Pitch

The store-casks, in which the beer is cleansed, are previously pitched every time for summer beer, and once a year for winter beer… The professed object of this manipulation is cleanliness; but it doubtless communicates a peculiar flavour to the beer, which, however, is liked, and consequently required, by the customers of those brewers.

--- THE ART OF BREWING [1834]

PART IV. OF BREWING IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

CHAPTER I. BAVARIAN BEER

______

(Lager beer’s) taste is sub-acid, pungent, and leaves in the mouth a peculiar flavor, caused by a coating of pitch which the interior of the barrels receive before being filled.

----“What is Lager Beer?”

The Buffalo Daily Republic, July 6, 1854

______

One of the peculiarities of Lager Beer is the flavor imparted to it by the casks. The casks, previous to use, have their interior completely coasted with resin; this is done by pouring a quantity of melted resin into the cask while the head is out, and igniting it. After it has been in a blaze for a few mintues, the head is put in agian, which extinguishes the blaze, but the resin still remains hot and liquid; the cask is then rolled about, so as to get every part of the interior with it; any resin remaing fluid is pour out through the bung-hole. This resin imports soe of its pitchy flavor to the beer.

---Philadelphia and its Manufacturers

Edwin T. Freedley, 1858

______

The pitching of barrels, which serves the two-fold purpose of facilitating the process of cleaning and of preventing the beer from acquiring a smell of the wood, is performed periodically, with such methodical regularity that not a single package can escape this fiery ordeal.

The manufacture of brewers' pitch yields a considerable income to an important industry, and is of no small benefit to the producers of the raw material. A number of substitutes for pitch have been offered in the market, and some of them, especially one made of the residuary substances obtained in the process of refining petroleum, possess many qualities lacking in pitch; but here the conservative spirit of the brewers prevails against innovation, for none of the substances have that peculiar, although exceedingly faint, flavor for which the ordinary pitch is so highly prized by both the brewer and the drinker.

---- Geo. Ehret, Twenty-Five Years of Brewing 1891

______

(Dr. Henius) states emphatically that the “Budweiser” beer brewed by

the Buegerliches Brauhaus at Budweis and the “Budweiser” brewed by the

Anheuser-Busch Brewing Ass’n are alike in general character, in color,

in the fine aroma of pitch and hops. Moreover, the doctor now under-

stands what a pitchy bouquet or aroma means, a thing he did not in the

past, and is convinced that it is brought about by the exceptionally fine

pitch used in Bohemia and of which the American brewers, as a general

rule, know nothing about. The doctor says he was always annoyed when we

spoke about the “pitchy taste” of our Budweiser - he says that is en-

tirely wrong; “pitchy taste” means an offensive taste to the beer, which

so many American beers have simply because the pitch used is not of such

fine quality, so pure and free of turpentine as the Bohemian pitch. The

latter is made absolutely free of all impurities and turpentine by a dis-

tilling process of their own, and by pouring it into the cooperage in a

heated state, as it should be done, the fine vapors which rise become in-

fused with the beer and give it that rich bouquet and fine aroma charac-

teristic of Bohemian beers.

--- Adolphus Busch

[1897] Letter to his lawyer

_________

Taste of Pitch. When chewed, pitch should not have an offensive taste, since such taste might be communicated to the beer, although those constituents which cause the offensive taste are driven off, for the most part, by heating.

Influence on Taste of Beer. Pitch that has been heated for some time and broken into small parts when added to beer should not affect the taste of the same. A taste of pure pitch is permissible, under certain conditions, where, owing to the requirements of the market, a slight pitch taste is wanted in the beer.

---Wahl & Henius, American Handy Book of the Brewing,

Malting and Auxiliary Trade [1901]

______

Pitching and Varnishing - In order to prevent the beer in wooden vessels from soaking into the wood, they are coated on their insides with an inert or insoluble substance. This is shellac, varnish or special coatings for the large brewery vessels and usually pitch for the wooden or steel trade packages.

In Europe lager beer production beer is kept on storage in pitch-lined vats with the pitch purposely selected to add flavor to the beer. When the pitch is of the superior aromatic kind there is not doubt of its fascinating influence on the quality of the beer.

---Wahl & Wahl,

Wahl Handybook of the American Brewing Industry

Vol. 1 - Beer [1937]

______

Both wooden kegs and steel are coated with pitch. The beer touches neither wood nor steel, and cannot possibly be affected by either material in any way.

In modern breweries the aging tanks are made of steel, glass or lacquer lined. Where wooden tanks are used, the wood is finished with a special varnish to keep the beer from touching the wood.

--- Zanesville, WI steel keg manufacturer ad, 1934

___

The main object of pitching a barrel is to sterilize it. Since barrels generally are used several times before re-pitching the coat of pitch must permit perfect disinfection. For this purpose the pitch coating must be smooth, adhere well to the wood and possess sufficient elasticity. The pitch should furthermore be without influence on the taste of the beer, its melting point should be sufficiently high so as not to soften too easily, have a low viscosity at the pitching temperature in order to give a thin even coat. The viscosity, furthermore, should not increase too much at lower temperatures as this will render removal of the pitch more difficult and might lead to the the need of too high a temperature in depitching.

--- Brewer’s Pitch M. H. Van Laer

(Le Pitite Journal du Basseur, 1934)

____

BEER KEGS—CONDITIONING AND FILLING

Conditioning Wood Kegs

Before new kegs are filled with beer ready for service they are coated with a high grade pitch especially adapted for this purpose. Pitch is applied to the inside of the keg with a spraying process and at a temperature high enough to allow complete coverage. This is absolutely necessary to preserve the beer and keep it from coming in direct contact with the bare wood. Beer will spoil rapidly if placed in a wooden container without a pitch coating.

Conditioning Metal Kegs

Metal kegs are conditioned in much the same manner as wood kegs. Steel kegs require the same pitching as wood kegs. Aluminum kegs do not require this treatment.

--- A Beer Dispenser's Handbook

United States Brewers Association [1937]

____

Technologists and brewmasters say that both wooden ale and lager barrels require pitching. Steel and aluminum barrels are frequently unpitched, although some brewers pitch aluminum barrels to keep the beer from contact with the metal."

--- Pottsville, PA newspaper, 1939

_____

Wooden Vessels - inside must be completely covered with a neutral coating which has to be replaced frequently. Exposed wood saturates with beer and causes infection."

All wood cooperage must be kept moist when containing beer. Requires periodic 'pitching'.

Stainless steel (kegs): Pitching is unnecessary.

--- The Practical Brewer,

Master Brewers Association of American, 1946

______

ALLODIZING is a chemical process. This method is used on the inside of aluminum beer kegs.

--- 1950's Metal manufacture ad

_________

Aluminum kegs were coated with pitch or resin inside and, when inspection revealed a need for it, they were repitched.

Walter J. Matt, President

West End Brewing Co., Utica, NY

(Lawsuit Testimony 1961)