Reinheitsgebot

Reinheitsgebot: To Beer or Not to Beer

“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.”

The above-mentioned quote has been taken from the website of the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and it precisely takes into account of the sheer way Germans account for their own cultural heritage. It also holds significance because in the year 2013, Germany, after extensively studying the documentation concerning UNESCO’s World Heritage List decided to nominate Reinheitsgebot or the “Bavarian Purity Law” as it is otherwise known, for the same.

The Reinheitsgebot dates back to the year 1516 and decrees the usage of only – water, barley, and hops in the production of German beers. An addition was made to the list almost a century later in the form of yeast. This is simply because of the fermentation process being discovered much later in time. Ever since then the Reinheitsgebot has been an integral component of the German way of living and exclusively marking purity, outstanding, and high-quality German beer. All of these factors have enabled it to become no less than a global phenomenon.

    All about German Beer

Beer and Germany are nearly synonymous, considering the amount of cultural importance it gives to the drink. As far as brewing itself is concerned, this tradition has grown, evolved, changed, and taken the shape of a dictum in the history of the region. Certain archaeological findings have suggested that the craft of brewing dates back to the Bronze Age and entered the European continent sometime between 2000 and 700 BC. Indeed they did not take the farfetched jingoistic route and credited the beginning of the tradition to Germany itself. Moreover, the studies also suggest that within the continent of Europe, Germans could have been the first to have started brewing. In the case of the demystifying the very origin of the tradition, that crown is worn by the Seminarians of Mesopotamia, today’s Iraq.

Brewing as a practice is considered to be as old as history itself. In fact, it is said to have begun precisely at that moment when humans moved away from hunting-gathering to agriculture. This is pretty much logical by itself.

Furthermore, this tradition then moved from the Mesopotamians to the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and then the Egyptians. Brewing then spread across the region owing the credit to the rivers such as – Tigris, Euphrates, and the Nile. Thereon, the Greeks and Romans got the addictive taste of beer.

When the Romans for the first time crossed the Alps in the first century B.C. they met with the Germany, a regional tribal culture. They were forest dwellers who lived in isolation, devoid of any communication with the neighbouring fertile Middle Eastern settlements.

German historians have been able to estimate from the evidence that came in the form of earthenware amphora dating back to 800 BCE that beer was most likely brewed in Europe during this time. Furthermore, these historical artefacts were discovered in the year 1935. They were located inside of a Celtic burial mound which was found in the Bavarian village called – Kasendorf. It is further located at a distance of about 7 miles from Kulmbach.

The most fascinating thing about this finding was a kind of black residue which was found inside of the ceramic container. After all sorts of research, it was found that the liquid was wheat based ale which was flavoured using leaves from the oak tree. This particular artefact can today be seen being displayed in Kulmbach at the Bavarian Beer Museum.

Mideasterners just like the old Germans were known to have prepared beers by taking moist loaves of bread when in their moist phase. Thereon it was just about the wait. The yeast cells that were naturally present in the air would then begin to ferment by acting upon the crocks of water. The resultant solution was believed to have been sour and murky, and nothing like what pallets of today prefer. In any case, the debates over technicalities can go endlessly. It was anyway the first beer.

    Basics of Brewing

If one enquires as to what is the most important ingredient, the one and only answer that comes through is – yeast. In-fact, it’s not just beer alone but for the preparation of any alcoholic drink for that matter, yeast is required. It is amazing how these little single celled organisms have changed the way the modern world functions. Grains such as barley and wheat, or rye, or emmer, or dinkel and water are among the other components that constitute the beer. 90 % of beer is just water. In addition to all the above nowadays flavouring is also present in the beers that is further created by adding hops, exclusively in the German varieties. Furthermore, to create the bitter aromatic flavours a certain variety of flower which is taken from a creeping wine belonging to the family of cannabis is added.

Hops is another crucial ingredient which was discovered much later in history, it is believed to have been found by the 8th century A.D. Prior to this discovery, brewers would add just about anything when it came to flavouring their brews. Among the popularly used additives were – herbs, leaves, rushes, bark, and oxen gall.

Across all this time, yeast was the last of the ingredients to become the most significant component of the brewing process. It was only by the 19th century that this elixir like ingredient was discovered and ever since then it has managed to change the brewing industry for good. Furthermore, Louis Pasture, a French microbiologist along with Emil Christian Hansen was credited for determining the potentials of yeast. Until that very moment in history, most of the brewers did not quite find yeast to be a credible fermenting agent. Interestingly enough brewers simply found yeast to be as a waste product which is generated after the fermentation process ends. When they realised its true potentials there was no looking back. Since that time onwards, there has been no alcoholic product, be it beer, wine or any distilled spirit for that matter, none of them could be produced without the use of yeast.

Aside from this historical fact, one must also try and understand the technicalities behind the magic that yeast performs. To begin with, fermentation is the process through which yeast acts upon sugar and converts it into two components – alcohol and carbon dioxide, the gas. Now, how did this happen at all? Well, broadly speaking, sugar is classified under the category of a carbohydrate and yeast then goes on to eat or metabolise the sugar. Moreover, when the metabolic activity concludes alcohol and carbon dioxide are released. It is due to this process that the alcoholic beverage gets its kick and effervescence.

    What is Malting?

Beer making, unlike whine, making not only involves a different process but also is much more intricate. However, many anthropologists hold a different opinion. As per their research beer making precedes wine making and more so possibly even before bread making came about. To further illustrate, wine making involves a simple fermentation of grape juice whereas while making beer one has to take a particular kind or combination of grains and thereon begins a lengthy process which results in a fermented extract out of which beers are made.

In the case of grape juice, sugar is already present in its very natural state. Since the carbohydrate is already present, all that the wine making process requires is to first press the grapes so that the juices come out and the addition of yeast.

Moreover, in the case of beer making, the process becomes slightly more complicated. First, one must remember that the grains do not by themselves contain any amount of sugar but they contain starch. Now, as far as starch is concerned, it is a highly complex category of carbohydrate which is on the other hand un-fermentable. Furthermore, starch can be converted into sugar, but for this, it has to undergo a process called – enzymatic conversion. One of the most crucial parts about the grains is that their kernels contain an enzyme which further produces a natural protein that assists in the conversion of starch into fermentable sugar. Further, the conversion process also requires certain prerequisites such as a warm, moist environment which should have a temperature of roughly ranging between – 145 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 63 to 74 degree Celsius. Interestingly, this particular range of the temperature is the same as that of the soil in which otherwise the kernel would have been present on a typical spring-like day.

The maltster or the ones who make the malts try to imitate the very natural conditions as is performed by a typical brewer in his or her mash turn, in a factory setting of the malting plant. Furthermore, maltsters firstly in the malting process would step the grains in water and thereon attempt to hydrate the kernel by imitating the snow melting conditions. These grains are then allowed to germinate in a specially designed warm and moist chamber till the point they sprout shoots. Now, the following process becomes extremely crucial because if it goes unchecked the endosperm or the shoot would end up consuming the entire sugar. It is important that the sugar is saved so that when later on the yeast is added, it has enough material to act upon. Furthermore, for this to happen, the maltsters dry the grains in a kiln which end up killing the sprouts. This is the very step in the process where brewing begins. It is at this point that the colour and the aroma of the brew are fixed. If the brewers demand a darker malt, in that case, the grains are allowed to be in the chamber for a longer period and the temperature is also increased. Also, roasted chocolate and caramel are added to attain a more flavourful produce. Certain quantitates of the same are added to all the brews depending on the requirement of the flavour.

    Understanding – Mashing

While the malt is still in the mash turn it is remoistened with the addition of warm water. This allows for the reactivation of the enzymes and finally concludes the conversion of starch to sugar. Historians also believe that the brewers belonging to the regions of Mideastern and Germanic regions were able to unravel this particular step through the process of permutation and combination. The Mideastern and Germans in-fact would half bake the moistened loaves of bread which were in the first place made by coarsely grounding the grains. This process would then go on and activate the enzymes while they were placed in the oven.

Traditionally speaking there are two ways through which mashing malts. First of which involves simply steeping the grain in hot water (it should not be in a boiling state). In this process, the grains are steeped first and then mash is boiled. The first part of this process is called infusion mashing and the latter part is called decoction mashing.

In the case of the British ale brewers, they never brew by incorporating the step involving decocting mashing. On the other hand, it has always been used in the German breweries. It is only recently that one finds a difference. This process proved to be useful even in the case of grains that were poor in terms of the presence of enzymes. In today’s modern day breweries, the grains are specially bred and these varieties contain a greater quantity of enzymes. Precisely because of this reason the breweries simply require to use the infusion mashing step. Additionally, the boiling of the mash is also avoided because it consumes a large amount of energy. So, the brewers can not only produce faster and better but also save energy and costs.

Further, after the grains are mashed irrespective of the process. It could either be infusion or decoction. The brewers then go on and strain off the sugar liquid in the same manner as filtered coffee is prepared. It is, therefore, both coffee and beer are brewed. In addition to these steps, there is – lautering, it involves washing of the sugar out of the bed of grains. The resultant extract is known as wort and it is collected in the brew kettle.

    The Boiling process

Prior to the commencement of the fermentation process, the wort is fermented. Now, this fermentation requires the wort to be boiled for a minimum of one hour. This further results in the removal of the unpleasant volatile substances which otherwise would have latched on to the husk of the grains. Moreover, any of the gummy residues from the grain are also removed. Next is the step where the brewers begin to balance out the sweetness of the wort and then the addition of the bittering agent. It is at this stage of boiling where the hops are added.

One can find numerous varieties of the hop in the market. There is almost no geographical location wherein one cannot find hops but, more importantly, it is necessary to note, not all those varieties are suitable for brewing in today’s day and age. This is simply because hops that are used in the brewing process nowadays have been genetically engineered to provide particular kinds of flavours. The regions that top the chart in this regard are Germany, of-course, England, the Czech Republic, and the United States. The Germans tend to incorporate all the best traits of the hops as produced by the above-mentioned regions and also carries a special name, noble.

    The Fermentation step

With the conclusion of the boiling procedure, the brewer then allows the wort to cool down and finally drains it into a fermentation vat which is temperature controlled. In this container, active yeast gets added to the primordial slurry-like consistency. The brewers will add about 1 quart or 1 litre of yeast slurry to ferment 50 litres worth of beer.

As far as varieties of yeast are concerned, there are hundreds and thousands of them naturally available in the environment itself. Now, in the case of brewing the beer, only two of them prove to be suitable enough. In the same regard, brewers rely on a certain technology which is known as – Saccharomyces cerevisiae or top-fermenting, it literally translates as ‘beer yeast’; and the other – Saccharomyces uvarum or bottom-fermenting, this translates as ‘clump-like yeast’.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae or top-fermenting carries such a name simply because of the action that the yeast produces. That is, it tends to rise on top during the fermentation process and it appears as a rocky substance over the surface. On the other hand, Saccharomyces uvarum or bottom-fermenting logically settles on the bottom of the fermented beer. It finally takes the shape of a thick slurry-like substance. If one is to pinpoint the most crucial difference between ale and lager then the answer is yeast itself. Now, it is also true that there are numerous differences between the yeasts used in ales and lagers. But, the greater importance is laid upon the working temperatures and the kind of flavourful fermentation by-products.

To mention a few, the yeasts used in the production of ale and lagers are required to operate at different temperatures altogether. For instance, the yeast used in ale requires the ambient temperature to be set at 59 to 77°F or 15 to 25°C. This is precisely the reason due to which brewers throughout history stuck only with a standard method when it came to brewing before refrigeration was invented. The lager yeast, on the other hand, requires much lower ambient temperatures of 41 to 50 °F or 5 to 10 °C. Therefore, it could not be produced in the temperate climatic zones of the world before refrigerators came into existence.

The second difference concerns itself with the influences of the yeasts upon the drink. The textbook on the subject suggests that apart from alcohol and carbon dioxide the yeast of ale produces more flavour when compared with lager yeast. Thus ale tends to carry a fruitier taste and complex and lager carry a much cleaner taste and a kind of crispiness.

    Conditioning

The fermentation process can last anywhere between a few days to a weeks’ worth of time. Post which the beer is allowed to sit and mature in specially designed containers called conditioning tanks. Now, it completely depends on upon the kind of beer that is being brewed. They can remain in these tanks for a week and then it may go up to six months.

One of the most important factors which go on to increase the carbonation of the beer is the capping of the tank. Ales do not take more than 2 weeks to mature when left at the cellars temperature while on the other hand lagers can easily take up twice the same amount of time and are also required to be at near freezing temperatures.

    The Packaging Process

When the beer is adequately conditioned it moves on to the packaging step, which can either be in cans, bottles, or kegs. These days the filtration step proceeds to package so that any suspended yeast particles could be caught and removed.

Furthermore, there are certain varieties of beer such as the Weissbier, a popular German wheat-based ale or Kellerbier, again of German origin and is a barley-based lager, they are sold without being filtered by straightaway being poured into the glasses. Because of this, they carry the yeast-turbid look.

    Beer the German way

Ale and lager of German origin, both of them are more effervescent and are rich in protein as compared with other varieties. It is this protein which forms the body of the beer and its basic feel along with being the main ingredient of the beer foam. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide which escapes from the beer also drags out the proteins when the beer is poured. Due to this reason, the beer gets rocky, white, and a long lasting head. Remember, to avoid any spill one must use a taller glass.

    More about the purity law

“Gebraut nach dem deutschen Reinheitsgebot” or “Gebraut nach dem Bayerischen Reinheitsgebot von 1516” – this is the one line which can be found on all the beer labels that have been manufactured in Germany. It translates as:  “brewed according to the German Purity Law or the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516”. This legal framework has often been the most misunderstood pieces of legislations but indeed carries a remarkable significance.

Wilhelm IV and Duke Ludwig X, the co-rulers of Bavaria passes the said law on the 23rd of April, 1516 at Ingolstadt, which is located at a distance of 60 miles from Munich. The enactment of the law was limited to just the feudal parts of the country but later on expanded and covered the whole Bavarian region.

Through this law, the state and its allied bodies could regulate the various ingredients that were used in the brewing process along with process involved and quality of beer being sold in the market. Encompassing these reasons, the Reinheitsgebot is often regarded to be the oldest of food safety regulations that are still active in today’s day and age.

It is only because of the decree that was made in the Reinheitsgebot that the following companies were able to come up and flourish:

• Augustiner Bräu
• Ayinger Brewery
• Bavaria – St. Pauli Brewery
• Beck’s Brewery
• Berg Brauerei
• Bitburger brewery
• Bönnsch
• Brau Holding International
• Brauerei Paderborner
• Bürgerliches Brauhaus
• Cölner Hofbräu Früh
• Dinkelacker
• Dortmunder Actien Brauerei
• Eichbaum
• Einbecker Brewery
• Erdinger
• Familienbrauerei Bauhöfer
• Flensburger Brauerei
• Schneider & Sohn
• Gaffel Becker & Co
• Ganter Brewery
• Hacker-Pschorr Brewery
• Hasseröder
• Heinrich Reissdorf
• Henninger Brewery
• Herrenhäuser Brewery
• Hofbräuhaus
• Holsten Brewery
• Janssen and Bechly Brewery
• Jever
• Karlsberg kirner
• Klosterbrauerei Andechs
• König Brauerei
• König Ludwig Schlossbrauerei
• Königsbacher
• Köstritzer
• Krombacher Brauerei
• Kulmbacher Brewery
• Licher Privatbrauerei
• Löwenbräu
• Lübzer Brewery
• Maisel Brau Bamberg
• Neuzeller Kloster Brewery
• Oettinger Beer
• Paulaner Brewery
• Pinkus Müller
• Privatbrauerei Hofmühl
• Radeberger Brewery
• Rothaus
• Schwaben Bräu
• Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
• Erhard
• Sternburg
• Störtebeker
• Stuttgarter Hofbräu
• Tucher Bräu
• Ur Krostitzer
• Veltins
• Warsteiner
• Wernesgrüner
• Winterberg Gruppe.

The mentioned below is a list of the bestselling brands of beers within the region:

• Oettinger
• Krombacher
• Bitburger
• Beck’s
• Warsteiner
• Hasseröder
• Veltins
• Paulaner
• Radeberger
• Erdinger