Chemists Analyze Beer From 170 Years Ago

“Compared to modern beers, the shipwreck beers contained similar levels of potassium but 15- to 60-fold more sodium, presumably derived from sea water. This may have diluted the beers up to 30%,” the scientists wrote in the paper published in the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry.

“Ethanol contents were low (2.8-3.2%) compared to typical modern lagers and ales. The mass ratios of glycerol and ethanol were 4.5% for both shipwreck beers, which is typical for a yeast fermentation product.”

Dr Gibson and his colleagues analyzed samples from two bottles recovered in the shipwreck.

They determined that the samples were different beers based on their hop content.