How German Beer Steins are Made

You’ve seen them if you’re of German heritage, visited Germany, or have an interest in German culture-- beer steins are absolutely beautiful and functional pieces of art. Have you ever wondered how German beer steins are made? In this post we will go over how a ceramic stein is made these days.

The first step in making a ceramic beer stein is by putting clay into a mold. Hard clay or liquid clay are used depending on what design is in the mold as some states of clay work better for certain shapes. Once the clay has been added, they are left to dry until they are of the correct consistency. The mold is then removed to expose the sculpted unpainted body of a beer stein. Before moving forward, the stein is inspected and refined by a skilled potter, and stamped with “made in Germany” and the name of the company. After this step a thin layer of paint is added (thin over the background and thicker over the relief) and then wiped off to contrast the outlines of the artwork. After drying, the stein is then coated in a glaze that turns into glass under heat.

The stein, along with many other steins, is then put into an oven for its first firing. It is in the oven for 12 hours and then is cooled down for 12 hours as well, for a total time of 24 hours for this round of oven-time. After it is properly cooled down, the stein is then passes onto an incredibly skilled painter who carefully paints in the details by hand. At this point of the process decals, if any, are also added. Another layer of glaze is added to the beer stein and then sent in for its second round of firing. This time the stein only needs to be in the oven for 6 hours.

The last step in making a German beer stein is adding a beautiful pewter lid. Typically the lids are not attached in the same facilities that the steins were made, but are sent to an expert in the same town.

There you have it! The basics of how a German beer stein is made. Are you in the marker for a German beer stein? Check out AllSteins! AllSteins.com is a website that specializes in imported German hand crafted beer steins from the most famous brands. AllSteins is owned by Ernst Licht Imports, the top US importer of German goods. Visit - German Lederhosen