Beer found in sunken ship to be analysed and possibly brewed again

Scientists examining chemical structure, and searching for live yeast

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Beer that was raised by divers from a sunken ship in the waters of the Åland Islands is to be analysed by experts of the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT).
      The semi-autonomous province of Åland is anxiously awaiting the findings of the analysis, and a number of breweries in different countries have expressed interest in starting production if a working recipe can be reconstructed on the basis of biochemical analysis.
      The provincial government of Åland, which has claimed ownership of the vessel, has brought a bottle to VTT for analysis. In addition to beer, some of the world’s oldest known champagne was found in the sunken ship.
     
Briefing journalists on the matter at VTT in Espoo, Rainer Juslin, an official of the provincial government, pondered how well a brand name like “wreck beer” might sell.
      On Monday, a bottle of the salvaged beer was ceremonially opened, using a set of sterilised instruments, creating the air of intricate surgery.
      The precautions proved unnecessary, as the cork opened unexpectedly easily. However, it is feared that the content of the bottle might have been affected by the sea water.
     
Research engineer and taster Arvo Wilpola, has used his taste buds professionally for 30 years, but sampling centuries-old beer was clearly a stunning experience for him.
      At first the panel had sniffed the beverage intensely. The first whiff was that of hydrogen sulphide – the odour of rotten eggs.
      However, it dissipated quickly. Wilpola believes that the smell was probably caused by broken yeast cells.
      There was also an odour reminiscent of French cheese.
     
Journalists gathered at the event were allowed to sniff the beverage, and it was agreed that it still had the unmistakable aroma of beer.
      The researchers were surprised by the strong acid taste, which made it difficult to evaluate the possible alcohol content. The taste of salt was a strange experience.
      Good news was that intact yeast cells were found.
      If the yeast is still alive, the cells will gradually start to multiply in cultures taken from the sediment on the bottom of the bottles.
      The original yeast would give a special character to the beer, says yeast expert John Londesborough.
     
The colour of the beer is golden yellow, and it is clear, even though Londesborough would have considered it more likely that the beer in the sunken treasure would have been a darker porter-type beverage, like that which was found off the British coast in a ship that sank in 1825.
      The date of the sinking of the vessel found off Åland remains unknown, although estimates are that it may have gone down in the early 19th century.
      Those sampling the beer treasure said that it was most reminiscent of a Belgian Lambic.
     
The yeast and other microbes will be analysed for DNA to ascertain their structure.
      There are hundreds of different kinds of beer yeast, but the significance of yeast was not known very well in centuries past. Lambic beers also use lactic acid bacteria in the brewing process.
      The researchers are trying to ascertain if hops were used in the brewing; the expert tasters could not detect any.
      Other questions are whether or not the grain that was used was barley or wheat, and where the salt came from.
      About 200 years ago the water was not always up to today’s purity standards for tap water.
      The laboratory tests are expected to take about four months.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Origin of champagne wreck shrouded in mystery (9.8.2010)
  Cache of champagne in Baltic Sea is larger than believed (2.8.2010)
  World´s oldest beer found among Åland sunken treasure (3.9.2010)
  Champagne bottles salvaged after 200 years on sea bottom (1.9.2010)

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