They are the most produced and drunk beers, with a market share of 90% of world production. Lager, Pils, Dortmunder, Bock, a few but very widespread styles that have made the history of brewing in the modern era and have contributed more than all to the marketing of this drink in the world. Let’s see, together with Quality Beer Academywhat is bottom fermentation and how to best appreciate it.
“Bottom fermentation” in English, “untergärung” in German, “bassa fermenza” in Italianthis appellation derives from the peculiar fermentation process that the selected yeasts produce in the vats: that is, they tend to deposit themselves at the bottom, since the carbon dioxide generated by the digestion of the sugars is unable to push them to the surface (as instead happens in the upper fermentation).
“The yeasts in question are i Saccharomyces Uvarum, Carlsbergensis o Pastorianus – he explains to us Lorenzo Bossibrand manager QBA– which work at low temperatures, between 5 and 12 degrees, compared to the 20-24 of the Cerevisiae species which is the protagonist of high fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the spores of these yeasts remain on the bottom of the vats, facilitating the natural filtering of the wort in the final stages of production and therefore the possibility of obtaining a clean beer. Hence the term “lager” which derives from the German “lagern” (“to store”) and refers precisely to the ancient practice of storing beers to allow decantation, ie the deposit of the more solid parts. We understand why bottom fermentation has had such an important diffusion in the world, above all when, centuries ago, there were no efficient filtering systems like those of today”.
Bottom-fermented includes numerous traditional styles of the German and Czech repertoires such as Pils, Bock, marzen, vienna, Schwarzbut also more modern and non-European genres, such as American Lagerthe India Pale Lagerthe Imperial Pils: “As anticipated, the most common style is that Lager -explains Bossi – as lightly hopped pale beers are generically called. Easy, drinkable, with a medium alcohol content, they are the fruit of the successful experiments of Mr. Anton Dreher the Elder, born in 1810 in Schwechat, near Vienna, who, in the first half of the 19th century, designed and marketed the Dreher Schwechater Lager, a term which was later used to indicate all beers of similar production. At the gustatory level, a common and distinctive trait of all Lagers is the lack of fruity tones, called esters, typical of high fermentations”.
Another fundamental style is that of Pils, codified in 1842 in Plzen, in today’s Czech Republicfrom the Bavarian brewmaster Joseph Groll, called to lead the new city brewery, created to satisfy the demand for bottom-fermented beer that is very popular in nearby Bavaria. Thus was born one of the styles destined to make the history of modern beer and to influence the whole world and entire generations of master brewers of every culture: “Groll’s art, combined with the spring waters of which the city was rich, and the raw materials delicate as the pale malt and the delicate Bohemian hops, – explains Bossi – gave birth to a unique product, extremely clean and fresh, revolutionary in an era dominated by beers “heavy” in body and structure”.
Also in those years another gentleman style was born, the Dortmunder, in 1843, thanks to Heinrich Wenker: “A great product, endowed with a winning peculiarity for the time – says Bossi – a particular ability to keep for a long time (in fact, in the mid-19th century, beers began to travel), which earned Heinrich’s beers the appellation of “Export””. This style was then studied and copied by all the major producers in the world, becoming for over a century the common characteristic of the so-called “Premium Beers”, which today can be recognized because in the label, often in the name or brand, they show a star. Thanks to this style, the city of Dortmund became the first beer producer in Europe in the middle of the last century, contributing to a substantial development of beer consumption in the world. Since 1998 this style has obtained the IGP certification.
More niche are the Rauchbier, smoked beers (“rauch” stands for smoke), typical of the Bamberg area in Bavaria, and born from the intuition that drying the malt over a live wood flame gave it smoky notes (similar to speck), today they are produced by a few specialized breweries.
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We close with the Bock, or Starkbier, probably born in the city of Einbeck between the fourteenth century and the seventeenth century. They are beers particularly rich in malts with a higher alcohol content. Notes in Bavarian monasteries with the name of “liquid bread”, for the particular properties? nutrients of the malts and the richness of the yeasts. A Bock beer can be Helles (clear), Dunkel (dark) or Doppel (intense and rich).
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The recipe not to be missed
Gnocchi with Castelmagno DOP are a delicious dish, simple and quick to prepare, provided you have fresh gnocchi, even better if homemade! Norbertus Kardinal is a Bavarian amber bock with malty, ripe fruit, plum and spice notes. It enriches Castelmagno fondue with its intense flavor and makes it lighter and creamier.
Ingredients
• 400 g of Castelmagno DOP
• 100 gr of panna
• Nut grains
• 100 gr in Norbertus Cardinal
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 kg of fresh gnocchi
Preparation
Cut the Castelmagno into chunks or flakes and transfer it to a frying pan or non-stick pan together with the cream and beer. Let it melt over low heat, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches 90° in temperature and becomes uniform. If you want to enrich the taste, you can add a beaten egg yolk to the fondue with the heat off, continuing to mix until a uniform cream is obtained. In the meantime, cook the gnocchi for 3 minutes and mix them with the freshly made cream, adding a sprinkling of walnuts as you like when serving. Serve and match the dish with the same beer used for the fondue!