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The Way Beer Was... before Prohibition
by Anita "the Beer Lady" Johnson, 1999
Classic American Pilsner, isn’t that the major reason we started homebrewing? We wanted to avoid those pale, tasteless beers made by American commercial brewers. Before you dismiss this style, explore the way beer used to be before Prohibition.
Historical Information
German immigrants poured into the U.S. during the last half of the eighteenth century. With them, came a significant number of German brewers who brought their lagering techniques and yeast cultures. With the immigrant population as their customer base, German brewers started producing what we now call Pre-Prohibition Pilsners or Classic American Pilsners (CAP). CAPs were as pale golden in color as Budweiser with the hops of a Bohemian Pilsner and the grainy sweetness of corn. By the 1870’s CAPs became so popular that other styles were displaced.
The German brewers, constrained by economics and practicality, used U.S. grown six-row barley instead of two-row Bavarian grown barley. The U.S. six-row was much higher in protein resulting in haze and phenols when the beers were lagered. To eliminate the haze caused by the six-row, brewers began to use adjuncts such corn, rice and wheat. The pre-Prohibition brewers found that corn lent a distinct, grainy sweetness that could be balanced by the higher pilsner hopping rates. Typical CAP grists of the period included the 80% six row barley and 20% corn. Bittering was frequently achieved with U.S. Cluster. Hallertau and Saaz were used for finishing. Water specifications were not found for the style.
Style Guidelines
The AHA style guidelines for pre-Prohibition-style pilsner call for the beer to be straw to deep gold in color. Hop bitterness, flavor and aroma are medium to high. The use of “noble-type” hops for flavor and aroma are preferred. The grist should include up to 25% corn and some slight sweetness and corn flavor are expected. A low level of DMS is acceptable. Malt flavor and aroma are medium. This is a medium-bodied beer. Fruity esters and citrusy flavors or aromas should not be perceived. Slight diacetyl is acceptable. There should be no chill haze.
Original Gravity Final Gravity Percent Alc. w/w (w/v) IBU Color SRM 1.045-60 1.012-18 3.9-4.7 (5-6) 20 - 40 3 - 6 To be true to the style, you should use U.S. six row malt with a step mash at 122º F for 30 minutes, raise to 140º F for 15 minutes then raise to 158º F for 30-45 minutes. However, some very nice CAPs have been made with U.S. two row and single infusion mash. Since flaked maize is pre-gelatinized, it can be added directly to the mash once the saccharification temperatures are reached.
Style guidelines call for a lager yeast. For those without lagering capabilities there are ways to approximate the style. Try pitching a large starter of neutral ale yeast and ferment the wort at the lower optimum temperature ranges of the yeast. Wyeast California Lager yeast is another option. You could even experiment with Wyeast Kolsch or European Ale yeasts which will produce lager characteristics when fermented at ale temperatures.
Above all, don’t avoid the style because of the name or the addition of corn. You will certainly miss a good beer that harkens back to “America’s Golden Age of Lager”.
Sources
- Fix, George J., “Explorations in Pre-Prohibition American Lagers,” Brewing Techniques, May/June 1994.
- Renner, Jeff, “Reviving the Classic American Pilsener,” Brewing Techniques, Sept./Oct. 1995.
- Lisheron, Mark, “ Capturing the Past: The Rebirth of Pre-Prohibition Lager,” Zymurgy, Summer 1997.
Terre Haute Brewing Co. in Terre Haute, IN produces a pre-prohibition lager from a 1901, their Champagne Velvet Pilsener.