Where Marcin explains the history of brewing in Grodzisk and the local style Grodziskie.
I rise around 8:30. Wouldn’t want to miss out on breakfast. It’s often the highlight of the day. I guess that shows my age.
I go for the same as yesterday: fried egg, cheese, tomato and cucumber. It’s a fairly light meal. Accompanied by a couple of double espressos. Which wake me up a treat. That was exactly the idea.
I have a nice chat with some of the other judges while I eat. Getting to talk to lots of different people is one of the reasons I go judging. That and travelling to places that I’d never go to otherwise.
The bus leaves for the airport at 10:00. It’s an hour or so in the bus. But we’re still there well before my flight. I have to wait a while before the KLM check-in desk opens. Which I spend chatting with the two Argentinian judges. Much of it about football.
As soon as the desk opens, I check in and trail airside. And straight to the lounge. Well, with a short detour to the duty free, where I pick up some Ukrainian and Poznan vodka. Never seen Ukrainian vodka before.
The lounge is pretty small. Not much food. Slightly weird sandwiches. But free-pour spirits. Now doesn’t that lift my spirits? I take full advantage. Wouldn’t you?
I have a couple of hours to enjoy myself in the lounge. Which is nice and quiet. It’s so much more relaxing in a lounge than outside, where there are always people milling about. That’s why I’m so keen on hanging onto my gold status with KLM.
That reminds me of another reason I go judging: lots of long-haul flights. Great for getting up to gold status every year.
I have to make do with cattle-truck class this way. Not so unbearable, as it’s only a short hop.
As I haven’t checked in a bag, I’m straight out of the terminal and into a taxi with minimal fucking around.
Soon I’m opening my front door. Inside Dolores is waiting with tea. As always.
The rest of my time in Grodzisk. Where I do some more judging, have another brewery tour and hang around at a beer festival.
I manage to drag myself out of bed around 8:00. As planned. There’s a win to start the day. It’s going to be a busy one.
Breakfast is a pretty decent buffet. With fried eggs and bacon. Though the bacon is rather undercooked. I accompany my fried egg with cheese and tomato instead. Probably healthier.
At 9:30 a bus takes us to an estate on the edge of the village of Wąsowo. Where, in addition to the numerous other activities, a small brewery recently opened on the site. Called, logically enough, Browar Wąsowo.
After a quick tour around the various former farm buildings, we dive into the brewery. Housed in a red brick structure. It’s all very new and shiny inside. As you would expect for a brewery that only opened in 2025.
We’re taken around the various rooms in the brewery, which is two storeys with cellars. Before returning to the fermentation room for samples. Beginning with a Grodziskie which has only just finished primary fermentation. “A bit raw still.” We’re told. It takes perfectly fine to me. With the smoke and hops in good balance.
Next is a Pilsner. Which is clean and decently bitter. Very drinkable.
We roll over to the onsite restaurant. Which is also a sort of taproom for the brewery, serving seven of their beers on draught. Today, that’s: Berliner Weisse, APA, Witbier, Lager, Black IPA, Hazy IPA and Saison. A pretty decent variety of styles. Not just IPA variants.
There are bits of food for us. And samples of the draught beers. Which, just as they were in the brewery, are very good. I kick off with a Black IPA. Mostly because you never see them anymore. Maybe a bit on the roasty side, but pleasant enough. The Hazy IPA I follow it up with is also fine.
It’s getting on for 13:00 when we drive off in the bus to return to Grodzisk. For a bit more judging. The second round. But there’s time for a quick beer outside. It is pretty hot, after all. I wouldn’t want to dehydrate.
Yesterday I judged “straight” Grodziskie. Today it’s the category for beers with additional ingredients. Some interesting ideas, not all of which work for me. But a couple where they really do.
Only eleven beers. No need to fill out score sheets, either. I just scribble a few notes. I really mean scribble. I struggle to read them a few minutes later. There’s a lively discussion. Which is resolved without resorting to physical violence.
Our table is one of the last to finish. And the lunch buffet is running a little thin. Just about enough left for a decent meal. I wash it down with some Grodziskie. I’m not missing any chance I get to drink it here in Grodzisk.
Once lunch is chomped and Grodziskie has been drunk. we return to the malt house for a tour. Working from the bottom up. Much of it hasn’t been fully renovated. Some isn’t even slightly done up. With the top floor not being safe to enter.
The brew house is just across the yard. It has a pretty traditional layout. Though the equipment is all shiny stainless steel. There’s even a baudelot cooler. Which seems to be in use.
The open fermenters are hard to see, with their tops far overhead. They look pretty big.
It’s about a 15-minute walk from the brewery to the festival,
Grodziskie Piwobranie. I’m glad that the sun isn’t out. On the way, we
walk past some random old Soviet military equipment parked next to a
building.
The festival is quite a modest affair, held in a town park. With lots of families. There are half a dozen brewery stands, each selling a range of beers. At pretty reasonable prices: 3 to 4 euros for a half litre.
I get myself a half-litre of Lager. Well, someone else gets it for me as my credit card won’t work. It’s a pleasant enough beer.
All the judges climb onto the stage for the competition results. Which I don’t understand, as they’re in Polish. Once that’s done, we trail off the stage again. To make way for a Queen cover band.
As a storm is forecast, I find a seat under an umbrella. I wouldn’t want to get drenched. Noticing a stall with an old bloke selling what look like bottles of spirits, I wander over there.
I buy a half litre of some fruit-based spirit. It’s little rough. Let’s be honest, it’s very rough. I mix it with some beer to make it more palatable. Which is successful to some degree.
I chat for a while with the Finnish judge. And share s shot of my dodgy fruit stuff. He seems perfectly normal. 30 minutes later, he’s flat on his back. I didn’t think the fruit stuff was that strong. But his legs seem to have stopped working.
As everyone is feeling a bit tired, we arrange to be collected by the bus an hour earlier at 21:30. Of which I’m mightily pleased. I’m feeling pretty knacked.
Raindrops start to fall when we’re halfway to the bus. I’m a bit wet when I climb aboard. It’s a bit of a drive back to Grodzisk. But it’s not straight to bed back at the hotel.
A gaggle of judges crowd into a room. Where football is watched and beer is drunk. Though I’m not drinking beer. I’ve brought myself a stiff whiskey down from my room.
Germany are surprisingly losing. Though have pulled things back by the time I retire to my room. I’m too old to stay up past midnight. And don’t.
Browar Wąsowo
Poznańska 2,
64-314 Wąsowo,
Poland.
Folwark Wąsowo
ul. Poznańska 2,
64-316 Wąsowo,
Poland.
http://folwarkwasowo.pl/
Browar w Grodzisku Wielkopolskim
Poznańska 16B,
62-065 Grodzisk Wielkopolski,
Poland.
http://browargrodzisk.com/
Here's a video of the day:
A quick report of a short trip I made last weekend.
I trail over to Schiphol a little after 09:00. Which leaves me time to warm up for the flight a little in the lounge.
The food isn't too bad in the lounge this time. It's the non-Schengen one that I don't visit often. Not been impressed with the food in the past. The rostis are really nice. Scrambled egg could do with some seasoning.
But there's free-pour whisky. Of which I take advantage. Though don't abuse. It's a thin line that you need to walk when you're an enthusiastic drinker like me.
I bump into Ferry at the gate. He's judging in Grodzisk, too. Though we both live in Holland, we first met in Brazil.
When my boarding pass is checked before getting on the bus, there's a beep and I'm given a slip of paper. I've been upgraded to business class. I guess because the flight is overbooked. Now there's a win.
After waiting on the tarmac for a while the bus return to the gate. Two vehicles have collided close to our plane. We have to wait for that to be sorted out. We depart quite late.
The food is definitely better than the usual KLM slop. And I get a couple of whiskies to wash it down. Which also helps.
After landing in Poznan, we're whisked off in a bus to our hotel Along with other just-arrived judges. It takes a while to get to Nowy Tomyśl. After just about enough time to drop of our bags, it's back on the bus to go to Grodzisk.
Where we're judging in the former malt house of the last brewery to make Grodziskie before the style's extinction in the early 1990s. Which is pretty cool. And it's right next to the brewhouse of Browar Grodzisk. Current brewer of Grodziskie
We don't have to judge a stupid number of beers - my table has 17. Just as well, as the judging kicks off in the early evening. There are some pretty good examples in the ones we judge. And a few not so good ones. But there are always a few duds, whenever you judge.
I'm judging with two Polish men, Michal Kopik and Jan Lepek and a German/Greek woman, Dafne Peppa_boy. We have some robust discussions about some beers. Which is part of the fun of judging. If everyone 100% agreed, int would be a pretty dull process.
For those of you that haven't experienced the Grodziskie style, here's an overview of its characteristics.
colour: very pale
grist: 100% oak-smoked wheat malt
hops: Polish varieties
yeast: top fermenting
OG: 7.7º Plato
ABV: 3.1%
The last two I've taken from the Classic version brewed by Browar Grodzisk. It's also usually bottle-conditioned.
 |
I like versions where the hops and smoke are in balance. Combined with a light body, making them very drinkable. Quite a few of the beers I judge fit those parameters perfectly. And are a pleasure to drink.
I already know quite a few of the other judges. Which makes things easier. Catching up with Evan Rail after many years is fun. Great to learn that U Rotundy remains a s wonderful as ever. Plus lots of other great stuff about beer in Czechia.
Judging is scheduled to end at 21:00. It's a while after that when all the tables are done And it's pushing 10:00 when we hit the restaurant Schabowy & Salata.
Our, quite late, evening meal is very decent. What I expect in Poland, where the food is usually pretty good. I do like a good Schnitzel. One made out of actual meat. Unlike the shttty ones made from reconstituted gunk they sell in the supermarkets in Holland.
(I was wondering about the name of the restaurant: Schbowy & Salata. I could get the second bit But what about the first? Kotlet schabowy turns out to be what I called a Schnitzel. It's the Polish version of a fried, thin, breaded piece of pork. Like I said earlier, it was excellent.)
Of course, there's also Grodziskie to drink. From the beautifully elegant, slender glasses.
It's after midnight when I get my head down Aiming for an 8:00 start tomorrow. A gulp or two of hotel whisky whisks me off rapidly to sleep.
Browar Grodzisk
Poznańska 16B,
62-065 Grodzisk Wielkopolski,
Poland.
https://browargrodzisk.com
Schabowy & Salata
Osiedle Wojska Polskiego 18D,
62-065 Grodzisk Wielkopolski,
Poland.
Here's a video report of my trip:
By popular demand, (ell, I think one person said they liked them), here's another travel video.
Where I fly to Poznan and am whisked away to judge in the malthouse of the last brewer in Grodzisk when the style died out in the early 1990s. Then eat a Kotlet schabowy. Which was dead good.
Now there's another bucket list item crossed off. I finally got to drink Grodziskie in Grodzisk.
Last weekend I was in Grodzisk to judge, well, Grodziskie. And what fun it was.
One of my big regrets, beer-wise, at least, was not getting tro try Grodzisk when I was in Poland in the early 1990s. When the original Grodzisk brewery was still active. And I assumed that was my chance gone to experience the style.
Thankfully, the style has been brought back to life in its home town. And is even brewed in the building as the original. How cool is that? And the judging was in the malthouse of original brewery.\
It was quite a short trip for me. Only a short hop of a flight. And just two days away. Almost no effort at all, really.
Lots of fun people there, too. Some I already knew. Some I was meeting for the same time. It's great to still be meeting new people at my age. Which is why I'm going to continue to travel as long as I can.
Maybe I'll continue with the pure beer stuff. Like next week, when I'll be doing some Grodziskie judging in, er, Grodzisk. I can see how that might have some historical value. If I make an effort and interview people.
The more I think about it, that's exactly what I should do. Not just video my breakfast.
Thanks for that. It's really cleared that up in my head. And given me a plan for next week in Grodzisk.
Not been to Poland for 30 years. I'm guessing it might have changed a little bit.
“BEER DRINKING IN FRANCE AND GERMANY.
. . . .
The United States Consul-General at Berlin, in his last report, states that the German beer production, which in the preceding year had risen, increased again in the fiscal year 1888-89, although the consumption was interfered with by the unfavourable weather of the summer of 1888, and also by the good fruit crops. The increase in the beer production of 1888-89 was confined entirely to the under-fermented (untergahrige) sorts, the highly-fermented beers having fallen off in amount. This was due in part to the bad weather, which was unfavourable to the consumption of highly-fermented (obergahrige) beers ; but chiefly to the growing popularity of the under-fermented sorts, whose sale by the breweries was increased through depots in other places, discounts to dealers, &c., and particularly through the growing popularity in town and land of bottled beer. As a consequence, the smaller breweries of the highly-fermented sorts decrease both in number and in amount of production.”
Aberdeen Journal - Tuesday 27 January 1891, page 2.
“Rice in the form of flour or broken grains, the waste from the Bremen rice mills, is used only in the manufacture of the under-fermented beers light in colour. The higher price of this in comparison with barley is offset by the fact that, in the malt process the latter loses 30 per cent. in weight, while the former in grinding suffers no loss. The addition of beer colour serves to give the proper colour to the beer instead of malt. For the same purpose colour-beers are manufactured in special breweries, which beers are not classified as malt surrogates, but are taxed as finished beers of malt and hops.”
Aberdeen Journal - Tuesday 27 January 1891, page 2.
“Of the under-fermented beers there are three principal sorts - Schank or young beer, common lager beer, and the finer, stronger lager beers. One hundred kilogrammes of malt (used in the manufacture of highly-fermented beers), mixed with sugar, syrup, &c., produce from 6 to 8 hectolitres of common, and from 2.8 to 7 hectolitres of strong beer (porter and double beer). Of the under-fermented beers, 100 kilogrammes of malt make 2.5 to 5 hectolitres of good lager beer, 4 to 6 of common lager, and as much as 9.2 of Schank beer. Owing to competition, domestic and foreign, brewers were compelled to drop their prices, and, as an offset, to lighten their beers. The fall in prices, however, has been chiefly in the form of larger discounts to large buyers. It is also noted that prices vary in the same brewery according to the amount ordered, the responsibility of the buyer, competition, and the price of transportation. Average prices were as follows :- In barrels of one hectolitre, highly-fermented beers, common sorts, 6 to 12 marks; better sorts, do., 12 to 18 ; Berlin white beer, 11 to 15,; Graetzer, 13 ; under-fermented Schank, 13 to 17, common lager, 16 to 20; better sorts, 20 to 25.”
Aberdeen Journal - Tuesday 27 January 1891, page 2.
“From Alsace-Lorraine it is reported that the consumption of beer during the fiscal year 1888-89 was 876,640 hectolitres, against 868,462 hectolitres in the preceding year. The decrease in the number of breweries in Alsace-Lorraine is due to the competition of better-arranged breweries in Baden and Bavaria. Hop culture is chiefly carried on in the district of Hagenau, and on a smaller scale near Strasburg, Colmar, Mulhausen, Munster, Sarrburg, and Saargemund. In the first mentioned district 2868 hectares were devoted to hops, against 2462 in the preceding year, when the average production per hectare was 925 kilogrammes.”
Aberdeen Journal - Tuesday 27 January 1891, page 2.
"Grodziskie or Grätzer is a Sour Smoked Wheat Ale that was brewed in the 1900s in East Prussia and dates back to as early as the 15th century. It was named after the Polish town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski or Grätz in German. Our historic version is brewed according to the German Purity Law with air-dried barley malt and beech smoked wheat malt and hopped with Perle and Saaz. A sour mash is created using the old and forgotten technique called “Digerieren.” Finally a three month aging and maturation process creates a complex sour, smoky and heavily hopped wheat ale."That's an almost Dornbusch level of mistakes.
"The beer is not without controversy, however. Do a bit of googling and you’ll soon discover incredibly heated debates about the style. “Is it a sour beer? How much oak-smoked wheat should be used? What sort of yeast should you ferment with?” BrewLab was intrigued, and so was the rest of the SF beer community."
San Francisco Brewers' Guild Blog.
http://sfbrewersguild.org/blog/historic-gratzer-beer-recreated-by-team-of-san-francisco-brewers
| Grätzer in 1936 | |||||||||
| Year | Brewer | country | Beer | Style | OG | FG | Colour | ABV | Apparent attenuation |
| 1936 | Vereinigte Grätzer Bierbrauerei | Poland | Echt Grätzer Bier | Grätzer | 1029.1 | 1007.7 | 0.45 | 2.77 | 73.56% |
| 1936 | Hochschulbrauerei Berlin | Germany | Hochschl. Grätzer | Grätzer | 1031.3 | 1006.8 | 0.9 | 3.13 | 78.40% |
| 1936 | Monopolbräu Berlin | Germany | Mon. Grätzer Rauchb. | Grätzer | 1027.7 | 1005.7 | 0.45 | 2.84 | 79.60% |
| Source: | |||||||||
| handwritten laboratory manual by a former Engelhardt-Brauerei Brewmaster | |||||||||
"Grätzer Bier is brewed in relatively small quantities by just two breweries in Berlin, namely the Monopolbrauerei and the Hochschulbrauerei."
"Die Herstellungobergäriger Biere und die Malzbierbrauerei Groterjan A.G. in Berlin", by Braumeister A. Dörfel, page 31 (my translation).
The original text:
"Grätzer Bier wird in Berlin nur in zwei Brauereien, nämlich der Monopolbrauerei und der Hochschulbrauerei in verhältnismässig kleinen Mengen hergetstellt."When it was first brewed in Berlin, I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if it was after Grodzisk became part of the reformed Poland in 1919*. But I've no evidence to back that up. I could just be talking out of my arse.
"Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer
Sour wheat beers were common in many parts of medieval and early Industrial Europe. Two styles – lambic and Berliner weisse – survived, but many others did not. Gose, Grodziskie and Lichtenhainer are historic styles of sour wheat beer, each a unique style of its own. Gose is seasoned with salt, Grodziskie and Lichtenhainer contain smoked malt. Historical sources are mixed about Lichtenhainer containing wheat, so modern interpretations may vary. Grätzer is an alternative name for Grodziskie. All three will be relatively low alcohol, tart, with a strong wheat character, but will be distinct from classic examples of Berliner Weisse or lambic. As all we have are historical recreations, substantial differences may exist between interpretations."
"Under the influence of the supposedly excellent well water, to whose qualities until recently the excellent quality of the beer was erroneously attributed, it was possible to brew a beer of far-reaching fame from pure wheat, which has maintained its reputation through the centuries, as a highly sophisticated beverage which because of its smoke and hop bitter taste was not only earlier highly appreciated, but even now is counted among the best top-fermented beers."
"Die Obergärige Biere und ihre Herstellung" by Schönfeld, 1938, page 162.
"3. Grätzer Bier, a rough, bitter beer, brewed from 100% wheat malt with an intense smoke and hop flavour. The green malt undergoes smoking during virtually the whole drying process, is highly dried and has a strong aroma in addition to the smoked flavour. An infusion mash is employed. Hopping rate: for 1 Zentner (100 kg) of malt, 3 kg hops. Gravity just 7º [Balling]. Fermentation is carried out in tuns at a temperature of 15 to 20º C. Since the beer in the tun, as a result of the expulsion of great quantities protein and resin, doesn't break, it is mixed with isinglass and pumped into barrels. After two or three days it is completely clear and ready to be filled into delivery casks or bottles with the addition of 2 to 5% Krausen."
“Bierbrauerei" by M. Krandauer, 1914, page 301.
"1. Low alcohol content, so easy to digest, an Ausstossbier or filled with krausen into bottles, as free as possible from bacteria, carbon dioxide-rich (Lübbener, Werder'sches, Cölner, Bremen, Hamburg, Grätzer, Munich Weissbier, etc.);Grodziske is put in the same group as Munich Weissbier and is supposedly as free of bacteria as possible. Doesn't sound like a sour beer to me.
2. the same properties, with a higher lactic acid content (Berliner Weissbier, Broyhan, Calenburger Weissbier, Lichtenhainer, Gose beer);
3. more or less rich in alcohol, poorly carbonated, beers with large amounts of lactic acid (Dortmunder Altbier, called Malzweine);
4. low-alcohol, extra-rich, sweet beers (Braunschweiger Mumme, Danziger Jopenbier, Frauenburger Mumme, etc.)."
"Jahresbericht über die Fortschritte in der Lehre von den Gährungs-Organismen" by Professor Dr. Alfred Koch, 1896, pages 160-161.
"Sour-tasting beers are Berliner Weißbier and Lichtenhainer, brewed from smoked barley malt, even more so Gose, which is also seasoned with cooking salt. Grätzer Bier, brewed from smoked wheat malt, heavily hopped but of a low gravity, also tastes smoky."I'll admit this last one is open to different interpretations. I think it says that Grätzer is another smoky beer.
"Encyklopädisches Handbuch der technischen Chemie, Volume 4, Part 1", 1915, page 210.
1. Beers that were lightly-hopped and soured during primary fermentation. Berliner Weisse, Gose and Lichtenhainer were in this group.
2. Heavily hopped beers that only soured during a long secondary fermentation Adambier and Münster Alt were about the only beers in this category.
"Grätzer
Grätzer (also Grodziskie) is a Polish-Germanic pre-Reinheitsgebot style of straw to golden colored ale. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures. The distinctive character comes from 100% oak wood smoked wheat malt. The overall balance is a sessionably medium to medium-high assertively oak-smoky malt emphasized beer. Aroma is dominated by oak smoke notes. They have a medium low to medium perceived clean hop bitterness. European noble hop flavor notes are very low to low, and low ester may also be present. Body is low to medium low. A Kölsch-like ale fermentation and aging process lends a crisp overall flavor impression and low degree of ester fruitiness. Sourness, diacetyl, and sweet corn-like DMS (dimethylsulfide) should not be perceived. Historic versions were most often bottle conditioned to relatively high carbonation levels.
Original Gravity (ºPlato) 1.028-36 (7-9 ºPlato) ● Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato) 1.006-1.010 (1.5-2.5 ºPlato) ● Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 2.1-2.9% (2.6-3.6%) ● Bitterness (IBU) 15-25 ● Color SRM (EBC) 3-6 (6-12 EBC)"
Grätzer
Grätzer is a Polish-Germanic pre-Reinheitsgebot style of golden to copper colored ale. The distinctive character comes from at least 50% oak wood smoked wheat malt with a percentage of barley malt optional. The overall balance is a balanced and sessionably low to medium assertively oak-smoky malt emphasized beer. It has a low to medium low hop bitterness; none or very low European noble hop flavor and aroma. A Kölsch-like ale fermentation and aging process lends a low degree of crisp and ester fruitiness Low to medium low body. Neither diacetyl nor sweet corn-like DMS (dimethylsulfide) should be perceived.
Original Gravity (ºPlato) 1.048-1.056 (12-14 ºPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato) 1.008-1.016 (2-4 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.2-4.3% (4 -5.4%)
Bitterness (IBU) 15-25
Color SRM (EBC) 6-12 (12-24 EBC)
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