Steinbier

Stone beer is a specialty beer in which the wort is boiled by the addition of heated stones during the brewing process. In this way, already brewed for centuries. As previously were the Sudpfannen for cooking the brew made ​​of wood and therefore could not be directly heated, the stone beer brewing process was the only way to heat the brew in wooden vessels.

History

Until the early 20th century, the stone beer was the predominant type of beer in Carinthia and Scandinavia. As in Carinthia in the 19th century stone beer was almost created and drinking " only in places inhabited by Windisch " in Carinthia, R. Waizer suggested that although very daring conjecture that it when immigrating to Carinthia to the contact (or Wendish ) country was brought. Vincent Hartmann in his study " The many lakes Keutschachtal in Carinthia " indicates that the spread of this beer in the 19th century almost exclusively to the Slavic areas of Central Carinthia limited and still in the first half of the 18th century, the only type of beer produced in the country had.

Because instead of barley oats was used for the brewing process, it was an oat beer, as it is currently produced even in Scandinavia in large quantity. It moussierte strong, but never cleared off completely, which is why it was drunk from clay jars. Later, the Hafermalz was replaced by barley malt, and more recently by a mixture of barley and wheat. Franz Sartori noted in 1811 means that it is always concerned a relatively unsanitary brewing process, which was also due to the natural stone used among others.

Around the middle of the 18th century, the Austrian government had no intent to limit the consumption of beer stone in favor of pan beer or even the generation of the same set entirely. To this end, in a letter dated December 8, 1767 by kk mitteren Kreyss official in Carinthia Klagenfurt Erbherzogtum Mr. Primus Felician Kerkho, lawyer was of Loebl. Pin Viktring invited to give an opinion as to whether the Bräuung of stone beer set completely, herewith " the Exercitium sothaner Bräuung which subjects the pin salva justitia " are dazed and people might be accustomed to the pan beer, and finally specify what kind of " accis " they pay for it and what it amounts to. In more detail and staunch report " Beyruckung " gutachtlicher opinion, including prevailing motives should be reimbursed.

Primus Felician Kerkho, however, came to the conclusion that this step, both from a social and economic point is not to advocate, as the stone beer besides water represented the only drink a "normal" farmers, it was very cheap (which is why a lot of demand prevailed ), the spent grains constituted an excellent fertilizer and food additive for animals and because instead of " more valuable " grain oats only was used. Added to this was that a change in the brewing process would have been to accomplish only through considerable expense of farmers and the stone beer was healthier than "normal" beer.

While the beer stein was initially circulated only among the peasants, it enjoyed by the inflation years [ of ] 1815 to 1818 even with the urban population growing in popularity, because of the continuing relatively low price. Especially with the Slovenian minority in Carinthia, the beer stein was at that time highly regarded and much more popular than any brandy.

Early 19th century were both taken in the summer than the winter on Sundays all migrations of the city's most beer stein Hostels in the neighborhood. From an official of the former county government in Klagenfurt is reported that he had requested to again took painting in the early summer multi-day vacation to Mr. Koritniak (stone beer variant with at least 9 ° wort ), his dear friend ( the stone beer) and relatives on the Radsberge to visit and arrange internal relations.

Apart from the comment of Franz Sartori, the beer stein in Carinthia was almost exclusively praised properties due to its " healthy, nutritious, thirst-quenching and invigorating ." Hartmann gave more specific still, arguing that this is to " [ ... ] the incomplete fermentation and the consequent greater content of suspended, not to Heel unexploded yeast [ is what is ] has on the organism and which [this] in the Gebräues unfamiliar, sometimes expressed in somewhat dramatic fashion. Therefore, it is a or to have some follow a fired glass water at the real stone beer drinkers ( " Lepperern " ) usually enjoyed the potion as needed or mood, where you are supposedly the most gin its medicinal effect due to the preference. "

The stone beer brewing process disappeared in the early 20th century, almost entirely because the pan easier to produce beer and spirits of all kinds have become increasingly popular. However, this method of preparation was never given up, so that they have experienced a renaissance in recent decades, and the method by some breweries will be used again.

Production

To prepare in a steel cage stones of a special type of granite ( Mikrodiorit ) are heated over a wood fire to around 800 ° C, and then, left with the basket in the mash, wort also to bring it to a boil. On the hot stones caramelizes some of the dissolved in the wort Malzzuckers and forms a fine layer. After cooling of the wort is added to the yeast, in order to initiate the fermentation. After the primary fermentation is complete, the resulting green beer is given together with the steel basket with the karamellumzogenen stones in the fermentation vat. There, the caramelized sugar is dissolved on the stones again and used the yeast as a nutrient during secondary fermentation. The caramelized sugar leads to the typical, smoky flavor of the beer stone. Depending on how the stones were heated and by the type of malting soot could get into the brew, see smoke beer. As an original type of beer is top-fermented. On shelf no value has been set, but this is different today.

Dissemination

Stein Beer is represented particularly in Baden- Württemberg and Franconia. Since 2007, the family brewery Leikeim from Altenkunstadt bride as one of the few European breweries beer stein again. Since 2009, Stone beer is brewed in Salzburg again and served in Urbankeller. In the process of the tiles from the Capuchin Mountain, the Salzburg mountain be used. When BierIG Award 2009, the beer stein reached the 1st place.