PDA

View Full Version : Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Let's Brew Wednesday - 1911 Heineken (Rotterdam) Gers



Blog Tracker
25-02-2015, 08:17
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2015/02/lets-brew-wednesday-1911-heineken.html)


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PS6e66aPQmM/VOtqKA5DjLI/AAAAAAAAWnU/yzuw3HTo2wc/s1600/Heineken_Gerste_Bier.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PS6e66aPQmM/VOtqKA5DjLI/AAAAAAAAWnU/yzuw3HTo2wc/s1600/Heineken_Gerste_Bier.jpg)
Look at this. A Let's Brew Wednesday on . . . . a Wednesday.

This is another recipe I've knacked together for another project. Why waste it? Even though I doubt many of you will ever brew such a deeply unfashionable beer as this. Despite it being an extinct style. Doubtless peach and coffee infused versions will be appearing soon "inspired by" Gerste.

Who am I kidding? This beer ticks all the wrong boxes. Not that strong. Dark. Lightly hopped.


Gerste is an oddball beer from the early days of bottom-fermentation in Holland. It was originally a top-fermenting style, but Heineken used the name for a cheap and cheerful type of Dark Lager. It was incredibly popular. There's a fair amount of sour grapes in how Baartz, of rival Oranjeboom in Rotterdam, described Gerstebier in 1884:


"although a bottom-fermented beer, it is of a low gravity and not lagered, and is a beer quick to make for a significantly lower price" ("een weliswaar ondergistend bier, maar van licht gehalte en geen Lagerbier, maar een bier van snelle confectie en tot belangrijk lager prijs").
"Korte Geschiedenis der Heineken's Bierbrouwerij Maatschappij N.V. 1873 - 1948", by H. A. Korthals, 1948, page 96.
Bottom-fermented, but not really a Lager. Presumably that's how Heineken could bang it out on the cheap. This shows you how much cheaper:




Heineken retail prices in 1895


Beer
per bottle (cents)


Export
20


Münchener
20


Pilsener
18


Gerste
12


Tafelbier
9


Source:


Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad 22nd February 1895, page 4.



It's only when you look at the specs of the beers that you realise how good value Gerste was:



Heineken Rotterdam beers in 1911


Bier
OG Balling
FG Balling
app. degree attenuation
% ABV
Colour
kg hop/hl


Pils
13.2
4.15
68.56%
4.8
6
0.2


Lager
9.8
3.3
66.33%
3.4
9
0.16


Gerste
12
5
58.33%
3.7
13.5
0.18


Beiersch
13.1
5.3
59.54%
4.2
13
0.18


Bok
16.7
7.5
55.09%
5
14
0.2


Source:


Heineken brewing record held at the Amsterdam Stadsarchief, document number 834-1752.



Not not that much lower in ABV than Beiersch, but less than half the price. The obvious choice for the cost-conscious boozer. Which is reflected in the sales figures:



Heineken Rotterdam production by type in 1911


type
no. of brews
size of brew (HL)
total amount
% of total


Lager
226
270
61,020
36.13%


Gerste
356
220
78,320
46.37%


Beiersch
28
200
5,600
3.32%


Pils
107
200
21,400
12.67%


Bok
17
150
2,550
1.51%


total
734

168,890



Source:


Heineken brewing record held at the Amsterdam Stadsarchief, document number 834-1752.



It was almost half of what they were brewing, in the Rotterdam brewery at least. A really important product for Heineken.

One last technical note. Heineken had two yeast strains. The posh beers like Pils and Beiersch were fermented with the posh A strain. Gerste was brewed with second-division Heineken’s D strain..

Almost forgot. In Dutch "gerste" means barley.





Over to me . . . . ..







1911 Heineken Gerste


pilsner malt 2 row
10.00 lb


Carafa III
0.40 lb


Hallertau 60 mins
1.50 oz


OG
1048


FG
1019


ABV
3.84


Apparent attenuation
60.42%


IBU
24


SRM
17.5


Mash double decoction



Boil time
90 minutes


pitching temp
48º F


Yeast
WLP830 German Lager






More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2015/02/lets-brew-wednesday-1911-heineken.html)