Although we are speaking solely over the history and development of Brauerei Schmitt since 1885, Singen already had the authorization to brew beer and have a Gasthof as early as 1712, and even earlier they had some form of brewing, shortly after the 30 years war, 1618 - 1648. In the photo above you can note the particular style of building, the "Fachwerk," the strong wooden supports mixed with brick or at times stone, abundant throughout this area, and elsewhere in northern Germany.
Brauerei Schmitt, from its inception a family owned operation in Singen, a "Dorf" (very small village) in Thüringen, eastern Germany, has been in continuous operation since 1885, and they have followed their recipe, their brewing techniques, and especially the identical equipment over this time period. The present building was actually constructed in 1875, albeit with a brewery concept in mind. Even so, at that time, or within the following few years, it was renovated and expanded. Fermentation tanks, and a lager cellar were added, two ice-cellars were erected, and a "Dampfmaschine" (steam machine) with a power of 12 PS (12 Pferdestärke, or 8.8 kilowatts) was added. (A "Dampfmaschine" was added to the brewery in Kaltenhausen in 1832, and obviously in many other breweries as well during this earlier time period.) "Rührwerke" and "Würzepumpe" were also added. ("Rührwerke" for the stirring of the wort, and a pump to move the wort from one place to the other.) From that time until only within the past four years or less have they begun to modernize, with a "Klima Anlage" (refrigeration unit for the cellar where the beer is aged). Such cooling devices were already in use in Germany and Austria as early as 1900, but not in Singen. Thank heavens for caves and ice!
"Dampfmaschine," and other earlier sources of power:
The source of power in earlier times, be it water power or steam, is also of considerable interest for the brewing of beer including the many and sundry pieces of equipment, especially copper and metal items that were needed. As early as 1480, in Ohrdruf, also a "Dorf," about 12 miles west of Arnstadt, where J.S. Bach lived with his brother, and copied music by moolight, is a huge water machine called the "Tobiashammer." It was driven by four huge water wheels, and produced sickels, lanzers, swords and total outfits for the knights. By the early 16th century it was also producing items from copper such as "Sudkesseln," and miscellaneous other items for the breweries, as well as the candy makers. Although this source of power is no longer used, the "Tabiashammer" has been preserved as a monument of the past, and is still functional. Nearby is also a huge "Dampfmaschine" (with a weight of 350 tons, and it produced 12.000 PS (8.800 kilowatts), slightly larger than the one in Brauerei Schmitt, specifically 1000 times larger.
Many have wondered what a 'Steam machine' is, how it works., when and where such an apparatus was used, and for what. Finally, at the Brauerei Schmitt in Singen I have not only seen one, but seen one in full operation. I was initially amazed at its condition, - absolutely in perfect condition. To explain its operation further, there was a huge, fat tank, about two stories high, full of water. In the bottom was a constant, hot fire achieved by using old broken wooden pallets, broken fences, and everything that burns, just as in an old stove. The boiling water produced a phenominal amount of steam which was transfered to the apparatus below, the "Dampfmaschine," - an extremely well-oiled and maintained cylinder , about two feet long, which moved back and forth, and drove a large, main wheel. From there a long leather belt, approximately 15 feet or more in length ran to a set of smaller wheels on the roof of the brewery itself. These smaller wheels in return drove numerous other apparatus such as the various pumps to move the wort to the "Sudkessel," later to move the finished beer to the kegs, etc. Additionally the hot water from the tank was also pumped out to the "Maischbottich" (Mash tun), later to the "Sudkessel," and elsewhere. Although these long, old-fashioned belts most certainly appeared impractical for today's technology and efficiency, they have worked for many decades in Singen.
In my article "Beer Warm or Cold" I referred to the fact that in Germany, in pre-refrigeration days, bottles of beer were stored on blocks of ice in the cellar to keep them cold. Here in Singen, until only recently they cut huge blocks of ice from the pond across the road to place in their cellar to keep the temperature low enough for the proper aging of the beer. Michael Jackson, in his book "The World Guide to Beer" stated that ice was still being cut to cool the lagering cellars as late as the 1920s. He obviously did not include Singen. Ice in summer? Really! (For those of you too young to remember, before refrigeration, ice was stored in sheds in straw and/or sawdust, and delivered through-out the year for ice-boxes, preserving meat and fish, etc., and still can be found in isolated areas of the U.S. and Canada, not to mention Europe.) In another "Dorf" in Thüringen, and another beer-brewing museum, at the Brauereimuseum "Stutzhauser" in Luisenthal, they had the capability of storing ice for two years in the event that they had a warm winter, and could not retrieve enough ice during that winter for the following summer.
Since I have begun with the lagering cellar, this small "room," clef out of, or into the mountain (no shoemaker worked there) is, and has been the location for the aging of their beer, since the inception of the brewery. Directly through the middle of the cellar runs a "Bachl" (a small stream), little more than a trickle, which maintains a moderately even, cool temperature. However, to assure the correct or at least a respectable temperature, here also blocks of ice were hewn from the nearby pond (ca. 50 feet away) in the winter, stored in one area, and placed in the cellar through-out the year. Within the past few years they have added a refrigeration unit to supplement the cooling, but this "dry" cooling is damaging the age-old wooden kegs, and half of them have now been replaced with metal kegs. (Metal kegs were first introduced into Germany in 1964.) So goes a great tradition! However, the brewery is maintaining a number of wooden, oak kegs, not only for aging the beer, but also for delivery. The "Lagerhaus" (cellar for the aging of the beer) houses between nine and eleven kegs, each containing approximately 1000 liters of beer. (approximately 265 gallons), and the beer is lagered for a minimum of four weeks. usually six weeks. Again, Michael Jackson indicates that such a beer should be lagered four to five weeks.
From the lager room, the beer is either filled in their own, traditional, oaken kegs, or is transferred to the bottling room. Until bottling was possible or practical, all of their beer was delivered to the Gasthäuser within a fifteen plus mile radius, at that time in horse-drawn carriages, - did they need the Budweiser Clydesdales, the Kaltenhausen's livery, or the Bavarian brewery horses? However, even to-day their main emphasis is to offer their beer in thirty and fifty liter wooden kegs as well as the new, metal kegs.
Only shortly after World War II did they have the potential to sell bottled beer extensively, with the addition of a "Waschmaschine "(a washing mashine for the bottles), most certainly not what you expect in 1998, and also not what you would find in a modern brewery to-day. They also added an apparatus for filling the bottles, albeit still by hand, and this bottling operation stands in separate room in the brewery, barely larger than a normal kitchen. They now devote Thursdays to the filling of the bottles, 6000 bottles per week they said, but this is clearly not logical. 600 bottles per week, 30 hectoliter in a year appears to be more logical in relation to their total yearly output, and the fact that they also stated that they sell their beer mainly in kegs. The bottles are the delightful, traditional "Schnapverschluß" or "Bügelverschluß" (snap-top bottles which you still find occasionally, also here in the U.S. with imported, German beers). I had always thought that these bottles were devised for warm summer days so that the town musicans could have a sip of beer between their various marches, or that you could readily close them in all instances to keep the freshness in. Although this is true, it is really peripheral to the main function of the bottles The real need for these bottles was that as soon as the bottle was filled, it had to be immediately sealed in order to maintain the freshness of the beer and the carbonation. This could only be done with these caps, and don't forget that they are capped individually, and by hand, one at a time, even though about ten bottles stand in a circle, waiting to be filled and capped..
Well, assuming that you stay with the wooden kegs, these other, small modifications, most certainly not touching the brewing and the quality of the beer, is about all that is lost in Singen, and with SINGER BIER!
As a small but related item to the preservation of some aspects of tradition, and an attempt to emphasize the old, let's look at the human side of my search. Here again we can see another side of tradition. My friends from Arnstadt, the home of J.S. Bach's first church job, decided that we should visit the brewery, about 10 miles away. We piled into their Trabi (the old communist east German car with a lawn-mower motor, actually between 23 and 28 PS, for which you had to spend ca. twenty years on the waiting list to obtain), and headed for Singen. It was Sunday on a cold day in February, 1997, but that didn't deter us. We arrived at the brewery, and found a sign indicating that the owners lived "up the hill." One of my friends, a native, headed "up the hill" to
He returned and indicated that someone would be along shortly. No problem that the owners had guests and were entertaining. They would gladly show us their pride and joy, their brewery. Also no hesitation to accomodate their new guests, those uninvited tourists from Arnstadt, 10 miles away. Dedication to one's profession, and the need to accomodate, as it has always been, was foremost in their minds, regardless of the inconvenience. While waiting, a family from Munich appeared, also hoping to show their west German friends this fantastic, traditional brewery. Well it may be the smallest, but possibly neither the least-known nor least appreciated brewery in Germany.
Eventually the daugther came trapsing down the hill to show us the brewery and explain their operation. (The mother simply could not make it, - too polite to leave her guests.) The daughter began by attempting to explain everything in a broken-form of English for me (in the communist era you learned Russian and not English) until she was informed by my friends that my German was adequate. Adequate hell, I only understood half of what she was saying, but have since spent more days there (again on a cold February, 1998) to further delve into the total operation, style of beer, and especially the tradition, and the preservation of the past.
Enough diversion and insight into a portion of the mentality of the east Germans, the "Ossis" as opposed to the "Wessis" (East Germans vs. West Germans of which a real division still exists). Although much could be written concerning this topic, this is neither the time nor place.
Returning to the brewery, even though much of the ground water in eastern Germany had been seriously contaminated, particularly over the past four plus decades, the water for Singer Bier has always been from their own spring, a trickling source from the hills above. This is a pure water source with its natural minerals, unaltered over the century. However, the water appears in such small quantities that they must collect it over a number of days in order to brew another batch of beer. Why then do they have a placard in the window of the brewery that reads: "Bitte, scheiß nicht in den Teich am Dienstag, weil am Mittwoch brauen wir unser Bier" (please don't shit in the pond on Tuesday because on Wednesday we brew our beer). What a sense of humor! What a water supply! In reality the two ponds are on the opposite side of the brewery than the spring which is used for their water source, and I just learned that most "Dörfer" have or had a pond, needed in case of fire in the village, something that we have not considered since many, many decades. Although the water for Singer Bier undoubtedly contains the similar minerals that it always had, we can only speculate as to the quality of the ground water where the barley and hops are grown, and whether this affects the quality of the grain. (I have heard that even a slight alteration in the ground itself affects the flavor of a wine.) Additionally, the ground water in near-by Saxony is, still today, particularly bad, since so much of it is contaminated from the Czech Republic where they are not controlling their refuse, drainage, and hence their water, and this flows into Saxony.
In the photo below you can see the large, wooden "Maischbottich" (Mash Tun or Mash Mixer), some of the wooden and also the metal kegs, and in the upper right corner, a portion of one of the many belts which come from the "Dampfmaschine," while in the above photo of the "Dampfmaschine" you can note the major belt from the machine. As indicated, this connects to at least eight additional belts to run the pumps, etc.
The "Maischbottich" serves initially as a tank in which the malt is mixed with hot water, and steeped for ca. 1 1/2 hours. This sweet, porridge-like mash converts the starches into sugar., but before it is finished, fresh water, both hot and cold, is added to get the last of the sugars from the spent grain. In reality this tank then serves as the "Läuterbottich" (Lauter Tun) where the bulk of the grain is filtered out, and the remaining, basically clear liquid is transferred to the "Sudkessel" (brewing kettle). The "Maischbottich" was basically covered, but the brewmaster constantly stood on an old, small, wooden keg, and with flashlight in hand viewed the progress of the contents. Then near the end of the process, he took an old rake which was standing on the floor in order to stir the remains of the spent grain., and hence retrieve the remainder of the liquid.
The "Sudkessel" (see below) is perched somewhat percariously on a small balcony, almost atop the "Maischbottich," just up the narrow, stone stairs (18 inches in width) to the left of the "Sudkessel," and the door to the left is where they store their barley and hops. To the right of the "Sudkessel" you can see the main belt which comesfrom the "Dampfmaschine." Although it did not appear particularly logical to me, it clearly has worked for over a century. Actually, I had worked for over 100 years, but shortly before the end of the communist era, a new one was installed, albeit virtually identical to the old one which had clearly seen better days. As the wort is pumped up to the "Sudkessel" (the tall, copper brewing kettle), it is heated to at least boiling point (100 degrees celsius) for one and one-half hours. To judge the amount of liquid in the "Sudkessel," the brewmaster uses a long, wooden stick (much like a 2 x 2) with markings as to indicate the depth, and hence the amount of liquid. During this brewing process, hops are added not only at the beginning, but also in the middle, and at the end. Clearly the hops which are added earlier are for the bittering effect, and those at the end for the aromatic flavor.
While I did not get any clear indication as to what area the barley comes, other than "in the vicinity," they also told me that their hops come "from the region." Although not overly specific, and allowing much latitude, I noted on a container that the hops actually came from the region where the two rivers, the Elbe and the Saale, meet, slightly south of Magdeburg, also a noted area for the growing of hops. With this considerable latitude as to the source of their barley and hops, I can only assume that these sources have changed over the century. Most importantly, however, they did indicate that they use only fresh hops and not a hop-extract or hop pellets for their Singer Bier. Most certainly traditional!
The "Gärebottich" (fermentation tank) is located in a totally separate room, dug into the hill behind the brewery itself, initially cool as is the Lagerkeller. It is isolated in order not to get any contamination such a "wild yeast" or other contaminates into the area. Using traditional fermentation, in open, wooden tanks, the yeast is added, and the beer is initially cooled to ca. 70 degrees fahrenheit. We can attest to the care that they maintain during their brewing process, regardless of the fact that they used a simple garden rack, which stood exposed on the floor near the "Maischbottich," and was then used to stir the spent grain. The wort would be boiled in the "Sudkessel," and hence sterilized before this fermentation.
A major question is, of course, the quality of their beer. The beers in this region, Radeberger, Wernesgrüner, and Singer Bier are all Pilsner-style lagers, and according to Conrad Seidl, not unlike Zipfer from Austria, although those natives in Arnstadt relate Singer Bier more to Jever, a north-German, heavily-hopped Pilsner. How consistent is the quality of their beer? We must assume that the brewmaster, the son, is an experienced brewmaster, but interestingly he "plays it partly by ear." The grain and the hops are carefully weighed, but, for example, and as mentioned above, to measure the amount of liquid in the "Läuterbottick," he has a simple, old-fashioned stick (like a two by two) on which he has marked the various depths. Oh for the flavor of that stick!
In the communist era, supplies were limited, and inconsistent. Those in the west question the consistency and quality of the east German beers. Here in Singen, however, due to their small, almost miniscule production, under 1000 hectoliters per year, they say 700 to 800 hectoliters (18,000 to 19,000 gallons}, they were uncontrolled by the authorities, - the powers that were! Furthermore, from what I have heard from reliable sources, during this era, the barter system was in full swing, and I suspect that Singer Bier was brewed with the best quality of ingredients available.
They call it a museum, "Museum Brauerei Schmitt," and it is protected as a national monument, and this was accomplished even before the end of the communist era. The communist did do a few things in an effort to preserve some of the past, including also the "Tobiashammer" in Ohrdruf. The Singen brewery is, however, not only a museum, but also a working brewery. Nothing is sacred in this museum, no barriers, no guards, no "Do Not Touch," simply look, ask questions, and finally taste and enjoy our beer!
Finally, huge, old oak barrels stand outside of the brewery, to the left of the rickety shed, and each of the barrels was capable of holding approximately 2000 liters. I fear that they are not longer in use. However, as seen in the photo above, in the summer in that same corner there is a table where guests can sit and enjoy a fresh Singer Bier. (The rickety structure immediately to the left of the table is the entrance to the cellar with its Backl runing through, where the beer is lagered.) Additionally there is also a small, but more extensive beer-garden on the other side of the building, obviously under the shade of the typical chestnut trees.
There are aspects of Brauerei Schmitt which have not been covered, but I prefer not to speculate. Rather, until my next visit, I must leave you with this tantilizing tale, and an initial view into a