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16-05-2010, 12:36
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2010/05/fidelio-1941-experimental-lager.html)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/S-_bmSWlZtI/AAAAAAAAG9Q/0L_YrIt0fGs/s320/Fidelio_1936.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/S-_bmSWlZtI/AAAAAAAAG9Q/0L_YrIt0fGs/s1600/Fidelio_1936.jpg)A change of pace. Or country. Summat. An Amercan brewing log.
I've had to make some choices with my beer obsession. A bit like a stamp collector, I had to specialise. Otherwise I'd go crazy. I made the decision about 10 years ago to stick to European beer. It's still a crazily wide scope. But it makes me feel more comfortable. That's why - the odd trip report excepted - I don't normally cover North America.
Despite my decision, I've still acquired some material about American brewing. Including some brewing records. Hang on. I'm feeling the need to do some shouting. WHY DOESN'T ANYONE IN THE USA EVER LOOK AT OLD BREWING RECORDS? They do exist. Shouting over.
The record below is one of a few sent to me by Chad Rieker (thanks Chad). Photocopies of documents he picked up somewhere. If I hadn't been so busy with Barclay Perkins, I'd had have shared these with you earlier. Because they are quite cool.
The records are from the Fidelio Brewery of 501 First Avenue, New York. I think it closed in the 1950's. At least that's what "American Breweries II" says. And who am I to doubt their expertise.
It's an experimental Lager. Not sure what that means, other than the batch size being tiny. Just 4. 5 barrels. It does have particularly detailed instructions. Handy for you home brewers. Why not take a look?
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/S-_ckJFVcWI/AAAAAAAAG9Y/4la28fVzLo4/s640/Fidelio_1941_experimental_beer.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/S-_ckJFVcWI/AAAAAAAAG9Y/4la28fVzLo4/s1600/Fidelio_1941_experimental_beer.jpg)
A couple of points of interest.
First, that the temperatures are in Reaumur. I've only ever come across that in 19th-century German brewing manuals. It's easy enough to convert to centigrade. Freezing point is zero, boiling point 80 degrees. That an American brewery was using this scale and Balling for gravity says much about the German influence on American brewing.
Second, they're using grits and converting them in a pre-mash process. Most British breweries used flaked maize that could just be thrown into the mash.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-5722751766821636612?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2010/05/fidelio-1941-experimental-lager.html)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/S-_bmSWlZtI/AAAAAAAAG9Q/0L_YrIt0fGs/s320/Fidelio_1936.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/S-_bmSWlZtI/AAAAAAAAG9Q/0L_YrIt0fGs/s1600/Fidelio_1936.jpg)A change of pace. Or country. Summat. An Amercan brewing log.
I've had to make some choices with my beer obsession. A bit like a stamp collector, I had to specialise. Otherwise I'd go crazy. I made the decision about 10 years ago to stick to European beer. It's still a crazily wide scope. But it makes me feel more comfortable. That's why - the odd trip report excepted - I don't normally cover North America.
Despite my decision, I've still acquired some material about American brewing. Including some brewing records. Hang on. I'm feeling the need to do some shouting. WHY DOESN'T ANYONE IN THE USA EVER LOOK AT OLD BREWING RECORDS? They do exist. Shouting over.
The record below is one of a few sent to me by Chad Rieker (thanks Chad). Photocopies of documents he picked up somewhere. If I hadn't been so busy with Barclay Perkins, I'd had have shared these with you earlier. Because they are quite cool.
The records are from the Fidelio Brewery of 501 First Avenue, New York. I think it closed in the 1950's. At least that's what "American Breweries II" says. And who am I to doubt their expertise.
It's an experimental Lager. Not sure what that means, other than the batch size being tiny. Just 4. 5 barrels. It does have particularly detailed instructions. Handy for you home brewers. Why not take a look?
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/S-_ckJFVcWI/AAAAAAAAG9Y/4la28fVzLo4/s640/Fidelio_1941_experimental_beer.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CHrKKDU9290/S-_ckJFVcWI/AAAAAAAAG9Y/4la28fVzLo4/s1600/Fidelio_1941_experimental_beer.jpg)
A couple of points of interest.
First, that the temperatures are in Reaumur. I've only ever come across that in 19th-century German brewing manuals. It's easy enough to convert to centigrade. Freezing point is zero, boiling point 80 degrees. That an American brewery was using this scale and Balling for gravity says much about the German influence on American brewing.
Second, they're using grits and converting them in a pre-mash process. Most British breweries used flaked maize that could just be thrown into the mash.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-5722751766821636612?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2010/05/fidelio-1941-experimental-lager.html)