beer-msg - 9/9/15

Making beer, period beer and ale. Use of hops in medieval beverages.

NOTE: See also the files: ale-msg, Ale-a-Beer-lnks, small-beer-msg, brewing-msg, mead-msg, wine-msg, beverages-msg, spices-msg, herbs-msg, p-bottles-msg, cider-msg, Hops-Hist-art, hops-msg.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: miss059 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Rich Bainter)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,rec.crafts.brewing,rec.org.sca
Subject: SUMMARY: Herbs in medieval brewing... (Long?)
Date: 30 Nov 1993 09:25:18 -0600

Sorry for not editing more out of the following messages, but it seemed
to be if not needed it at least was on the subject.

From: DDF2 at cornell.edu (David Friedman)

The recipe for mead in Buch von Gute Speise uses hops, sage and a resined
vessel. It is the only usable pre-1600 mead recipes I know of. Curye on
Englysch has two more, although they do not have enough information, in my
judgement, to make it clear how they are really done. If you do not have
access to a copy, and can probably dig out mine.

The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby, Opened, c. 1660, is the first source I know
of with lots of fermented drinks. There are also a few descriptions of beer
making from the sixteenth century. Harrison's preface to Holinshed's
chronicles has one that mentions hops, arras (?), and bayberries finely
powdered, also long pepper as an alternative.. 

From: billgrae at echonyc.com (Bill Grae)

If you're near a particularly large library, check to see if a copy of
_The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby, Knight, Opened_.  The book is a
compilation of brewing and meal reciptes assembled in the early 1600's (I
think). Sir Kenelm was fascinated not only with the traditional English
practices of brewing but also the new practices that had been introduced
as a result of contact with "infidels, French, and Germans."

BTW, as I'm sure you're aware, the use or non-use of hops was at one point
a raging controversy in Britain with sufficiently political overtones that
hops were actually banned for a while.

From: isy3wtm at cabell.vcu.edu (William T. McDonald)

Digby is good, but pulls from late in period. There are some earlier
works, German 15th and 16th century, that are specifically about
distillation of spirits. Also, "Il Herbario de Trento", an Italian
herbal from in-period. Also, some research into the origins of
various European liqueurs may reveal the original uses of some of
the herbs and spices in brewing (e.g., hyssop, angelica, anise,
fennel, grains of paradise, cubebs, cumin, cloves, etc.). A review
of the complete Gerard's herbal (versus the excerpt reprints that
are more common) may yield useful information. Also, Bancke's
herbal (English), and a manuscript of Dodoen's (Dutch, from whom
Gerard may have generously 'borrowed').

From: Peter Michael Wolanin <pwolanin at phoenix.Princeton.EDU>

I have a book (_Making Mead_ by Roger Morse) on making mead that has 
the following two books listed as references on early mead making:

_The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Kt Opened:
Whereby is Discovered Several Ways for Making of Metheglin, Sider,
Cherry-Wine, &c together with Excellent Directions for Cookery: As also
for Preserving, Conserving, &c._
published in 1669, reprinted in 1910 by Anne Macdonnel.
Digbie was apparently the queen of England's brewer.  Three of the
recipes are reproduced in my book.

_Wassail! in Mazers of Mead_ by G.R. Gayre. Published by Phillimore and
Co. Ltd in 1948.  Supposedly discusses the history of mead from
mithology up to 18th century.

From: jab2 at stl.stc.co.uk (Jennifer Ann Bray)

Alecost was used for brewing, I've got some growing in my back garden,
but sadly I haven't any recipes. So if anyone knows what part it did
play let me know. I suspect it was used like hops are now.

The fruit of the service tree was used to make beer in england, and
pubs serving ale made from service fruit were called chequer pubs
because of the trees chequered bark. You can still find old pubs
called chequers which probably started out serving ale from the
service tree.

I have no idea if it had any medicinal properties, but I would
guess its an old beverage because service trees won't seed in our
currently cold climate, so the custom might date to when the country
was warmer a millenium ago? Nowadays the tree will grow from seed in
France but is infertile here where, though it can extend by suckers
from the root system.

When the queen got into the supers of my beehives she layed brood all
over the honey and the result was a bitter tasting honey. In medieval
beekeeping where the queen was not restricted in her movements about
the colony honey flavoured with bitter brood food would be common. We
used the honey to brew a spicy metheglin and it tasted quite good,
perhaps some of the metheglin recipes which use herbs or spices in
mead were a result of brewers making best use of their worst honey?
I suppose spices were quite expensive whereas herbs could be home
grown, so disguising a bad taste might be a more likely use for herbs
than spices?

From: COCKERHAM SANDRA L            (MCVAX0::RX31852)

The new Special Issue of Zymurgy has an article by Gary Spedding about
beers without hops. He gives many examples and lists his references.
This would probably give you a running start.

From: jonathan at indial1.io.com (Jonathan David Bow)

For the time period you specified I recommend you consult John Gerard's
_Herbal_, a classic work.  The complete text of the 1633 edition was
republished in 1975 by Dover Publications.  Library of Congress Card No.
74-18719.

From: eden.rain at  aldus.com (Eden Rain,Cnslt)
	From: Luxueil on Wed, Nov 17, 1993 2:21 PM

"Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, and Cloves, and that gave me my jolly red nose"
Words to a song in a c.1600 collection which refer to the spiced used in
ale/beer.  I am *Told* that these were used in place of hops, but since I
know nothing of brewing I don't know how accurate this
is.

From: jschmidt at spiff.Tymnet.COM (John Schmidt)
	From: lynchl at attmail.com
	Subject: Period Ale

Well, Well.  I hope none of you mind the fact that, since I recieved so
many responses to my offer of help with period brewing, I am writing a
generized response.  If I end up speaking down to someone, I am sorry.

First, a few references:

Lost Country Life, Dorothy Hartly, Pantheon Books.
This one is a must have for anyone with an interest in the 'common life'
of pre-industrial people in England.  Ale and Beer are discussed in 
several places.  Unfortunetly, she seems to equate mashing (of malt) and
hops, as she indicates that mashing was not done until the end of the
mideval period.  This is (very) false.

The Historical Companion to House-Brewing, Clive La Pensee, Montag Pub.
This is a very good historical reference to beer making.  Most of it
is out of period, but there is more here on pre-hop beer making then I
have found anywhere else.  This book includes many period beer recipes,
but most are of German origin, and German adopted hops earlyer the the
English.  Also has very good info on mashing at home!

The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing, Charlie Papazian, Avon.
Good book on beginning and intermediate home brewing.

The New World Guide to Beer, Michael Jackson, Running Press.
Very good book on beer styles world wide.  Some historical info.

All of these (except Hartly) can be purchased mail-order from the
Association of Brewers, (303) 447-0816, weekdays 8-5 Mountain Time.

Next, a simple how-to on brewing.  To those of you who have brewed 
beer before, this is VERY simple and general.  Skip this section.
This example will brew a basic ale.  Generally of an English light
ale type.

To everyone else.  This procedure may sound more complex then that stated
in most beer kits.  I know very few people who follow the directions on
those kits that manage to make good beer.  These instructions are not
goof-proof, but they will minimize the chances for contamination.

Many of you make mead or wine.  That's good, you can use much of the same
equipment.  But beer has a much lower alchohol level, and generally a much
lower acidity as well.  This means that it is much more suseptible to
infection.  Infections in beer can only make the beer taste bad, however,
not hurt you.  One other point, these instructions call for using bleach
as a sanitizer.  Use it.  I know you may use sulphite in wine/mead, but
it doesn't work in beer.

Basic Equipment:
Large (3-4 gal) stainless or enameled pot.  No Aluminum! it will make your
beer taste funny!
5-6 gal food grade plastic bucket (with lid) or glass carboy.
Racking tube.
plastic tubing (3-4 feet).
airlock and drilled stopper for your bucket/carboy.
plastic funnel to fit carboy, if one is used.
48 empty beer or champagne bottles.  Don't use other kinds of bottles,
they are not strong enough.
New bottle caps.
Capper.

Basic Ingrediants:
6-7 pounds of pale / amber / dark unhopped malt extract.  This is 
available in bulk at homebrew stores as a syrup or dry.  Either works.

5 gal Good tasting water.  If you use distilled or purified water, 
you will need to add a 'pinch' (less then 1/4 tsp.) of Epsom salt to it.
The yeast need it.

1-2 oz of Hops (or whatever).  DO NOT buy these from a health
food store, they are not kept well.  Use 'low alpha' varieties like
Hallertauer, Goldings, Fuggles, Tettnanger, Saaz, Cascade, Willamette,
Mt. Hood, etc.  Stay away from varieties like Eroica, Centennial, and
Chinook.  Your friendly, local or mail-order homebrew supply person will
help.

1 T. of 'Irish Moss'.  Available from a homebrew supply or a health food
store.  Not nessessary, but it will make your beer clearer.

10-20 grams of dry Ale yeast.  This comes in 5, 8, and 12 gram packets.  
I prefer 'Whitbread', but any should do.  Stay away from 'Red Star' though

Process:
Night before - boil 3 gal. water. If you are going to add epsom salt, 
do it now.  Let cool while covered.  While cooling,
put 1 oz (a capfull) of unscented bleach in your bucket/carboy, and fill
with tap/hose water.  Let stand for one half to one hour or until the
boiled water is cool enough to add to glass (if the carboy is used).
Empty the bucket/carboy and shake out the drops.  Do not rinse.  The 
very small amount of chlorine left is less than that in your tap water.
Put the boiled water into the bucket/carboy.  Seal it up and leave it
over night.

Next Day - Dissolve extract in 1.75 to 2 gal. water.  Bring to a boil.  
Add Hops. Boil for 1/2 hour uncovered.  Add Irish Moss and boil for 
another 1/2 hour uncovered.  By this point, you should be down to 2 gal.
or so. What you have now is called 'wort' (sounds like 'word'). 
Pour the wort into the water boiled and cooled the night before.  
If you are using a carboy, use a funnel sterilized by pouring boiling 
water through it.  The funnel will direct the hot wort into the cool 
water, cooling it enough not to break the glass (usually...).  Let the 
(thiner) wort cool until the glass/plastic is only warm to the touch
and add the yeast.  Put the air lock on, fill halfway with water, and
let it sit for a week. If a glass carboy is used, don't fill it up to
the neck, leave about 1/2 gal of headroom.  If it foams over anyway,
don't worry.  Just put the (cleaned) airlock back on and clean up.

After a week, sterilize your bottles by running them through a dish washer
or soaking them in a chlorine solution (1 oz to 5 gal).  I have a friend
that bakes them in an oven at 250 degrees for 1/2 hour or so, then lets
them cool in the oven until he needs them...
Boil 3/4 cup of corn sugar (or table sugar, but corn sugar is better) in
3/4 cup of water. let cool.  Sterilize your siphon tube and plastic
tubing in chlorine solution (see above).
Now, if you have TWO carboys or buckets, sterilize the second one, and
siphon the beer into it, leaving the spent yeast behind.  If not, well,
cloudy beer is period.  Add the sugar water to the beer and stir very
gently with the siphon tube.  Don't splash!.  Now, siphon the beer into
the beer bottles carefully.  Do not splash.  Fill each to within an inch
of the top.  Cap them.  Wait for 2-3 weeks before sampling.  The beer
will continue to change over the next month or two.  Depending on how good
you were with sanitation, the beer could last from 1 month (try again!) to
a year or so (you've done this before!).  As Charlie says, "Don't worry,
have a homebrew!"

Now the historical stuff.
Before hops, there was Grout.  If you are German, there was Gruit.  
Grout was the blend of spices and herbs the brewer used to make their
beer interesting.  Fermented malt water is very sweet and bland.
Because of this, brewers generally used at least one bitter herb.  If
they didn't, they chose herbs that tasted good in a sweet medium.  
There arn't a lot of grout recipies, because this was the brewers secret.
Incedently, most period brewers were women.  It was cooking, and therefor
considered womens work, hence the term 'Alewife'.  Even monisaries would
sometimes hire a woman to come in and help the brothers make beer.  Once
brewing became a profitable buisness, instead of housework, well...

Bitter herbs:
Ground Ivy (Alehoof, Creeping Jenny, ...)
Buckbean
Carduus
Centaury
Nettle
Wood Sage
Wormwood
Germander

Less bitter or sweet herbs:
Juniper berries
Sweet Gale
Sweet Woodruff
Lavender
Tansey
Alecost
Comfrey
Dandelion
Elecampane
Eyebright
Hyssop
Mugwort
Pennyroyal
Sage
Coriander seed
Cloves
Seville orange (or any orange) peel
Cinnamon
Vanilla
Ginger
Cherries
Raspberries
etc.

To make a period Ale:
Follow above procedure for making beer, but don't buy hops.  Reduce the
boil to 1/2 hour, and use grout instead.  Some herbs are better added
just after the heat is removed, and stteped, like a tea.

Good Grouts:
1/2 oz Ground Ivy
1/2 oz Juniper
2 oz Woodruff

1 oz Germander
1 oz Coriander
2 oz Orange Peel

1 stick cinnimun
1 oz buckbean

1 oz Ground Ivy
1.5 oz Ginger

Etc. Play around with what you have!

Note: Customers didn't like hops, because they weren't used to them. 
So why, you might ask, did hops take over?  Because when they were used,
beer lasted longer.  Hops are a preservitive.  This means that the beer
made with grout will not last as long as beer made with hops.  You were
warned!  (Although I have no evidence to support it, I suspect that
during the transition from Ale to Beer, brewers would occationally use
both hops and spices in beer.  The hops would keep the beer, the spices
would keep the customer! )  

Fruit beers are very good, add 3-8 pounds at the end of the boil, and let
them soak for 15 min or so...
-- 
Richard Bainter      | "I want to be called COTTONTIPS. There is something 
Phelim Utred Gervas  |  graceful about that lady. A young woman bursting with 
Pug                  |  vigor. She blinked at the sudden light. She writes
pug at arlut.utexas.edu |  beautiful poems. When ever shall we meet again?"

From: alshaw at isisnet.com (A. H. Shaw  )
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Hops/Beer/Ale/AAAARG!
Date: 21 Nov 1995 00:48:35 GMT
Organization: isis inc. (Internet Provider), NS Canada.

This should be the real posting: sorry about the blank one.
Since I can't find the Hops in Beer thread I'll start over here. 

	Basic definitions:
		Modern Usage - 
			ALE: brewed with a 'top fermenting' yeast.
			LAGER: brewed with a 'bottom fermenting' yeast.
			BEER: brewed from at least a base of malted 
barley, hops and water, and usually marketed aggressively. (sorry about 
the editorial)
	Modern commercial breweries usually use yeasts that cannot be 
easily split into "top" and "bottom" fermenting varieties; most strains 
work in suspension throughout the wort and are filtered out in later 
stages.  There are _lots_ of various yeast strains and books have been 
written about their various properties.  Ale and Lager yeasts do generate 
different flavours, and yeast selection is an important part of any beer 
recipe.

		Medieval Usage - 
			ALE:  an _unhopped_ brew, usually from malted barley.
 			BEER: _hopped_ brew, as distinct from ale.

	I also suspect that a difference in brewing technique was noted.  
The highly modified English malts were usable in an infusion-type mash 
while the less highly modified Continental barley required a multiple 
stage decoction mash.  This is pure, ungrounded speculation on my part 
and I would welcome any further information. 

	In England in the 1400s the introduction of hops/beer into a 
predominately ale economy was met with resistance.  Brewing 'Beer' and 
brewing 'Ale' were recognized as distinct trades.  In 1471 Norwich bans 
the use of hops in brewing.  The Ale Brewers Company of London (chartered 
1437) petitions the Mayor to prevent the use of hops.  The ale brewers do 
not object to the brewing of beer, but wish to prevent the use of hops in 
ale.  In 1493 the brewers of Beer are recognized as a guild.  They remain 
separate guilds until 1556.
	
	Hops were mentioned as early as the late 1100's by Ste. Hildegard 
of Bingen.  She apparently noted both their use as a preservative and a 
recipe for brewing beer with oats and hops.  Even earlier, King Pepin, 
father of Charlemagne, was given a gift of hop yards.  By the 9th Century 
hops were under cultivation in the Rheinland, Brabant and the Ile de France.

	Now the fun begins.  Yes, apparently other flavourings were used 
in beer.  I have found references to a mix called "gruit," a "bitter, 
more costly mixture of vegetable substances used to flavour beer."  In 
1381 the Archbishop of Klon issued a decree forbidding the import of 
hopped beer from Westphalia.  The Bishopric had a gruit monopoly in the 
area and of course moved to protect it against cheaper imported 
products.  The requirement for all persons wishing to brew in Klon to 
buy gruit from the episcopal gruit-houses was not lifted until 1495.  On 
the other hand in 1487 Munich enacted an ordinance forbidding the use of 
anything but barley, hops, and water in the brewing process.  This was 
not THE Rheinheitsgebost of current fame, but one of the many, many 
other laws enacted in this era to control brewing.  Most of them 
stipulated the quality, age, or ingredients that were acceptable in 
beer.  The famous Rheinheitsgebot is only one of these ordinances, 
albeit one that has demonstrated remarkable staying power.  
	Another flavouring I have heard of, only in passing, is 
'alehoof.'  Has anyone any information on this herb?  I have been offered 
some to try in my brewing and would really like to know more before 
ingesting it.
	As far as other flavourings go, don't neglect the Belgian brewing 
traditions.  Coriander, raspberries, strawberries, and many other things 
have been added to beer in period.  
	Much of the information here was gleaned from

	Alcohol in Western Society from Antiquity to 1800
		A Chronological History

		Gregory A. Austin w. staff of Southern California 
Research Institute.
		LoC# HV5020.A97 1985	ISBN 0-87436-418-3

This is an excellent sourcebook for brewing information and drinking 
practices.

I remain yours in brewing

Robert Peregrine de Marecage		alshaw at isisnet.com
Barony of Ruantallan
East Kingdom				

From: ddfr at best.com (David Friedman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Help: Recipi for MEDIEVAL BEER
Date: 14 Jan 1996 06:57:15 GMT
Organization: Best Internet Communications

beth.appleton at lunatic.com (Beth Appleton) wrote:

> -> From: Erik_Hartmann at dk-online.dk
> -> a recipi - a dukumented recipe - from the period 1300-1400  (+- 100
> -> years). I have been in contact with danish libraries and archives,
> -> but no luck.
> If you find one, *I'll* be amazed.  The few cookbooks of that
> era that I'm aware of don't have such recipes.  What little I've found
> on brewing anything has been instr. for wine, and that is much, much
> later.  I suspect that it is either Too Basic, or somewhat of a mystery.
> We don't find bread recipes that early, either.  You just learned from
> your folks, or not at all.
> 
> Gwenllian Cwmystwyth

Erik specified 1300-1400 +-100 years, which takes us to 1500. That includes:

The detailed mead recipe in _Buch von Gute Speise_
The very vague one in _Curye on Englysche_
The bread recipe in Platina.

So while Gwenllian's basic point is right--clear early recipes for brewing
or bread are hard to find--they are not quite impossible to find, and are
worth looking for.

David/Cariadoc
-- 
ddfr at best.com

From: david.razler at compudata.com (DAVID RAZLER)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Hopped Up!
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 96 02:13:00 -0400
Organization: Compu-Data BBS -=- Turnersville, NJ -=- 609-232-1245

Re: Hummulus lupuis, our friend the hop.

      "Beer brewed only with grain tastes thick and sticky. For 
centuries man has used a variety of plants, herbs and spices to season 
his beer, to help clarify it, and to preserve it. A typical example is 
the juniper, which is still used by home brewers in Norway. Coriander, 
rosemary and other aromatic herbs were also employed, in a mixture known 
as a *gruit*. Another traditional flavoring, the bay leaf, contains some 
of the same essential oils that are present in the hop. Brewers learned 
through trial and error which plants produced the best results. Perhaps 
its superficial resemblance to the grapevine helped draw attention to 
the hop as a plant that must surely be useful in preparation of a 
potable drink." - [The World Guide to Beer, 1st ed., edtd. by Michael 
Jackson, (c) 1977 by Quartto Ltd., ISBN 0-345-27408, a worthy addition 
to any library.]

      Thus begins a lengthy essay on hops and their relation to the 
Official Beverage of the Known World, indicating hops were used in beer 
imported to England by the 1400s at the latest.

      Further in, authors state that Benedictines were growing hops at 
Weihenstephan, Freising as early as 768... "though the evidence of when 
they were first used in brewing is less than conclusive."

      The same volume makes note of various unhopped wheat beers still 
in production and flavored *after* opening with woodruff, lemon or 
raspberry, depending on the brew; and krieken-lambic, wheat beer 
fermented with cherries.

      I hope this provides some answers.
                                    AtT

From: cav at bnr.ca (Rick Cavasin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Did the Vikings have Beer?
Date: 28 May 1996 14:52:25 GMT
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

Russ Gilman-Hunt <Russ_Gilman-Hunt at continue.uoregon.edu> writes:
|> Well, my answer has usually been a safe "no," for I didn't think they 
|> had hops and the like.  But in reading _King_Harald's_Saga, my theory 
|> has changed.  In chapter 35, our hero is trying to outrun the fleet of 
|> King Svein, he throws out the "malt, flour and bacon."  

They may not have had hops in Scandinavia, and in any case, hops hadn't 
really caught on as a beer flavouring/preservative in a major way at that
time.

If you define beer as being a fermented malt barley beverage flavoured with
hops, then the answer would indeed be that the Vikings aren't likely to have
had much in the way of beer.  If you eliminate the hops from the definition,
then the answer would be different.
 
|> Is this the same malt as in beers?  Is it a different malt?  Is it a 
|> case of the translator using "malt" for some other substance, as I've 
|> been told was done with "silk" and "satin"?  (sometimes the translator 
|> will translate "fine fabrics" to silks or satins.)

I see no reason to believe that this would not be malted barley (or perhaps
rye), as used in making ale/beer.  The technology of malting was already
many centuries old by that time, though perhaps not so refined as it was
eventually to become.  Rather than a problem with the translation, I would
be more inclined to suspect the text, since the saga was written long after
the events described.  Details of what was thrown overboard should be taken
with a grain of salt.

Some people reserve the term 'ale' for unbittered malt brews, and 'beer' for
bittered brews.  Other bittering herbs were used prior to hops, so, if these
are the definitions you are using, then yes, the Vikings could have had beer.
'Pors' = Sweet gale/bog myrtle was used to flavour beers and meads in
Scandinavia in the relatively recent past.  
I do not know whether or not it was used in Viking
times, but it is listed by Gayre as one of the ingredients in 'groot', an
herb mixture used to flavour medieval beers before the hop hegemony.  That 
puts the ingredient in the context of medieval European beers at least.

Even if they didn't have 'beer', they probably had unbittered ales.

Cheers, Rick/Balderik

From: ddfr at best.com (David Friedman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Did the Vikings have Beer?
Date: 29 May 1996 01:46:54 GMT
Organization: Best Internet Communications

> Actually hops is a relatively recent inovation having only been introduced to 
> beer in the last 400 years or so (beer being one of the oldest beverages in 
> existance). In the beginning of beer (the cultivated variety, not just the 
> alcoholic drink) a gruit of spices was added having been cultivated by the 
> local monks. Hop growing was actually illegal in quite a few areas.
> 
>                 Marcus

1. Hops go back quite a lot farther than 400 years; perhaps you are
thinking of their introduction to England. They were used earlier on the
continent.

2. While I am not certain, I think the pre-hops distinction was between
ale, which was meant to be drunk a fairly short time after it was made,
and beer, which was intended to store longer. A variety of different
preservatives were used for the latter, although not, I think, spices.
When hops came in as the most common herb used to preserve beer, the
distinction shifted to unhopped ale vs hopped beer. Eventually hops came
to be used with everything, and at this point there doesn't seem to be a
very clear distinction between beer and ale.

David/Cariadoc
-- 
ddfr at best.com

From: sylkie at ardvark.com (Richard Rogers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Did the Vikings have Beer?
Date: Wed, 29 May 1996 09:08:55 GMT
Organization: The Sylkie Enterprise

Russ Gilman-Hunt <Russ_Gilman-Hunt at continue.uoregon.edu> wrote:

>Well, my answer has usually been a safe "no," for I didn't think they 
>had hops and the like.  But in reading _King_Harald's_Saga, my theory 
>has changed.  In chapter 35, our hero is trying to outrun the fleet of 
>King Svein, he throws out the "malt, flour and bacon."  

>Is this the same malt as in beers?  Is it a different malt?  Is it a 
>case of the translator using "malt" for some other substance, as I've 
>been told was done with "silk" and "satin"?  (sometimes the translator 
>will translate "fine fabrics" to silks or satins.)

They definitely had ale. In a number of places you will find reference
to someone making ready for a feast by setting the ale tubs brewing,
usually a few weeks before the feast. This must have made for a very
smelly, strong, green sort of drink. Talk about killer beer farts. 

I don't have the exact references at hand but I do recall them from, I
believe, Egil's saga and Laxdaela Saga. 

They did not have much experience with wine, and ran into problems
when they had to deal with it, (see the saga of Half-Dan the Black.)

Hope this helps a little.
Thorgeirr The Thirsty

From: wishbone at airmail.net (R.A.Goodson)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Did the Vikings have Beer?
Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 20:59:25 GMT
Organization: Norse Texas

Sandy Straubhaar <straubs at jkhbhrc.byu.edu> writes:
> Russ Gilman-Hunt wrote:
> > 
> > Well, my answer has usually been a safe "no," for I didn't think they
> > had hops and the like.  But in reading _King_Harald's_Saga, my theory
> > has changed.  In chapter 35, our hero is trying to outrun the fleet of
> > King Svein, he throws out the "malt, flour and bacon."
> > 
> > Is this the same malt as in beers?  Is it a different malt?  Is it a
> > case of the translator using "malt" for some other substance, as I've
> > been told was done with "silk" and "satin"?  (sometimes the translator
> > will translate "fine fabrics" to silks or satins.)
> > 
> > Lord Conchobhar of Kamrun (Clan MacGuinness) W.O.A.W.!
> > Russ_Gilman-Hunt at continue.uoregon.edu
> 
> Zoega's Old Norse Dictionary lists _malt_, n. Malt (for brewing).
> I assume that's the noun in _Haralds saga Sigur›arsonar_ ch. 35, 
> but don't have a copy in my office.
> 
> brynhildr / Sandy Straubhaar.

Actually there is evidence of beer, wine, and ales from digs all over
Scandivania. It's common to the north generally from about 600 on.
Though most if not all good wines came from the south, and the beers
and ales are not exactly what we are use too. And certainly not in the
amounts we have it now. A major trade item. And generally, if it got
them drunk in the Constananople, it would find it's way north. There
is a rather large difference between Primitive culture and  Pre-
Christian culture. The Norse of course being the latter.

Rolf the Red

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: ciaran at phoenix.aldhfn.org (Skip Watson)
Subject: Re: Did the Vikings have Beer?
Organization: Auldhaefen Online Services
Date: Fri, 31 May 1996 04:37:10 GMT

jklessig at slip.net wrote:

: Unless I am mistaken there is evidence indication the cultivation of
: hops in england as early as 800, definitley on the mainland. I am not
: aware of ANY general use of hops for any thing other than beers that
: would cause them to be cultivated.
: 
: Chandra

        Ahhh, but just because it was there does not mean that it was used
they way we use it now ;-).
         Hops was used as a medicinal and not as an additive for ale. The
addition of hops to ale, in England, does not occur until the English soldiers
brought beire back from France at the end of the Hundred Years War. Even
then there were battles over the use of hops as an additive which is why
you can find laws that control or even outlaw the use of hops for inclusion
in ale.
        Prior to the use of hops in ale, in England, costmary was used to
preserve ale. The use of costmary this way led it to also being called
alecost. 

ciaran

From: matchstc at atlcom.net (Mike Vincent)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: question about medieval brewing
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 04:56:59 GMT

On 27 Dec 1996 03:47:25 -0500, HPGV80D at prodigy.COM (MISS PATRICIA M
HEFNER) wrote:

>I'm reading various sources about Margery Kempe because I'm writing a
>paper about her. It's recorded in her book that "even when the ale was a
>fair standing under barm as any as any man might see, suddenly the barm
>would fall down, so that all the ale was lost". This is why her ale
>business wasn't successful!
>Does anybody know what "barm" is (or was, as the case might be)? I don't
>have a clue...
>
>Isabelle de Foix
>Shire of Misty Mere
>Kingdom of Meridies

I've tried to find out what I can about Dark Ages brewing so I'll give
it the good old college try.

 There is a layer of yeast and froth raised on top of a fermenting
ale. According to "the Complete Joy of Home Brewing" by Charlie
Papazian (which is one of the "bibles" of homebrewing) the foam is
called kraeusen foam. In modern beer making the 'disapearance of the
foam is a sign that's it's time to transfer to another fermenter ( a
good sign), in more primitive brewing that may have been different.
our degree of sanitation is much higher than the Middle Ages. We use a
closed airlocked fermenter where they fermented in open crocks, they
may have felt the need to skim the foam so as to remove impurities or
bitter flavors.

 One reference I've seen to Viking beer was that they put out the "ale
pots" a few days before a celebration and started them fermenting. The
beer was drunk "green" , only a few days old. By the time it was a
week old so much contamination had developed only the truly desparate
or the pigs would touch it. As far as I've been able to find out
Brewing in the 1400's wasn't a whole lot progressed beyond that.

hope I've been some help

Mighel  
mka Mike

From: Kel Rekuta <krekuta at tor.hookup.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: question about medieval brewing
Date: 28 Dec 1996 15:08:42 GMT
Organization: HookUp Communication Corporation, Oakville, Ontario, CANADA

> Does anybody know what "barm" is (or was, as the case might be)? I don't
> have a clue... 

Barm is the foamy, grungy froth at the top of a fermenting wort. 
(Beer that is still in its early stages.) It can look like the top
of cauliflower thats gone a little old and started to darker. This is
actually a good thing! All the bubbles trapped under the brownish film
are carbon dioxide, the biproduct of brewing. They form an effective
barrier to nasty micro-organisms that will spoil the wort.

In effect, if the barm falls, the barrier is lost. The wort will be
infected and the ale *will* fail.

Happy Holidays!
Ceallach

From: afn03234 at freenet2.afn.org (Ronald L. Charlotte)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: question about medieval brewing
Date: 29 Dec 1996 07:30:20 GMT

HPGV80D at prodigy.COM (MISS PATRICIA M HEFNER) wrote:
> Does anybody know what "barm" is (or was, as the case might be)? I don't
> have a clue...

It's the foam that sits on top of fermenting ale wort, produced by the 
action of the yeast, and containing much active yeast.  In the days of 
open vat fermenting it was both a sign of active fermentation, and 
served to protect the ale from infection by wild yeasts and vinegar 
flies (due to the carbon dioxide that helped isolate the wort from 
outside air). 

If the barm fell, that meant that the wort was contaminated, or the 
yeast culture (of which medieval brewers knew noting) had died.  The 
double tragedy of this is that some of the barm was needed to start the 
next batch of ale.

I've also seen a few references to the use of "warm ale barm" used to 
leaven bread.
--
     al Thaalibi ---- An Crosaire, Trimaris
     Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL
     afn03234 at afn.org

From: afn03234 at freenet2.afn.org (Ronald L. Charlotte)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: question about medieval brewing
Date: 30 Dec 1996 21:11:43 GMT

bard at themall.net (Medwyn) wrote:
>    Kel Rekuta <krekuta at tor.hookup.net> wrote:
> <...>
> >In effect, if the barm falls, the barrier is lost. The wort will be
> >infected and the ale *will* fail.

> But doesn't it fall when the beer is done? The problem with this particular
> quote is we have no indication of the timing of this occurence.

From discussions with old-style wood cask fanatics, Traditional ale 
brewing casked the ale before fermentation was completely stilled, 
ideally tapping the bottom of the fermentation tub above the layer of 
lees at the bottom.  Working with a wooden keg, or wax sealed ceramic 
container, over-carbonation rupture is a far less likely problem.

The habit of post primary fermentation conditioning to provide a head is 
a little more recent a development.  It's a lot easier for a home brewer 
to charge his ageing keg, or bottles, or batch prime the batch after a 
full ferment than it is to judge the correct point to rack off while the 
ferment is still active.  Commercial brewers simply inject CO2 or 
nitreous oxide or a combination of the two.
--
     al Thaalibi ---- An Crosaire, Trimaris
     Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL
     afn03234 at afn.org

Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 11:34:00 -0500
From: Tim Weitzel <wcrobert at blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Hops in the 14th c.

Charles said:
>Though my sources are at home, I beleive that using hops in beer was
>introduced into England from Germany during the reign of Henry VIII and
>did not become universal until later.  Therefore the unhopped beers are
>period and hopps in beers are appropriate to the end of period.
>
>Charles O'Connor

Yes, I have read that too.  And that a little creeping plant called by a
variety of names was used instead of Hops in English Ales.  A herbal that
we have at home calls it Ground Ivy, Gill-go-over-the-ground, Cat's Paw,
and even Ale Hoof.  It has blue flower stalks and is related to the Mint
family Labiatae.  It sort of resembles Bugle Weed or Ajuga (<italic>Ajuga
reptans) </italic>but it is distinct from that. <italic> </italic>I can
bring in citations if anyone is interested.

Tryffin ap Myrddin
Shadowdale, Calontir

Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 15:30:48 -0500
From: Stephanie Howe <olga at icon-stl.net>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Ground Ivy

Ground Ivy- squarish stems w/ paired (mint-like), roundish leaves that
have sort of scalloped edges, and blueish-violet flowers that look like
miniature orchids? Local names vary so much, so I don't know if *my*
ground ivy is *your* ground ivy... How was it used in brewing: leaves,
flowers, other parts of the plant, dried/fresh, added when?

Olga 
Not a brewer, but I gots the ground ivy...

 And that a little creeping plant called by a
> >variety of names was used instead of Hops in English Ales.  A herbal that we
> >have at home calls it Ground Ivy, Gill-go-over-the-ground, Cat's Paw, and
> >even Ale Hoof.  It has blue flower stalks and is related to the Mint family
> >Labiatae.  It sort of resembles Bugle Weed or Ajuga (Ajuga reptans) but it
> >is distinct from that.  I can bring in citations if anyone is interested.

Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 19:35:23 -0500
From: theodelinda at webtv.net (linda webb)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Hops in the 14th c.

I recall one of my books on Elizabthan cookery and housekeeping quoting
a period source on the nasty Dutch custom of beer with hops.  The period
author felt very strongly, it seems, that this new-fangled import was
not appropriate for good Englishmen, who were supposed to be drinking
good, old-fashioned brown (unhopped) ale, like their forefathers, who
had whipped the French repeatedly on a regimen of nut-brown ale.  Of
course, if you're not used to it, the way we are, the bitter taste hops
can add to your brewing could be a real shock, although I can  see how
it might make an interesting contrast to the sweeter taste of a mead.

Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 19:24:29 -0500
From: mary boulet <boulet.roger at mcleod.net>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Hops in the 14th c.

I have madly rampaged through my study looking for some of my brewing 
sources and of course the two I really wanted to find are still missing. 
So I'll make do with what I did dig up.

"The Illustrated Herb Encyclopedia" By Kathi Keville reports that the 
Roman historian Pliny dubbed hops 'Lupus' because it twines tightly 
around other plants. It goes on to say that Hops were not much 
cultivated until the 9th and 10th centuries and than mostly in France 
and Germany. 100 years later the Bavarians where making 'bier' with hops 
(sorry the sources are not quoted).

In "Brewing Mead-Wassail in Mazers of Mead" by Lt. Colonel Robert Gayre, 
Gayre & Nigg with Charlie Papazian sites two instances where beer with 
hops were banned. It does not however tell you where to find the 
origional text.
1. Archbishop Fredrick of Cologne in 1381 issued a decree that all gruit 
be purcashed in the episcopel gruit-houses. At the same time importation 
of hopped beer from Westphalia was forbidden.
2. In 1464 a petition was made to the Lord Mayor and Alderman of the 
city of London by the ale-brewers to fordid the use of hops in ale.

"Inns, Ales and Drinking Customs of Old Engaland" by Frederick Hawkwood 
says hops were prohibited by Henry VI and that the prohibition was 
repeated by Henry VIII. Once again the source is not given.

Sorry, I can't give any more specific information, but it appears that 
hops have been known since Roman times and were being outlawed in 
England since at least the 1400s.

Roger

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 10:43:22 -0500
From: Tim Weitzel <wcrobert at blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Ground Ivy (was Hops ...)

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea L.) is a member
of the Mint family (Labiate).  It  is as old as the hills in England.  It
is known from prehistoric times and the Ancient Greek and Roman folks
knew of it and used it (Note 1).  Gerard (1577) quoted Galen and
Dioscorides about some of the medicinal uses of the plant including drops
for sore or weak eyes.  Culpepper, 1616-1654  gives many medicinal uses
such as ear drops for ear ailments, snuff for headaches and congestion,
and a variety of other ailments that seem to be eased by the plant's
natural diuretic properties (Note 2).  Other than that, it is an
astringent, and was recommended for fresh wounds and bruises.  Tea,
extract, and snuff are the main medicinal uses.  Gerard mentions that
women in the northern part of England (Cheshire and Wales) put it in
there "beers" but he didn't know why. (Note 3)

 The early Anglo-Saxons (not having hops at the time) apparently used it
to enhance the flavor of ale, help preserve it, and to clarify it.  They
added it to the wort while it was heated.  This continued up until about
the time of Henry VIII (Note 3).

In the US, it grows predominantly in shady areas where people have
gardened before.  Once in among the grass of a lawn, it seems happy
enough even in sun.  In Medieval  England it was described as creeping
along the hedgerows and roadsides and across vacant areas.  Some of the
names come from these habits.  Other names come from its use as a brewing
agent.  I have not found any mention of intentionlly gardening with it,
and it would seem that it was plentiful enough without having to care for
it.

Common Names:  Ground Ivy or Alehoof

Also known as:  Alehove, Tunhoof, Alecost [presumably in New England
only], Gill-over-the-Ground or Gill-go-by-the-Hedge, all dervied from its
brewing uses (gill from french 'guiller'= to ferment; brew).  Gill at
some point also meant also meant 'girl' so there are other names like
Robin-run-in-the-hedge, lizzy-run-up-the-Hedge, Haymaides, and
Hedgemaides.  and also Cat's Foot [shape of the leaves] and Field Balm
[medicinal reference] (Notes 1, 2, 3, 4)

The plant can be recognized by the following: (Note 4)

Stems:  [Square, as in mints]Creeping and trailing

Leaves:  Small and kidney [or round] shaped.  [Reddish tint in late
winter, bright green in spring daring to deep green and finally nearly
purple in fall.]

Flowers:  Bluish-purple, loosely clustered in the axils [base] of the
leaves.  [somewhat Orchid-like, or mouth shaped as are all Labiate]

Calyx: [sepals or base of flower] five-toothed

Corolla: [flowers] two-lipped

Stamens: [filaments around the central part of flower] four

Pistil: [central part of flower] one, two-lobed at apex [top of pistil]

Harvesting and using the herb in beverages:

Gill Tea can be made by adding 1 ounce [dried] leaves to 1 pint of
boiling water (Note 4).  One peck fresh plants will yield about an ounce
of dried leaves.  It is suggested that something like a plain, unhopped,
malt syrup be used to first taste test a small batch of beer made with
this. (Note 5) English sources (Note 3, for instance) say to pick the
leaves when most of the plant is in bloom, around early May.  The New
England Source (Note 5) says pick in late summer when the leave have
matured.  For myself, this yields a very bitter and minty tea that I
choose not to go ahead and brew with.  I intend to try a batch of the May
"crop" but keep missing on my timing.  I have also noticed that if you
have a hedge that the ivy grows up into, the stalks and leave will get
nice and big and hopefully there will be less other plant material, like
grass, intertwined.  It's a mess to pull the dried leaves out of the
clumps of grass!  Dirt from the roots doesn't do much for flavor 
either.

I haven't made an ale with this yet.  The information from Note 3
suggests that you would add the dried leaves to the wort when it is warm.
 If this doesn't produce a strong enough flavor/preservative/clarifier,
then I'd suggest adding the tea to the wort.  I got to try an ale
flavored with Ground Ivy at a Queen's Prize Tournament a few years ago. 
I wish I could remember the individual's name.  It was pretty good, but
it tasted a lot like the stuff smells when cut or crushed.  That
particular brew had other flavorings added, which may have altered the
overall effect from just a Ground Ivy ale.

Ok, more than anyone wanted to know about that little weed but I hope
this helps.

Tryffin ap Myrddin
Shadowdale, Calontir

Notes:

(1) Brother Cadfaels Garden, Talbot & Whiteman. 1997, Little Brown & Co.
Boston 

(2) Culpeper's Color Herbal. [1992] 1983. Potterton, ed. Sterling
Publications. New York

(3) A Modern Herbal, Greive [1971, 1931] 1992. p. 442. Dorset Press. New
York 

(4) How to Know the Wildflowers. Dana. [1900, 1893] 1963.  Dover. New
York.

(5) Wines & Beers of Old New England: a How-to-do-it History.  pp. 65-66.
Brown.  1978.  University Press of New England,  Hanover, NH

Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 11:08:42 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Culinary A&S Entries

Mark Harris wrote:
> What is a "small" ale? I assume that is not referring to size of mug it is
> served in. :-)

A small ale is made from the second mashing of malt previously mashed
for ale or beer. It's akin to the slightly weaker second cup of tea when
you add hot water to your used tea bag. Later sources simply use fresh
malt in smaller quantities. I believe the name is derived from the fact
that a given amount of malt will make a proportionate quantity of ale,
and somewhat less (1/3-1/2 the amount) small ale. There's an excellent
description of the process in Gervase Markham's "The English Housewife",
which, while not a period source by conservative estimations (my own
included), describes a process that likely didn't change much between
the Middle Ages and advent of hops as a common ale ingredient in the
16th - 17th centuries.

Adamantius

From: "Nancy R. Mollette" <NRMOLL00 at UKCC.UKY.EDU>
To: Stefan <markh at risc.sps.mot.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 97 13:01:39 EDT
Subject: small ale

Small ale refers to the second, less strong use of malted barley in brewing...much in the manner of reusing a mundane teabag.

As the alcohol content and body were less than the first batch, it was also
called * table ale *, as it's best use was as a drink during meals when
getting intoxicated was not a desired goal.
                                           Anna of Dragonsmark

Date: Sat, 25 Oct 1997 14:02:51 -0400
From: Nick Sasso <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: SC - keg-brewed ale

> Philip & Susan Troy wrote:
> The level of fizziness, or the lack thereof, would be along the lines of
> a modern English bitter or mild: not totally flat, but distinctly less
>
> fizzy than American beers or Guinness, which is quite heady indeed. Bear
> in mind that these ales were formulated with that final effect in mind,
> which effect was originally achieved through keg-conditioning.
>
> Clarity, BTW, is a pretty modern brewer's judging criteria. A period
> brewer would have been more concerned with the flavor and mouth feel or
> gravity. See La Pensee's "A Historical Companion to House-Brewing" in
> lieu of a detailed rant from yours truly.

The use of kegs dates to early period western Europe as a method of
storing and serving brewed beverages due to its strength (glass in late
period was more expensive to send across the county on road than to
another country by boat due to breakage) and sealed quality.  Adimantius
was right on the nose about the comparison to English carbonation vs.
American standards.  The carbonation depended more on the activity level
in the yeast when racked to keg and bunged than the pourousness of the
wood.  Beers would often be drunk within a couple of weeks after kegging
due to spoilage possibility.  The loss of carbonation after tapping was
unavoidable.

I had a beer from a recipe out of a book on Elizabethan household chores
that greatly resembled a modern brewing recipe if not 10 fold in size
:o)  It had all the qualities of a modern cask conditioned ale and would
have been delightful had it not become infected.  The book referenced
above has good information.  Also look in books about daily life in
manors or castles for info on breweries and beers in period.

(I know this is not a middle ages brew)

niccolo

Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 20:56:14 -0500
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Mulling recipes

R. Trigg wrote, quoting someone or other...:
> > They are still used in Europe, particularly in England to heat beer served
> > in the pubs.
>
> ? Do you mean they are used to mull the beer? I ask because when I was in
> college all too many years ago, I spent some time in England and contrary
> to popular belief, their beer is *not* (automatically) served warm. Even
> the country pubs had chilled beer.

Chilled, yes, but not usually to the ice-cold temperature preferred by
Yanks. Ale has been heated for different types of washael bowls,
lambswool, etc, since the Dark Ages. A mulling iron is still
occasionally used for mulled stout, which is a slightly different
animal: basically it is heated by plunging a cherry-red hot poker in it,
heating it overall and caramelizing still further the sugars in the
stout (English stout is generally sweeter than Irish types), resulting
in a warm, foamy beverage of stout with overtones of toasted
marshmallow, if you can imagine such a thing. Pretty darned good on a
snowy evening, actually!

Adamantius

Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 08:10:07 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - alcohol content in beer

Yeldham, Caroline S wrote:
>         My understanding (and its my husband's subject, not mine) is
> that the great change occurs around the switch to glassware for serving
> beers.  When you were using horn or pewter (etc) the clarity of the beer
> was much less important.
>
>         Caroline

I'll go with that assessment. Someone's obviously been reading Clive La
Pensee's "Historical Companion to House-Brewing" ;  ) . I think it's in
the 13th century that we find record of an Oxford brewer being fined and
ordered by the magistrate (assize judge?) that he must let his beer
ferment, settle, and clear for _six_ hours or more. I'd say that would
suggest standards for clarity were different... . However, if you follow
the history (hah!) of the American Budweiser (as opposed to the real
Bohemian Pilsener of that name) you'll see how and why the standard of
total clarity reached new heights, pretty much everywhere beer was
produced in factories, during the Second World War.

Adamantius

Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 09:12:26 -0400
From: Nick Sasso <Njs at mccalla.com>
Subject: SC - Clarity of beer

Please do not labor under the misconception that beer was always
sour, murky and low quality before glass containers.  There are literary
references of clarity of the draught that precede glass drinking vessels.

The clarity of beer has LOTS to do with the protein content of the mash
and resultant brew.  It will also be effected by the presence of
infection.  Wheat beers will almost always be cloudy.  Usually part of
the style.  My conceptualization of the sources I have read is that
brewing techniques varied as did the grain bill of the various mashes.
With all the different grains and protein contents, who knows what
could and couldn't be done to clarify the beer.  They did use irish
moss ininglass as a fining in several cultures/times, which suggests
that clear beer was, indeed, a value that predates glass.

niccolo difrancesco

From: krossa at alumnae.mtholyoke.edu (Sharon Krossa)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Researching Brewing History???
Date: 4 Jan 1999 10:35:47 GMT

fuersty at aol.com (Sigeric of Rockhaven) wrote:
>I've been asked by my SCA group to do a presentation regarding Medieval
>Brewing.  I belong to a local homebrew club, so I know how to brew beer in
>todays world, but really know very little about brewing during the Medieval
>time frames. Have any of you brewers or scholars presented this type of
>infomation before, that you may have or could point me to a few good articles
>or web sites?  I have about a month to put this together, but I'd like to get
>started as soon as I can.

Are you interested in the physical process of brewing, the people who
brewed, or the regulation of brewing? (Or all three?)

If you're interested in the people and/or regulation, I can highly
recommend

Bennett, Judith M., _Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women's Work in a
Changing World, 1300-1600_ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996).

It is an enlightening discussion that covers the changes in the brewing
craft in England over that period (mainly from a widespread small scale
female dominated craft to a concentrated large scale male dominated craft,
to over-simplify things).

Unfortunately, I am not aware of any equivelant study for Scotland.

Eafric neyn Ken3ocht

Sharon Krossa, krossa at alumnae.mtholyoke.edu
Medieval Scotland web wite (including bibliography, names, & clothing):
<http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~his016/medievalscotland.html>

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 09:46:45 -0400
From: "Nick Sasso" <njs at mccalla.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Period Scottish Dessert

Yes On this one it the first recorded date is 1601, however I feel that this
is much older, as there are page fragments that appear to have the same
recipe on them, that appear to be of the same fiber content as the older
recipes.
However the older version appears to have been made with "barley wine"
I contacted my cousin in Edinburgh last night about it.  He said that the
copy, he had made of the older recipes(when my Mother-in-law was in Scotland
1993) used a word that would translate as "Home brew",
which usually meant a beverage made from fermented barley.

Lady Katherine McGuire

************************************************
m'Lady,

Barley wine is generally a fermented barley malt beverage that starts with a very high specific gravity, representing high sugar content of the wort.  The result is a high alcohol (up to 14%ish) and very malty & bittered beverage needing long aging times.  This leads to the term barley 'wine'.  It seems reasonable that the term could be translated as both 'home brew' and 'Barley Wine', depending on the brewing practices of specific households.

pacem et bonum,
niccolo difrancesco

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 08:31:21 -0600
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - malt

> Malt has been used back to Sumerian times and prolly before.  It is
> impossible to make beer or ale without it.
>
> Regards, Puck

Actually, you can brew without malt, consider tizwin (I think the spelling
is correct for the Apache popskull made from the simple fermentation of
maize).

Bear

Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 08:23:27 -0500
From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Spanish beer

And it came to pass on 26 Jan 00,, that Stefan li Rous wrote:
> Interesting. Do we know whether he is using the term "beer" to refer to
> all fermented beverages made from grain or perhaps only those that include
> hops?

The latter.  He says, "La cerveza es aqua cocida con trigo, cebada, 
avena y lupulos..."  which translates as "Beer is water cooked with 
wheat, barley, oats and hops..."  He goes on to say that there are two 
forms: with more hops and with fewer hops; the latter is healthier, in his 
opinion.

> I can see where wine might have been more common than beer/ale, even for
> the lower classes, in Spain than say in England, but to be little known?

The modern editor's note includes the info that Carlos V introduced beer 
into Spain, and brought his master brewer with him from Germany.

Personally, I don't touch the stuff.  But since there are doubtlessly beer-
drinkers on this list who should be advised of the health risks they are 
taking, and how to minimize them, I'll see about translating that chapter 
tonight.
 
Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 12:24:23 -0500
From: "Jeff Gedney" <JGedney at dictaphone.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Spanish beer

> The latter.  He says, "La cerveza es aqua cocida con trigo, cebada, 
> avena y lupulos..."  which translates as "Beer is water cooked with 
> wheat, barley, oats and hops..."  He goes on to say that there are two 
> forms: with more hops and with fewer hops; the latter is healthier, in his 
> opinion.

That matches up with the English usage of the period. "Beere" was usually 
a reference to "Flemish Beere" which was a standard indication that Hops
are a part of the recipe. The English Ale at the time was unhopped.
 
> I can see where wine might have been more common than beer/ale, even for
> the lower classes, in Spain than say in England but to be little known?

Spanish Ships of the period (1530) were provisioned with wine as a general 
beverage, So the notion that wine was the drink of the "common man", in 
Spain, is a valid assuption. Ale was the common drink in England. 
Both wine and beer/ale keep longer than water in storage, and also tend to 
remove many of the more common contaminants and microorganisms in 
the general water supplies, and so these were the basic beverages of period
IIRC.

Also interesting is that at the time that the book in question appears to 
have been written (1530), Spain and England were cautious allies against 
France (either was likely to turn on and attack the other, the resulting brouhaha would then be patched over by the Governments), and their Navies had 
regular communication in Spanish and West Indian Ports, as well as English
Ports. So it was quite likely that enough communication existed to make 
the cook of a well to do household aware the need to keep beer and ale
on hand for the entertainment of English (and German) nobles.

(FWIW, It was not until the Armada Years that there was an outright state
of war between the two, and even then there was a major diplomatic
initiative to patch up the affairs of the countries, to the point that both 
the Spanish and English Navies were regularly understaffed and poorly
supported with intelligence and supplies. The English admeral John Hawkins 
overcame the habit of Queen Elizabeth to start building a navy, and then 
withdrawing funding (at the request of the pro Spanish factions in her court), 
by making externsive use of conscripting merchant vessels, and licensing 
privateers.)

Brandu

Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 21:52:03 -0500
From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>
Subject: SC - Beer

Source: Luis Lobera de Avila, _Banquete de Nobles Caballeros_ 
(Spanish, 1530)
Translation: Brighid ni Chiarain (Robin Carroll-Mann)

Chapter XII
Of beer and of its properties and of its benefits and dangers

Beer is water cooked with wheat, barley, oats and hops; and of this 
there are two types: a heavy one, which is called double-beer 
[duplabiera]; the other is more delicate.  The heavy one is not as good 
as the delicate one.  The delicate one is of two types: one which does 
not contain much hops, and the other which has a lot.  The one which 
does not have much hops is the one which is in use.

To be good, beer must be composed of wheat, barley, oats and hops 
(which in Flanders is called "the beer herb"), and good water.  These 
grains must be good and not spoiled.  It must be thoroughly cooked and 
then well purified.  It must be clear and not turbid.  It must have been 
made some time ago, cleansed of the dregs and not acidic.

Beer made under these conditions is fresh and cold, although it creates 
gross humors in bodies, compared to wine.  The heavy beer makes 
gross humors; the delicate one, not as much.

Beer augments the forces and augments the flesh; it is of great 
sustenance, augments the blood, provokes urine, helps to produce 
stool, loosens the belly, especially if it contains a lot of hops; although 
with a lot of hops it endangers those who have a weak brain, as it 
inebriates them, and the inebriation lasts longer than that from wine.  
That which is not well cooked cools only slightly, and swells the belly.  
The acidic kind endangers the stomach; the turbid kind is obstructive, 
and it greatly endangers those who suffer from stones; it fattens, 
causes inflammation and shortness of breath and engenders much 
phlegm.  That which is from bad grains engenders bad humors, and the 
contrary: from good grains, good humors.  That which is ill-cooked 
causes windiness in the stomach and belly and twistings and colic, and 
does not digest easily.  That which is not aged and purified of its dregs 
and is very recent causes strangulation [of the bladder] and also causes 
the same dangers as beer that is not well cooked.  For that reason, 
whoever must drink beer, it should be good and at the beginning of the 
meal or supper; and see that it has the aforesaid properties, because 
they produce good effects.  And because in Spain there are many good 
wines and good water and there is little need of beer and it is not 
customary, I will not enlarge on this material.

It remains to speak of water, because many gentlemen and lords drink 
it, so I will speak of its selection and benefits.  And nevertheless, others 
make beer only from barley, very good and well cooked, and with hops.  
This would be more salutary and temperate and would be more 
deobstruent and medicinal.

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 22:55:25 -0500
From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Spanish beer

And it came to pass on 27 Jan 00,, that Jeff Gedney wrote:
> That matches up with the English usage of the period. "Beere" was usually
> a reference to "Flemish Beere" which was a standard indication that Hops
> are a part of the recipe. The English Ale at the time was unhopped.

As you can see from the chapter which I have translated and posted, 
hops are assumed to be an ingredient -- the only thing that varies is 
qunatity.
 
> Also interesting is that at the time that the book in question appears to
> have been written (1530), Spain and England were cautious allies against
> France (either was like to turn on and attack the other, the resulting
> brouhaha would then be patched over by the Governments), and their Navies
> had regular communication in Spanish and West Indian Ports, as well as
> English Ports. so it was quite likely that enough communication existed to
> make the cook of a well to do household aware the need to keep of beer and
> ale on hand for the entertainment of English (and German) nobles.
 
According to the (modern) preface, Carlos V introduced beer into Spain, 
and brought his master brewer with him.  The Emperor was a Hapsburg 
by birth, raised by an Austrian aunt, and ruled in the Netherlands before 
he ever set foot in Spain.
(http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/1/0,5716,22911+1,00.html) 

A strange new drink is much more likely to grow in popularity if it's the 
monarch's favorite tipple.

> Brandu

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2000 12:14:49 -0500
From: "Mary Mumley" <mtmumley at mindspring.com>
Subject: SC - Re Carlos V and Beer

I just want to clarify the history here.  The Reconquista was completed 
in 1492 by Isabella and Ferdinand.  Carlos V was the son of Juana la 
Loca and thus the grandson of Isabella and Ferdinand.  So the 
introduction of beer by Carlos V was a couple of generations after the 
end of the Reconquista.  Another poster has already pointed out that 
Carlos was not raised in Spain and so brought the tastes/customs of the 
other parts of the Holy Roman Empire.  I think some Spaniards would be 
disturbed to see this discussion be cast into an Al-Andalus vs. Castilla 
debate.   Spain is more than Castilla and Andalucia.  What about 
Cataluna, the Basque country and Galicia?  (Mmm, I still remember those 
lovely Rioja red wines and the to-die-for Galician seafood soup!)

   Alessandra di Firenze                                                                 
   Barony of Ponte Alto 

Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 10:08:27 -0600 
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - Spanish beer

> From:	Stefan li Rous [SMTP:stefan at texas.net]
> Bear commented:
> > Since the references Stefan quotes are at least late Reconquest, I would say
> > the Islamic prohibition does not apply.  This would also be early in the
> > spread of hopped brews, so the question of whether we are talking about all
> > brews or only hopped beers is very valid.  I would suggest that the Iberian
> > climate is probably not optimal for brewing without refrigeration, so that
> > wine might be the beverage of choice.
> 
> Interesting comment about the climate and brewing. I was thinking more of
> the fact that grapes grow much better in Spain than England when I made my
> comment. I have only brewed mead and not beer or wine. What is it that
> makes wine brewing more suited to Spain's climate than beer brewing? Do
> the wine yeasts prefer warmer weather than those typically used in beers
> and ales? I would have thought similar conditions were needed for beer
> or wine.

Grapes are more difficult to grow in England, but it can be done.  England
grew grapes and had a vintning industry until Eleanor of Aquitaine married
Henry II.  This allowed the less expensive French wines to supplant the
English wine industry, which never recovered.

Ales and beers tend to spoil quickly in warm weather.  German brewing was
done primarily in winter until the monks at Munich found they could brew
year round  and keep their barrelled brew longer in the cool caverns under
the monestary.  Wines, with their higher alcohol content, spoil less readily
than brews.  The Iberian climate is quite a bit warmer than northern Europe,
which means wines keep better than beer.  

Expense would also be a contributing factor.  Where grapes are cheap, wine
flourishes.

Bear

Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 22:00:21 +0200
From: Thomas Gloning <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>
Subject: SC - German Sp‰tzle & good ale (15thC)

<snip of spetzle info - see dumplings-msg -Stefan>

Now, this is a somewhat sceptic mail, I know. So here comes a small add
on about ale (15th century):

"   Bryng vs in good ale, and bryng vs in good ale!
    ffore owr blyssyd lady sak, bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no browne bred, for (th)at is mad of brane;
Nor bryng vs in no whyt bred, fore (th)erin is no game;
But bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no befe, for (th)er is many bonys;
But bryng vs in good ale, for (th)at goth downe at onys;
And bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no bacon, for (th)at is passyng fate;
But bryng vs in god ale, and gyfe vs inough of (th)at,
and bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no mutton, for (th)at is ofte lene;
Nor bryng vs in no trypys, for (th)ei be syldom clene,
But bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no capon flesch, for (th)at is ofte der;
Nor bryng vs in no dokes flesch, for (th)ei slober in (th)e mer,
But bryng vs in good ale!

Bryng vs in no eggys, for (th)er ar many schelles;
But bryng vs in good ale, and gyfe vs no(th)ing ellys,
And bryng vs in good ale!"
(Source: Rolf Kaiser, Medieval English, Berlin 1961, p. 478)

Thomas

Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 15:53:03 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Venison recipe request

> troy at asan.com  writes: 
> >  Thass okay, _not_ substituting for the Guinness would make it
> >  post-period anyway. I think, though, that what Balthazar meant was that
> >  he misunderstood the request, thinking it to be for a lamb recipe.
> >  
> >  Adamantius
> 
> Yep...thought it was all about the lamb.  And you're right, the Guinness 
> would place it, oh..about 100 or so years out of period.

Closer to 200+, I think. Porter seems to show up in around 1750, but the
double and triple stout porters like Guinness are later still, I
believe. At least the Guinness recipe in La Pensee's book on historical
ales is later, although not necessarily the earliest it gets. In
general, the idea of using malts kilned until neither zymurgically (is
that a word?) active nor fermentably sweet, as adjuncts, seems to be an
alien concept to period brewers. Markham includes a complete set of
instructions for an air-dried "white" malt in 1615, which I mention just
as a reference point. Of course, that still makes a light amber ale...

Adamantius

Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 11:28:38 -0400
From: "Jeff Gedney" <JGedney at dictaphone.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Small Beer?

> Is "small beer" a lighter, lower-alcohol version
> of what would have been drunk later in the day?  

Small beer, as I understand it, was made form the second sparge run from the 
mash. (Today it is made from a comparativly diluted wort.)
The process of getting fermentable sugar from grain, involved three steps,
Malting, mashing, and sparging.

Malting starts the sprouting process, to release the plants own enzymes that
converth the grain's starches into maltose and other sugars.

Mashing takes the Grain, crushes it, and adds heat and water to allow the 
natural enzymes to do a more complete job of converting the sugars than
would be possible otherwise.

Sparging ( lautering) is the process of running hot water through the mashed 
grain to rinse out the sugars.

The rinse water then is called "wort" and is used as the base to make the beer.
The sugars come out strongly at first, and as the process continues there 
is naturally less sugar in the grain, so the wort contains less sugar as you 
go along.

The first, strongest, runs take longer to brew, and make heavier and stronger 
ales or beers. After these are boiled and flavored with spices or hops, they are 
innoculated with yeast and put aside to ferment and age. The grain is 
washed again to get as much sugar as possible. this much weaker liquid
ferments and finishes quickly. (it is still boiled first, which is why it was so popular as a "common" beverage for all ages, because the natural yuckey 
stuff from the effluvia of the village upstream was killed in the boiling!)

So if a very diluted malt beer is made, usually put up the same day or soon 
after and drunk within a week, before the ferment really finishes. this results
in a lightly fizzy, and somewhat sweet drink. Kinda the "soda" of it's day.

> I have a recipe for a
> lemon-beer, three days, 10 lemons, some sugar, a package of baking yeast,
> water, and voila!, you have a fizzy lemon drink, not enough fermentation
> to have much alcohol (and just how much is another question, when does it
> cross that line and become too much to be used for our purposes) but just
> enough to be fizzy.  

Whoa!! invest in a better yeast, you'll taste a lot less yeast, and the finish 
will be crisper and more lemony. 
I've never like the results of using baking yeast in beverages... 
the results are usually cloudy and "bready"

"Premier Cuvee" is a good all purpose yeast I would recommend for this 
recipe. It keeps a long time in the fridge in active dry form, and it is widely 
available at local and on-line brew/wine shops, and is inexpensive.

> I don't think this is a period recipe, but it is a
> very simple, easy to make beverage.  

Nope not period at all. the use of sugar for fermentation was more likely
in sugar producing areas, such as East India, and was not common in 
Europe because it was rather expensive to blow it on making small beer 
for breakfast and thirst quenching during the day.  
It would be like making pure milkfed veal steaks every day for breakfast. 
Nice occasionally, but too expensive for every day.

Brandu

Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 00:17:15 +0200
From: "Cindy M. Renfrow" <cindy at thousandeggs.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Small Beer?

From: "Jeff Gedney" <JGedney at dictaphone.com
> Is "small beer" a lighter, lower-alcohol version

[OF SMALL BEER] - 1631
This recipe uses the malt and hops left over from the following recipe, and
was very likely originally part of that recipe.

Now for your second or small drink which are left upon the grains, you
shall suffer it there to stay but an hour or a little better and then drain
it off also; which done, put it into the lead with the former hops and boil
the other also, then clear it from the hops and cover it very close till
your first beer be tunned, and then as before put it also to barm and so
tun it up also in smaller vessels, and of this second beer you shall not
draw above one hogshead to three of the better.  Now there be divers other
ways and observations for the brewing of ordinary beer, but none so good,
so easy, so ready, and quickly performed as this before showed:  neither
will any beer last longer or ripen sooner, for it may be drunk at a
fortnight's age, and will last as long and lively. (From The English
Housewife, etc., by Gervase Markham, 1631, pp. 205-6.)

(OF BREWING ORDINARY BEER - 1631
Now for the brewing of ordinary beer, your malt being well ground and put
in your mash vat, and your liquor in your lead2 ready to boil, you shall
then by little and little with scoops or pails put the boiling liquor to
the malt, and then stir it even to the bottom exceedingly well together
(which is called the mashing of the malt) then, the liquor swimming in the
top, cover all over with more malt, and so let it stand an hour and more in
the mash vat, during which space you may if you please heat more liquor in
your lead for your second or small drink; this done, pluck up your mashing
strom, and let the first liquor run gently from the malt, either in a clean
trough or other vessels prepared for the purpose, and then stopping the
mash vat again, put the second liquor to the malt and stir it well
together; then your lead being emptied put your first liquor or wort
therein, and then to every quarter of malt put a pound and a half of the
best hops you can get, and boil them an hour together, till taking up a
dishful thereof you see the hops shrink into the bottom of the dish; this
done, put the wort through a straight sieve, which may drain the hops from
it, into your cooler, which, standing over the gyle vat, you shall in the
bottom thereof set a great bowl with your barm and some of the first wort
(before the hops come into it) mixed together, that it may rise therein,
and then let your wort drop or run gently into the dish with the barm which
stands in the gyle vat; and this you shall do the first day of your
brewing, letting your cooler drop all the night following, and some part of
the next morning, and as it droppeth if you find that a black scum or
mother riseth upon the barm, you shall with your hand
take it off and cast it away; then nothing being left in the cooler, and
the beer well risen, with your hand stir it about and so let it stand an
hour after, and then, beating it and the barm exceeding well together, tun
it up into the hogsheads being clean washed and scalded, and so let it
purge:  and herein you shall observe not to tun your vessels too full, for
fear thereby it purge too much of the barm away:  when it hath purged a day
and a night, you shall close up the bung holes with clay, and only for a
day or two after keep a vent-hole in it, and after close it up as close as
may be.)

Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu
cindy at thousandeggs.com
Author & Publisher of "Take a Thousand Eggs or More, A Collection of 15th
Century Recipes" and "A Sip Through Time, A Collection of Old Brewing
Recipes"
http://www.thousandeggs.com

Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2000 07:48:38 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Small Beer?.

Hey, here's a thought that I don't think anybody has mentioned in detail
yet. If you _really_ want to serve a perod ale at breakfast, you could
simply brew it on site. Work it into the event as a hands-on
teaching/research project. You could probably do it on, say, Friday
night in the case of one of the Meridien weekend-long events. Somewhere,
there's a record of a law on the books in Oxford (Cindy can doubtless
provide details) that says a brewer/tavern owner may not sell ale that
has not sat and settled for at least six hours prior to sale. This
suggests that the practice of selling new ale was probably pretty
widespread. What you'd be serving would be, essentially, unfermented
ale, with virtually no alcohol, but just the taste of the malt and any
flavorings you chose to add, which might or might not include hops.
Would it taste like Guinness Stout, Heineken, or my own favorite,
Chimay? No. Would it taste bad? No, because the only way it might suffer
is in comparison to certain modern beers and when modern criteria are
applied, which is clearly unfair. Not bad, just unlike a modern beer, as
anybody who's done any perod brewing knows. It actually tastes more than
a bit like sweetened, iced tea, especially when you cool your wort in an
oak vat. Would it have any alcohol? None to speak of. And it is a good
representation of a period beverage? Absolutely! 

Adamantius, Sometime Evil Period Brewer

Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 09:57:16 -0400
From: "Jeff Gedney" <JGedney at dictaphone.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Re: liqueurs

Stefan hath writ:
> It does appear to have been used more and more as
> the making of beer changed from a cottage industry to the first mass
> production factory based industry. Probably because of it;s perservative
> properties. This shift may have been helped along by the use of hops since
> it allowed larger batches to be made and sold before they went bad.

Well, to be more precise, the preservative qualities were the impetus for
mass production of beer (at least in England). "Flemish" (hopped) Beer was
produced in prodigious quantity for supplying the Tudor navy, since it kept 
much better (due to the Hops, and the pasteurizing effect of mashing and 
boiling the wort)  than water or any other drink. 
Wine was not a primary choice of the British sailor because it was deemed 
"foreign", and (if made in sufficent manner to survive in a heaving hot ship 
more than a couple of weeks) was in fact, rather too strong for thirst 
quenching (a happy sailor is one thing, depending on a drunk sailor is 
quite another)
A keg of fresh water would go brackish and slimey in a couple of weeks.
Beer could take months to go bad.
It is the adoption of beer as the basic beverage onboard ships that enabled
long ocean crossings, since water casks have to be refreshed every couple 
of weeks, and even with favorable winds, an Atlantic crossing was 24 days
or so in Drake's day.

"Flemished Beere" was produced by "state" breweries in such prodigious 
quantity in Portsmouth and other "navy" towns that the roads in certain 
areas were literally lined with casks of beer ready for the Channel fleet.

During the Armada campaign and afterward, the Navy paid a premium
to get this beer to the sailors who were regularly in short supply for want of 
sufficient transport. Things got so bad, at some points that the Navy 
essentially commandeered almost every fishing vessel on the East Anglian 
and Southern coasts capable of ferrying the half tun "pipes" out to the fleet.

An informative discussion of this can be found at the Mary Rose website.
Also Several books on the Armada campaign discuss the resupply woes
that the Channel fleet sufferred.
Check out the following books for more information:

"Founded upon the Seas : A Narrative of Some English Maritime 
and Overseas Enterprises During the Period 1550 to 1616" by 
Walter Oakeshott 

"Spain's Men of the Sea : Daily Life on the Indies Fleets in the 
Sixteenth Century" by Pablo E. Perez-Mallaina, 
Carla Rahn Phillips, Translator 

"The Voyages and works of John Davis, the navigator" by 
A.H. Markham 

"Discovery : Exploration through the Centuries" by Eric Flaum

"The Adventure of Sail" by Captain Donald Macintyre, RN

On side a note: "beere" was not necessarily hopped in period, and the 
term Flemished or flemish beer was used to denote beer made in the 
hopped fashion, since the English at first imported their navy beer from 
the flemings, because of the qualities of the hops that the flemish used.
They did not start making it themselves until it was clear that the 
imports were falling far short of what was needed by the fleet.
At that time several admirals got the state to finance the construction 
of or subsidize a number of brewies. This was achieved in very short 
order and the way the Navy started turning out ships, biscuit, and beer, 
going from a few ships a year to full production in only a couple of 
years was the "Manhattan Project" of the time.

It was not till after period that the term "beer" became synonymous with
the use of hops.

Brandu

Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 15:58:23 CEST
From: "Christina van Tets" <cjvt at hotmail.com>
Subject: SC - etymology of beer

According to my old linguistics lecturer, who was into brewing in his spare 
time (first academic I've ever heard of who had spare time), beer comes from 
the old Anglo-Germanic word for barley (bere) and ale comes from a Gothic 
word aluir, which meant to hallucinate.

Thomas can probably correct me on this, though.

Cairistiona

BTW, I was under the impression that hops came into England fairly late, but 
were used in the Low Countries for some time before that.  Are we being too 
Anglo-centric with our 'periodicity' here?

Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 03:11:03 +0200
From: Thomas Gloning <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>
Subject: Re: SC - etymology of beer

<< according to my old linguistics lecturer ... beer comes from 
the old Anglo-Germanic word for barley (bere) >>

According to Kluge/Seebold's "Etymologisches Wˆrterbuch" the etymology
of germ. "bier", engl. "beer", etc. is uncertain; basically there are
three explanations:
- -- the word is connected somehow to a root for "brauen", "brew"
- -- the word is connected with a germanic word for barley (_*bewwa-_)
- -- the word goes back to late latin _biber_ 'drink', also 'beer'

Thus, the barley-version is within the range of candidates, though
Seebold says: "Am wahrscheinlichsten ist ein Zusammenhang mit der Wurzel
f¸r _brauen_" 'Most likely is a connection to the root for _brauen_, to
brew'.

Among the references given is an article in this journal:
- -- Jahrbuch der Gesellschaft f¸r die Geschichte und Bibliographie des
Brauwesens e.V.
('Yearbook of the Society for the history and bibliography of brewing
...')

Thomas

Date: Tue, 03 Oct 2000 13:30:24 -0500
From: "Michael F. Gunter" <michael.gunter at fnc.fujitsu.com>
Subject: SC - non-member submission - Re: Concrete Midas Funerary Feast Information

UNIVERSITY RECREATES 2,700 YEAR-OLD BREW
University of Pennsylvania archaeologists have recreated an ancient
brew of the Phrygians, a recipe that dates back 2,700 years. The beer -
- - called "King Midas Golden Elixir" -- "tastes like hard cider and
sparkles like champagne" and is made by mixing fermented grape juice
and beer, honey mead, herbs and spices. The Phrygians lived about 2,700
years ago in what is now Turkey. In 1957 archaeologists discovered the
tomb of Midas, legendary king with "the golden touch," complete with
his skeleton. A leftover libation from his funeral feast was discovered
among the debris. Chemical analysis of the dregs in a leftover cup
found in the tomb led to the recipe used to brew the beer. Sam
Calagione of Dogfish Head brewery in Delaware helped the archaeological
team with the brewing. "I was scared out of my pants," said Calagione.
"There was no benchmark or precedent for this project -- anyone who'd
had a benchmark for this brew was long dead." He gathered the
ingredients from California, England, Italy and India, and made a test
batch.

I'm going to try to get ahold of the brewer for further information.
Ciao,
         -----Gille MacDhnouill

From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
To: "'sca-cooks at ansteorra.org'" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Reference to 'stale' ale.
Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 17:07:48 -0500

> Bitter ales, IIRC, are a fairly modern (post 1600's)
> invention.  This is not to say that earlier
> concoctions weren't bitter, merely suggesting that an
> *intentionally* bitter ale may not have existed in
> period.  At the same time, over pitching of yeast can
> cause a bitter flavor in beer, as can using, as
> Adamantius indicated, other bitter ingredients.
> However, most un-hopped and still ales would have been
> comparatively sweet, if I'm not mistaken.  Bear seems
> to know quite a bit about brewing history, so perhaps
> we should illicit his response?
>
> Balthazar of Blackmoor

There are a number of people who probably have a better grasp on the history
of brew than I.  On this list, I can think of Cindy Renfrow who has written
a book on the subject.  However, since you asked I'll impart what I have
gleaned.

The Assisa Cervisie (Assize of Beer, 1350) names both beer and ale and
suggests that they are made from barley, wheat or oats. It provides no
information about the brewing or what differentiates beer from ale.  The
documentation to which I have access dates from the 18th Century and it is
possible beer may not have been mentioned in the earliest forms of the law.

"... In 1282, when Robert Sibille the younger was presented at the court of
Kibworth Harcourt for selling his ale at too high a price, the stipulated
price left him little room for profit. Having paid 2s. for 4 bushels of malt
and required to sell 5 gallons of ale for 2d., he would have had to draw 60
gallons from his malt just to recoup his investment. His ale, in other
words, would have been very weak indeed and his profits very low."
[Bennett, p. 21]

This quote is interesting because it predates the Assize.  Under the Assize,
at this price for barley, Sibille would have been allowed to sell 3 gallons
of ale for 2d (if I understand the pricing scheme).  Apparently, because of
a commercial regulation earlier than the Assize, Sibille had to produce a
weaker ale.

A more normal recipe would make 60 gallons from a quarter (8 bushels) of
barley, as recorded in the household accounts of the Clare household around
1333.

According to some brewers who have experimented with this, the stronger ale
will be sweeter than the weaker ale.

The earliest use of hops in beer is supposedly found in Jewish writings
about their captivity in Babylon.  The first mention of its use in beer in
Europe occurs in the 13th Century.  Hopping appears to have started in the
Low Countries (possibly because it improved storing and transporting) and
moved into Germany and England.  In Germany, use of hops as an ingredient in
beer was written into the Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law) of 1516.  Hopping
appears to have come to England in the 15th Century, but not to have become
common before the 16th Century.

Gruits (flavorings) included marsh rosemary, sweet gale, bog myrtle, honey,
yarrow, coriander, ginger, aniseseed, juniper berries, cinnamon, etc.
Yeasting could be from wild sporing or from the dregs of a previous batch.

So as a judgement call, period ale could be anything from a sweet mellow
brew to a beverage requiring another few trips through the horse.  It would
probably be unhopped, but might be flavored.  A brew made for a noble house
would likely have better ingredients and more grain than one made by a
commercial brewer, thus having a sweeter more appealing taste.

Since I haven't chased down the primary references take the comments with a
grain of salt.

Bear

From: grizly at mindspring.com
Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 22:45:37 -0400
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: Re: [Sca-cooks] Reference to 'stale' ale.

> --- Philip & Susan Troy  wrote:
 . . . SNIP . . .  even if we don't know what it
> was), and the fact that there's no really strong
> reason to believe that the ale used in the recipe was even
>remotely bitter.

Bitter ales, IIRC, are a fairly modern (post 1600's)
invention.  This is not to say that earlier
concoctions weren't bitter, merely suggesting that an
*intentionally* bitter ale may not have existed in
period.  At the same time, over pitching of yeast can
cause a bitter flavor in beer, as can using, as
Adamantius indicated, other bitter ingredients.
However, most un-hopped and still ales would have been
comparatively sweet, if I'm not mistaken.  Bear seems
to know quite a bit about brewing history, so perhaps
we should illicit his response? > > > > > >

Actually, the gruits used prior to the hopping was expressly to
add bitterness.  Hops seem to have grown in popularity in 14thish
century on (depending on place) because they bittered AND made beer
last longer before going 'off'.  Unbittered beer is rather cloyingly
sweet in any quantity, though that doesn't mean that ales were heavily
bittered.  Ale and beers are broad categories for wide variety under
the headings.  As beers aged, without filtration to remove yeast,
they would have become drier as the yeast continued to feast on
available sugars.  That could be a clue to the quality of 'stale' ale.

Historical Companion to HouseBrewing gives the distinction in 14c.
England of Ales being gruit bittered whiles beers were hopped.  If
that can follow, then stale ale would have a lower sweetness due to
longer fermentation and _possibly_ lower bitterness due to no hops.
Certainly an herbed quality dependant on gruit composition that would
ass an additional character to the cooked soup.

pacem et bonum,
niccolo difrancesco

From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
To: "'sca-cooks at ansteorra.org'" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Reference to 'stale' ale.
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 08:45:03 -0500

> *Ales* are beers which use an ale yeast, and are
> brewed at warm temperatures, giving them a sweet,
> rich, somewhat floral flavor (particularly if they are
> hopped). <clipped>
>
> Balthazar of Blackmoor

IMS, there is a description of the Vandal ale pot in Pliny.  I know there is
a description of using ale barm to leaven bread.

I suspect the initial yeasting of such was by exposure to the air (as with
lambics) and that we wound up with ale yeasts because the brewers saved the
dregs of good batches of ale to start the next.  This raises the question as
to when period brewers used open cooling of the wort and when they
inoculated the wort.

As for the words beer and ale, they appear in Old English as "beor" and
"alu" (or "ealu").  I haven't found any references for the derivation of
ale, but beer may come from the Latin "bibere," "to drink."  I also haven't
found a solid definition of precisely what was meant by either word in Old
English.  I suspect the fine distinctions began when the Germans started
producing lighter tasting malt beverages around the 13th Century and the
technical differentiation between ale as top fermenting and beer as bottom
fermenting probably dates from the same time.

Bear

Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 09:50:55 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Pixel, Queen of Cats" <pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com>
To: SCA-Cooks maillist <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] more on drinking water in the Middle Ages

On Thu, 24 May 2001, Mark.S Harris wrote:
> Margaret said:
> > For that matter, I have at least one reference to people in poverty (or
> > austerity, which is not the same thing) drinking water instead of ale. I
> > can check when I get home for the exact citation, if anyone is interested.
>
> Please do. I'd love to have more useful info, preferable with
> references.

>   Stefan li Rous

The water citation(s), from Dyer again:

p93, discussing poverty "Stories of shocking poverty were told,..., of
nuns reduced to drinking water because their house could not afford
ale,..."

p153, discussign peasant circumstances "Better-off peasants recieved malt,
showing that they were expected to drink ale regularly."

and

p154 "Beatrice atte Lane, who was surrendering 24 acres, was promised 1
1/2 quarters of maslin, and 1 1/2 quarters of drage, sufficient for an
ample diet of bread and ale, while a smallholder with 4 1/2 acres, Sara
Bateman, received a quarter of maslin and 4 bushels of barley, the
ingredients of a menu of bread and pottage, accompanied mostly by water."

Citations are from
Dyer, Christopher. Standards of Living in the Later Middle Ages: Social
Change in England c. 1200-1520. Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Fascinating book if you, like me, think that sort of info is neat.

Margaret FitzWilliam

Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 10:56:21 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Pixel, Queen of Cats" <pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com>
To: "'sca-cooks at ansteorra.org'" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] more on drinking water in the Middle Ages

On Fri, 25 May 2001, Decker, Terry D. wrote:
> Does Dyer provide a glossary?  I believe the term drage probably equates to
> dredge, which is a mixture of oats and barley.
>
> Bear

No, he doesn't have a glossary, but he's pretty good at defining his terms
in situ. P 57, he defines drage as "made from a mixture of barley and
oats". Maslin is defined earlier on the page, FWIW.

Margaret

Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 16:11:41 +0200
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
From: "Cindy M. Renfrow" <cindy at thousandeggs.com>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Beer from unsafe water?

Herre is the recipe from Harrison.  The word 'kettle' is not used.

BEER - 1577
	"Nevertheless," he says, "sith I have taken occasion to speake of
bruing, I will exemplifie in such a proportion as I am best skilled in,
bicause it is the usuall rate for mine owne familie, and once in a moneth
practised by my wife and hir maid servants, who proceed withall after this
maner, as she hath oft informed me.

	  Having therefore groond eight bushels of good malt upon our
querne, where the toll is saved,3 she addeth unto it half a bushel of wheat
meale, and so much of otes small groond, and so tempereth or mixeth them
with the malt, that you cannot easily discerne the one from the other,
otherwise these later would clunter, fall into lumps, and thereby become
unprofitable.  The first liquor which is full eightie gallons according to
the proportion of our furnace, she maketh boiling hot, and then powreth it
softlie into the malt, where it resteth (but without stirring) untill hir
second liquor be almost ready to boile.  This doone she letteth hir mash
run till the malt be left without liquor, or at the leastwise the greater
part of the moisture, which she perceiveth by the staie and softe issue
thereof, and by this time hir second liquor in the furnace is ready to
seeth, which is put also to the malt as the first woort also againe into
the furnace, whereunto she addeth two pounds of the best English hops, and
so letteth them seeth together by the
space of two hours in summer, or an houre and a halfe in winter, whereby it
getteth an excellent colour and continuance without impeachment, or anie
superfluous tartnesse.    But before she putteth her first woort into the
furnace, or mingleth it with the hops, she taketh out a vessel full, of
eight or nine gallons, which she shutteth up close, and suffereth no aire
to come into it till it become yellow, and this she reserveth by it selfe
unto further use, as shall appeare hereafter, calling it Brackwoort or
Charwoort, and as she saith it addeth also to the colour of the drinke,
whereby it yeeldeth not unto amber or fine gold in hew unto the eie.    By
this time also hir second woort is let runne, and the first being taken out
of the furnace and placed to coole, she returneth the middle woort into the
furnace, where it is striken over, or from whence it is taken againe.

	"When she hath mashed also the last liquor (and set the second to
coole by the first) she letteth it runne and then seetheth it againe with a
pound and a half of new hops or peradventure two pounds as she seeth cause
by the goodness or baseness of the hops; and when it hath sodden in summer
two hours, and in winter an houre and a halfe, she striketh it also and
reserveth it unto mixture with the rest when time doth serve therefore.
Finallie when she setteth hir drinke together, she addeth to hir
brackwoort1 or charwoort halfe an ounce of arras2 and halfe a quarterne of
an ounce of baiberries finelie powdered, and then putteth the same into hir
woort with an handful of wheate floure, she proceedeth in such usuall order
as common bruing requireth.  Some in steed of arras and baies add so much
long peper onely, but in hir opinion and my lyking it is not so good as the
first,  and hereof we make three hoggesheads of good beere, such (I meane)
as is meet for poore men as am I to live withall whose small maintenance
(for what great thing is fortie pounds a yeare computatis computandis, able
to performe?) may indure no deeper cut, the charges whereof groweth in this
manner.

	I value my malt at ten shillings, my wood at foure shillings which
I buie, my hops at twenty pence, the spice at two pence, servants wages two
shillings sixpence, both meat and drinke, and the wearing of my vessell at
twentie pence, so that for my twenty shillings I have ten score gallons of
beer or more, notwithstanding the loss in seething.  The continuance of the
drinke is always determined after the quantitie of the hops, so that being
well hopped it lasteth longer.  For it feedeth upon the hop and holdeth out
so long as the force of the same endureth which being extinguished the
drinke must be spent or else it dieth and becometh of no value.
(From The Description of England, by William Harrison, 1577.  This recipe
is cited in many sources, but the spelling and punctuation vary.

Cindy

From: "Hrolf Douglasson" <Hrolf at btinternet.com>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: indigo [was Re: [Sca-cooks] Puritans, was: Canadian Friends]
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 22:54:33 +0100

> What some people believed made berserkers go
>  berserk is toadstool mushrooms (the variety that's
>  red with white spots). I'm not really sold on the
>  idea, though I can see some of them doing this.

bog myrtle flavoured beer produces some wonderful effects on warriors and is
authentic to the ORIGINAL berserkers.
they know the Vikingar used it and it is an hallucinogenic

vara

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 14:06:02 -0400
From: Elizabeth A Heckert <spynnere at juno.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: [Sca-cooks]Bog myrtle beer, was: Puritans, was: Canadian Friends]

On Tue, 09 Oct 2001 15:42:04 +0000 "Olwen the Odd" <olwentheodd at hotmail.com> writes:
>Recipe please.

      Olwen,
       Ann Hagen says that bog myrtle was the 'wort' for some groups of
people (including the Vikings) before hops were used.  I have a bad
enough reaction to alcohol that I don't drink it; all my info is theory
only and fairly confusing to me without taste to associate with it.

       Elizabeth

From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
To: "'sca-cooks at ansteorra.org'" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: RE: indigo [was Re: [Sca-cooks] Puritans, was: Canadian Friends]
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 10:53:02 -0500

Try looking for "Gale Beer."  Just for fun, here's a couple pages about bog
myrtle:
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/g/galswe03.html
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/g2603/0000/2603000015/p1/article.jhtml

Bear

Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2006 09:49:01 -0400
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius"
	<adamantius.magister at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beer
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

On Sep 1, 2006, at 9:19 AM, Cat Dancer wrote:
> To wrench this back to something resembling on-topic, are lambics even
> remotely period?

According to this,
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pvosta/pcrbier1.htm

yes, if possibly somewhat late in period (earliest known written
reference is 16th century, and describes the process as being from an
old recipe).

Certainly soured wheat beers and lightly hopped ales flavored with
spices and fruits, are. An early post-period, non-Belgian example I'm
particularly fond of is the Giulielma Penn recipe for apple beer,
which is a hopped ale made using apple juice instead of water, for
mashing one's barley malt, then hopped and fermented like any other
ale. Which is different from lambic, but still...

Adamantius

Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 09:57:37 -0400
From: "grizly" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beer
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

-----Original Message-----
>>>> To wrench this back to something resembling on-topic, are lambics
even remotely period?<<SNIP>>

While I cannot document the existance of the word "Lambic" as a style or the
prevalence of the consumption of the liquid, lambic is a beer that has been
innoculated by wild yeast cultures and bacteria to give it the chracteristic
tartness.

TRADITIONALLY:  Krieks  are cherry flavored lambics; framboise is raspberry
flavored lambic.  It is painfully simple to create such a beverage, and the
Belgian breweries have used open fermentation vats for centuries.  It is
more than likely that the beers have been soured by the yeast/bacteria as a
matter of course for that particular region, and the natural flora have
varied over time.  The wild yeast/bacteria today are very possibly (maybe
probably) not the exact same as were present in 1500's.

niccolo difrancesco

Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2006 11:00:43 -0400
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius"
	<adamantius.magister at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beer
To: grizly at mindspring.com, Cooks within the SCA
	<sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

On Sep 1, 2006, at 9:57 AM, grizly wrote:
> spices and fruits, are. An early post-period, non-Belgian example I'm
> particularly fond of is the Giulielma Penn recipe for apple beer,
> which is a hopped ale made using apple juice instead of water, for
> mashing one's barley malt, then hopped and fermented like any other
> ale. Which is different from lambic, but still...
>
> Adamantius> > > >
>
> Hey boss, you got a reference for that post-period dealy?  Apple
> and barley could be scrumptious in beer.
>
> niccolo difrancesco
> (gonna teach the local townies how to make beer soon!)

Obviously, I now can't find it, but it's in a book called "Penn
Family Recipes", and was apparently the receipt book of one of his
wives, and dated, as I recall, 1694. Here, I clipped this from a
webbed article referring to the good Giulielma's recipe for oatcakes:

Benson, Evelyn Abraham, ed. -- Penn Family Recipes ?Evelyn Abraham
Benson 1966. Pub. George Schumway, York, PA 1966

Unfortunately, what I'm lacking is the actual recipe (if I can find
the book I'll post it), but again, as I recall, it is a quite typical
ale recipe: heat liquor, pour over ground malt, mash, drain and
reserve wort, boil with hops, strain, cool, pitch yeast, etc. The
only difference being that the liquor in this case is apple juice
instead of water.

Good stuff!

Adamantius

Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 20:21:34 -0400
From: "Daniel  Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks]  beer
To: <sca-cooks at Ansteorra.org>

> Was written:
>>  Hey boss, you got a reference for that post-period dealy?  Apple
>> and barley could be scrumptious in beer.
>>
>> niccolo difrancesco
>> (gonna teach the local townies how to make beer soon!)
>
> Obviously, I now can't find it, but it's in a book called "Penn
> Family Recipes", and was apparently the receipt book of one of his
> wives, and dated, as I recall, 1694. Here, I clipped this from a
> webbed article referring to the good Giulielma's recipe for oatcakes:
>
> Benson, Evelyn Abraham, ed. -- Penn Family Recipes ?Evelyn Abraham
> Benson 1966. Pub. George Schumway, York, PA 1966
>
> Unfortunately, what I'm lacking is the actual recipe (if I can find
> the book I'll post it), but again, as I recall, it is a quite typical
> ale recipe: heat liquor, pour over ground malt, mash, drain and
> reserve wort, boil with hops, strain, cool, pitch yeast, etc. The
> only difference being that the liquor in this case is apple juice
> instead of water.

stamp apels and strain them as usuly for Cyder
then take the Liquor and warm it
and put it upon the malt,
then when it is Com throu boyle it,
and then worke it Like other bere,
when it is put into vesells put 3 pound of hard suger
in to the quantaty of an hogsheed,
a few hops should bee boyled in it-

Daniel

From: jk <klessig at cox.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Beer
Date: Sat, 09 Sep 2006 10:51:50 -0700

Georg <thegeorg at stny.rr.com> wrote:
>Rye is the other grain that jumps to mind because it's a proper grain 
>that can probably be malted like wheat or barley. However, I don't know 
>off the top of my head any place where one can buy malted rye, and it 
>certainly will not be available in malt extract form. If your friend (or 

Actually that is incorrect. A few years ago while at a client's site
(a food processor), while waiting for my contact, I was reading one of
his trade magazines, and in there was an ad for among other things
malted rye extract.   They did however want to sell only in multi
barrels lots. So,  it IS out there.

jk

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Beer
From: Robert Uhl <eadmund42 at NOSPAMgmail.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 09:19:21 -0600

Georg <thegeorg at stny.rr.com> writes:
> Rye is the other grain that jumps to mind because it's a proper grain
> that can probably be malted like wheat or barley. However, I don't know
> off the top of my head any place where one can buy malted rye, and it
> certainly will not be available in malt extract form.

Actually, a Google search for "rye malt extract" will turn up a few
results.  The homebrew hobby is great these days!

But it appears that rye triggers gluten issues too.  A 100% rye-based
beer would be...interesting...in flavour, anyway.

I think that buckwheat is gluten free.  You could possibly make a
drinkable beer from sorghum & buckwheat malts with some sugar added.
It'd probably not win any awards, but given a choice between never
drinking water or wine and drinking such a brew, I know which I'd
choose.
-- 
Guthlac of Caerthe <http://public.xdi.org/=ruhl>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Beer
From: Robert Uhl <eadmund42 at NOSPAMgmail.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 09:12:14 -0600

"AK&DStrohl" <strohls at enter.net> writes:
> Today, as I left work, I overheard a conversation about not being able to 
> get any beer made _without_ barley or wheat.  Apparently the guy saying it 
> is allergic to both grains.  He was talking to another person about making 
> beer with rice or other grains. This person suggested  checking out 
> microbreweries for them.
> And I thought here is a question for the SCA group.

Beer brewed from sorghum is commercially available.  Some homebrewers
are playing with sorghum, millet and spelt (although I can't remember
off-hand if spelt or millet trigger gluten reactions).  The Homebrewer's
Digest <http://www.hbd.org/> has had some threads on it.

> I know there is a lot of information available about brewing your own
> beer.

If you don't know how to brew at all, be aware that there is a learning
curve.  It's pretty easy, but it's there.  Also, brewing only from
grains (called all-grain, it's what one would need to do in order to
brew without wheat or barley) is typically considered an advanced topic,
although for millennia it was the _only_ way to brew beer.  It's not
that difficult: you add hot water to grain in quantities & at a
temperature sufficient to effect a certain final temperature, then let
it sit for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half; then you strain the now
sweet liquid (called wort) from the spent grain; then you boil the wort
with hops for a period of time; then you cool the wort to pitching
temperature; following that you rack (transfer) the wort in a
fermentation vessel (on the homebrew scale, this is typically a 5
gal. glass carboy); finally you pitch the yeast and slap on an airlock.
After a week primary fermentation is done; then you let it mature for
another week, possibly in a second container; then you bottle or keg it
up and wait another week for carbonation to complete.  Three weeks after
brew day you're drinking your very own beer!

The standard homebrew batch size is 5 gallons; this is 48 bottles of
beer or one Cornelius (soda) keg.

It's a fun hobby, one I recommend to everyone.  I've been brewing since
I was 16 (my mother bought me a kit for Christmas that year), and I love
it.
-- 
Guthlac of Caerthe <http://public.xdi.org/=ruhl>

Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 10:10:56 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] The English and Warm Beer
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

While looking for something on barley water, I came across
this title --

Warm beere, or, A treatise wherein is declared by many reasons that
beere so qualified is farre more wholsome then that which is drunke cold
with a confutation of such objections that are made against it,
published for the preservation of health.
Publication Info: Cambridge : Printed by R.D. for Henry Overton, and are
to be sold at his shop ..., 1641.

This may answer that age old question as to why the English drink their
beer warm.

Johnna

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:04:48 -0700
From: Dragon <dragon at crimson-dragon.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] brewing
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Betsy Marshall did speak thusly:
The joy of Homebrewing  by Charles Papazian has all you'll ever need to
know- I recommend starting with one of the used volumes

http://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-Joy-Home-Brewing/dp/0380763664
---------------- End original message. ---------------------

As popular as that book is, it is not a very good reference for 
making GOOD beer.

His methods and recipes are workable, sometimes even palatable, but 
they are not GOOD.

One of my biggest bones to pick with his stuff (and mind you it has 
been a while since I last read it) is that he never talks about 
proper quantities of yeast to use. His recommendations on how much 
yeast to use are far below what professional brewers use and it shows 
in the results. Slow fermentations and off-flavors are to be expected 
with such small quantities of yeast.

To put it in perspective, he recommends using dry yeast as is without 
creating a starter or pitching the amount of yeast you get from a 
smack-pack. This very often results in DAYS of no indication of 
fermentation. A more effective strategy (and one that produces better 
beer) is to use a far greater volume of yeast. For a typical 6 gallon 
batch, I would pitch a full quart of active yeast slurry which I had 
grown into a starter of sufficient volume over the week or so before 
I brewed. My fermentations were active within an hour or so and done 
in about a third the time they took following the recommendations 
given by Papazian.

I also vehemently disagree with his recommendation to use champagne 
yeast for fermenting meads. That strain of yeast ferments things bone 
dry and leaves a nasty taste (IMO). There are much better yeasts to use.

Steeping grains in a grain bag is a bad process he recommends for 
augmenting the flavors of extract brews. These grains should be 
mashed at an appropriate starch conversion temperature, not allowed 
to steep at the temperatures he recommends (close to boiling). Then 
they should be properly sparged. Following his method leaches a lot 
of tannins into the wort, this is not good because it changes the 
flavor in an undesirable way and adds to the formation of sediment in 
the beer. I'm also not a big fan of extract brews in general, you 
simply can't make certain types of beer with extract and even when 
you can, the process of extracting all the water from it to make a 
syrup both darkens it and changes the flavor profile leaving it with 
a canned, cooked taste.

I am sure I could criticize a lot more items if I went back and 
re-read his book again, but I am far beyond that level. I learned a 
lot from professional brewers and Chris White (of White Labs, a yeast 
supplier to the brewing industry) back when I was actively brewing.

One of these days I'll get back into it and I really ought to write 
the book that should replace that one.

Dragon

Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:59:21 -0400
From: "Nick Sasso" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] brewing
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

-----Original Message-----
As popular as that book is, it is not a very good reference for
making GOOD beer.

His methods and recipes are workable, sometimes even palatable, but
they are not GOOD. . . . . . . .  < < <SNIP> > >

I am sure I could criticize a lot more items if I went back and
re-read his book again, but I am far beyond that level. I learned a
lot from professional brewers and Chris White (of White Labs, a yeast
supplier to the brewing industry) back when I was actively brewing.

One of these days I'll get back into it and I really ought to write
the book that should replace that one.

Dragon > > > > > > >

Be sure that you are writing a book for people that are neophytic and have
little to no desire to move beyond the most basic skill levels.  Your
criticisms are sometimes accurate and sometimes unfair.  "Uncle Charlie"
wrote a book based on the very early homebrewing efforts he, his wife and
friends made in the late 70's (IIRC).  His was the first and only widely
published and distributed guide (for years) with step by step instructions.
He wrote his first edition at a time when it was patently illegal in many
the states to brew beer in the home.  Technology, equipment, materials and
information resources have far outpaced what was available when he first
published . . . doesn't change the initial usefulness of the book for
unskilled and ignorant would-be brewers.

Sure, the guy did not write the definitive guide to creating commercial
grade beverages in you basement with a burlap sack and an old bucket.  What
he does have is a very conversant treatment of the subject that gets people
in the door and provides enough variety of method and recipe to keep the
basic entry-level brewer interested.  Not unlike some of the first cookery
books many of us bought to use in becoming historical cook type people.

niccolo difrancesco
(started with that book . . . moved beyond it quickly . . . and still come
back to it)

Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:04:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Louise Smithson <helewyse at yahoo.com>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org, SCA-AuthenticCooks at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Sca-cooks] More german cookery and brewing books

In the collection of the Bavarian State library: 
These are all at: http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/ausgaben/uni_ausgabe.html?projekt=1174066449

All downloadable as a PDF, and more interesting all of them have recipes for the cellar (i.e. beer) recipes too.  
Now I haven't looked at them yet, so I don't know if they are all just reprints of one another or if there are unique and additional recipes in each of them.
Helewyse

Koch- und Kellerey von allen Speisen. - Franckfurt am Meyn, 1544
Signatur: Res/4 Oecon. 209
[2008-08-05]
URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb00025628-3

Koch- und Kellerey von allen Speisen. - Franckfurt am Meyn, 1537
Signatur: 4 Oecon. 208
[2009-01-29]
URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb00027277-4

Kocherey und Kellermeisterey von allen Speisen und Getrenken. - Frankfurt a. M., 1557
Signatur: 4 A.gr.c. 35
[2008-04-25]
URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb00015958-7

Kocherey von allen Speisen unnd Getrenken. - Stra?burg, 1581
Signatur: Oecon. 1004
[2009-01-19]
URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb00034005-6

Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:11:53 +0000
From: Holly Stockley <hollyvandenberg at hotmail.com>
To: <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Interesting article on the female origins of
	beer

If you've got some interest in the topic, there's a recent thesis you could go looking for, as well.  It's likely in Dutch, but there may be an English translation available as well.   Here's the info from the Defense:
Date and Time: 18-11-2009 16:15 
Location: Academy Building, 29 Cathedral Square, Utrecht 
Researcher: Marjolein van Decks 
Faculty : Faculty of Humanities 
Thesis: Brewing, fires and serve. Working women in the Dutch beverage industry, 1500-1800 
Supervisor 1: Prof. dr. AF Heerma of Voss

Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:26:32 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Interesting article on the female origins of
	beer

The classic volume and very available one is
Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women's Work in a Changing World,  
1300-1600 By Judith M. BennettPaperback: 280 pages Publisher: Oxford  
University Press, USA (April 22, 1999)

Amazon carries it.

There's also Pamela Sambrook's Country House Brewing in England,  
1500-1900

Johnnae

On Mar 30, 2010, at 4:11 PM, Holly Stockley wrote:
<<< If you've got some interest in the topic, there's a recent thesis  
you could go looking for, as well.  It's likely in Dutch, but there  
may be an English translation available as well.   Here's the info  
from the Defense:
Date and Time: 18-11-2009 16:15
Location: Academy Building, 29 Cathedral Square, Utrecht
Researcher: Marjolein van Decks
Faculty : Faculty of Humanities
Thesis: Brewing, fires and serve. Working women in the Dutch  
beverage industry, 1500-1800
Supervisor 1: Prof. dr. AF Heerma of Voss >>>

Date: Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:32:40 -0700
From: "Laura C. Minnick" <lcm at jeffnet.org>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Ginger Beer?

On 6/5/2011 8:14 AM, David Walddon wrote:
<<< I am making some light "beer" like recipes today for the summer season.
I have a lemon rasion recipe and a cherry "wine" recipe from  Digby.
Does anyone know if there is a ginger beer type recipe from period?
Eduardo >>>

Digby's 'Weak Honey Drink' (Small Mead) is in Cariadoc's _Miscellany_ 
(http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/drinks.html#1 ) is very like 
ginger beer- more so if you increase the ginger in the recipe. Give it a 
try! It comes out at about 3% alcohol, is very light and refreshing.

Liutgard

Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2011 22:17:45 -0700
From: David Friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Ginger Beer?

<<< I am making some light "beer" like recipes today for the summer season.
I have a lemon rasion recipe and a cherry "wine" recipe from  Digby.
Does anyone know if there is a ginger beer type recipe from period?
Eduardo >>>

I don't know what would count as "ginger beer type." Digby's Weak 
Honey Drink, which we prefer to call small mead, is a lightly 
fermented drink flavored mainly with ginger.
-- 
David/Cariadoc
www.daviddfriedman.com

Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:40:01 -0400
From: David Chessler <chessler at usa.net>
To: "atlantia at atlantia.sca.org" <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>,
	sca-east at mail.indra.com
Cc: ebpayne at yahoo.com, patches023 at verizon.net, storvik at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [MR] An illustrated history of English beer

An illustrated history of English beer

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatpicturegalleries/8764910/An-illustrated-history-of-English-beer.html
Hop-pickers in Kent, 190T
 Forget being a nation of tea-drinkers.  There's 
nothing the English like more than a pint of beer.

Fifteen photos with long captions. Only the first 
5 or so pertain to our period, but the rest are 
interesting, and some may be useful to the brewers among us.  

Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 16:40:00 -0600
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Boiling wort was Re: Stefan's Florilegium files
	for	November

<<< Along those lines was the wort boiled in period before yeast were added
when making ale or beers?
Any evidence either way?

Magnus >>>

Open question about boiling the wort a second time after the mashing. 
Mashing has used boiling or near boiling water since the time of the 
Sumerians (reference The Hymn to Ninkasi), but boiling wort doesn't seem to 
happen before 1600.

Why don't you try these two pages to get started.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pwp/tofi/liz_brewing.html
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pwp/tofi/medieval_english_ale.html

You might also find Cindy Renfrow's website useful, 
http://www.thousandeggs.com/links.html#Beer%20Links

To really find out when it starts, you probably need to reference 18th and 
19th Century brewing texts until you find a starting date, then compare 
comments of quality and spoilage of beer and ale over time.

Bear

<the end>