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28-10-2014, 06:12
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/10/german-helles-in-2014.html)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stspw8uuAP8/VD_MdCS0SXI/AAAAAAAAVgg/u_RipjTkv-c/s1600/Erste_Kulmbacher_Export_Hell.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stspw8uuAP8/VD_MdCS0SXI/AAAAAAAAVgg/u_RipjTkv-c/s1600/Erste_Kulmbacher_Export_Hell.jpg)
Right, time to start making some use of all this information I've been wasting my evenings collecting. My only accompaniment the quiet sobbing of my negected wife and kids.
I suppose I should make this clear at the start. What I mean by Helles, isn't any old sort of pale Lager that isn't Pils. I should really use the full name of the style I'm discussing today: Helles Lagerbier or Lagerbier Hell. I'm using the shorthand of Helles because I can't be arsed to go and change the style on hundreds of table entries.
It's a very popular style amongst the breweries I'm looking at. No surprise, as most are from Bavaria. Where Helles is the most popular style. There were only more examples in my set of two styles: Pils and Hefeweizen. Those are, unsurprisingly, the three most popular styles in Germany.
Oh, I suppose I should tell you how I split apart Helles Lagerbier and Helles Export. Some of the latter were identified by the brewery as Export. With others it wasn't clear what, if anything, the brewery considered their style. So I used something mentioned in the Deutscher Brauer-Bund website style descriptions: that Export has a minimum gravity of 12 Platoº.
It seems like a good enough dividing line, so that's what I've used. Though it is pretty arbitrary. I'll classify a beer of 11.9º Helles and one of 12º Export. You have to draw the line somewhere, but I'm not claiming my classification is perfect.
I suppose I should show you the beers now:
German Helles in 2014
Brewer
Town
Beer
OG
FG
OG Plato
ABV
App. Atten-uation
bitterness (EBU)
Paulaner
Munich
Münchner Hell Leicht
1030.4
1005.8
7.7
3.20
80.93%
Göller
Zeil am Main
Hausbrauerbier
1044.9
1011.7
11.2
4.30
73.92%
Püls-bräu
Stadtsteinach
Weismainer Urhell
1046.1
1010.8
11.5
4.60
76.69%
Bürgerbräu Hersbruck
Hersbruck
Lagerbier
1045.3
1009.9
11.3
4.60
78.13%
Ammerndorfer Bier Dorn Bräu
Ammerndorf
Hell
1045.7
1010.3
11.4
4.60
77.46%
Privatbrauerei Kesselring
Marktsteft
Hell
1046.1
1010.0
11.5
4.70
78.31%
Zum Löwenbräu Flair Hotel
Adelsdorf
Vollbier Hell
1047.4
1011.2
11.8
4.70
76.36%
Brauerei Windsheimer
Gutenstetten
Vollbier
1047.8
1011.6
11.9
4.70
75.73%
Forschungsbrauerei
Munich
Münchener Vollbier Hell
1044.0
1007.9
11
4.70
82.05%
Arnsteiner Brauerei
Seinsheim
Ernte Hell
1044.4
1007.6
11.1
4.80
82.90%
Brauerei Gasthof Wiethaler
Lauf an der Pegnitz
Lagerbier Hell
4.80
Brauereigasthof Winkler
Berching
Lagerbier Hell
1045.7
1008.8
11.4
4.80
80.74%
Klosterbrauerei Andechs
Andechs
Vollbier Hell
1046.1
1009.2
11.5
4.80
80.05%
Braugold
Erfurt
Braugold Hell
1046.1
1009.2
11.5
4.80
80.05%
Holsten
Hamburg Altona
Edel
1044.9
1007.3
11.2
4.90
83.73%
23
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Kulmbacher Feinmild
1045.3
1007.7
11.3
4.90
82.99%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Mönchshof Bayerisch Hell
1045.3
1007.7
11.3
4.90
82.99%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
EKU Hell
1045.7
1008.1
11.4
4.90
82.27%
Brauhaus Leikeim
Altenkunstadt
Hell
1045.7
1008.1
11.4
4.90
82.27%
Paulaner
Munich
Münchner Hell
1046.1
1008.5
11.5
4.90
81.57%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Kulmbacher Lager Hell
1046.1
1008.5
11.5
4.90
81.57%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Mönchshof Lager
1046.1
1008.5
11.5
4.90
81.57%
Gasthof Gundel
Kammerstein
Urhell
1046.1
1008.5
11.5
4.90
81.57%
Brauerei Weller
Erlangen
3x11
1044.0
1006.5
11
4.90
85.35%
Kitzmann-Bräu
Erlangen
Helles
1046.5
1008.9
11.6
4.90
80.87%
Kitzmann-Bräu
Erlangen
Kitzzz
1046.5
1008.9
11.6
4.90
80.87%
Brauerei Hermann Sigwart
Weißenburg
Hell
1046.5
1008.9
11.6
4.90
80.87%
Schübel Bräu
Stadtsteinach
a fränkisch
1047.4
1009.7
11.8
4.90
79.52%
Strauß Karl Brauerei
Treuchtlingen
Wettelsheimer Helles
1047.4
1009.7
11.8
4.90
79.52%
Göller
Zeil am Main
Hell
1047.4
1009.0
11.8
5.00
81.00%
Hacker-Pschorr
Munich
Münchner Hell
1046.1
1007.8
11.5
5.00
83.19%
Schwechater
Vienna
Schwechater Bier
1046.1
1007.8
11.5
5.00
83.19%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Original
1046.5
1007.5
11.6
5.10
83.99%
21
Weihenstephan
Freising
Original
1046.5
1007.4
11.6
5.10
84.10%
21
Spaten
Munich
Münchner Hell
1047.0
1007.1
11.7
5.20
84.88%
Löwenbräu
Munich
Original
1047.4
1007.5
11.8
5.20
84.17%
Average
1045.6
1008.7
11.4
4.8
81.01%
21.7
Sources:
Brewery websites.
As you can see, there's not a huge amount of variation. And the average does look like the spec of a tyopical Helles: 11.5º Plato, 4.8% ABV, 80% apparent attenuation. The biggest varition is in the degree of attenuation, which ranges from 74% to 85%.
Though by limiting the gravity to 11.9 º Plato, I did, of course, dictate that the beers would be generally similar.
Pils next time.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/10/german-helles-in-2014.html)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stspw8uuAP8/VD_MdCS0SXI/AAAAAAAAVgg/u_RipjTkv-c/s1600/Erste_Kulmbacher_Export_Hell.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stspw8uuAP8/VD_MdCS0SXI/AAAAAAAAVgg/u_RipjTkv-c/s1600/Erste_Kulmbacher_Export_Hell.jpg)
Right, time to start making some use of all this information I've been wasting my evenings collecting. My only accompaniment the quiet sobbing of my negected wife and kids.
I suppose I should make this clear at the start. What I mean by Helles, isn't any old sort of pale Lager that isn't Pils. I should really use the full name of the style I'm discussing today: Helles Lagerbier or Lagerbier Hell. I'm using the shorthand of Helles because I can't be arsed to go and change the style on hundreds of table entries.
It's a very popular style amongst the breweries I'm looking at. No surprise, as most are from Bavaria. Where Helles is the most popular style. There were only more examples in my set of two styles: Pils and Hefeweizen. Those are, unsurprisingly, the three most popular styles in Germany.
Oh, I suppose I should tell you how I split apart Helles Lagerbier and Helles Export. Some of the latter were identified by the brewery as Export. With others it wasn't clear what, if anything, the brewery considered their style. So I used something mentioned in the Deutscher Brauer-Bund website style descriptions: that Export has a minimum gravity of 12 Platoº.
It seems like a good enough dividing line, so that's what I've used. Though it is pretty arbitrary. I'll classify a beer of 11.9º Helles and one of 12º Export. You have to draw the line somewhere, but I'm not claiming my classification is perfect.
I suppose I should show you the beers now:
German Helles in 2014
Brewer
Town
Beer
OG
FG
OG Plato
ABV
App. Atten-uation
bitterness (EBU)
Paulaner
Munich
Münchner Hell Leicht
1030.4
1005.8
7.7
3.20
80.93%
Göller
Zeil am Main
Hausbrauerbier
1044.9
1011.7
11.2
4.30
73.92%
Püls-bräu
Stadtsteinach
Weismainer Urhell
1046.1
1010.8
11.5
4.60
76.69%
Bürgerbräu Hersbruck
Hersbruck
Lagerbier
1045.3
1009.9
11.3
4.60
78.13%
Ammerndorfer Bier Dorn Bräu
Ammerndorf
Hell
1045.7
1010.3
11.4
4.60
77.46%
Privatbrauerei Kesselring
Marktsteft
Hell
1046.1
1010.0
11.5
4.70
78.31%
Zum Löwenbräu Flair Hotel
Adelsdorf
Vollbier Hell
1047.4
1011.2
11.8
4.70
76.36%
Brauerei Windsheimer
Gutenstetten
Vollbier
1047.8
1011.6
11.9
4.70
75.73%
Forschungsbrauerei
Munich
Münchener Vollbier Hell
1044.0
1007.9
11
4.70
82.05%
Arnsteiner Brauerei
Seinsheim
Ernte Hell
1044.4
1007.6
11.1
4.80
82.90%
Brauerei Gasthof Wiethaler
Lauf an der Pegnitz
Lagerbier Hell
4.80
Brauereigasthof Winkler
Berching
Lagerbier Hell
1045.7
1008.8
11.4
4.80
80.74%
Klosterbrauerei Andechs
Andechs
Vollbier Hell
1046.1
1009.2
11.5
4.80
80.05%
Braugold
Erfurt
Braugold Hell
1046.1
1009.2
11.5
4.80
80.05%
Holsten
Hamburg Altona
Edel
1044.9
1007.3
11.2
4.90
83.73%
23
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Kulmbacher Feinmild
1045.3
1007.7
11.3
4.90
82.99%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Mönchshof Bayerisch Hell
1045.3
1007.7
11.3
4.90
82.99%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
EKU Hell
1045.7
1008.1
11.4
4.90
82.27%
Brauhaus Leikeim
Altenkunstadt
Hell
1045.7
1008.1
11.4
4.90
82.27%
Paulaner
Munich
Münchner Hell
1046.1
1008.5
11.5
4.90
81.57%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Kulmbacher Lager Hell
1046.1
1008.5
11.5
4.90
81.57%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Mönchshof Lager
1046.1
1008.5
11.5
4.90
81.57%
Gasthof Gundel
Kammerstein
Urhell
1046.1
1008.5
11.5
4.90
81.57%
Brauerei Weller
Erlangen
3x11
1044.0
1006.5
11
4.90
85.35%
Kitzmann-Bräu
Erlangen
Helles
1046.5
1008.9
11.6
4.90
80.87%
Kitzmann-Bräu
Erlangen
Kitzzz
1046.5
1008.9
11.6
4.90
80.87%
Brauerei Hermann Sigwart
Weißenburg
Hell
1046.5
1008.9
11.6
4.90
80.87%
Schübel Bräu
Stadtsteinach
a fränkisch
1047.4
1009.7
11.8
4.90
79.52%
Strauß Karl Brauerei
Treuchtlingen
Wettelsheimer Helles
1047.4
1009.7
11.8
4.90
79.52%
Göller
Zeil am Main
Hell
1047.4
1009.0
11.8
5.00
81.00%
Hacker-Pschorr
Munich
Münchner Hell
1046.1
1007.8
11.5
5.00
83.19%
Schwechater
Vienna
Schwechater Bier
1046.1
1007.8
11.5
5.00
83.19%
Kulmbacher Brauerei
Kulmbach
Original
1046.5
1007.5
11.6
5.10
83.99%
21
Weihenstephan
Freising
Original
1046.5
1007.4
11.6
5.10
84.10%
21
Spaten
Munich
Münchner Hell
1047.0
1007.1
11.7
5.20
84.88%
Löwenbräu
Munich
Original
1047.4
1007.5
11.8
5.20
84.17%
Average
1045.6
1008.7
11.4
4.8
81.01%
21.7
Sources:
Brewery websites.
As you can see, there's not a huge amount of variation. And the average does look like the spec of a tyopical Helles: 11.5º Plato, 4.8% ABV, 80% apparent attenuation. The biggest varition is in the degree of attenuation, which ranges from 74% to 85%.
Though by limiting the gravity to 11.9 º Plato, I did, of course, dictate that the beers would be generally similar.
Pils next time.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/10/german-helles-in-2014.html)