Malt & Grain

Braunschweiger Mumme was made from barley, wheat, and hops in varying proportions, and after centuries of different brewers, its exact recipe can no longer be reconstructed. What is certain is that it was dark, malt-rich, and sweet, and that its high alcohol and sugar content allowed it to survive long sea voyages.

The dark color of Mumme comes down to kilning. In this process, germinated grain is dried and roasted in a kiln, and the hotter and longer this happens, the darker and more caramelized the malt becomes. Malting means moistening grains until they germinate, then stopping the sprout through drying.

Alongside Mumme and Rotbier, a pure barley beer, the people of Braunschweig also brewed Weißbier from barley and wheat, related to Broyhan. According to the city, locals themselves mostly drank the pale Broyhan beer or the dark Rotbier, while the shipboard Mumme was destined for export.

Today's Pils, by contrast, is built on pale barley malt. In Germany, bottom-fermented beer may only consist of barley malt, hops, yeast, and water, while top-fermented beer is also allowed to include other malts such as wheat.

The Mumme brand from H. Nettelbeck is considered the last of its kind. According to reports, the brewery has ceased production in Braunschweig.

Anyone drinking a Pils from the region tastes the malt first: a light sweetness like fresh bread, without roasted notes. The darker the malt, the more coffee and chocolate appear in the glass; a Pils, however, stays straw-yellow, while a Rotbier of old would have leaned more toward copper.