How Did The Brewer Of Olde Pull It Off?

[big78sam]

http://www.re-enactmentevents.com/DarkAge/...ngBeginning.php

 

[stux]

SWMBO has a book on Medieval Ale/Beer etc.

edit: found the link http://www.thousandeggs.com/sip.html

Ale was beer without hops...

One of the earliest "recipes", ie a method... is basically an infusion mash.

So you boil up a whole bunch of water, then you add x amount of boiling water to a certain amount of grain... then you run off the first runnings, add some more, second runnings, do again, third runnings.

then you boil that up

add some hops

then let cool, and wait for it to turn into beer. (or perhaps add some good beer from last time )

Big Boiling Pots were standard equipment

The recipe gives two different ratios of water/time etc depending on if its summer or winter brewing.

 

[beerbrewer76543]

Some quick calcs:

Strike water 36*C (blood temp)
Mash settles at 31*C (assumed 5*C drop)
Decoct 25%, boil and add back to mash, mash settles at 48*C
Decoct 25%, boil and add back to mash, mash settles at 61*C
Decoct 25%, boil and add back to mash, mash settles at 70*C
Decoct 25%, boil and add back to mash, mash settles at 78*C

So if you knew your volumes you could probably get a pretty consistent mashing regime without a thermometer...

edit: ignoring heat capacity of grains and mash tun

 

[Yob]

found those piccies, 17 century

so aparently the Campbells did something other than slaughter babies <_<

(No offence intended to modern day Campbells intended)

 

[Feldon]

Found this description of ancient brewing at: http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/archive/tcaw...2chemchron.html

"Preparation of beer in ancient times was similar to brewing procedures used today... First, a grain, typically barley or emmer (an early type of wheat), was malted. The grain was dampened with water and allowed to germinate. Natural enzymes converted some of the starches into fermentable sugars and the resulting malt was heated to dry it. Frequently, the dried malt was formed into small, lightly baked loaves. When a batch of fresh beer was to be brewed, these beer breads would be crumbled, mixed with cereals, and soaked in water. This mash was allowed to fermenta process dependent on wild yeast spores or other microorganisms carried on the wind or already present on the grain husks. After fermentation, a liquid containing between 6 and 12% alcohol could be filtered from the mash. Laborers and peasants often used hollow reeds to suck the liquid out of unfiltered mash.
Just how this concoction tasted can only be surmised. It likely had little resemblance to the refreshing beverage found today in a tavern mug or six-pack. It probably had some sweetness from unfermented sugars, but was frequently flavored with herbs, spices, dates or other fruits, or mixed with mead, a beverage fermented from honey. The Sumerians made about 20 different types of beer; the Egyptians at least 6. Ancient texts reveal the lyrical names given to the beverages: joy-bringer, heavenly, and beautiful-good."

 

[fawnroux]

found those piccies, 17 century

Man, what is a worm? Is that an old school heat exchanger??

I googled worm and brewing, but all I got were recipes for worm tea!! :blink:

 

[mh971]

Mash temperatures - blood temperature equals feelingnneither hot nor cold when you stick a finger in. Mash into blood temp water, take 1/3rd of the volume and decoct it - protien rest, take one third and decoct it - sacch rest, take one third and decoct it, dextrin rest. Done. Much the same can be done with boiling water additions.

Lauter - at its simplest, a barrel/drum/trough with holes or slats in the bottom and lined with straw, grass, reeds or as nick points out, coarsley woven cloth. Or if you are talking really old beers - not at all, you ferment with all the chunks in there.
....
...

You make it sound so simple, makes me want want to do one of those as an exercise with no temperature measurments. What type of water to grain ratio is your 1/3rd vol reference relating to Thisrty Boy.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Its a third of the entire mash volume - but you take a portion that is more "solid" than liquid. I know a few guys that do decoctions nowadays, use a big seive to scoop out the portion they are going to boil, you dont let it drain completely or anything, just using the seive as your scoop and going for the bottom of the tun will get you the right level of stuff... You might even have to add little liquid back.

The point about L:G ratio is probably a good one. Decoction brewers frequently use quite high L:G ratios up in the 3-4:1 range. If you used lower, then you'd probably go for more like the 25% of the mash someone mentioned.

Repeat for a lifetime and pass the methods down to your children - and that'll work the glitches out of the techniques quite nicely.

 

[Strange Brew]

i though the rule of thumb was when it was almost the same temp as blood it was good to pitch yeast or stir it with the rod of bubbling not to be confused with the other rod

And that would be the joke. Remember to look for this symbol: