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.

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.

German brewing in 1966 - malting again

This time it's the final bit about malting. You're doubtless finding this as dull as I do. But once I've started something I feel compelled to finish.

Unless I can't be arsed. Which is quite often the case because, at heart, I'm bone idle.

Right, confession out of the way, we can get on with the tedious task at hand: trying to make automated maltings sound like fun.

"Mechanized maltings.—There is a limit to the mechanization of floor maltings. As labour requirement for floor maltings is high they are being replaced more and more by Saladin boxes or germination streets on the Wanderhaufen principle. The automated Saladin box with air conditioning by direct ammonia-cooling, or Freon evaporation cooling, permits the use of measured return air. Particularly in the case of single box units it is possible to adapt the malting process to meet all requirements. The emptying of the boxes is completely mechanized as a result of developments during the last ten years, thereby doing away with the strenuous and unpopular manual emptying.

Developments here range from the bulldozers of varied construction to the mechanical or pneumatic emptying system with a special turner, which provides a horizontal screw conveyor above the screw turner and thereby transports the green malt to a suction unit or a mechanical green-malt transporter. At the same time there are turning units with provision for direct emptying when the screws are stationery. Similarly, casting by means of moveable floors is becoming more popular. A new idea is the emptying of the total content of the box, by tipping floors, into a Redler transporter which takes the piece to the next box in the series. The turning in this case is very intensive.
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 16.

Saladin boxes had been around since the late 19th century, and were one of the earliest moves away from floor malting. I'll be honest with you: I don't understand this stuff well. So I'm going to let someone who does explain it a little more.

"In floor malting the steeped grain is spread on a floor in a room having a cool, humid atmosphere. Germination is controlled by turning the `piece' (batch) and thickening or thinning the layer of grain to allow temperature rises or falls as needed. Fine malts can be made in this way, but only in small quantities (ca. 10 t/batch) and with substantial manpower. Modern maltings are of the pneumatic type, in which the grain is turned mechanically and the grain temperature is controlled by forcing a stream of attemperated and water-saturated air through a bed of grain. Newer germination vessels are usually rectangular `Saladin boxes' or circular compartments. In these vessels steeped grain is formed into a bed, usually 0.6-1.0m (approx. 2.0-3.3 ft.) deep. The grain rests on a perforated deck, through which the conditioning airflow is driven. Some of the air is recirculated and mixed with fresh air. The air is driven by a fan and is usually humidified by passage through sprays of water. Air temperature may be controlled, by regulating the water temperature, sometimes augmented with heating or cooling by heat exchangers. The grain lifted and partly mixed, and the rootlets are separated by passing a row of vertical, contrarotating helical screws through the bed. The bed is `lightened' and the resistance to the airflow is reduced. Bed temperatures of 15-19 ºC (59-66.2 ºF) are common, with temperature differentials between the top and bottom of the bed of 2-3 ºC (3.6-5.4 ºF). The turner arrays are usually fitted with sprays to allow the grain to be moistened."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, page 21.

Is that all clear now? I though not. Let's quickly move on.

Here's another type of mechanised malting: a germination tower:

"Finally, the germination tower has been described a number of times, and this new type of unit is working very well in two maltings. When a few minor improvements have been made, we shall probably see more installations of this type.

The tower provides for aeration of the vertically stacked, slotted germination floors by means of ventilators. As the air has direct cooling, every possible range of the ratio of fresh air to return air can be employed. Additional jets must be provided to saturate the return air. The return air is controlled in order to provide the required temperature on each floor, i.e., for each germination day. As the CO2 in the return air slows down germination, one can work with 15-20 cubic metres of air per 100 kg. of barley per hr. This is considerably less than the average value for Saladin boxes (50-70 cubic m. per 100 kg. barley per hr.). Nevertheless, it is advisable to allow for a powerful ventilator, suitably regulated.

Loading and emptying is made completely automatic by specially designed tipping floors, and therefore no manual work is carried out. Control of temperature is carried out by the cooling unit. The aeration provides for a gradual increase in temperature from the top to the bottom, as the exhaust air of one floor is the new air of the next floor. In practice it is possible to start with a temperature of 12-13° C. and increase by 1-1.5° C. per day so that the oldest piece will be at approximately 20° C. after 7 days. If it is required to start germination at a higher temperature it is possible to reduce the temperature after the third or fourth day by means of a second air-conditioning cycle. The resulting malts are at least equal to box malts and full allowance must be made for the lower malting losses."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 16.

Let's see if I've got this right. A germination tower worked totally automatically and the losses during malting were smaller than with a Saladin box. Sounds perfect.

As a special treat, here are the specs of Weyermann's base malts.

Weyermann base malts
malt	colourEBC	use	amount	comment
Premium Pilsner Malz	2.0 - 2.5	Premium Pilsner with an extra pale colour	100%	made from the best domestic 2-row summer brewing barley
		all other types of beer		by selecting particularly suitable raw materials and applying a specific malting technology particularly extra pale  and bright wort and kettle colours are achieved
Pilsner Malz	2.5 - 4.0	Pilsner	100%	made from the best domestic 2-row summer brewing barley
		every other type of beer		for brewing all pale beers
				as base malt for special beers
Pale Ale Malz	5.5 - 7.5	suitable for all beers	100%	produces excellent lager and ales
		Ale
		Stout
		Porter
Wiener Malz	6.0 - 9.0	Exportbier	100%	producing "golden beers" and promoting body
		Märzenbiere
		Festbiere
		Hausbräubiere
Münchner Malz	I 12 - 18	dunkle Biere	up to 100 %	Underlines the typical character of the beer by flavour enhancement
		Festbiere		Achieve a strong beer color
	II 20 - 25	Starkbiere
		Malzbiere
		Schwarzbiere
Buchenrauch-Gerstenmalz	4.0 - 8.0	Rauchbiere	up to 100 %	gives the typical smoke flavour
		Lagerbiere		rounded beech smoke flavor with slight honey and vanilla notes
		Kellerbiere
		Rauchbierspezialitäten
		Weizenbiere
Eichenrauch-Weizenmalz	4.0 - 6.0	Weizenbiere	up to 80 %	made from quality wheat
		Rauch-Weizenbiere		fine oak smoke flavor with honey and vanilla notes
		Hefe-Weizen
		Rauchbiere
		Grätzer Bier
		Ales
Source:
Weyermann product brochure, June 2014.

xxx

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.

Let's Brew Wednesday - Zum Uerige Alt

Thank you Fred Waltman. Thank you for posting a picture of a Zum Uerige brewing record on BeerAdvocate,

Because now I know for certain a couple of things. Like the grist. And I'm relieved to see that, unlike some Alt brewers, they don't get the colour from Sinamar or caramel. Three malts are in the mix: Pils-, Cara- and Röstmalz. Given the small quantity of Caramalz the colour must mostly come from the Röstmalz.

According to the Braugersten-Gemeinschaft, Röstmalz has a colour of 800 - 1500 EBC. Which makes it probably closer to chocolate malt than black malt. The Caramalz should be in the range 35 to 80 EBC.

Interesting that there are also three types of hops - Perle, Spalt and Hallertau. All classic German varieties. The hopping rate is even higher than that stated by Narziss - 500 gm/hl as opposed to 400 gm/hl**.

Uerige Alt March 2004
pils	1,060 kg	96.36%
cara	25 kg	2.27%
Röst	15 kg	1.36%
total	1,100 kg
Perle	6 kg	16.67%
Spalt	20 kg	55.56%
Hallertau	10 kg	27.78%
total	36 kg
gm/hl hops	500
hl	72
OG Plato	11.90
OG	1047.8
FG	1011.6
ABV	4.70
App. Atten-uation	75.73%
Source:
Zum Uerige brewing record

Sorry I've no mashing details. I suspect they probably decoct. Judging by the timings the boil is pretty short, no more than 90 minutes at most.

I realise it's a while since I posted a recipe. Hopefully thhis will partially make up for that.




* "The Soul of Beer: Malting Barley from Germany", Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., page 57.
** Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 14.

German malts at a glance

The title says it all. This is a short post in my current series on German malting.

I'm finding it fun even if you aren't. I'm having to churn out the posts this week because of my upcoming trips to the US. Actually, I'll be in the US when this posted. Slaving away in New Jersey.

Like much of what I do, this is really for my own reference. So I can easily find this information when I need it. I found it in a little booklet  produced by Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., a group dedicated to researching and breeding malting barley for brewing.

German Malt types
Malt type	Colour / EBC	Use	Amount	Purpose of use
Pilsner malt	3 - 5	Pilsner beers	100%	For the production of all pale beers
		Every other beer type		As base malt for speciality beers
Vienna malt	7 – 9	Export beers	100%	To achieve “amber coloured beers” and promote full-bodied flavour
		Märzenbier
		Festival beers
		Home-brewed beers
Munich malt I	I 12 – 17	Dark beers	up to 100 %	Underscores the typical beer character through intensified flavour
		Festival beers		Achieves intense beer colour
	II 20 – 25	Stouts
		Malt beers
		Black beers
Spitz malt	2.5 – 4.5	To compensate for highly soluble brewing malts	max. 15 – 20 %	Improved head retention
Smoked malt	3 – 6	Smoked beers	up to 100 %	Achieves the typical smoked flavour
		Lagers
		Kellerbier
		Speciality beers, e.g. for tavern breweries
		Wheat beers
Sour malt pH 3.4 – 3.6	3 – 7a	Pilsner beers	up to 5 %	Lowers the wort ph, thereby
		Light beers		Improves mashing performance
		Draught beers		Intensifies fermentation
				Effects pale beer colours in Pilsner beers
				Improves flavour stability
				More balanced beer flavour
Melanoidin malt	60 – 80	Wheat beers	up to 20 %	Improves flavour stability and full-bodied flavour
		Bocks		Balances beer colour
		Dark beers		Achieves reddish colour
		Red ales		Optimizes mash work
		Amber beers
Caramel malt light	20 – 30	Pale beers	10 – 15 %	Increases full-bodied flavour
		Export beers		Intensifies malt flavour
		Festival beers		Improved head retention
		Low alcohol malt beers (Nährbiere)		Full, balanced flavour
		Wheat beers	up to 30 %	Fuller beer colour
		Draught beers		Adjusts beer colour in Pilsner or Lager beers
		Light beers		Flavour optimization for yeast wheat beers
		Reduced-alcohol beers
		Alcohol-free beers
Caramel malt dark	60 – 160	Bock beers	up to 20 %	Improves flavour stability and full-bodied flavour
		Dark beers		Balances beer colour
		Red ale		Optimizes mash work
		Amber beers		Intensifies malt flavour
		Festival beers
		Non alcohol malt beers
		Low alcohol malt beers
		Light beers
Roasted malt	800 – 1500	Dark beers	1 – 5 %	Intensifies the typical flavour of dark beers and beer colour
		Stouts
		Alt beers
		Bocks
		Black beers
Diastatic barley malt	3 – 6	All beer varieties	as needed	High enzyme capacity, improves processing, optimizes solubility and breakdown of starch
				Production of malt extracts
Source:
"The Soul of Beer: Malting Barley from Germany", Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., page 57.

I told you it was a short post that's me done now.

I might do something similar for British malt types.

German Pilsner in 2014

For the second part of my modern German beer style series, we'll be looking at Germany favourite: Pilsner.

Though its popularity is definitely on the slide, down from almost 70% of sales in 1996 to 55% in 2010*. Though there's currently no obvious replacement nor even a vague challenger. No other style had a market share of more than 10% in 2010**.

It's often assumed that after Pilsner was first brewed in 1842 that it spread like wildfire across Europe. It didn't. Its progress was much slower and it's only really in the 1880's that it starts to be brewed in any quantities outside Austria. Even then it remained an expensive speciality, mostly drunk by the middle classes. As you can see, there are considerable parallels with Burton Pale Ale.

Pilsner's progress wasn't helped by the fact that the Munich breweries and Dreher from Vienna got in first. Münchner and Viener were the first Lagers to be brewed in most countries. The earliest analyses I have of a German Pilsner is from 1878. Intrguingly, they're all from the Saxon town of Chemnitz and are described as "Bömischer Art" or "Bohemian style".

Only one analysis is from the south, from Munich's Löwenbräu. Which makes sense. They had their own Lager tradition in Bavaria and were more reluctant than brewers from the north in adopting foreign styles. Munich brewers in particular were afraid of debasing their dark Lager brand if they brewed pale beers. Eventually they were unable to resist public demand and in the 1890's all the big Munich breweries introduced one.

Anyway, here's the table:

German Pilsener 1878 - 1893
Year	Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Lactic acid %
1900	unknown	unknown	Pilsener Draught	1043.6	1012.3	10.91	4.06	70.94%
1878	Feldschlösschen	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1044.3	1007.1	11.07	4.85	83.97%
1878	Böttger's Brauerei	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1044.5	1006.2	11.11	5.00	86.07%
1878	Societäts-Brauerei	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1044.5	1009.3	11.11	4.58	79.10%
1900	unknown	unknown	Pilsener Bottle	1047.4	1013.9	11.80	4.34	69.66%
1878	Bergschlösschen	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1048.5	1012.8	12.07	4.63	73.61%
1878	Schloss Chemnitz	Chemnitz	Bömischer Art	1050.1	1013.1	12.45	4.80	73.85%
1884	Bremer Aktien-Brauerei	Bremen	Pilsener	1050.3	1009.1	12.50	5.38	81.91%	0.145
1884	Union-Brauerei	Hannover	nach Pilsener Art	1050.7	1013.1	12.59	4.89	74.16%	0.136
1891	National-Aktien-Brauerei	Braunschweig	Pilsener	1050.7	1015.2	12.59	4.60	70.02%
1891	Aktien-Brauerei Streitberg	Streitberg	Pilsener	1051.3	1009.9	12.73	5.40	80.70%
1893	Brauerei Hammonia	Hamburg	Pilsener	1052.8	1020.3	13.09	4.20	61.55%
1884	Städtisches Brauerei	Hannover	nach Pilsener Art	1055.2	1014	13.65	5.36	74.64%	0.147
1893	Löwen-Brauerei	Hamburg	Pilsener	1056.1	1015.9	13.85	5.21	71.63%	0.405
1890	Löwenbrauerei	Munich	Pilsener	1057.5	1017.3	14.19	5.21	69.91%	0.405
	Average			1049.8	1012.6	12.38	4.83	74.78%	0.248
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156
The 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica
"Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" by Joseph König, 1889, pages 806 - 851
"Handbuch der chemischen technologie" by Otto Dammer, Rudolf Kaiser, 1896, pages 696-697

For comparison purposes, here are some Pilsners from Pilsen itself:

Bohemian Pilsener 1876 - 1893
Year	Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Lactic acid %
1888	Alt-Pilsener	Pilsen	Schenkbier	1039.7	1012.1	9.96	3.58	69.52%
1898	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Schankbier	1043.0	1011.5	10.76	4.09	73.26%	0.112
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1043.3	1014.5	10.83	3.73	66.51%
1886	Actien Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1043.7	1012.5	10.92	4.04	71.40%
1876	Actien Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1044.9	1011.1	11.21	4.39	75.28%	0.120
1878	unknown	Pilsen	Bömisches Bier	1045.0	1012.0	11.22	4.28	73.30%
1876	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1045.0	1013.0	11.23	4.15	71.11%	0.120
1876	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1046.5	1013.0	11.59	4.35	72.04%	0.160
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1047.3	1012.7	11.78	4.49	73.15%
1898	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1047.3	1012.6	11.78	4.50	73.36%	0.103
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1047.8	1015.4	11.89	4.19	67.75%
1890	unknown	Pilsen	Pilsener	1047.8	1013.0	11.91	4.34	72.83%
1897	Unknown	Pilsen	Original-Pilsener	1048.0	1014.3	11.95	4.36	70.21%	0.242
1890	Unknown	Pilsen	Pilsener	1048.1	1013.1	11.97	4.54	72.77%	0.186
1888	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1048.5	1015.0	12.07	4.34	69.07%
1898	Unknown	Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Berlin)	1048.5	1014.3	12.07	4.44	70.52%
1870	Actien-Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1048.6	1012.8	12.08	4.64	73.64%
1876	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Lagerbier	1048.6	1012.8	12.09	4.65	73.66%	0.170
1891	Actien Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Zürich)	1048.9	1012.0	12.16	4.80	75.46%
1891	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Zürich)	1049.3	1014.6	12.26	4.50	70.39%
1876	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Schenkbier	1050.5	1013.8	12.54	4.76	72.67%
1892	Pilsener Export-Brauerei	Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Bern)	1052.2	1011.1	12.94	5.35	78.74%	0.120
1893	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener	1053.2	1013.2	13.18	5.20	75.19%	0.320
1890	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Pilsen	Pilsener Exportbier	1054.6	1014.5	13.51	5.22	73.53%	0.320
	Average			1047.5	1013.1	11.83	4.45	72.31%	0.179
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156
"Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" by Joseph König, 1889, pages 806 - 851
"Bericht über die Entwickelung der chemischen Industrie während des letzten Jahrzehends" by August Wilhelm von Hofmann, 1877, page 382
"Handbuch der chemischen technologie" by Otto Dammer, Rudolf Kaiser, 1896, pages 696-697

And now modern German Pilsners:

German Pils in 2014
Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	bitterness
Brauereigasthof Winkler	Berching	Premium Pils	1046.5	1011.2	11.6	4.60	76.04%
Brauerei Windsheimer	Gutenstetten	Pils	1047.8	1011.6	11.9	4.70	75.73%
Privatbrauerei Gessner	Sonneberg	Pilsner	1047.4	1010.5	11.8	4.80	77.83%
Holsten	Hamburg Altona	Pilsener	1044.9	1008	11.2	4.80	82.17%
Einbecker Brauhaus	Einbeck	Premium Pilsener	1044.9	1008	11.2	4.80	82.17%
Bürgerbräu Hersbruck	Hersbruck	Edel-Pils	1046.1	1009.2	11.5	4.80	80.05%
Zum Löwenbräu Flair Hotel	Adelsdorf	Edel-Pilsner	1049.1	1011.4	12.2	4.90	76.76%
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	Kulmbacher Edelherb	1045.3	1007.7	11.3	4.90	82.99%
Arnsteiner Brauerei	Seinsheim	Pils	1045.7	1008.1	11.4	4.90	82.27%
Brauhaus Leikeim	Altenkunstadt	Premium	1045.7	1008.1	11.4	4.90	82.27%
Einbecker Brauhaus	Einbeck	Brauherren Pils	1045.7	1008.1	11.4	4.90	82.27%
Privatbrauerei Gessner	Sonneberg	Premium Pils	1047.8	1010.2	11.9	4.90	78.76%
Braugasthof Grosch	Rödental	Grosch Prinz Albert Pils	1046.1	1008.5	11.5	4.90	81.57%
Paulaner	Munich	Premium Pils	1046.1	1008.5	11.5	4.90	81.57%
Brauerei Gasthof Wiethaler	Lauf an der Pegnitz	Neunhofer Pils				4.90
Brauerei Gasthof Wiethaler	Lauf an der Pegnitz	Neunhofer Edelpils				4.90
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	EKU Pils	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Brauerei Kanone Löhr	Schnaittach	Pils	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Brauerei Hermann Sigwart	Weißenburg	Premium Pils	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Braugold	Erfurt	Riebeck Premium Pilsener	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	Mönchshof Original Pils	1046.5	1008.9	11.6	4.90	80.87%
Schübel Bräu	Stadtsteinach	Pils	1047.0	1009.3	11.7	4.90	80.19%
Brauerei Hofmann	Pahres	Hopfengold-Pilsener	1047.4	1009.7	11.8	4.90	79.52%
Ammerndorfer Bier Dorn Bräu	Ammerndorf	Pils	1047.4	1009.7	11.8	4.90	79.52%
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer Premium	1050.3	1011.9	12.5	5.00	76.35%
Göller	Zeil am Main	Original	1047.4	1009	11.8	5.00	81.00%
Göller	Zeil am Main	Pilsner	1047.4	1009	11.8	5.00	81.00%
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer Krone Pils	1047.4	1009	11.8	5.00	81.00%
Gasthof Gundel	Kammerstein	Pils	1047.4	1009	11.8	5.00	81.00%
Brauerei Hofmann	Pahres	Pils 0.33	1047.8	1009.4	11.9	5.00	80.33%
Wolf	Zeil am Main	Land Pils	1046.1	1007.8	11.5	5.00	83.19%
Privatbrauerei Kesselring	Marktsteft	Premium Pils	1048.2	1009.8	12.0	5.00	79.67%
Kitzmann-Bräu	Erlangen	Edelpils	1048.2	1009.8	12.0	5.00	79.67%
Strauß Karl Brauerei	Treuchtlingen	Wettelsheimer Wet	1051.6	1013.1	12.8	5.00	74.61%
Strauß Karl Brauerei	Treuchtlingen	Wettelsheimer Pils	1051.6	1013.1	12.8	5.00	74.61%
Holsten	Hamburg Altona	Extra Herb	1044.9	1006.5	11.2	5.00	85.51%
Pyraser Landbrauerei	Thalmässing	Gutsherrn Pils	1047.4	1008.3	11.8	5.10	82.58%
Weihenstephan	Freising	Pilsner	1047.4	1008.3	11.8	5.10	82.58%
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	Pilsner	1047.4	1008.3	11.8	5.10	82.58%
Distelhäuser	Tauberbischofsheim	Pils	1050.3	1011.1	12.5	5.10	77.94%	22
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer HopfenGold	1047.8	1008.6	11.9	5.11	82.01%
Göller	Zeil am Main	Premium Pilsner	1049.9	1010	12.4	5.20	79.96%	33 - 34
Braugold	Erfurt	Erfurter Angerbräu Premium Pils	1050.3	1010.4	12.5	5.20	79.33%
Forschungsbrauerei	Munich	Pilsissimus Exportbier	1052.4	1009.5	13.0	5.60	81.88%
Average			1047.5	1009.4	11.8	5.0	80.31%	22.0
Sources:
Brewery websites.

What I find most remarkable is how similar all the sets are to one another. The average gravity of the 19th-century Czech and modern German examples is identical. Though the average gravity of the 19th-century German samples is half a degree Plato higher. Unsurprisingly, there's one big difference: the level of attenuation. It's 80% in the modern examples and below 75% in the older examples. For the 19h century, anything over 70% attenuation is quite high. Whereas in most modern German Lagers it's over 80%.

The modern Pilsners show less variation than the older ones. The gravity range is 9.96 to 13.51º Plato (3.55º difference) for 19th-century Czech Pilsners, 10.91 to 14.19º Plato (4.28º difference) in old German ones, 11.20 to 13.00º Plato (2.8º difference) in modern German ones. 23 of the 42 modern examples are 0.2º Plato either side of the average of 11.8º Plato (11.4º to 12º Plato) and 31 are 0.4º Plato either side of the average. That's 55% and 74%, respectively.

It's a shame that I've so few EBU bitterness values. They aren't enough to do anything sensible with.

Time for one final table. Of a modern phenomenon: Leicht Pils.

German Leicht Pils in 2014
Brewer	Town	Beer	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	bitterness
Zum Löwenbräu Flair Hotel	Adelsdorf	Leichtes	1030.8	1009.2	7.8	2.80	70.15%
Distelhäuser	Tauberbischofsheim	Leichtes	1030.8	1008.4	7.8	2.90	72.75%	18
Ammerndorfer Bier Dorn Bräu	Ammerndorf	Leicht	1030.8	1008.4	7.8	2.90	72.75%
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer Feinherb	1031.2	1008.8	7.9	2.90	71.82%
Gasthof Gundel	Kammerstein	Nimm's leicht	1031.2	1008.8	7.9	2.90	71.82%
Pyraser Landbrauerei	Thalmässing	Das leichte Pyraser	1038.2	1009.7	9.6	3.70	74.61%
Average			1032.2	1008.9	8.1	3.0	72.32%	18.0
Sources:
Brewery websites.

They're all very similar to each other except the Pyraser, which looks like an Ordinary Bitter. The others all fall into the old Schankbier category, being under 8º Plato. While the Pyraser is slap in the middle of the old "forbidden zone" of 8º - 11º Plato. It's remarkable how few beers are brewed even now at the old forbidden gravities. I guess old habits die hard.

Hefeweizen next, I think.





* Brauwelt Brevier 2003 and Deutscher Brauer-Bund, Bonn.
** Deutscher Brauer-Bund, Bonn.