A Study of American Beers and Ales

by James Garfield Riley; L. M. Tolman

[ Table IV.]—Analyses of ale worts and of the ales made from them.

Sample No.	Product.	Raw Materials.	Date of Taking Sample.	Specific Gravity at 15.6°C./ 15.6°C.	Alcohol.	Extract.	Extract in original wort (calculated).	Degree of fermentation.	Total acids as lactic.	Volatile acids as acetic.	Reducing sugars as anhydrous maltose.	Dextrin.	Protein (N × 6.25)	Ash.	Phosphoric acid (as P2O5).	Undetermined.	Color (Lovibond) in 1/4-inch cell.
			1911.		Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.		Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Degrees, brewer's scale.
22024-D	Malt, cerealin, and brewer's sugar	Wort	July 21	1.0608	...	16.24	...	...	0.153	0.001	10.00	...	0.788	0.230	0.059	...	4.0
22030-D	do	Ale	July 27	1.0139	4.82	5.93	15.57	61.91	.225	.003	1.16	3.23	.425	.194	.039	0.92	5.0
22047-D	do	Ale after storage.	Aug. 22	1.0124	4.97	5.62	15.56	63.88	.270	.003	1.43	2.69	.441	.180	.038	.88	5.0
22034-D	do	Wort	Aug. 7	1.0610	...	16.30	...	...	.153	.003	10.24	...	.771	.214	.060	...	5.0
22039-D	do	Ale	Aug. 14	1.0123	5.11	5.67	15.89	64.32	.225	.003	1.26	2.85	.471	.186	.043	.90	5.0
29504-B	do	Ale after storage	Oct. 6	1.0106	5.26	5.28	15.80	66.58	.225	.003	1.10	2.60	.462	.189	.041	.93	5.0
22037-D	do	Wort	Aug. 10	1.0611	...	16.32	...	...	.149	.002	10.60	...	.763	.209	.057	...	4.0
22043-D	do	Ale	Aug. 17	1.0124	4.93	5.62	15.48	63.69	.216	.003	1.40	2.82	.441	.172	.043	.79	4.0
22022-D	Malt and cerealin	Wort	July 19	1.0642	...	17.10	...	...	.180	.002	10.19	...	.776	.212	.072	...	3.0
22027-D	do	Ale	July 26	1.0133	5.17	5.95	16.29	63.47	.207	.004	1.25	3.28	.500	.192	.055	.73	3.0
22035-D	do	Wort	Aug. 8	1.0668	...	17.80	...	...	.189	.002	10.99	...	.776	.212	.072	...	3.0
22040-D	do	Ale	Aug. 15	1.0145	5.34	6.30	16.98	62.90	.293	.004	1.42	3.31	.541	.192	.051	.84	4.0
16267-C	do	Ale after storage	Nov. 15	1.0134	5.52	6.11	17.15	64.37	.234	.004	1.65	2.76	.506	.213	.053	.98	3.0
29506-B	do	Wort	Oct. 10	1.0760	...	20.23	...	...	.198	.001	11.19	6.81	.959	.294	.077	.98	3.0
29512-B	do	Ale	Oct. 17	1.0253	5.43	9.19	20.05	54.16	.369	.008	2.69	4.39	.671	.273	.058	1.17	3.0
			1912.
13922-D	do	Ale after storage	Jan. 3	1.0208	5.80	8.18	19.78	58.64	.360	.008	2.54	3.42	.622	.275	.057	1.32	4.0
			1911.
29507-B	do	Wort	Oct. 11	1.0767	...	20.40	...	...	.198	.001	12.14	5.59	.965	.282	.078	1.42	3.0
29514-B	do	Ale	Oct. 18	1.0228	5.67	8.52	19.86	57.10	.360	.005	2.51	4.08	.664	.256	.057	1.01	2.0
29513-B	do	Wort	Oct. 18	1.0781	...	20.75	...	...	.198	.002	11.73	5.95	.936	.300	.075	1.83	2.0
29519-B	do	Ale	Oct. 24	1.0244	5.53	9.00	20.06	55.13	.281	.006	2.62	4.31	.671	.255	.057	1.14	2.0
			1912.
13923-D	do	Ale after storage	Jan. 2	1.0210	5.67	8.18	19.52	58.09	.360	.013	2.54	3.61	.603	.282	.064	1.15	4.0
			1911.
22050-D	do	Wort	Aug. 23	1.0793	...	21.05	...	...	.270	.003	11.41	6.34	.864	.326	.091	2.11	75.0
29503-B	do	Stout	Aug. 30	1.0242	5.69	9.02	20.40	55.78	.558	.003	2.03	4.54	.735	.286	.071	1.42	69.0

A study of these tables shows very clearly that during fermentation marked changes are brought about other than the mere conversion of sugar into alcohol. While it is well known that these changes take place it seems worth while to consider them here, because no similar study relating to American brewery products has been published. Further since we have the exact analysis of the wort and of the beer which was made from it, we have a special opportunity to examine quantitatively some of these changes, such as the production of alcohol, the fermentation of dextrin, the development of acids, and the losses of protein, ash, and phosphoric acid during fermentation.

In order to study the question of the yield of alcohol, to test the present factor used for the calculation of the solids in the original wort, and to show the approximate amount of dextrin, calculations were made, the results of which are presented in Table V.

[ Table V.]—Changes taking place in the conversion of worts into beers and ales.

Product.	Loss in solids.	Loss in sugar.	Alcohol.	Loss in solids divided by alcohol.	Difference between loss in solids and loss in sugar.
	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.	Grams per 100 cc.		Grams per 100 cc.
Beer (all-malt)	8.59	8.45	3.85	2.23	0.14
Do	8.55	8.43	3.91	2.18	.12
Do	8.27	8.49	3.83	2.13	.22
Do	8.48	8.27	3.72	2.27	.21
Do	8.02	7.99	3.66	2.19	.03
Beer (60 per cent malt and 40 per cent corn)	7.27	7.42	3.45	2.10	.15
Do	7.53	7.73	3.33	2.00	.20
Beer (80 per cent malt and 20 per cent rice)	7.35	7.46	3.31	2.22	.11
Do	7.07	7.13	3.18	2.22	.06
Beer (all-malt)	6.04	6.05	3.02	2.00	.01
Do	5.86	6.01	2.87	2.04	.15
Average for beers				2.14	.04
Porter (small)	9.23	7.60	4.30	2.14	1.63
Porter (large)	9.91	8.32	4.70	2.10	1.59
Do	10.06	8.27	4.75	2.11	1.79
Do	9.90	7.82	4.72	2.09	2.08
Ale	10.31	8.84	4.82	2.13	1.47
Do	10.63	8.98	5.11	2.08	1.65
Do	10.70	9.20	4.93	2.17	1.50
Do	11.15	8.94	5.16	2.15	2.21
Do	11.50	9.57	5.34	2.15	1.93
Do	11.62	9.06	5.35	2.17	2.56
Pale ale	11.04	9.50	5.43	2.03	1.54
Do	11.88	9.63	5.67	2.09	2.25
Do	11.75	9.11	5.53	2.12	2.64
Brown stout	12.03	9.38	5.69	2.11	2.65
Average for ales	...	...	...	2.12	1.96
Average for beers and ales	...	...	...	2.13	...

In Table V have been collected results (calculated from Tables I-IV) which show the loss in solids between the wort and the finished fermented product, the loss in sugar, the yield of alcohol, the loss in solids divided by the alcohol, and the difference between the loss in solids and the loss in sugar. By dividing alcohol into loss in solids there was secured a factor which makes possible the estimation of the solids in the original wort, provided that alcohol and extract are known. This factor also shows the yield of alcohol for a given amount of solids disappearing during fermentation. It has been found in the case of the beers that this factor averages 2.14, while in the case of the ales it averages 2.12, making an average for all of the products of 2.13. This clearly shows that in the yield of alcohol for a given amount of fermentable solids there is no appreciable difference between top fermentation products, such as ales, and bottom fermentation products, such as beers.

A marked difference in loss in solids is shown, however, when we compare the beers with the ales. In the case of the beers we find there is practically no difference between the loss in solids and the loss in sugar, while in the case of the porters and ales there is a very appreciable difference. The difference between the loss in solids and the loss in sugar is only 0.04 per cent for all of the beers; while in the case of the porters and ales the difference varies from 1.47 per cent to 2.65 per cent, with an average of 1.96 per cent. These figures clearly show that in the case of the porters and ales there has been some material other than sugar fermented. Unfortunately, the determination of dextrin was not made in all of the worts, so that the actual decrease in dextrin can be shown only in a few cases. But in those cases where we have the actual results the difference between loss in solids and the loss in sugar compares very closely with the actual amount of dextrin disappearing during fermentation.