Germany's oldest beer: Freising researchers analyze beer that was brewed in the 19th century

Created: 09/28/2022, 08:00

By: Manuel Eser

Sparkling beer: The 137-year-old brew analyzed by researchers at TUM Weihenstephan is now in the historic bottle in a brewery museum in NRW and can be viewed there.

Unfortunately, unfortunately: Touching and drinking are forbidden!

© private brewery Barre

Experts from the TU Munich-Weihenstephan were allowed to analyze the oldest beer in Germany.

What came out surprised the experts – in many ways.

Freising

– When this beer was brewed 137 years ago, Kaiser Wilhelm I was still ruling over Germany.

Clearly, even for an experienced scientist like Dr.

Martin Zarnkow, Head of the Technology & Development Department at the Weihenstephan Research Center for Brewing and Food Quality, analyzing this brew was a very special moment.

"It may be possible to find other bottles that are about as old," he reports to the FT.

"But come on over there!

Most owners don't let anyone open their bottles.

Therefore, this assignment was "anything but ordinary" for him.

The beer was probably brewed around 1885

The unique bottle, which is reminiscent of a champagne bottle, was found back in 1978 during construction work in a commercial building in Lübeck's old town - by chance, according to a press release from the private brewery Barre.

The beer could be assigned to her quickly based on the container.

The condition of the bottle also made it possible to date the production of the beer to around 1885.

Still four-fifths full, the 0.75 liter bottle was left to the experts at TUM in Freising for analysis.

"Weihenstephan has a very good reputation in the beer industry beyond the Bavarian and German borders - especially as far as this special analysis is concerned," explains Zarnkow.

“It is wonderful that we have received this trust.”

There are only a few drops of beer enjoyment for every analyst

With all due care, the bottle, sealed with cork, wire, and wax, was opened.

"We carefully pierced them with a cannula," says the Freising researcher.

Only a few milliliters of liquid were taken.

"Each of us only got a few drops, but it was still a beer treat." The four certified tasters recognized aromas of sherry, port and plum in the drink.

Quite astounding: Even if the best before date of the beer calculated according to today's standards presumably expired 136 years ago, the brew is in an exceptionally good condition.

In any case, Zarnkow gave the original beer excellent testimonials: “It was very harmonious in terms of the overall impression and the bitterness.

Overall it is a very lean, elegant, harmonious beer that still smells and tastes really great.”

The fact that the beer was bottled is special

The TUM researchers not only attested the beer sample a long shelf life, but also a "very progressive" production for the late 19th century.

"They recognized the ravages of time back then," says Zarnkow appreciatively.

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It starts with the fact that the brew in the imperial era in most cases bubbled out of barrels.

"Beer was very rarely bottled back then," explains Zarnkow.

The press release from the Barre brewery also refers to this.

“It is probably one of the first bottles of its kind that was filled in this form and loaded for a shipping company.” The route to Bremerhaven was by horse-drawn carriage and steam train.

From there, the Sud accompanied the emigrants of the steamboat fleet into the wide world.

The old Tropen is comparable to modern beers

Also state-of-the-art: At that time, the beer was not only brewed bottom-fermented, but also already filtered - only a few years after the invention of the first filtration apparatus, as Zarnkow emphasizes.

The study, conducted in collaboration with the Comprehensive Foodomics Platform at the Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, also offers spectacular insights into the molecular profile of beer and the technological aspects of historical beer brewing.

The results show that the signature of the sample is comparable to modern, industrially brewed beers, apart from a strong oxidation of the hop components.

Surprising: The Prussian beer was brewed according to Bavarian rules

The researchers compared the chemical signature of the beer sample with the molecular profiles of 400 modern, national and international beers and classified the sample as a typical pale lager.

“The comparison resulted in a database that now makes it possible to understand the technology behind a product.

Something we've been doing for a long time, but so far we haven't been able to put it on such a statistically solid basis," says Zarnkow.

What also completely surprised the researchers: the brew from the imperial era was brewed according to the Purity Law.

"The beer comes from a region that didn't have to be brewed according to the Purity Law at the time.

But it was completely in line with the characteristics published at the time – apart from the colour.”

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

The analysts were able to quench their thirst – very professionals.

As Zarnkow reports, the bottle was tightly sealed again after the analysis.

It is now on public display.

If you want to experience the unique find and its history live, you have to go to NRW: It can be viewed in the museum of the private brewery Barre in Barre's Brauwelt in Lübbecke.