Franconian Beer Message Board
Bamberg visit - Review 2 |
| Posted by Barry on 2009-12-23 04:40:18 |
| Never been to Stiebarlimbach, so I’ll have to take your word for that, Nick. Regarding the volume served: I’m not sure what the situation is today but, back in the 1980s, a friend in Manchester had a Holts’ (local brewery) pub. They used to serve vast quantities of real ale from wooden hogsheads (54 gallons = 100 litres). They used to get through around 10 hogsheads in a week. According to Steve Thomas, Herr Roppelt brews 3,000 HL per year, equal to 1200 hogsheads and so calculations suggests that each of Ropplet’s pubs serve just a little more than my friend’s. Maths is not my strongpoint but I only say this to suggest that it is possible to serve real ale/beer in large quantities, without resorting to adding CO2. I was referring to John Conen in the suggestion re bottled/draught beer. He says (p.18) ‘Bottled versions of beers are generally identical to the draught… Breweries do not normally make much of a distinction between draught and bottled beers and most beers produced are available in both formats’. Perhaps it is too much of a leap to suggest that ‘Germans’ as a whole don’t make a distinction but the evidence in my visits to Mahrs suggest that they don’t and the use of CO2 to dispense from the barrel seems further evidence of the lack of distinction. The front room of Mahrs is, in my opinion, one of Europe’s great drinking experiences but, move 5 yards further on and…. I’d also like to spend more time in the Schwemm but my wife seems to think that the enjoyment of beer is greatly enhanced by sitting on a chair at a table – what can I say? I’d wouldn’t be so bold as to suggest that Germans could learn something about beer from the British but, as you say, the more natural the beer is, the better. I know the point about Mahrs tapping barrels but this seems rather perverse to me. I cannot believe that (a) a barrel tapped one day would last in a satisfactory condition to the next (I speak as an ex pub landlord used to serving real ale) and (b) that they couldn’t afford to waste a tiny little bit of beer if they had to throw the residue away. The point re keg versus gravity real was a general reflection on a German beer dispensing practices – I know that Mahrs only dispenses from uncarbonated kegs. I cannot say for absolute certain that Mahrs add CO2 to their bottled beer but I am pretty sure that they do, otherwise it would not have the shelf life that it does – also, it tastes of carbon dioxide! Last night, I enjoyed a bottle of Hirschbrau, kindly brought from Leipheim for me by a friend. No additives, just real, unfiltered beer – with a shelf life of only to December 27 2009. |
| Followups: |
 Real Lager by Nick B. on 2009-12-23 05:43:06 |
| Real Lager...and... by Nick B. on 2009-12-23 06:09:55 |
| Bamberg visit - Review 2 by Uncle Jimbo on 2009-12-23 08:07:56 |
| Bamberg visit - Review 2 by Fred Waltman on 2009-12-23 08:17:24 |