19th century shipwreck beer analysed

Researchers have analysed the contents of four bottles of beer that date back to the 1840s which were found in a Baltic Sea shipwreck.

The new analysis found that bacteria inside the beer bottles survived 170 years until it was discovered by divers in 2010, according to Brian Gibson, senior scientist at the VTT Technical Research Centre in Espoo, Finland.

“These bacteria were still alive,” Gibson said. The analysis “gave us some insight into the way that beers were brewed. We have a reasonably good idea about what kind of hops were used, different ones than today. These hops would have been harsher, these days they are quite mild. The one surprising thing is the beers were quite mild. The original alcohol level was 4.5 percent, nothing extreme.”

[Full story]

Story: Eric Niiler, Discovery News | Photo: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland