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28-08-2014, 07:12
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I'm slowly ploughing my way through the 1903 edition of "Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel". It has over 1,000 analyses of beers, mostly German but with examples from most major brewing countries.
I've already harvested the analyses from a couple of earlier editions, which means there are only 100 or so I need to collect. To add to the 20-odd thousand in my main gravity spreadsheet. It's getting to be quite a collection. Which is sort of the idea.
To quickly recap, in the 19th century Lager was split into two main types, Winterbier and Sommerbier. Before refrigeration, both were brewed in the winter, but the Sommerbier was stronger and lagered for longer because it needed to last through the summer. Sommerbier was also called Lagerbier and Winterbier called Schenkbier.
This is a particularly useful set of analyses because it has the Winterbier and Sommerbier from the same brewery for the same brewing season. Which means we can make meaningful comparisons between Winterber and Sommerbier.
A couple of general observations to begin. I'm shocked at the high lactic acid content of every sample. I'd have expected it to be no higher than 0.1%. Over 0.2% I would have expected to give the beer a detectable tartness. The gravity of most beers is surprisingly high. The strongest Sommerbiers look more like Bocks, with gravities over 1060º and ABVs over 6%. The modern equivalents of these beers - Helles or Dunkles Lagerbier have much lower gravities, usually around 12º Plato or 1048. On its website, Tucher amusingly claims that the recipe for Original Urbräu has been the same for 150 years. Clearly that's bollocks
There are a couple of examples where clearly the same beer has been analysed as both a Sommerbier and a Winterbier: Tucher, Lederer and Lechner.
Nürnberg region Sommerbier in 1886
Brewer
Style
lactic acid %
FG
OG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
Aktien-Br. Nürnberg
Sommerbier
0.268
1017.3
1057.0
5.15
69.65%
Aktien-Brauerei Zirndorf
Sommerbier
0.26
1017.7
1063.2
5.91
71.99%
Bernreuther (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.249
1016.9
1055.9
5.06
69.77%
Bernreuther (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.225
1015.8
1059.5
5.69
73.45%
Denk (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.234
1013.3
1064.7
6.71
79.44%
Dummet (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.241
1015
1062.2
6.15
75.88%
Dürst jun. (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.238
1016.4
1063.0
6.06
73.97%
Dürst sen. (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.199
1016.4
1048.8
4.19
66.39%
Dürst sen. (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.215
1015.5
1053.5
4.93
71.03%
Gaismann (Fürth)
Sommerbier
0.203
1014.5
1055.4
5.31
73.83%
Grüner (Fürth)
Sommerbier
0.243
1016.6
1059.8
5.61
72.24%
Humbser (Fürth)
Sommerbier
0.222
1014.5
1057.9
5.65
74.96%
Lechner (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.196
1018.3
1063.2
5.84
71.04%
Lechner (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.198
1020
1054.1
4.40
63.03%
Lederer
Sommerbier
0.202
1018
1058.5
5.25
69.23%
Lederer
Sommerbier
0.246
1017.5
1055.4
4.91
68.41%
Liebel (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.227
1017
1058.4
5.38
70.89%
Loewen-Bräu (Müller) (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.283
1019.8
1057.1
4.83
65.32%
Mailänder (Fürth)
Sommerbier
0.23
1017.5
1058.4
5.30
70.01%
Reif (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.26
1016.8
1057.1
5.23
70.58%
Schmauser & Weinmann (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.289
1015.3
1056.7
5.38
73.02%
Seiderer & Worlein (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.23
1015.8
1057.8
5.46
72.66%
Strebel (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.224
1015
1058.4
5.65
74.32%
Süss (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.253
1017.4
1060.0
5.53
71.00%
Tucher
Sommerbier
0.272
1017
1057.8
5.30
70.59%
Tucher
Sommerbier
0.247
1016.5
1051.7
4.56
68.09%
Zeltner (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.236
1017.5
1060.2
5.54
70.91%
Average
0.237
1016.6
1058.0
5.37
71.17%
Source:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156.
Nürnberg region Winterbier in 1887
Brewer
Style
lactic acid %
FG
OG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
Aktien-Br. Nürnberg
Winterbier
0.235
1018.5
1055.9
4.84
66.91%
Aktien-Brauerei Zirndorf
Winterbier
0.194
1017.8
1053.0
4.55
66.42%
Bernreuther (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.249
1016.9
1055.9
5.06
69.77%
Denk (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.199
1015
1052.4
4.85
71.37%
Dorn (Vach)
Winterbier
0.206
1013.2
1048.5
4.58
72.78%
Dreykorn (Lauf)
Winterbier
0.281
1017.2
1055.1
4.91
68.78%
Dummet (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.228
1015.8
1055.0
5.09
71.27%
Dürst jun. (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.23
1016.6
1051.3
4.49
67.64%
Dürst sen. (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.199
1015.3
1047.6
4.19
67.86%
Humbser (Fürth)
Winterbier
0.21
1017
1052.2
4.56
67.43%
Lechner (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.198
1020
1054.1
4.40
63.03%
Lederer
Winterbier
0.246
1017.5
1055.4
4.91
68.41%
Liebel (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.228
1017.5
1056.0
4.99
68.75%
Loewen-Bräu (Müller) (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.233
1015.8
1053.8
4.93
70.63%
Mailänder (Fürth)
Winterbier
0.259
1016.5
1058.6
5.46
71.84%
Reif (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.229
1015.5
1054.0
5.00
71.30%
Schmauser & Weinmann (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.221
1017
1051.7
4.49
67.12%
Seiderer & Worlein (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.252
1015
1048.0
4.28
68.75%
Strebel (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.243
1017.5
1055.4
4.91
68.41%
Süss (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.279
1014.9
1054.5
5.14
72.66%
Tucher
Winterbier
0.247
1016.5
1051.7
4.56
68.09%
Zeltner (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.236
1014.7
1059.6
5.85
75.34%
Average
0.232
1016.4
1053.6
4.82
69.30%
Source:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156.
As you'd expect, the Sommerbiers have a higher average gravity: 1058 compared to 1053.6. So a difference of 4.4 points. But there was considerable variation across different breweries. Ranging from a negative 0.3 points at Mailänder to a massive 11.7 points at Dürst junior. Interestingly the average FGs are almost identical at 1016-ish. The inevitable consequence of which is that the degree of attenuation of Winterbiers is lower. Modern Lagerbiers are very different, averaging well over 80% apparent attenuation.
lactic acid %
FG
OG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
average Sommerbier
0.237
1016.6
1058.0
5.37
71.17%
average Winterbier
0.232
1016.4
1053.6
4.82
69.30%
difference
0.20
4.4
0.55
1.88%
The Sommerbiers range from 1048.8 to 1064.7 and the Winterbiers from 1047.6 to 1059.6. Which means that the weaker Sommerbiers have a lower OG than many Winterbiers. It's a lot more variation than you would see in British beers of the same type from the same region. Though 14 of the 28 samples of Sommerbier had a gravity within two points of the average. For Winterbier, that was 13 of 23.
Unfortunately there's nothing about hopping rates. So I can't confirm that Sommerbier was more heavily hopped than Winterbier.
I'm sure I'll be worrying you with plenty more from "Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel". It's so full of information.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/08/nurnberg-winterbier-and-sommerbier-1886.html)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9WbtU2yUJ50/U_yQRA9exEI/AAAAAAAAUbc/ZnHmqSBC-CE/s1600/Losunger_Maerzen.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9WbtU2yUJ50/U_yQRA9exEI/AAAAAAAAUbc/ZnHmqSBC-CE/s1600/Losunger_Maerzen.jpg)
I'm slowly ploughing my way through the 1903 edition of "Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel". It has over 1,000 analyses of beers, mostly German but with examples from most major brewing countries.
I've already harvested the analyses from a couple of earlier editions, which means there are only 100 or so I need to collect. To add to the 20-odd thousand in my main gravity spreadsheet. It's getting to be quite a collection. Which is sort of the idea.
To quickly recap, in the 19th century Lager was split into two main types, Winterbier and Sommerbier. Before refrigeration, both were brewed in the winter, but the Sommerbier was stronger and lagered for longer because it needed to last through the summer. Sommerbier was also called Lagerbier and Winterbier called Schenkbier.
This is a particularly useful set of analyses because it has the Winterbier and Sommerbier from the same brewery for the same brewing season. Which means we can make meaningful comparisons between Winterber and Sommerbier.
A couple of general observations to begin. I'm shocked at the high lactic acid content of every sample. I'd have expected it to be no higher than 0.1%. Over 0.2% I would have expected to give the beer a detectable tartness. The gravity of most beers is surprisingly high. The strongest Sommerbiers look more like Bocks, with gravities over 1060º and ABVs over 6%. The modern equivalents of these beers - Helles or Dunkles Lagerbier have much lower gravities, usually around 12º Plato or 1048. On its website, Tucher amusingly claims that the recipe for Original Urbräu has been the same for 150 years. Clearly that's bollocks
There are a couple of examples where clearly the same beer has been analysed as both a Sommerbier and a Winterbier: Tucher, Lederer and Lechner.
Nürnberg region Sommerbier in 1886
Brewer
Style
lactic acid %
FG
OG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
Aktien-Br. Nürnberg
Sommerbier
0.268
1017.3
1057.0
5.15
69.65%
Aktien-Brauerei Zirndorf
Sommerbier
0.26
1017.7
1063.2
5.91
71.99%
Bernreuther (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.249
1016.9
1055.9
5.06
69.77%
Bernreuther (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.225
1015.8
1059.5
5.69
73.45%
Denk (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.234
1013.3
1064.7
6.71
79.44%
Dummet (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.241
1015
1062.2
6.15
75.88%
Dürst jun. (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.238
1016.4
1063.0
6.06
73.97%
Dürst sen. (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.199
1016.4
1048.8
4.19
66.39%
Dürst sen. (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.215
1015.5
1053.5
4.93
71.03%
Gaismann (Fürth)
Sommerbier
0.203
1014.5
1055.4
5.31
73.83%
Grüner (Fürth)
Sommerbier
0.243
1016.6
1059.8
5.61
72.24%
Humbser (Fürth)
Sommerbier
0.222
1014.5
1057.9
5.65
74.96%
Lechner (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.196
1018.3
1063.2
5.84
71.04%
Lechner (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.198
1020
1054.1
4.40
63.03%
Lederer
Sommerbier
0.202
1018
1058.5
5.25
69.23%
Lederer
Sommerbier
0.246
1017.5
1055.4
4.91
68.41%
Liebel (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.227
1017
1058.4
5.38
70.89%
Loewen-Bräu (Müller) (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.283
1019.8
1057.1
4.83
65.32%
Mailänder (Fürth)
Sommerbier
0.23
1017.5
1058.4
5.30
70.01%
Reif (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.26
1016.8
1057.1
5.23
70.58%
Schmauser & Weinmann (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.289
1015.3
1056.7
5.38
73.02%
Seiderer & Worlein (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.23
1015.8
1057.8
5.46
72.66%
Strebel (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.224
1015
1058.4
5.65
74.32%
Süss (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.253
1017.4
1060.0
5.53
71.00%
Tucher
Sommerbier
0.272
1017
1057.8
5.30
70.59%
Tucher
Sommerbier
0.247
1016.5
1051.7
4.56
68.09%
Zeltner (Nürnberg)
Sommerbier
0.236
1017.5
1060.2
5.54
70.91%
Average
0.237
1016.6
1058.0
5.37
71.17%
Source:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156.
Nürnberg region Winterbier in 1887
Brewer
Style
lactic acid %
FG
OG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
Aktien-Br. Nürnberg
Winterbier
0.235
1018.5
1055.9
4.84
66.91%
Aktien-Brauerei Zirndorf
Winterbier
0.194
1017.8
1053.0
4.55
66.42%
Bernreuther (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.249
1016.9
1055.9
5.06
69.77%
Denk (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.199
1015
1052.4
4.85
71.37%
Dorn (Vach)
Winterbier
0.206
1013.2
1048.5
4.58
72.78%
Dreykorn (Lauf)
Winterbier
0.281
1017.2
1055.1
4.91
68.78%
Dummet (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.228
1015.8
1055.0
5.09
71.27%
Dürst jun. (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.23
1016.6
1051.3
4.49
67.64%
Dürst sen. (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.199
1015.3
1047.6
4.19
67.86%
Humbser (Fürth)
Winterbier
0.21
1017
1052.2
4.56
67.43%
Lechner (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.198
1020
1054.1
4.40
63.03%
Lederer
Winterbier
0.246
1017.5
1055.4
4.91
68.41%
Liebel (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.228
1017.5
1056.0
4.99
68.75%
Loewen-Bräu (Müller) (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.233
1015.8
1053.8
4.93
70.63%
Mailänder (Fürth)
Winterbier
0.259
1016.5
1058.6
5.46
71.84%
Reif (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.229
1015.5
1054.0
5.00
71.30%
Schmauser & Weinmann (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.221
1017
1051.7
4.49
67.12%
Seiderer & Worlein (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.252
1015
1048.0
4.28
68.75%
Strebel (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.243
1017.5
1055.4
4.91
68.41%
Süss (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.279
1014.9
1054.5
5.14
72.66%
Tucher
Winterbier
0.247
1016.5
1051.7
4.56
68.09%
Zeltner (Nürnberg)
Winterbier
0.236
1014.7
1059.6
5.85
75.34%
Average
0.232
1016.4
1053.6
4.82
69.30%
Source:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156.
As you'd expect, the Sommerbiers have a higher average gravity: 1058 compared to 1053.6. So a difference of 4.4 points. But there was considerable variation across different breweries. Ranging from a negative 0.3 points at Mailänder to a massive 11.7 points at Dürst junior. Interestingly the average FGs are almost identical at 1016-ish. The inevitable consequence of which is that the degree of attenuation of Winterbiers is lower. Modern Lagerbiers are very different, averaging well over 80% apparent attenuation.
lactic acid %
FG
OG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
average Sommerbier
0.237
1016.6
1058.0
5.37
71.17%
average Winterbier
0.232
1016.4
1053.6
4.82
69.30%
difference
0.20
4.4
0.55
1.88%
The Sommerbiers range from 1048.8 to 1064.7 and the Winterbiers from 1047.6 to 1059.6. Which means that the weaker Sommerbiers have a lower OG than many Winterbiers. It's a lot more variation than you would see in British beers of the same type from the same region. Though 14 of the 28 samples of Sommerbier had a gravity within two points of the average. For Winterbier, that was 13 of 23.
Unfortunately there's nothing about hopping rates. So I can't confirm that Sommerbier was more heavily hopped than Winterbier.
I'm sure I'll be worrying you with plenty more from "Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel". It's so full of information.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/08/nurnberg-winterbier-and-sommerbier-1886.html)