting the building. The insulation and joinery work were executed Mr G. L. Scott. The machinery was erected by Mr .John Barker, the engineer to the Hull Brewery Co.
Hull Daily Mail - Friday 09 July 1909, page 3.

Reading between the lines, this tells us a fair bit about the Lager trade of the time. The way they make a big deal of bottling it in Hull, implies that previously Lager had been bottled at source and shipped to Britain. 104 gallons is not a British beer barrel size. The closest, a tun, is 108 gallons. In litres, 104 gallons is 472.79, so a pretty odd measure, too.

Were they really moving the beer out of the casks by air pressure, or was it CO2? Er, not sure I'd be so enthusiastic about pasteurisation. Especially for two hours. Yes, the beer would last forever, but it probably tasted like shit.

The "pull-over fasteners" mentioned are probably flip-top ceramic stoppers. It's not a type of stopper that was ever very popular in Britain. Whereas it was standard in Germany.

We learn about what Lagers were available in Britain at the time. What strikes me in particular is that there are none from Munich or Vienna, the sources of the first Lagers in Britian in the 1860's. All come from Scandinavia except Pilsner Urquell and St. Pauli.

The types of beer on offer also tell a story. Only one is identified as a dark Munich-style Lager and one as a Bock. My guess is that all the others were pale. That's a big turnaround from the early days of Lager in Britain, when only Wiener and Münchner were imported.

The two British breweries both put considerable investment into building Lager brewhouses, with differing. Allsopp never sold as much Lager as they had hoped and a few years later the brewhouse was shipped up to Alloa. Whereas Tennent's is still going strong.

Finally, a word on pricing. Here are some British bottled beers from the same year:

British bottled beers in 1909
Brewery	Place	year	beer	price per dozen	size
Godsell & Sons	Stroud	1909	Pale Ale	3s 6d	pint
Godsell & Sons	Stroud	1909	Imperial	2s 6d	pint
Godsell & Sons	Stroud	1909	Nourishing Stout	3s 3d	pint
Heavitree Brewery	Exeter	1909	East India Pale Ale	3s 3d	pint
Heavitree Brewery	Exeter	1909	East India Pale Ale	1s 9d	half pint
Heavitree Brewery	Exeter	1909	AKK Light Bitter Ale	2s 6d	pint
Heavitree Brewery	Exeter	1909	AKK Light Bitter Ale	1s 6d	half pint
Heavitree Brewery	Exeter	1909	Oatmeal Stout	2s 6d	pint
Heavitree Brewery	Exeter	1909	Oatmeal Stout	1s 6d	half pint
Source:
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Monday 05 July 1909, page 2

They demonstart how relatively expensive Lager was. The Pilseners would only have been about the same strength as AKK. A half pint of Urquell would presumably have been 2s 9d - almost double the price of AKK. Even British-brewed Lager was 2s 3d a dozen half pints.

Like I said, a dead handy little article.

Pilsener and the Swedish general strike of 1909

It was just in Britain where momentous events took plaace in 1909. There was also a general strike in Sweden.

Like the British general strike of 1926, it ended in total defeat for the trade unions. But even worse, restrictions on the sale of alcohol were introduced:

"SWEDISH STRIKERS GO FISHING.
Comedian Acts as Amateur Tramcar Conductor.
One consequence of the great Swedish strike is that no punch has been sold in Stockholm for ten days.

Those who know Sweden, says a correspondent of The Times significantly, can realise what this means.

A few tramway cars are running, many of the drivers being volunteers. Among the new conductors is one of the best-known comedians in the town.

The daily papers, according to this correspondent lost but one day, emergency hands having produced editions which, sold at double the usual price, show by their many misprints that amateur compositors have been at work on them.

Journeymen bakers have joined the strike, but the master bakers are doing their best, and bread of some sort is still obtainable.

But nothing has created such a change as the sudden prohibition by the State of the sale of spirits. In every hotel and cafe posted the legend, "No spirits to served until further notice;" while another order has been issued to the effect that no Pilsener, vermouth, or wine is to be served except with at least sixpennyworth of cooked food.

All the wine merchants' shops are closed, and Stockholm is undergoing the new sensation of enforced temperance. What the ultimate effect of this will be is a matter of much speculation.

Many people are finding that they can spend quite enjoyable day or evening with nothing more potent than coffee or lemonade to take the place of the seductive Swedish punch or brandy liqueurs.

But the immediate consequences are patent. The town very quiet, the cafes are nearly empty. There is no drunkenness, no brawling, and no noisy arguments.

The quays, the river, the bays, the rocks are lined with fishermen, and in many cases actually shoulder to shoulder accumulating little heaps of perch and bream and the other fishes peculiar the brackish waters of the fiords of the Baltic.

Of this precautionary edict prohibition the leaders of the strikers approve, even they were not actually it originators, for they have done much to render the huge strike organisation as orderly as possible by picketing the town and assisting the police."
Dundee Evening Telegraph - Wednesday 18 August 1909, page 2.

Was this the start of restrictions on the sale of alcohol in Sweden? Note that at the time there were still wine merchants. Hang on. I can look up when the Systembolaget came into being.

I found a nice overview of Swedish legislation regarding alcohol wholesaling and retailing on the Systembolaget website:

Swedish alcohol legislation
Year	legislation
1905	Riksdagen (the Swedish Parliament) orders all vodka sales to be handled via special companies.
1914	Compulsory ration books and individual rationing comes in with the establishment of AB Stockholmssystemet.
1917	AB Vin & Spritcentralen is formed, taking over all wholesaling activities.
1919	Compulsory rationing is introduced throughout Sweden and the local Systembolaget companies also acquire a monopoly in wine sales.
1922	Referendum on total prohibition. – 889,000 vote for and 925,000 against.
1955	The ration book is abolished and the regional Systembolaget. Companies are merged into one nationwide retailing company..
1957	Riksdagen votes to introduce blacklists and the compulsory showing of identification..
1969	The minimum age is lowered from 21 to 20 years
1977	Blacklists are abolished..
1991	Systembolaget’s first self-service store opens in Filipstad.
1994	The European Commission accepts Systembolaget’s monopoly in alcohol retailing.
1995	Vin & Sprit AB’s monopoly is dismantled and Systembolaget acquires 159 suppliers, instead of one.
Source:
Systembolaget website http://www.systembolaget.se

I can well remember the shock of first going into a self-service Systembolaget. It seemed so . . . . normal. Just like shopping for everything else. If you've only ever lived in Sweden a French supermarket must come as a shock with aisle after aisle of every kind of booze.