Some Munich Methods of Fermentation

The Brewers' Journal reprinted quite a lot of technical information from foreign publications. Particularly German ones. Lots of interesting stuff. Such as today's article which looks at fermentation procedures in Munich breweries.

We start with pitching.

Some German Methods of Fermentation.
A general account of the methods adopted in fermenting in Munich breweries is given by N. Klimoff in the Wochenschrift für Brauerei, and the following is an abstract of his paper:—The density of the wort varies according to the nature of the beer and the season of the year from 12.8°—18.6° Bg. In one brewery the yeast is mixed to a paste with three-quarters its volume of wort, and sometimes the whole of it is sown at once into the fermentation vat; at other times, half the former quantity of yeast is allowed to start in a little wort, and, when fermentation is set up, the main bulk of the wort is added.
The Brewers' Journal vol. 35 1899, June 15th 1899, page 347.

I've read about German brewers in the 19th century using the method of first pitching and starting the fermentation in a small quantity of the wort. Then later adding the bulk of the wort once fermentation had kicked off.

Now it's pitching and fermentation temperatures.

The initial temperature is 4° R [8.75-10º C] , and fermentation lasts from eight to 10 days, the temperature rising about 1°R. [1.25º C] in 24 hours; it is not allowed to rise above 7—8° R. [8.75-10º C] , but is again reduced to 4°—5° R [5-6.25º C]. When the yeast has been in use for some time it is washed with cold water. Only the middle layers of yeast, separated from each vat, are used for setting up the next, the rest (more than one-half) is sold. 
The Brewers' Journal vol. 35 1899, June 15th 1899, page 347.

That's a pretty cool fermentation. But what you would expect for Lager.

It's the turn of lagering now.

The attenuation varies from 45 to 60 per cent. The beer is cooled to 2° R. [2.5º C], and stored in the lager cellar at 0.S°—1.5° R [0.625-1.875º C]. The time of the different treatments in the cellar varies with the nature of the beer. With summer export beer, 30 days’ storage is allowed before adding shavings for clearing purposes, and 36 days later the lager cask is bunged for another 22 days, after which the beer is filtered and sent out. 
The Brewers' Journal vol. 35 1899, June 15th 1899, page 347.

It would be nice if they said real or apparent attenuation. I suspect that it's real. I know attenuation was poor in Munich, but not quite as bad as 45% apparent.

Summer export beer would have had a fairly short lagering period. But it still adds up to 88 days in total. Or pretty much the classic three months. The bunging would be to carbonate the beer.

Bock beer, after six weeks’ open storage in the cellar is treated with "krausen” in the shape of fresh beer, and the casks are bunged and kept for another three weeks. The density of the different kinds of beer ranges from 1.25° to 2° Bg.; they contain from 3 to 5.9 per cent, of alcohol, and from 6 to 7.3 per cent, of extract, the strongest being bock beer. 
The Brewers' Journal vol. 35 1899, June 15th 1899, page 347.

Was Bock the only beer to be kräusened? I sort of doubt it. Are those alcohol percentages by weight or volume? I suspect weight.

In another brewery only pure cultures of yeast are employed, and a small fermentation of two hectolitres is first set up with one litre of pasty yeast culture. When this is complete the yeast is separated and used in the ordinary fermentations; after being used six or seven times it is replaced by a fresh pure culture. The fermentation is conducted in much the same way as in the former case, and the treatment in the lager cellar only varies slightly. Another brewery cultivates a continuous supply of pure yeast in a Kühle and Hansen’s yeast apparatus and sells it after using it four times.
The Brewers' Journal vol. 35 1899, June 15th 1899, page 347.

I would have expected all the breweries in Munich to be using pure yeast cultures by this point. Well, the large brewers, at least. 

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1896 Munich Lagerbier

Dark Lagerbier was the staple of Munich in the 19th century. Though this beer dates from just about when that was starting to change.

Until the 1890’s, the Munich brewers had refused to brew Pale Lager. They worried it would devalue their brand. The city was so renowned for beers on the dark side, that it gave its name to a dark style: Münchener.

Though things were a bit vaguer back then. Any Lager brewed in Munich was likely to be called a Münchener, though now the name is associated with a beer of Lagerbier or Export strength. Come to think of it, it’s odd that this is called Lagerbier as it’s really at Märzen strength, being 14.5º Plato. I guess they had different ideas back then.

This is a description of the Munich method, taken from "Handbuch der Chemischen Technologie: Die Bierbrauerei" by Dr. Fr. Jul. Otto, published in 1865, pages 120 to 122.

For 100 pounds of malt, 800 pounds of water are used. [Not sure what sort of pounds. I would assume around 1 pound = 0.5 kg.]

Half to two-thirds of the water is cold and used to dough in. The rest is brought to the boil in the kettle. After doughing in, the mash is left to rest for 3 or 4 hours. If warm water is used for doughing in, the mash should not be left to rest.

When the water has boiled it is added to the mash. The temperature should rise to 30-37.5º C.

When this temperature has been reached, about a third of the thicker part of the mash is transferred to the kettle and boiled for 30 minutes. (Boiling the first thick mash.)

The thick mash  is returned to the mash tun and mashed for 15 minutes, so that the thinner and thicker parts completely separate. The temperature should now be 45-50º C.

As soon as this is finished a third of the mash, again the thicker part, is transferred to the kettle and boiled for 30 minutes. (Second thick mash.)

The second thick mash  is returned to the mash tun and mashed. The temperature should now be 60-62.5º C.

Now a portion of the thin mash is transferred to the kettle (enough to raise the temperature of the mash to 75º C when returned to the mash tun) and boiled for 15 minutes. (Lauter mash.)

The Lauter mash is returned to the mash tun and there's another round of mashing. The temperature should now be 75º C. The mash is left to rest for 90 minutes.

After the wort has been drawn off, more water is brought to the boil (30 - 60 pounds for 100 pounds of grain) and poured over the grains. The resulting wort is either added to the main wort or used to make Nachbier (Small Beer), which in Munich is called Scheps.

1896 Munich Lagerbier
Munich malt 20L	14.00 lb	100.00%
Hallertau 60 mins	2.50 oz
OG	1058
FG	1022
ABV	4.76
Apparent attenuation	62.07%
IBU	33
SRM	19
Mash Munich method
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	48º F
Yeast	WLP830 German Lager

The above is one of the many recipes in my book Let's Brew!

And I've recently created a Kindle version of the book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08348M2D7

Bavaria memories

Remembering one of my last trips to Bavaria.

See how many locations you can identify.

Munich Export 1879 - 1899

I hope you’re enjoying my series on Lager styles. I realise now that II started this series a few years ago. Then got distracted and forgot to finish it.

I’d written the first part about Export, then never gone any further. Sorry about that.

I’ve so many analyses that I’ve split them up by region. I’m starting with some names that you may find familiar. Several of these names are still around though, as in the case of Löwenbräu, not necessarily the brewery.

The gravity of Export has been whittled down over the years, which is the main reason that the distinction between Export and Lagerbier has been eroded. Most modern examples don’t even reach 13º Plato. As we’ll be seeing later. Assuming I can be arsed to continue this series that long.

The numbers are much as I would expect, especially the low degree of attenuation. That’s so typical of 19th-century Lagers. It leaves the average ABV under 5%. A level of alcohol achieved in modern Lagers with an OG of no more than 12º Plato.

You’ll note that there’s a fair degree of variation in gravity, from just 12.31º Plato to 15.23º Plato. As a drinker, there was no real way of knowing how strong the beer in your glass was. Other than to guess based on its mouthfeel and effect.

In the UK at least, Lager had a reputation for not being very intoxicating. Which presumably was a result of the low degree of attenuation. That and lower gravities to start with. The average gravities of these Exports, which were considered strongish Lagers, is about the same as London X Ale of the period. Which wasn’t considered particularly strong at all.

Next time we’ll be looking at Export from around Nuremburg.

Munich Export 1879 - 1889
Year	Brewer	Beer	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Acidity
1879	Spaten	Export	13.91	1056.3	1020.1	4.68	64.30%	0.19
1879	Löwenbräu	Export	13.63	1055.1	1014.7	5.25	73.32%	0.23
1883	Löwenbräu	Export	14.18	1057.5	1019.6	4.90	65.88%	0.207
1883	Leistbräu	Export	14.45	1058.6	1015.5	5.60	73.55%	0.291
1884	Löwenbräu	Export	12.97	1052.3	1018.7	4.34	64.24%	0.26
1884	Münchner Kindl	Export	13.11	1052.9	1015.7	4.83	70.32%	0.11
1885	Prschorrbräu	Export	12.31	1049.5	1018.5	4.00	62.63%	0.14
1885	Spaten	Export	12.42	1050.0	1019.6	3.93	60.80%	0.2
1886	Augustinerbräu	Export	13.98	1056.6	1021.0	4.60	62.90%	0.135
1886	Spaten	Export	13.84	1056.0	1018.2	4.90	67.50%	1.081
1887	Hackerbräu	Export	14.28	1057.9	1020.0	4.90	65.46%	0.238
1887	Bürgerliches Brauhaus	Export	14.47	1058.7	1021.4	4.83	63.54%	0.223
1888	Löwenbräu	Exportbier	14.84	1060.3	1024.8	4.58	58.87%
1888	Leistbräu	Exportbier	14.73	1059.8	1023.6	4.68	60.54%
1889	Unknown	Export	14.96	1060.8	1021.0	5.15	65.46%
1889	Unknown	Export	15.35	1062.5	1021.0	5.38	66.40%
1889	Unknown	Export	14.54	1059.0	1027.9	4.00	52.71%
1889	Unknown	Export	15.24	1062.0	1023.9	4.93	61.45%
	Average		14.07	1057.0	1020.3	4.75	64.44%	0.275
Source:
König, J (1903), Bier in Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pp 1101 - 1156, Julius Springer, Berlin.

Bavarian Weissbier

It’s odd how often I forget one type of German top-fermenting beer: Bavarian Weissbier. Especially as it’s by far the most popular sort.

Maybe it’s because it comes from the South, which I associate with Lager brewing. Whatever the reason, it is a little strange. Time to put that right.

Searching through my various spreadsheets, I see that I’ve a rather limited number of analyses of this type of wheat beer. I suppose I shouldn’t be that surprised. This type Weissbier was quite obscure in the 19th century, produced by a small number of breweries in pretty small quantities. It’s only in the last 30 years of so that the style has been available throughout Germany.

It also used to be exclusively brewed by specialist outfits. Now a large percentage of Bavarian breweries, ones that originally only brewed bottom-fermenting beers. It’s simple economics. The market for Weissbier has been expanding and brewers don’t want to miss out. Weissbier’s share rose from less than 2% in 1981 to almost 8% in 2010. In the southern States, Baden Württemberg and Bavaria, the market share is more than double that.

German beer sales by type 1981 - 2010
Beer type	1981	1989	1994	2000	2003	2005	2008	2010
Pils	48.5	57.5	66	67.9	62	57.9	55.2	55.1
Export/Edel/Spezial	20.8	10.9	9.7	9	9.6	10.4	9.8	9.8
Weizen	1.4	4.9	4.8	5.7	7.1	7.9	8.3	7.9
Sources:
Brauwelt Brevier 2003
Deutscher Brauer-Bund, Bonn
Brauwelt nr. 46-47 (2006) page 1431

Here are the few analyses from the 19th century that I have:

Bavarian Weissbier 1866 - 1899
Year	Brewer	Town	Beer	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Acidity
1866	Unknown	Munich	Weissbier	11.62	1046.6	1012.9	4.38	72.32%
1888	Röckl	Munich	Weissbier	12.38	1049.8	1014	4.65	71.89%	0.158
1888	Schneider	Munich	Weissbier	12.52	1050.4	1015.9	4.46	68.45%	0.171
1888	Schramm	Munich	Weissbier	12.99	1052.4	1016.2	4.69	69.08%	0.149
1899	Unknown	Munich	Weissbier	12.59	1050.7	1016.4	4.44	67.65%
	Average			12.42	1050.0	1015.1	4.52	69.88%	0.159
Source:
König, J (1903), Bier in Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pp 1101 - 1156, Julius Springer, Berlin.

What can we learn from that? The OGs are pretty low, as is the rate of attenuation. But how they compare to today? Let’s take a look:

Bavarian Hefeweizen in 2014
Brewer	Town	Beer	OG Plato	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
Ammerndorfer Bier Dorn Bräu	Ammerndorf	Hefe Weisse	13.2	1053.3	1014	5.10	73.72%
Hermann Sigwart	Weißenburg	Kirchweihweizen	13.2	1053.3	1011.1	5.50	79.17%
Hermann Sigwart	Weißenburg	Weißenburger Weiße	12.9	1052.0	1012.8	5.10	75.39%
Göller	Zeil am Main	Steinhauer Weisse	12.8	1051.6	1010.2	5.40	80.32%
Püls-bräu	Stadtsteinach	Weismainer Weisse	12.8	1051.6	1011.6	5.20	77.51%
Brauerei Kanone Löhr	Schnaittach	Weizen (hell)	12.8	1051.6	1013.9	4.90	73.15%
Weihenstephan	Freising	Hefeweissbier Leicht	12.7	1051.2	1010.5	5.30	79.48%
Arnsteiner Brauerei	Seinsheim	Hefe-Weissbier	12.7	1051.2	1012.7	5.00	75.18%
Kulmbacher Brauerei	Kulmbach	Hefeweissbier Leicht	12.7	1051.2	1010.5	5.30	79.48%
Kitzmann-Bräu	Erlangen	Weißbier	12.6	1050.7	1007.9	5.60	84.53%
Paulaner	Munich	Hefe-Weißbier Naturtrüb	12.5	1050.3	1008.2	5.50	83.70%
Hacker-Pschorr	Munich	Hefe Weisse	12.5	1050.3	1008.2	5.50	83.70%
Hacker-Pschorr	Munich	Sternweisse	12.5	1050.3	1008.2	5.50	83.70%
Klosterbrauerei Andechs	Andechs	Weissbier Hell	12.5	1050.3	1008.2	5.50	83.70%
Göller	Zeil am Main	Kaiser Heinrich Urweisse hell	12.5	1050.3	1010.4	5.20	79.43%
Distelhäuser	Tauberbischofsheim	Hefeweizen	12.5	1050.3	1008.9	5.40	82.31%
Brauhaus Leikeim	Altenkunstadt	Steinweisse	12.5	1050.3	1008.2	5.50	83.70%
Brauerei Reblitz	Bad Staffelstein	Nedensdorfer Hefeweizen	12.5	1050.3	1012.6	4.90	74.96%
Hermann Sigwart	Weißenburg	Hefe-Weizen	12.5	1050.3	1012.6	4.90	74.96%
Bürgerbräu Hersbruck	Hersbruck	Albweizen	12.5	1050.3	1011.1	5.10	77.94%
Brauerei Hofmann	Pahres	Weißbier	12.4	1049.9	1010	5.20	79.96%
Brauhaus Leikeim	Altenkunstadt	Helle Weiße	12.3	1049.5	1008.1	5.40	83.63%
Pyraser Landbrauerei	Thalmässing	Angerwirts Weizen	12.2	1049.1	1009.2	5.20	81.35%
Albertshöfer Sternbräu	Albertshofen	Weizenbier	12.1	1048.6	1010.2	5.00	79.03%
Privatbrauerei Kesselring	Marktsteft	Schlemmer Weißbier	12	1048.2	1007.6	5.30	84.24%
Braugasthof Grosch	Rödental	Grosch Weissbier	12	1048.2	1009.8	5.00	79.67%
Löwenbräu	Munich	Weisse	11.8	1047.4	1007.5	5.20	84.17%
Wolf	Zeil am Main	Land Weisse	11.6	1046.5	1008.2	5.00	82.38%
Zum Löwenbräu Flair Hotel	Adelsdorf	Aischgründer Karpfen-Weisse	12.9	1052.0	1011.3	5.30	78.27%
	Average		12.5	1050.3	1010.1	5.24	79.96%
Sources:
The relevant brewery websites

Now isn’t that interesting? The average OG is almost identical. You couldn’t say that about many styles when comparing the 19th century to today. But the big difference in the rate of attenuation means that modern versions 0.75% ABV stronger on average. That isn’t a surprise. One of the biggest changes in German beer is the increased rate of attenuation.

In many styles this has been accompanied by a drop in OG. If you look at Pils, the rate of attenuation has increased, but the ABV has remained the same. With the system in place in Germany, where the tax is calculated on the OG of the beer, there’s a financial incentive to keep the OG as low as you can. No surprise that that’s exactly what breweries have done.

Weizenbock next.

O'zapft is

The Oktoberfest in Munich kicked off on Saturday. And by chance I stumbled on a live report about it on German television.

It says a lot about the event's status in Germany that a full two hours (11:00 to 13:00) was dedicated to it on national channel ARD, sort of the equivalent of BBC 1.

Obviously they showed the parade of drays and marching bands trailing up to the festival site. And of course they showed the major of Munich tapping the first barrel. But there was lots of other interesting stuff that was new to me.

Well, even the tapping ceremony was of interest. It took place in a Spaten tent, Schottenhamel. I assumed that there would just be the one wooden cask for show, with the rest of the beer kegged. But that wasn't the case. You could see beer from the wood being served in the background. And here was me thinking only Augustiner still supplied the festival with oak barrels. I didn't think Spaten still produced cask beer.

They even had an interview with one of Schottenhamel's beer tappers. Luckily Dolores was on hand to translate his impenetrable Bavarian accent. Evidently he'd inherited a magic tap, one that served quicker than any other. Turns out it wasn't so much magic, as a specially-modified tap he'd inherited from a colleague. He turned down an offer of 1,500 euros for it.

What was particularly nice was that the presenters were all tucking into beer while presenting. Not going crazy, but visibly drinking beer on camera. And they were all wearing traditional dress. (Did I mention Dolores picked up a second-hand dirndl while we were in Berlin?)

But most interesting was the stuff about Oide Wiesn, a festival within the festival. Originally introduced as a one-off event for the 200th anniversary in 2010, it's become a regular feature. Featuring old-fashioned farground rides and smaller beer tents. And here's the bit that really got my attention: all the draught beer is from the wood.

It left me longing to be there with a litre of beer in my hand. Maybe next year.

Munich Dunkles in 1902

Hurray! I can hear you shouting. Finally something that isn’t about Scotland or the 1950’s.

I’m returning to one my other 1,253 obsessions: Lager. Especially old Lager. And ones that aren’t pale. My life is made easier because it’s German beer. They were very into all the technical chemical stuff. Which means there are loads of analyses of beers available.

Like this one of Munich-brewed Dunkles from 1902. It’s particularly useful because it includes a colour measurement. OK, it’s one I don’t completely understand, but it’s better than nowt. In the original table, it’s described as n/100 iodine solution. With n presumably standing for the number in the table. If you understand how that relates to modern colour systems, let me know. I’d look it up on the internet, but I really can’t be arsed at the moment.

Even without knowing what it means on modern scales, we can see that there’s a big variation in colour between the different beers. Almost 100%. Also that the beers with the highest gravities, don’t necessarily have the darkest colour. While one of the darkest beers has one of the lowest OG’s.

What does that tell us? Either they were using base malts of very different colours. Or that they were using darker malt for colouring as well as base malt. I think the second is far more likely.

High OG, averaging at 13.52º Balling. That would count as Märzen in Bavaria today. But the FGs are high, too. A crap degree of attenuation is a typical feature of pre-WW I Lagers. These don’t disappoint.

I was surprised by the high levels of acetic acid. Anything over 0.10% is quite high. Especially in a Lager.

Munich Dunkles in September 1902
FG	OG	extract	ABV	maltose	dextrin	lactic acid	real attenuation	colour
1025.7	14.11	7.94	4.09	3.14	3.43	0.18	43.73	36
1016.8	13.59	6.1	4.95	1.49	3.11	0.23	55.11	28
1019.5	12.81	6.48	4.17	1.86	3.29	0.17	49.41	38
1019.7	13.85	6.6	4.80	1.84	3.26	0.19	52.35	38
1021.7	13.5	7.1	4.86	2.13	3.39	0.16	47.41	32
1020.3	13.61	6.75	4.53	1.78	3.66	0.19	50.4	30
1016.8	13.46	6.04	4.90	1.6	2.99	0.19	55.13	20
1021.6	13.03	6.92	4.03	1.14	3.34	0.15	46.89	37
1017.7	13.46	6.19	4.80	1.64	3.19	0.19	54.01	35
1018.4	13.14	6.26	4.53	1.65	3.5	0.17	52.36	29
1019	13.47	6.51	4.60	1.81	3.27	0.17	51.67	31
1020.2	13.43	6.7	4.45	2.1	3.13	0.19	50.11	25
1017.2	14.13	6.26	5.22	1.5	3.25	0.19	55.7	23
1018.5	13.58	6.46	4.70	2.1	2.98	0.16	52.43	27
1014.1	12.47	5.32	4.70	1.62	2.21	0.18	57.34	30
1019	14.11	6.6	4.98	1.81	3.27	0.19	53.22	26
1019.1	14.16	6.63	5.00	1.65	3.39	0.18	53.18	25
highest	14.16	7.94	5.22	3.14	8.5	0.28	57.84	38
lowest	12.47	5.32	4.03	1.14	2.21	0.15	43.73	20
average	13.52	6.52	4.62	1.81	3.22	0.18	51.79	30
Source:
Bayerisches Brauer-Journal issue 49, December 1902, page 353.