August 2021

On August 28, we brewed scientifically. We focus on constant temperature mashing at 72 °C and above, which produces fewer fermentable sugars compared to a classic mashing process. The first question that always comes up in conversations is whether a pilsner reduced in alcohol in this way actually tastes like a pilsner. The fact is that the yeast introduces numerous as yet not fully understood aromas into a beer in various phases during fermentation, and if there are now fewer fermentable sugars in a wort, i.e. fermentation is completed more quickly, it could in principle happen that a reduced-alcohol Pils tastes less full-bodied with the same original gravity. Unpublished tests from October 2020 suggest that a Pilsner with 3.2% alcohol by volume and one with around 5% by volume hardly show any deviations in the analysis of the so-called fermentation by-products. Some untrained test drinkers were unable to decide which beer they had tasted when blind tasting only one of the two beers. Nevertheless, the argument "alcohol is also a flavor carrier" always comes up. Now we want to know exactly and have mashed once at a constant 72 °C with 100% Pilsner malt in the batch, once with a rest at 62 °C and once with a rest at 72 °C. Based on published results from preliminary tests, we did not use protein rest in both cases. The original gravities of both beers were adjusted to each other and were once 11.5 °P and once around 12 °P. This slight difference is initially irrelevant, as only bittering hops were used during the 60-minute boil. Our colleagues from the Research Center for Brewing and Food Quality at the Technical University of Munich provided us with 2 certified bottles of TUM W 34/70 Pilsner yeast, both brews are fermented under controlled pressure in cylindrical-conical fermentation vessels at a controlled 13 °C. After the main fermentation, the yeast is removed, it can be easily removed from the cylinder cone, after which both beers are matured for at least 8 weeks at 2 °C with a short diacetyl rest. The extent to which this rather new mashing process affects the taste will be assessed at the end of the year during a professional tasting at the Weihenstephan brewery in accordance with DLG guidelines. Both beers will be analyzed beforehand; in addition to original gravity, sugar distribution in beers and wort and alcohol content, we will determine the bitterness and adjust this to the same value for the batches to be tasted if necessary. Trained tasters will then evaluate both beers from a sensory perspective.

On August 22, we brewed 40 liters of single beer. These beers have original gravities of between 1.5 and 6.9 °P and, with a low original gravity of 2.5 °P, achieve an alcohol content of around 0.5% by volume, making them almost alcohol-free. You can't necessarily expect a full-bodied beer, but simple beers are nice thirst quenchers where you don't run the risk of feeling the effects after one glass. And they are also easy to brew. For the beer brewed on August 22, we used 20% pale ale malt, 20% Munich malt and 60% Carahell, mashed for 60 minutes at a constant 73 °C in 45 liters of water, and the wort boiled just 2 hours after mashing, hopped only with Hallertau Magnum bitter hops. The original gravity was 2.4 °P, the wort is fermented with a so-called maltotriosenegative yeast, so the alcohol content in the finished beer should be less than 0.5% by volume. Alcohol-free beers are not subject to beer tax.

Kveik beer was brewed again on August 8th. We subjected a mixture of Pale Ale malt, Carahell and a little sour malt to a constant temperature mashing process and achieved an original gravity of a good 11 °P. Only Hallertau Magnum bittering hops were used to emphasize the inherent aromas of the Kveik yeast. Fermentation is already complete and the beer will be racked into a pressurized keg in around 4 weeks. We expect it to be around 3% alcohol by volume.