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01-10-2017, 07:05
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I just happened to stumble across another fourteen analyses of Berliner Weisse. All with the acidity.
But, rather than providing answers, it’s provided more questions. Because the acidity level is all over the shop, from 0.196 to 0.85%. That is, from mildly tart to pretty damn sour. Without any apparent pattern. What does it mean?
One slight problem is that what’s listed is specifically lactic acid. Any acetic acid that might have been present isn’t included. I know from analyses performed in the 1970s that considerable amounts of acetic were present in Berliner Weisse. Less than the quantity of lactic acid, but present nonetheless.
Where I can see a pattern is in the OG, which seems to have fallen from the mid-1040s in the 1870s to around 1032º by the end of the century. Which is about the same as today: 8º Plato. There also appears to have been an increase in the degree of attenuation. 78-80% is extremely high for a late-19th century German beer.
Berliner Weisse 1878 - 1898
Year
Brewer
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lactic acid
CO2 %
1850
Unknown
1032.5
1015.92
2.13
50.12%
0.85
1878
Unknown Potsdam
1045.3
1013.8
4.08
69.54%
0.60
0.388
1878
Unknown
1050.9
1013.3
4.89
73.87%
0.51
0.321
1878
Unknown
1044.9
1012.8
4.16
71.49%
0.55
0.293
1879
Unknown
1042.7
1017.5
3.25
59.02%
0.32
1879
Unknown
1040.2
1012
3.65
70.15%
0.30
1884
Landré, A
1041.0
1014.8
3.39
63.90%
0.717
0.338
1884
Landré, A
1036.5
1010.4
3.39
71.51%
0.829
0.302
1887
Aktein-Brauerei (formerly H. A. Bolle)
1018.6
1009.5
1.18
48.92%
0.363
1888
Unknown
1039.0
1011.8
3.53
69.74%
0.234
1892
Unknown
1031.5
1006.9
3.19
78.10%
0.198
1898
Unknown
1032.5
1007.1
3.30
78.15%
0.31
1898
Unknown
1032.4
1006.2
3.40
80.86%
0.264
1898
Unknown
1030.2
1005.5
3.20
81.79%
0.279
1898
Unknown
1029.0
1008.2
2.70
71.72%
0.196
Source:
Wahl, Robert and Henius, Max (1902) Composition Of Beers in American Handy Book of the Brewing, Malting, and Auxiliary Trades, pp 823-830, Wahl & Henius, Chicago.
König, J (1903), Bier in Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pp 1101 - 1156, Julius Springer, Berlin.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-sour-was-berliner-weisse.html)
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I just happened to stumble across another fourteen analyses of Berliner Weisse. All with the acidity.
But, rather than providing answers, it’s provided more questions. Because the acidity level is all over the shop, from 0.196 to 0.85%. That is, from mildly tart to pretty damn sour. Without any apparent pattern. What does it mean?
One slight problem is that what’s listed is specifically lactic acid. Any acetic acid that might have been present isn’t included. I know from analyses performed in the 1970s that considerable amounts of acetic were present in Berliner Weisse. Less than the quantity of lactic acid, but present nonetheless.
Where I can see a pattern is in the OG, which seems to have fallen from the mid-1040s in the 1870s to around 1032º by the end of the century. Which is about the same as today: 8º Plato. There also appears to have been an increase in the degree of attenuation. 78-80% is extremely high for a late-19th century German beer.
Berliner Weisse 1878 - 1898
Year
Brewer
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
lactic acid
CO2 %
1850
Unknown
1032.5
1015.92
2.13
50.12%
0.85
1878
Unknown Potsdam
1045.3
1013.8
4.08
69.54%
0.60
0.388
1878
Unknown
1050.9
1013.3
4.89
73.87%
0.51
0.321
1878
Unknown
1044.9
1012.8
4.16
71.49%
0.55
0.293
1879
Unknown
1042.7
1017.5
3.25
59.02%
0.32
1879
Unknown
1040.2
1012
3.65
70.15%
0.30
1884
Landré, A
1041.0
1014.8
3.39
63.90%
0.717
0.338
1884
Landré, A
1036.5
1010.4
3.39
71.51%
0.829
0.302
1887
Aktein-Brauerei (formerly H. A. Bolle)
1018.6
1009.5
1.18
48.92%
0.363
1888
Unknown
1039.0
1011.8
3.53
69.74%
0.234
1892
Unknown
1031.5
1006.9
3.19
78.10%
0.198
1898
Unknown
1032.5
1007.1
3.30
78.15%
0.31
1898
Unknown
1032.4
1006.2
3.40
80.86%
0.264
1898
Unknown
1030.2
1005.5
3.20
81.79%
0.279
1898
Unknown
1029.0
1008.2
2.70
71.72%
0.196
Source:
Wahl, Robert and Henius, Max (1902) Composition Of Beers in American Handy Book of the Brewing, Malting, and Auxiliary Trades, pp 823-830, Wahl & Henius, Chicago.
König, J (1903), Bier in Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pp 1101 - 1156, Julius Springer, Berlin.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-sour-was-berliner-weisse.html)