History of Schwarzbier III

History of Schwarzbier I, History of Schwarzbier II cont.

In the GDR beer production was standardized.

Doppelcaramel, Schwarzbier and Porter had to comply with the following specifications.

We can see from those values: Schwarzbier was on the sweeter side of todays style but there is some continuity noticeable.

In the early 90s Köstritzer Schwarzbier had 3,5% vol (abv). The brewery was sold to Bitburger Holding (today 3rd largest german brewing company).

early post-GDR Köstritzer Schwarzbier: 3,5% vol 

Until then Schwarzbier made up only 7% of the production volume of the brewery. In 1993 they relaunched Schwarzbier as their primary product with a new branding. This is when todays "style" was created. Alcohol went up to 4,8%vol (11,4°P). Sweetness and probably flavor went further down. In short: Schwarzbier was "pilsnerized" to meet the german pilsner adapted palate. 

The style as it is known today has a fine tradition of almost 21 years!

History of Schwarzbier II

 History of Schwarzbier I cont.

The "Fürstliche Brauerei Köstritz"  (princely brewery Köstritz) was the first to produce a beer under the name "Schwarzbier" but it was not as unique as it seems.

Hollack (Dresden) offered "Deutscher Porter" as "Gesundheitsbier" (source)

Schwarzbier shared nearly every quality with the beers named "Deutscher Porter" (german porter) except the name. 

Deutscher Porter was an english inspired beer of cause: The high original gravity as well as the black color facilitated by black malt or caramel color.

But like Schwarzbier it was early on advertised as a healthy beer. The less alcohol and the more residual extract the better.

Schwarzbier was just another name for german porter. The owner of the brewery was an aristocratical manorial lord, loyal to the Reich and the Reichskanzler.

The coat of arms of the principality "Reuß" was printed on every label.

They tried to establish a precious and royal image in order to find their way into the parlors of the upper class .

Iron Schwarzbier from Oettler Zeitz

Under such self-complacent and probably nationalistic circumstances it's no wonder that they preferred to sell a new beer under a german name. Schwarzbier fits better into such a traditional branding than "Deutscher Porter".

Ärztlich empfohlen (recommended by physicians) source 

 The name "Schwarzbier" was copied by other breweries in the region around Köstritz like in Tauchlitz (sighting distance from Köstritz), Gera and Zeitz.

Schwarzbier from Gera, design inspired by Köstritzer

In this time of upcoming anti-alcoholism many breweries offered similar brews. "Eisenbier" (iron beer), "Caramel Bier", "Extraktbier", "Kraft Bier" (tonic/strength beer) and so on. All had in common relatively low alcohol and high residual extract. Mostly dark to black but there was also pale wheat based beers.

Caramel-Bier, Naumann Brewery Leipzig, for Women and Children

One more point to make the connection between porter or Schwarzbier and healthiness:

Around 1900 the by far most important competitor of beer was coffee. It was perceived as nourishing, vitalizing and healthful. It was black.

Why should coffee be nourishing? Because it is black. Like coal.

It is carbonized and therefore it contains carbon which is combusted in the body! Besides it detoxicates the body like activated charcoal!

The "style" separated into "Deutscher Porter", "Doppelcaramell" and "Schwarzbier" all three were produced almost exclusively in the GDR. There was also "Malzbier" in western Germany.

tbc.

Kufenbier, Erntebier, Märzbier

"Bier-Brauer" Weigel (1698) source

Reading old texts about brewing in northern germany one stumbles upon beers called "Märzbier", "Kufenbier", "Erntebier", "Sommerbier" or "obergäriges Lagerbier".

"Märzbier" (march beer): is brewed in march when the temperatures allow to brew a clean and durable top fermenting beer that keeps for months.

"Kufenbier": the beer was lagered in large wooden barrels called "Kufen".

"Erntebier" (harvest beer) and "Sommerbier" (summer beer): Summer and harvest time are busy and bad time for brewing if you have no efficient cooling device and cool fermentation cellar so you brew a strong and durable beer in spring and serve it in the summer or at harvest time.

"Erntebier" can also be a lower alcohol beer brewed fresh during the harvest time (for consumption at work).

"Erntebier" was also a name for the celebration when harvesting was finished.

All those terms describe top fermenting but lagered beers ("obergärige Lagerbiere").

It's a stronger version of an ordinary "braunbier".

"double the amount of malt  and triple the amount of hops". Braunbier with 1- 2 %vol. was made for prompt consumption. 

Knaus (1575) calls "Merze Bier" from Berlin and Magdeburg as a superior brew compared with the beers brewed in summer. During the hot season they had problems with chilling, fermentation temperatures, and cleanliness.

The Köstritzer "doppelbier" (before it was called english) can be assumed to be a "Obergäriges Lagerbier". If you want a great description how to brew it read Munz (1840) "Das Bierbrauen in allen seinen Zweigen".

But remember this type of beer is all about the process of lagering, it's no recipe. Every beer can potentially be a "lager beer" if it keeps its qualities (or improve) over a few months at cellar temps. On the other hand not every "Doppelbier" is also lagered.

Characteristics:

• top fermenting
• stronger in alcohol (5%+?)
• high bitterness
• amber to brown in color
• continental Hops
• stored at cellar temps for at least 8 weeks.

Eventualities:

• relatively cold and slow fermentation (more neutral flavor)
• Wheatmalt (Märzen-weisse), or other cereals or refined beet sugar or honey (farmhouse Erntebier...)
• lagering characteristics (aged flavors, low FG, wood aged, sour notes)
• brettanomyces
• spices
• smoke
• dry hopping
• pitched barrel

For commercial brews that go into the right direction I would try something like Uerige Sticke and Pinkus Alt.