Historic Einbeck Beer

[menschmaschine]

Paging through Designing Great Beers and trying to decide what to brew next, I ran across the chapter on Bocks and the information given about the famous beer of Einbeck, circa ~1300-1650. Inferred from this information is that, according to how we style beers today, the original Einbeck beer was a completely different style than the Bocks that Bavaria turned it into.

It was apparently very famous, highly prized, and exported to as far as Jerusalem, but died off when Einbeck's brewing died off after the Thirty Year's War (1618-1648). Also, sometime in the 1600s, an Einbeck brewer went to Munich to help brew better beer there (which wasn't highly regarded at the time) and the Einbeck beer made the transformation into the Bock beer we know today.

The original Einbeck beer has 1/3 wheat malt, 2/3 barley malt (lightly kilned for the time) and was very bitter with a slight, but pleasant acidity. It was also apparently top-fermented (but brewed in winter), but cold-conditioned (lagered... like an Altbier).

So, if this beer was so good, is any commercial or homebrewer making this today? By inferring from DGB, I would think this beer would have a medium gravity (1.050+), a BU:GU ratio similar to a Dusseldorf Altbier, a color of around 8-ish SRM, brewed with relatively soft water, and fermented with a German Ale yeast. The "pleasant acidity" in the original was probably due to lactobacillus back in the day, but one could attempt to replicate it by starting with a mash pH on the low end.

So, I'm thinking the following as a start:

Wheat Malt = 33.33%
Munich (light) = 50.00%
Pilsener Malt = 16.67%

Mashed with a Hochkurz-style schedule.

OG = ~ 1.054, FG = ~ 1.014

Hops = Hallertauer- 35-40 IBUs at 60 min.

Yeast = Fermentis K-97 German Ale yeast

Any thoughts?

 

[rsmith179]

Sounds like a good way to try and bring back a dead style. Too bad there are no styles to compare this to commercially. At least not using the wheat as DGB said they used to use. I was also in the Bock section the past few days trying to get ideas for a Bock. I'm actually going for a Doppelbock pushing 9%. Let us know how this one turns out and what your final recipe looks like.

 

[menschmaschine]

Bump-a-rooni

LHBS didn't have K-97. I got WLP-029 (German Ale/Kölsh) instead. I'm planning on brewing this next Saturday. Anyone else have any input/suggestions? I'm planning on treating this beer similar to an Altbier but with wheat. I've never brewed with malted wheat before... anything I should know?

 

[Edcculus]

Sounds interesting. I don't really have any input since I've never even heard of the style.

Bump-a-rooni
I've never brewed with malted wheat before... anything I should know?

Use a few handfulls of rice hulls to avoid a stuck sparge. Wheat malt can get pretty gummy in the mash.

 

[menschmaschine]

Well, this is coming together. I'm currently planning the brew as I listed above, with the exception of the yeast. I'll be using the WLP-029 German Ale yeast.

The only other thing that bothers me is the fact that my LHBS carries virtually no imported malts (aside from a few British malts). I need 9 lbs of Munich malt. I had 2 lbs left of BestMalz Munich left over, so I needed 7 lbs more. My LHBS only carries Briess munich malt, which I later find out is made from 6-row barley. So, I'm thinking about changing the grist to 1/3 Munich, 1/3 Pilsener, and 1/3 Wheat malt to lessen the amount of 6-row.

 

[bierhaus15]

Just a note: Historical (14-16C) Einbeck beer did not used 'kilned malt.' Instead, it would have used wind-dried or air-dried malt as was popular in Northern Europe at the time, hence its very light/straw color. Jackson wrote an interesting piece on Einbeck beers and wind-drying, though I cant seem to find the link.

Munich malt would work well for a modern interpretation, but if you are looking for more historical accuracy, I would use lighter colored malt and higher percentage of 6-row. Very interesting experiment though!

Here is one of MJ's articles on Einbeck beer, though not the one on the malt.

Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter - Original Bock: the beer the doctor ordered

 

[menschmaschine]

Just a note: Historical (14-16C) Einbeck beer did not used 'kilned malt.' Instead, it would have used wind-dried or air-dried malt as was popular in Northern Europe at the time, hence its very light/straw color. Jackson wrote an interesting piece on Einbeck beers and wind-drying, though I cant seem to find the link.

Munich malt would work well for a modern interpretation, but if you are looking for more historical accuracy, I would use lighter colored malt and higher percentage of 6-row. Very interesting experiment though!

Here is one of MJ's articles on Einbeck beer, though not the one on the malt.

Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter - Original Bock: the beer the doctor ordered

Thanks for the link. Why do you suggest a higher percentage of 6-row? I would have thought they would have used all 2-row. Also, if it was not kilned, perhaps I should use a higher percentage of Pilsener malt and a lower percentage of Munich malt... maybe 33.3% wheat, 50.0 % Pilsener, and 16.6% Munich?

Here's a link to what Ray Daniels has to say on it: All About Beer: BrewStyles-Bock

I'm keeping the gravity fairly low because he quotes 2 sources that allude to such:

During the 1500s Historian Heinrich Knaust described the Einbeck beer:

"Of all summer beers, light and hoppy barley beers, the Einbeck beer is the most famed and deserves the preference. Each third grain to this beer is wheat; hence, too, it is of all barley beers the best . . . People do not fatten too much from its use; it is also very useful in fever cases."

And:

J. Letzner from his "Chronicle." On the beer of Einbeck, this source reports:

This delicious, palatable, subtle, extremely sound and wholesome beer, which because of its refreshing properties and pleasant taste is exported to far-away countries, especially during summertime...

Now, all such Einbeck beer which shows the right hue, a wholesome odor and the proper savor is a delicious, famous and very palatable beverage and and excellent beer, wherewith a man, when partaken of in moderation, may save his health and his sound senses, and yet feel jolly and stimulated.

 

[bierhaus15]

Thanks for the link. Why do you suggest a higher percentage of 6-row? I would have thought they would have used all 2-row. Also, if it was not kilned, perhaps I should use a higher percentage of Pilsener malt and a lower percentage of Munich malt... maybe 33.3% wheat, 50.0 % Pilsener, and 16.6% Munich?

Sorry, I misread and thought you were using unmalted wheat. If you are using regular malted wheat, then I wouldn't worry about any 6-row. Though there are some old northern German white beers that often used raw wheat, most notably Broyhan Alt and Gose. Incidentally, Broyhan Alt, a beer originally brewed in 1526 from Hanover (just north of Einbeck) also used wind-dried malt.

I think 16% Munich would be fine as long as the color doesn't get into the 7+ range. Also, an OG of 1.050-60 seems reasonable. Though hopping rates and alcohol must have been substantial, considering Einbeck beer made up about a third of Hanseatic League exports.

Again, very interesting and keep us posted on how this batch turns out. I may have to give this a try and make a small double batch of Einbeck, one from wind-dried malt and the other from kilned. :cross:

 

[menschmaschine]

I may just say screw the 6-row Munich and just use what I've got of BestMalz munich. Of course, then I have 7 pounds of 6-row Munich sitting around that I'll have trouble finding a suitable use for!

If I did that, I would be at 53.67% Pilsener, 33.33% Wheat malt, and 13% Munich with a color of 4.5 SRM.

 

[menschmaschine]

I'm brewing this today. Here's the final recipe. I decided to lower the gravity and IBUs a tad. I like beers I can drink a couple of without repercussions. This is my first time brewing with wheat and I didn't have any rice hulls, so the lauter should be interesting.

Einbecker

Type: All Grain
Date: 8/1/2009
Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Brewer: Mensch
Boil Size: 14.40 gal
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: BREWTREE- 15 Gallon Brewing System
Brewhouse Efficiency: 90.00

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.15 lb BestMalz Pilsener (2 Row) Ger (1.8 SRM) Grain 53.42 %
5.65 lb Briess Wheat Malt (2.3 SRM) Grain 32.98 %
2.33 lb BestMalz Munich Malt (9.6 SRM) Grain 13.60 %
3.50 oz Hallertauer Tradition [5.70 %] (60 min) Hops 33.1 IBU
1 Pkgs German Ale/Kolsch (White Labs #WLP029) Yeast-Ale w/ adequate starter

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.08 %
Bitterness: 33.1 IBU Calories: 231 cal/pint
Est Color: 4.3 SRM

Mash Profile

Total Grain Weight: 17.13 lb
Sparge Water: 9.46 gal
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F

Temperature Mash, 3 Step, Medium Body
30 min Acid Rest Add 7.49 gal of water at 105.1 F 102.0 F
45 min Saccharification Heat to 142.0 F over 15 min 142.0 F
30 min Dextrin Rest Heat to 158.0 F over 2 min 158.0 F
10 min Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min 168.0 F

 

[KingBrianI]

That looks good! I wouldn't worry about no rice hulls, I've done up to 50% wheat malt with no hulls and haven't stuck.

Edit: Did you condition the malt before crushing? I find it helps.

 

[menschmaschine]

That looks good! I wouldn't worry about no rice hulls, I've done up to 50% wheat malt with no hulls and haven't stuck.

Edit: Did you condition the malt before crushing? I find it helps.

Thanks. No I didn't condition the malt. Never fear... my Barley Crusher was like, "pfft!... wheat malt?... BRING IT ON!"

 

[KingBrianI]

Thanks. No I didn't condition the malt. Never fear... my Barley Crusher was like, "pfft!... wheat malt?... BRING IT ON!"

The conditioning isn't for making the crushing easier, it's to allow the barley hulls to make it through the crush much more intact. It makes lautering easier.

 

[menschmaschine]

The conditioning isn't for making the crushing easier, it's to allow the barley hulls to make it through the crush much more intact. It makes lautering easier.

You're right. I knew that. I thought it would soften up the wheat a little too, but I guess not. After I typed that I thought, "wait, he was talking about keeping hulls intact.":cross:

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Looks interesting! I would love to know the results as that chapter in DGB intrigued me too. I just happen to be brewing a Traditional Bock tomorrow (would be today but I'm working OT ).

I agree that with malted wheat at the proportion you're using you should be fine w/o rice hulls.

Since I'm @ work and don't have DGB with me I can't check it but...is there any mention of the water profile in Einbeck? I'm assuming it's different than Munich water...and I would guess softer and less alkaline since the Munich-Bock ended up so much darker.

Would the barley they used back then be closer to Light Munich or Pils?

Here's a decent article google shat out. Apparently Einbeck beer was Martin Luther's fave. It mentions that the yeast(s) would likely not have yielded a clean profile.

 

[menschmaschine]

Looks interesting! I would love to know the results as that chapter in DGB intrigued me too. I just happen to be brewing a Traditional Bock tomorrow (would be today but I'm working OT ).

I agree that with malted wheat at the proportion you're using you should be fine w/o rice hulls.

Since I'm @ work and don't have DGB with me I can't check it but...is there any mention of the water profile in Einbeck? I'm assuming it's different than Munich water...and I would guess softer and less alkaline since the Munich-Bock ended up so much darker.

Would the barley they used back then be closer to Light Munich or Pils?

Here's a decent article google shat out. Apparently Einbeck beer was Martin Luther's fave. It mentions that the yeast(s) would likely not have yielded a clean profile.

WRONG about the rice hulls! I got a stuck lauter... only briefly though. If I did it again, I still wouldn't use rice hulls. I just can't bring myself to add anything rice-related to a German beer. It's the principal of it. Boiling now. Talk about wheat hot-break boil-overs! Thanks for warning me guys!

I haven't really looked into the water profile in Einbeck. I imagine it's relatively soft, since when they tried to recreate this beer in Bavaria, they couldn't do it successfully. My water is super soft. I added a little gypsum for the calcium and to get the mash pH down a little.

I'm sure my beer will be extremely clean compared to the originals. I would also think if they used wind-dried malt there would be a crap load of lactobacillus on it. Depending on how they mashed, it could have been a fairly sour one. And the ferment was probably contaminated as well, contributing to the acidity.

At any rate, my version probably won't be real spot-on, but it's an interesting experiment. And I feel I can brew with a little less exactness than I normally do since it's experimental. I'm not going to add any kettle finings. If the beer ends up cloudy... probably closer to the originals. As long as it tastes good... I'm going to have 10 gallons to get through!

 

[menschmaschine]

This beer turned out excellent. It has a distinct soft wheat flavor and is very pleasant. It turned out to be the perfect transition beer from summer to autumn. The bitterness is not prominent. However, it is noticeable and balanced with a leaning toward the bitterness. Overall the beer is very flavorful, yet easy drinking.

The acidity isn't really there like the historic version suggests, but short of adding lactobacillus or an an acid, I don't know how else to achieve that and it tastes great without it. I'm very pleased with this beer and would be interested in how it would taste with different yeasts, e.g. K-97.