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Gruit and Unhopped
Ales
Compiled by Nathi O'Peatain with permission from posts made to the hist-brewing mailing list between 4/22/00 and (see the Appendix concerning request and permission to post). These post and the associated comments comprise a wealth of information concerning brewing old style Northern European ales.
POST #1 4/22/00 This first posting is meant to provide an introduction regarding sources and techniques used in the home based production of unhopped and gruit based ales. My experiences in attempting to brew these exotic drinks have only recently come to fruition after roughly 3 years of, mostly, disappointing experimentation. My intention is that my postings will encourage others to attempt to use the methods & recipes described. I also hope that others will help me locate the rather esoteric ingredients required and share their own experiences. I will provide installments as frequently as time permits. I. Sources My information on these ales have been taken from two sources. First among these are several old German and English texts listed below. Secondly, the kindly advice and family recipes/ techniques provided by friends from the Isle of Man, George Donnsby, and Matti Sorenson from Gottland. Both are friends I've acquired over the past 4 years as a result of shared interests. Books: "The Historical Companion to House Brewing" by Clive La Pens'ee (1990) G.S. Amsinck's "Practical Brewing" (1868) Roy Suggsden's "The Curious & Quaint Ales of Our Forefathers" (1912) J.G. Hahn's "Die Hausbrauerei" (1804) L. Fuchs' "Kreuterbuch" (1543) R.K. Sykes' "Instructions For Thrifty Ale Wives" (1797)My forays into producing ales from these recipes has depended upon others for translating quantities, measures, terms and techniques into modern english equivalents. Hence, I feel the need to warn the reader that that i can't vouch for the historical accuracy of my renditions of the recipes and methods beyond a rudimentary level. My descriptions of methods used will be based upon my actual experiences at making these ales. The originators of recipes will be stated as either coming from one of the books listed above or from advice offered by my more experienced brewing friends mentioned earlier. II. Mashing and Lautering Methods: Please note that all of my successful attempts at making unhopped ales have required mashing and are unsuitable for extract brewing. Two mash methods have proven themselves applicable to my attempts at making unhopped ales. First, when making Juniper based, ex. Sahti and Gottland Drinka, or various shaving ales I've had best success with an extremely gradual increase in the mash temperature. This method was described to me by Matti Sorenson as follows: "Start with a thick mash of one to one and one quarter liters of water per half kilogram of grist. In the beginning the mash should be warm to the touch, although not hot enough for modern mashing." He guess that the temperature is 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit at this stage. "The temperature should be gradually increased over the course of the next three hours by drawing off roughly 750ml of wort and combining it with about 400ml of water every half hour or so. The mixture is brought to a boil and mixed back into the main mash. After continuing in this fashion for three hours the mash is held for one hour. Lastly, 5 liters of boiling water is added for each 3500 grams of grist prior to drawing off the liquor." The second method is a no sparge single stage infusion method. My efforts using this technique are taken from Suggsden's recommendations. Generally, I have found that mashing temperatures for antiquarian style ales are very high by modern standards. Following the instructions found in his book the single infusion method results in the rests ranging from 155 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Rests are usually 2 to three hours long. Suggsdens recipes call for 1.5 to 2 quarts of water per pound of grist with one pound per ten of the grist ground to flour like constancy with the remainder being courser. A mash out is then recommended with one quart of boiling water per pound of grist. Both forms of mashing are followed by the wort being drawn off slowly over a period of one to three hours depending upon the grist composition. Typically, some portion of the hop substitutes are placed in the collection vessel during this phase of the process. The collected wort is not recirculated. My experience has been that these procedures result in a low yield of high gravity wort. Extraction is typically around 70%. In order to collect enough wort to produce my customary 6 gallon batches my grist bills are typically 50% to 70% higher then would be the case for modern ales of comparable gravity. Finally, these methods are typically used to produce high gravity ales (1.060 to1.100 O.G.). The resultant ales range from medium to very thick with great mouth feel. They also have a pronounced sweetness. The high residual sweetness tends to counter the sourness often present in hop free ales. POST #2 - 4/25/00 This posting and previous posting show that the production of gruit and other unhopped ales require production techniques that are quite different from contemporary brewing practices. This time around I'll share a little info I've acquired regarding boil regimens. Boiling Practices My tinkering, reading and discussion regarding the preparation of old fashioned ales has demonstrated that that my conventional practice of boiling the wort for one to two hours is not necessary or even desirable! Sykes for instance suggests that ale be steeped, not boiled so that "foul humors not be driven into the ale along with the goodness". Now I've never quite figured out what steeping entails exactly in terms of temperature and time according to Sykes. Nonetheless, I have leaned that boiling and spicing strike and sparge water is equally important to the production of unhopped ales as is how the wort is treated. Basically, I've been able to separate the techniques into two categories. Shavings Ales The preparation of shavings ales require that the wood called for in the recipes be boiled in both the strike water and the water added during the mashing out stage of production. Although Sykes advises that the boil for both be 15 minutes my experience has been that the flavoring and anti-septic qualities are noticeably improved by increasing boil time in for his recipes to 30 minutes. I've noticed that the astringent qualities extracted from the wood seem to provide the wort with the anti-septic qualities commonly attributed to hops, though not the bitterness. Although shavings ales tend to have a harshness that one does not associate with hoped ales this quality can be diminished with only 1-2 months of aging. Also, the astringency of wood tends to not be a issue when proper attention is paid to the selection of aromatic herbs. Once again, I'd like to suggest that high mash temperatures be used when making shavings ales. With the exception of Gottland Drinka I've yet to sample a successful shavings style ale that wasn't characterized by a fairly high level of residual sweetness. Once the wort has been collected Sykes recommends "1/4 the quantity of the shavings used thus far be placed along with the kettle sugars and spices. The admixture should be heated till vapors begin to rise, but not brought to a boil. The ale should be left to steep. " Although Sykes does not say how long the wort should steep my friend George Donnsby has provided some guidance for me on this matter. Specifically, he recommends that "the last of the shavings be combined with any bittering herbs once the steam starts to rise from the wort. Any aromatics should be boiled separately in a strong tea for five minuets. Place the tea into the wort after it's steeped for an hour and a half or two hours. You ought to cool the wort immediately after adding the tea." My own experience has shown that the steeping is best done at around 160-180 degrees. Partial Boil A partial boil is a phrase i use to describe a process described by Suggsden and Sorenson whereby variously sized portions of the wort are drawn off spiced , boiled and then added back to the main body of wort. Typically, ale recipes that call for this procedure have a a quarter or less of the wort kept warm while aromatic spices are steeped between 10 and 30 minutes. In a separate vessel, the remainder of the wort has bittering agents boiled for for an hour or so. Flavoring agents are often added for the last third or quarter of the boil. Finally, both mixtures are combined into a single vessel in which the temperature of the full volume of wort to drops to a warm level. Kettle sugars, most often a treacle, are dissolved into the wort for roughly 5-10 minutes prior to cooling. I've noticed that Sorenson typically keeps the temperature of the wort during this phase relatively cool, he guesses about 150 degrees. When this method is used the kettle sugars provide typically 20% of the fermentable materials for the resulting ales. POST #3 - 4/28/00 My final posting concerning general production methods shall contend with yeast selection, fermentation and aging recommendations. Future posts will contain actual recipes, sources for unusual ingredients and responses to any inquiries. To the greatest extent possible, i will endeavor to include any relevant ethnographic information relating to the origins of the beverage in question. If the readership have any questions regarding my postings up to this point please tell me and I'll do my best to provide any additional clarity i can. Yeast Selection and Fermentation In my estimation, the selection of yeasts and fermentation conditions appear to be the most difficult aspect of making ales that approximate those of antiquity. During my research I've come across references to two different yeasts that were previously unknown to me. While going through Donnsby's old family recipes I've found several comments regarding the desirability of "Northerndown yeast". This yeast is reputed to be "buttery in taste and easy to preserve". While I assume "Northerndown" is a particular strain I'm at a loss as to it's actual identity. The second is referred to as "tawny yeast" which apparently is made into a starter with either molasses or treacle in combination with whatever, hop leaves, an egg white and bread crumbs. In both cases the recommended pitching rates seem to translate into 2-4 quarts per quarter barrel depending upon the recipe. Unfortunately, I'm unable to discover any additional information regarding these two kinds of yeast. Perhaps the readership may be able to shed some light on this topic. One aspect of the brewing process, as recommended by Sykes, which appears odd to me is the recommendation that all of the trub from the boil vessel be placed into the fermenter. He then suggests that the ale be racked 2 days after the yeast is pitched. Half the trub is then to be saved as you would yeast and reintroduced into the ale after it completes fermentation with roughly 2 ounces of an unspecified, but spiced, distilled liquor and 2 quarts of fresh cream per 5 gallons. The brewer then instructed to wait two days and then rack the ale into the aging vessel. The ale is then left until consumption is recommended. Although I've been assured that this procedure produces fine ale i can't help but to think that large amounts of trub present during fermentation and unnecessary racking can't help but to produce poor results. I'm also quite worried about introducing cream into ale under any circumstances. As a result, I've lacked the fortitude to attempt the fore mentioned procedure. Perhaps the more adventurous elements of the readership could attempt such a procedure and inform me of the results. I have also observed a Nordic practice whereby the fermentation takes place in a ceramic pot or churn rapped in blankets which are soaked by melting ice. I assume the intention is to provide evaporative cooling . Although I've been told that is practice is quite ancient I'm unconvinced because I've seen no mention of it in any any vintage text and, as a result, believe this to be a recent practice . Another interesting element of these ceramic vessels is that that they often have affixed to them a home made airlock which is inserted into a wooden lid . It appears to be constructed of two short wooden tubes that differ in diameter by about 1/2". The smaller of the two is placed in side the larger and a hole is drilled through the both of them which are then held to together by a dowel. A donut shaped piece of wood is fitted to the bottom of air lock between the two tubes. A thimble like object is placed on top of smaller tube and the assembly filled with bitterly spiced water. A piece of cheese cloth like material is then affixed to the entire assembly. Unlike the evaporative cooling arrangement described earlier, some conclusions regarding the vintage of this airlock design can be made. I've seen hand written notes, circa 1880's, describing the construction method and a diagrams in a carpentry text of similar vintage. Aging Recommendations In my experience, ales that have no gruits, hops or boiled shavings typically should be consumed quickly, i.e. in less then a week. These ales are best consumed flat as they seem to go off after two or more weeks in a bottle. Such ales can be quite good but do to their lack of staying power I'd recommend preparing very small batches. As an aside, I've noted a curious soda like beverage in Iceland that has great similarity to to the unspiced ales of old. I've been told that it's production method is similar to making wort. Instead of hopping the sweet wort is apparently left unfermented, filtered, forced carbonated and canned. Having sampled this strange soda I can safely say that it tasted like a light bodied, unhopped sweet wort. If anyone has attempted to make such a beverage I'd be delighted to hear about it. Contrary to the advice of other brewers who have made shavings ales I've found that they are best drunk no less then 1 month, preferably 2, after being bottled. Younger shavings ales, regardless of the wood used, are quite harsh with unpleasant, to me at least, after tastes. Typically, shavings ales benefit from a long, 2-3 weeks, secondary fermentation period during which the yeast is "feed" one to three sugar cubes each day. I'm not sure why this improves the flavor but it does make for a better balanced ale. Gruit based ales have no general prescription for aging. instead, the herbs that compose the gruit and method of spicing determine how long it should be stored prior to consumption. As a result, I'll give my aging recommendations for the recipe in question if I've got actual experience. When such ground truth is lacking I'll simply provide the recommendations of the recipes' author. POST #4 - 5/3/00 My first recipe is taken from pages 33 & 34 of Sykes's book "Instructions for Thrifty Ales Wives". The conversions of the units to modern American measures is the result of the generous efforts of Prof. A.W. Winston Ph.D.., retired. The conversions in question were made in October 1997. Conversion of the remainder of the recipe into a form usable in the modern kitchen was undertaken by myself and George Donnsby during the second and third weeks of May, 1998, principally during direct contact. The recipe stated in modern home brewing terms is followed by a few notes regarding ingredient selection and production tips. A follow up post detailing tasting notes, and recommendations for reproduction will follow within 48 hours. According to the text, the recipe dates from the Cromwell period*, originated in or near Northumberland and was thought to be of great dietary value. The recipe was, according to the author, obtained from a then elderly brewer in Berwickshire while he was writing the book. *Note added by compiler - the Cromwell period was around the mid 17th c. Best Quality Shavings Ale (6 gallons)
Grain bill:
Sugars:
wood:
Spices:
Yeast: Production Prior to mashing place the branches in your boiling vessel along with eight gallons of strike water. Boil the branches and water for a full hour. Save the branches after the boil and tie them together with string. The bundle of sticks should be left to dry in a well ventilated place. The water in which the wood was boiled should be reused for strike water during the mashing. My previous post dated the 22ed. of April detailed a mashing method described by Sorenson for the production of shavings ales. I would suggest that anyone attempting to make this recipe follow the fore mentioned procedure for two reasons. First, Sykes's description is quite similar to Sorenson's, although some what vague in comparison. Specifically, Sykes fails to mention exactly how much water and wort should be drawn off, boiled and reintroduced back into the mash. Instead he only talks in terms of the numbers of kettles used during this stage. Secondly, i have have made three successful batches using Sorenson's method with similar results each time. A second point to consider during the mash is that the high percentage of unmated ingredients used tends to lend to the mashes becoming stuck. Sykes recommends that if this occurs one should introduce an additional pound of fresh, lightly crushed malt back into the mash along with 3 quarts of boiling water. The mash should be stirred and allowed to sit for an additional half an hour before attempting to draw off the wort. I have found this method to work quite well in practice. However, on one occasion, i needed to perform this procedure twice in order to gather the requisite 6 gallons of wort. The wort should then be boiled for no less then three quarters of an hour during which time half of all of the spices should be introduced. The wood chips should also be boiled with the wort for the full duration. While the wort is cooling , add one pound of honey to the wort and stir until it's dissolved. The wort should then be placed into a barrel once it's cool along with the yeast starter. The ale should then be dropped/racked after roughly half a day into another barrel along with the now dry bundle of branches. The remaining spices should then be placed in a cheese cloth sack which should in turn be inserted into the barrel. The ale should then be allowed to age for one month. The ale is then racked off the sediment into a serving cask. The final two pounds of honey should be combined with a kettle full of the ale and heated, not boiled, just until the honey fully dissolves. The mixture should be reintroduced into the ale and allowed to sit for seven more days prior to consumption. Notes A few issues should be clarified prior to attempting make this ale. First of all, i had to take a liberty with the grain bill. Specifically, i am assuming that the wheat and oats were unmalted. Secondly, Sykes says that the original recipe did not contain any specifics with regards to the malts recommended. Instead, the brewer from whom he obtained the recipe arrived at the ratio of brown to pale malts as a result of trial and error over a period of several years. While i don't have any specifics regarding the malt profiles of the the barley used I've found great success using beeston's Marris Otter and brown malts. The actual recipe as recited by Sykes calls for the use of licorice root as a substitute for something called Spanish licorice which was apparently originally called for in the earlier version of the recipe. I have no idea what Spanish licorice is or how it was used. (Editors note: Spanish licorice is the commonly available commercial licorice root.) In so far as yeast is concerned i have found that Ring wood ale yeast provides good results provided that your starter is at least two quarts comprised primarily of slurry. If you, like me, don't own ale casks I'd recommend fermenting in a carboys. I'd also suggest using oak chips, 6 ounces, during the primary and secondary fermentations. If you intend to bottle this ale I'd suggest that you use one cup of honey as a primer. POST #5 - 5/9/00 The following are notes regarding Sykes's "Best Quality Shavings Ale". If any questions arise regarding this ale that are not addressed in this post please make your concerns known and I'll see if they can be addressed. Miscellaneous Production Issues For some reason unknown to me unhopped ales in general go off if great quantities of slurry are not used. I their for feel the need to restate that no less then two quarts of slurry be used per six gallons of ale. Also, i have noted that when the ale is first racked or dropped it behooves the brewer to inject pure oxygen, as per modern home brewing practice, for 30-40 seconds. I have noted that this ale should be fermented at temperatures no greater then 70 degrees F. during both primary and secondary stages. I have also noted that the taste of the ale improves significantly when cask conditioned or via prolonged contact with French oak chips. I confess that i am unaware of the kind of oak used in the manufacture of barrels at the time of the recipe's creation. During the production of this particular ale i noted that that my starting gravity ranged from 1.072 to 1.080. The rather low rate of extraction makes me think that traditional home brewing must have been a vary expensive proposition indeed. When i have bottled this ale I've noted that it best be prime with gyle or honey. Corn sugar when used as a priming agent seems to have resulted in poor head retention. I would strongly recommend that the aging guidelines in the last post be followed. This ale is rather astringent and harsh when when young. Also, after bottling, this ale must sit for no less then three weeks, preferably four or five. Although the tannins and other chemicals extracted from the wood appear to provide natural preservatives i do not know how long this ale can be kept. In any case, the batch has always been consumed within a month after the first bottle is opened. Tasting Notes This ale does not taste at all like any modern ale I've had. The fir contributed a very significant tannin element to the taste profile which was characterized by a high residual sweetness. The ale was also vary malty and full bodied with a slight,but noticeable alcoholic aftertaste. Oddly enough, the Carduus, yarrow and century did not contribute much to the flavor profile. While they did contribute a noticeable bitterness that was reminiscent of hops they didn't provide any taste or aromatics that was perceptible. The licorice seems to have added to the aftertaste but certainly was not prominent. POST #6 - 5/10/00 It has come to my attention that several brewers in and associated with this list's readership have raised the issue of sourness and other unwanted flavors associated with un hopped ales. Because my early attempts at producing such ales was afflicted with such unwanted attributes i feel the need to briefly discuss my observations regarding the flavoring and preservation of unhopped ales. First and foremost, one should differentiate any ingredients placed into an unhopped ale in terms of which of the following criteria they fulfill: Safety, antiseptic, bittering, flavoring or aromatics. First off, safety is an issue. Several ingredients should never be used in any beverage regardless of historical accuracy. While i am not in a position to make a definitive list i would state that the following herbs be excluded from one's brew: thorn apple, datura and pyracantha. I would recommend that one research any obscure herb before consuming it. If you have any doubts error on the side of caution and don't use it at all. The main benefit of using hops in ales is that they are without question an excellent preservative. However, numerous other herbs can provide bittering qualities as good or better then hops. I have discovered the hard way that when composes a gruit or any form of unhopped ale careful attention must be given to the selection of an anti septic agent. While the readership may be aware of a great many such herbs i know of only a few that i have direct experience with. Specifically, i can recommends horehound, alehoof, aloe, bog bean, carduus and century. Of these , i have had best success with bog bean and alehoof. Horehound and aloe juice are good anti septics but it impart harsh tastes that is best mask with other flavors. Wood shavings, as described in previous posts, provide excellent antic septic qualities. However, shavings can easily dominate the ale making for an overly astringent and tannic tasting drink. This problem can be overcome via the use of other flavoring/bittering herbs in conjunction with a high mash temperatures and high residual sugars. Bittering can often be provided by the same herbs used for their anti septic qualities. Carduus and Century are fine bittering elements but they produce poor results when they are not included with a more robust anti septic. Flavoring and aromatic herbs are legion. Any useful description requires that they be incorporated in such a manner that they compliment or mask the other elements comprising the flavor profile of the ale in question. If any one wishes to know specific examples found outside of the recipes i post just drop me a line and I'll let you know if i can help. POST #7 - 5/16/00 My second recipe is for one of Matti Sorenson's Gottland Drinkas. I am unsure as to the actual vintage of this recipe. I have seen the original recipe hand written on three separate sheets of some very aged material i believe to be parchment. Sorenson's family has been using this recipe for a great number of generations and assures me that Gottland Drinka is one of the oldest styles of ale known to Northern Europe. I will use the same descriptive method for this recipe as i did for the previous recipe. Sorenson Family Drinka (five gallons)
Grain Bill:
Sugars:
Herbs:
Wood:
Production: When it comes time to mash out raise the juniper flavored water to a boil and place it in the mash/lautun. Place half of the bog myrtle in the brew pot. Next, draw off the wort as described in the Sorenson method of my April 22ed. posting. Place the now dried juniper branches back into your brew kettle along with the sweet wort and bring to a boil. While waiting for the wort to come to a boil make a bog bean or Carduus extract following the procedure described in pages 142 & 144 of Clive La Pensee's "The Historical Companion to House Brewing" . One can also use purchased bog bean and carduus extracts for providing a bittering element to this ale with good results. Once, the wort comes to a boil place the extract mentioned earlier into your brew pot. One can adjust the bitterness during the course of the hour long boil by following La Pensee's method. After the wort has boiled for 40 minutes place the remaining bog myrtle into the brew to be. During the last five minutes of the boil add one pound of honey. Once the wort has cooled transfer it too a cask and pitch three quarts of yeast slurry. Wait one day before drooping to a second cask with the second pound of honey poured directly into the new cask first. After visible signs of fermentation have ended transfer the ale into an earthen ware milk churn. One should place a sugar cube into the churn each day for the next three weeks. After three weeks the ale is primed with one cup of honey per five gallons of ale. The ale should be allowed to condition for no less then 2 months, preferably three. Additional Production Notes With regards to the grain bill i should state right away that i don't know the malting specifications for amber malt. Matti floor malts his own barley in an old fashioned manner and i am not sure if a modern commercial equivalent exists. Amber malt appears and tastes like a much more mild form of modern brown malt. The original recipe, as found on the parchment, differs from the one above in that it calls for 12 pounds amber and 4 brown malt. If one is interested in making a historically more accurate version of this recipe I'd suggest adjusting the grain bill accordingly. The malt used in this ale is smoked on an outdoors clay oven that resembles an old American smoker in construction and operation. The method for smoking is as follows: the grain is placed into a large pot, covered with water and allowed to soak for a few minutes. The whet grain is then scooped out and placed in thin layers upon wooden sheets with a great number of very tiny holes drilled throughout the bottom. These sheets are then placed into the smoker and left for 20 minutes or so once the hard wood fire has died down. One should flip the malt two, perhaps three times while it smokes with a spatula. I have been able to smoke my own barley using modern equipment as described in various contemporary books and magazines with good results. If anyone wants specific references just let me know. Although this ale is supposed to be made a wooden combination mash/lautun called a rostbunn i have had fine results with a conventional home brewing setup. If any one wants the additional historical accuracy of building their own rostbunn contact me and I'll tell you how to build and use one. One does not need a cask to make this ale. I have used carboys in conjunction with oak chips with fine results. I'd suggest 3-4 ounces of oak chips be used during each phase of fermentation. Lastly, this is a high gravity recipe and as such you must following the pitching guidelines in order to have a well attenuated product. POST #8 5/22/00 This post deals with a vary obscure style of Nordic ale that uses heated stones for both raising mash and wort temperatures. A rather sketchy recipe was made know to me by in a set of documents from the mid 1400's in Vestmanna. It would appear that documents are in fact copies of earlier documents, mid 1000's, which were from Denmark. My translations efforts humbled me and forced me to consult with my betters. Translations were quite difficult, even for them, but in the end were well provided by the kindly assistance of Prof. Mina Lojala and Pele Jacobsen. I'll post more information about the recipe itself when i send it in. Because the recipe is rather hazy at points, as is everything this old, i looked into production methods after hearing vague reports of stone ale from Finland and Latvia. I was only able to find out any thing useful after talking to Anne Neystabo, of Fuglafjorour, who went to the trouble of showing me how to make what she calls "old style jute ale". This ale is not commercially produced, it may never have been, and only a few local home brewers make it, most don't even know about it. What follows is a description of the mash, boiling and fermentation processes. I'll give the recipe and recommendations for simulating it the Americas in the next post. Old Style Jute Ale Production Equipment: The mash tub i saw was made to produce roughly 15 gallon batches although it seemed to be able to hold over three time times more liquid. It was constructed out of Baltic Oak and was rectangular in shape. Across it's bottom lay a tightly woven layer of weathered and new pine branches. Upon this sets the grist and a couple of handfuls of crushed elder berries. On top of the berries and grist lay a 3/4" or so thick pile of baltic birch bark and shavings. A second wooden tub, made of oak, served as a boil vessel, yes a boil vessel, and as a cool ship. Both vessels have a spigots and were stacked on a large wooden frame similar to American three vessel home brewing rigs. Oven: An enclosed earthen oven with a heating surface made of stone was used as a heat source. The oven has heavy doors made of what appeared to be surplus boiler plate which provide access to the fire. The cooking surface lay about 2 feet above the base of the oven where the fire is built. The fire used hard wood initially until a strong heat was built up. Fuel used to maintain the fire was principally moss and scrub with a fair portion of hardwood. About a foot above the base lay a thick iron lattice. Upon this lattice a few rocks, each roughly the size of a fist, were placed. I don't know what kind of rocks were used as i know nothing about geology. The rocks were heated until they glowed with heat. They were transported to the mash tub in well soaked buckets and handled by two pairs of tongs. Mash Technique: Nine heated stones are placed into the mash tub roughly eight inches apart from each other in lines. Three quarts of water per pound of mash are poured slowly over the rocks after the top layer of shavings catch fire and smolder a bit. The mixture is allowed to prove for roughly half an hour before being stirred. A second batch of six stones are placed into the mash tub at this time. After half an hour wait, three gallons of wort is drawn off into a barrel containing an equal amount of cold water. Three heated stones are placed into the barrel containing the mix. After fifteen minutes the wort is returned to the mash tun and the whole mash mixed. The aforementioned procedure is repeated two more times with the wait times increased to 3/4's an hour. The stones used during these phases are set aside until fermentation. At this time the wort is allowed to set for the final hour of the mash. During this final hour of mashing a few handfuls of elder berries are flung into the wort. Also, several stones are removed from the mash tub and placed back into the oven during this period. Boil The wort is drawn of into a wooden tub roughly fifty percent smaller then the mash tub. The wort is raised to a boil by placing six heated stones into the vessel. After a wait of a quarter hour or so an additional four stones are placed into the wort This procedure is repeated twice before the stones are set aside to cool . Fermentation: The ale is racked to several casks into which a couple of sugar coated stones are placed along with birch shavings. After a day the young ale is racked into a second set of casks along with the remainder of the sugared stones, more shavings and century extract where fermentation continues for 10 days. The ale is racked a last time into casks containing woodruff and/or balm to condition for two months prior to consumption. The recipe i mentioned in last post is a rather vague affair. Because it is the oldest recipe that contains any specifics regarding grist composition and spices i felt it worth including. I'm not sure if all the historical trivia relating to the larger document is of any interest to the bulk of the readership. If anyone has a question with regards to any specifics regarding the document it self let me know and I'll check my notes. Oh, the measurements are given in modern imperial terms. Vestmannna document ale recipe (half barrel) Grain Bill:
Barley, malted, type unspecified: 25 lb. Herbs:
elder berries Production: First off, the oats are cracked, covered with water and allowed to prove overnight. After the water is then strained away and " the oats are placed into a barrel with a fifth of the malt. Boiled water is slowly poured over the malt, stirred and allowed to work". The oat mixture is then placed into "a branch laden tub" with the remainder of the grist and "some local berries that have been crushed. Heated stones are placed upon shavings covering the grist causing them to spark alight. Water is poured upon the stones and grist. This procedure is carried out "allowing the grist to work as per the art." Spicing and Fermentation: "The sweet liqueur is casked and flavored with a bitter root. After the ale has stopped working it is dropped to another cask half filled with sweet stones and some balm. When the ale stops working it is dropped again leaving half a barrel of ale that is ready to be drunk." POST #10 5/24/00 My last post on the issue of Vestmanna stone ale will cover a few practical points in making it at home. Equipment In terms of equipment i would say that one should have a huge cooler style mash tun. I used such a device loaned to me by a state side brewer to make stone ale last year. When last in the states i saw 120 quart coolers, they sold for about 40 dollars, converted into mash/lauter tuns. All that extra room should make for plenty of places to place the requisite wood, grist and stones needed for a five gallon batch. As for the oven i noted that in several parks found across the states one could use grills of heavy stone construction for the purpose. I have been told that these have served the task at hand quite well. Also, i see no need for a cool ship/boil vessel as was used out here. Instead, i would suggest that one use a wort chiller, you'll get a better hot break any way, and a standard brew pot. As for the rocks to use, well that is a tougher question. I reckon that one should talk to a geologist regarding what local stone would be suitable. Certainly rocks that are porous or that contain carbonates would be unsuitable. It would seem that a two thirds reduction in the amount of stones used during the various steps would be called for in a five gallon recipe. Safety Issues If you attempt to make this style of ale i would strongly suggest that you wear very heavy gloves, industrial goggles, a rubber apron and as much protective clothing as possible while handling heated rocks. I would suggest that one use well soaked wooden buckets, with no standing water, when moving the rocks. I would think that an iron pot with wooden holds would also be all right for transport. Finally, one must have two or more sets of high quality fire place tongs. Changes to the recipe For a five gallon, u.s., batch i would suggest that one reduce the grain bill from the last post by two thirds. If you want to make things simpler just use malted oats. If you do use unmalted oats be sure to follow PBLoomis's recommendations and use a pound of malt per two pounds of unmalted oats when preparing the oats for latter mash stages. In so far as spices are concerned i would use same ones mentioned in the first post. In terms of elder berries i have found that 12 ounces, dried, per five gallons is fine and that twice that amount is better is one uses fresh. In so far as century extract is concerned it simply is a mater making sure that the ale is not to sweet for one's taste. Balm and woodruff should be used in a dried form with an once for the first and two for the latter being recommended. However, some folks prefer less of the last two herbs so if your not used unhopped ales i would think that you should use a little less. If you don't have a cask i think you could use an open fermenter for your primary and introduce the sugar covered stones into the green ale once the foam drops after a couple of days. I would suggest that final conditioning prior to bottling be done in carboys or kegs. Apparently this ale was consumed flat. While some of the SCA'ers in the readership may be willing to drink flat, live ale for the sake of historical accuracy i for one prefer carbonated ale. I would suggest that one prime the ale with gyle or honey and wait two months after bottling for best results. My next recipe is a simple Cornish recipe along with some variants. Hopefully no one has been put off thinking that unhopped ales are as difficult to make as stone based ones. POST #11 5/26/00
I hesitated in putting up posts about braggot production for
two POST #12 5/28/00
In light of recent inquiries that i have received i feel the need
to POST #13 5/28/00
This post will cover principally some practical issues regarding
the POST #14 6/9/00* *For clarity sake this post is being presented slightly out of chronological order.
(Note from Adam: Part three represents the
latest and best information and
Hello to all and sorry for the delay in getting this bit out.
I'll Post #15 6/3/00
In light of the requests that i have had for simpler, faster
maturing gruited ale recipes i dug through my musty old notes books
and found a rattling good recipe from my ancestral hometown of
Odense.
Oh, the historical bit is as follows: the current recipe was hand
written, apparently in the late 1400's according to the curator,
and purports to be "An old sombel winter ale that is suitable for
Christian
Yield:
Grist Bill :
Conditioning:
The issue of the "thickened & sweet woodruff" is quite trying
as well. While i am aware of woodruff syrup being around as far
back as the 1600's i am not aware of the product known as such
existing Post #16 6/13/00
A few historical tidbits -
The issue of when the spice was first imported aside, the question
remains, was anise referred to as "star(ed) spice". According to an
earlier Dutch recipe star spice was actually a combination of
spices However, at the famous Bronderslev cult site a similar mixture, although i am not sure of the precise composition, was found in bread remnants near a votive well. Assuming that the Odense recipe was, as it appears and is represented, a christianized version of an earlier beverage it would seem plausible that "star spice" was merely another Nordic cultural vestige appropriated by the church. This seems once again a reasonable conjecture as many Baltic and Nordic ales used bread and similar baked products in their production. On a final note i found out that the production of heathen ales, called demonic brew in actual written law, was expressly forbidden in 1367 according to city ordinances. What constituted such a beverage was unfortunately left rather vague. Such an ale was described only as being made to "honor false gods using fowl woods, poisons and weeds". Hopefully some of the readership may have input on this matter. If their appears to be the desire for additional information I'll give any additional information that i have or come across as time permits. Oh, I'll finish up instruction on making this ale at home latter this week. Post #17 6/22/00
At long last and with apologies for the delay comes information on
how to actually make one of my favorite styles of ale. Transferring
the recipe into modern home brewing terms was undertaken by my
friend Sorenson while the translation of the original into the
first post on this subject was handled by Finsken. All measurements
when applicable are given in modern American measures as most of
the readership seem to be Americans. Any readers from the U.K.
should have little problem Oh, the * symbol means that the reader should consult the notes at the end of the document.
Yield:
Smoked syrup production made easy: Vigorously boil the mixture until it becomes a thick glue like mess.
Spicing:
I would recommend that roughly 4 or 5 ounces of the bitter extract
be added to the boiled portion of the wort rather then added to
your primary ferment as stated in the original recipe because of
improved anti septic performance.
In a previous post i sent in i found a source for woodruff syrup
which is what i would recommend be used where "thickened &
sweet woodruff" is called for. You could also take 3 ounces of
dried
If you add juniper berries to your drinking vessel as mentioned
above make sure that they are fresh, clean and lightly crushed. A
tablespoon per pint should suffice if allowed to sit for 6-10
minutes. If you can't get malted oats you could use rolled or flaked oats provided that you mash them separately with an equal amount of barley malt before adding them to the main mash. If you do this i would suggest that you mash the oat/barley mix for 30 minutes at 130 degrees Fahrenheit before raising the mash to 150 degrees for an additional hour.
A fair amount of controversy arose in past posts regarding the
nature of the so called "star spice" . Rather then bashing that bit
about again i would suggest that you just use your favorite anise.
I POST #18 6/29/00 Every since i began sending in postings to this forum i have been aware of an interest in ales from my little part of the world. Contrary to some whimsical notions that the readership may have heard of the use lye, puffins and herring are not part of folkish brewing here although i am sure the idea has occurred to some of my more eccentric lansmen. I also have in recent months received several requests for a lighter, faster maturing ale. Both interests should be satisfied by Ulla Ostergaard's table ale which won first prize in its category during the recent ale compassion at the Eystanstevna festival held in Runavik on the isle of Eysturoy. I would like to thank Mrs. Ostergaard of Nes for permission to post her recipe as well as for her help with complying the historical notes.
Without a doubt the most interesting aspect of how this ale is made
is way in which the mash temperature is determined. A small notch
is cut deep into the side of the mash tub without fully penetrating
the wall. After the initial mash in a pebble roughly the size of
one's upper thumb is placed within this notch and held in place
with a homemade glue. Apparently, these pebbles are often adorned
with highly stylized or grotesque faces that at one time presumably
held cultic What happens is that as boiled water is added to the mash and the mash temperature increases the glue gradually loses its staying power until the pebble slips from it's mount. When i first learned of this last summer i took it upon myself to experiment over the course of 8 batches of ale with a set of borrowed pebbles, glue and mash tub. Amazingly i found that the mash temperature consistently fell between 154 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit when the glue lost it's staying power. What is so interesting about this little tidbit is that a similar practice was employed by ancient Celtic bakers in Dedham and elsewhere in Essex for the purpose of gauging oven temperature and serving some talisman like function.1 Now even though it is common knowledge that the islands were settled first, however briefly, by Irish monks i thought the practice to remote to make the transition to Eysturoy. Imagine then my surprise when i discovered the similarity between Jutish and Irish iron age iconographies as exhibited by carved heads from Cortynan and several Danish heads used for similar purposes. 2 This similarity is also seen in the examples of tricephalos works from Armagh and Juteland 3 . Obviously i am in no position to state when such a practice started butit is certain that the practice, at least in Essex, continued into the17th century. 4
The actual origins of the recipe remain obscure although Mrs.
Ostergaard tells me that it dates back to the time of Bishop
Erlendur5 when the recipe included beans as a
sixth of the grist bill. Although The gruit is composed of dried ground ivy, Linden flowers, balm, juniper berries Anise and cloves. All of these herbs were imported along with various malts from the at least the late 1300's onwards by the old trade monopoly according to documents readily found at the North Islands Museum at Klasvik.
Most who now make this ale prefer to add fresh beech or birch
shavings during the partial boil, fermentation and conditioning. I
would venture to say that such a practice would have been
rather
The style typically has 15-20% of it's fermentable content provided
by either homemade browned sugar which is made by boiling honey
along with licorice or anise or a sugar syrup similar to English
gold treacle. The addition of sugars serve to lighten the body and
provide a higher alcoholic content. POST #19 7/5/00
This wonderful little beverage is as refreshing to me a good spiced
vit so this is the perfect season to whip it up as it should be
ready by August. Once again I'd like to thank Mrs. Ostergaard for
her fine
**** Oh, the measures are in American terms unless stated
otherwise. (*Editors Note: Adam later posted the following: "I was mistaken in my copying of our notes regarding the recipe which should have said lemon rather then orange. However, their is such a thing as orange balm and several recipes call for it that i have not posted. Although it's a great low key bitter spice with a pleasant aroma as the stuff costs 46 dollars a pound!)
Mashing:
After the two hours has passed add the remainder of the grist along
with a gallon of boiled water and allow the mix to set for about an
hour. Next, draw off half a gallon of the sweet liquid and combine
it
After the mash is complete draw off the sweet liquid into your brew
pot, pour it carefully back into your mash tub and allow the mash
to settle before drawing it off again. After the liquid comes to a
boil add the Linden Flowers, syrup, half the bark, half of the balm
and the remaining dried ground ivy and two ounces of the extract.
After the liquid has boiled for half an hour draw off the liquid
leaving behind the pasty dregs." 3
"When the ale is ready to serve draw off a large mug and heat the
ale till it's too hot to touch before letting the juniper berries
steep for half an hour. Strain off the liquid and pour it back into
the cask
- I have found that typically this ale takes 4 or 5 weeks to mature
properly into a light bodied and well spiced ale. Post # 20 6/9/00 The issue of yeast has been raised in the historical context of this ale and i am afraid that that any real information has been lost in "the sands of time" so to speak. The paucity of flora and fauna here means that their are relatively few places that one could capture wild yeast and non of them are near Nes. During the period in question barrels of "ale and mead dregs" were listed in shipping manifests as imported items. Apparently, they were "feed so as to preserve the contents" which i assume means that sugar was added during the course of the voyage. Of course i think it reasonable that ale made in the taverns of the larger settlements could have been brought to the Nes area and the dregs from the consumed barrels used by local brewers to make what they wanted. Mrs. Ostergaard says that her favorite yeasts are Pride of Ringwood and some Belgian White culture. For the table ale she mixes both together to form a rather interesting flavor element. Apparently, her grandmother used to get her yeast from a now defunct local tavern that made it's own ale about which i can't find out anything useful. Post # 21 6/20/00
R.K. Sykes' "Instructions For Thrifty Ale Wives" (1797) fifth
1 firkin
Grist Bill:
malt, "fyne" - 12 pounds
Wood:
fir, rind, 1/ 2 pounds
Sugars:
Cream - 2 quarts
Spices:
one gill of of each of the following:
fruit:
pears, ripe, cut & crushed: a pin's worth ( i assume 4 1/2
gallons)
Preparation:
"Boil your brew water along with the fir rind for a goodly amount
of
Mashes
"Combine the oats with an equal portion of malt and a bucket of
Boil:
"Boil the sweet liqueur vigorously for two hours along with the
Conditioning:
" let the ale work till it becomes still and rack to a smaller
cask.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
* Alecost (chrysanthemum balsamita) is a great bitting agent
and
* I have made this ale using cream as recommended for the first
time Post # 22 6/21/00
Questions regarding how one can make the ale now given the
rather Post #23 8/20/00
I have noted that a great many of the readers on this list are
quite
Nos Galan Ale (one Firkin)
Grist Bill:
"dark malt" (i assume brown or blackened): 8 quarts
Sugars:
2 quarts of cream
Wood: thinnest possible fir shavings ("a halt foot long or so and
half
Gruit:
Meadow sweet: 1 pound
Production:
The original mashing regimen was according to Suggsden "the
most
------------------------------------------------------------------------
When i make this ale i usually heat it with a poker prior to
serving Post #24 11/19/00
I have some suggestions for making the previously posted Porter
For the grist bill i suggest the following:
14 1/4's pounds of brown malt, toasted at 350 F. for 20 minutes
- For sugar i would suggest 24 ounces of Demerara sugar as it
is
- The boil should be about 90 minutes with hops introduced at the
start |
|
APPENDIX 1
Correspondence requesting permission to place posts in Library:
Adam,
Thanks for the info, and I look foreword to seeing more. Since it seems there may be a series of these posts on there way, I was wondering if you would mind f I combined them and posted them onto the web in the SCA Brew library http://sca_brew.homestead.com. If Greg L. offers the same or if you post them somewhere, that would be fine to, it just would be nice to have them in one place instead of the archives.
Thanks,
Nathi
Response:
Hi,
Off hand I don't see any reason why my posting shouldn't also be listed with the SCA. I would think that they might not appeal to some in the SCA because they are targeted towards the home brewer and not the antiquarian. In any case, you have my permission to post them in full provided they are unedited and are attributed to me.
As far as future posts are concerned my intention is to send in a new post every other day or so. I'm looking at around 6-8 additional posts being submitted. My next post will cover boil regimens and an introduction to gruit composition. After that my intention is to cover miscellaneous production issues. My remaining posts will cover individual recipes, mainlyof English/Manx and Swedish/Gottland origins.
I'm trying to get info for some Danish and Baltic recipes as well.
I'd be grateful if you could place my message to you along with your original communiqué on the hist-brewing daily postings.
Thanks,
A.J. (Adam Larsen)
APPENDIX 2 – Additional Posts and Resources
i) Responses from Adam Concerning Shaving Ales and Sykes Book.
Correspondence 1, 4/26/00
Adam Larsen wrote:
Hi,
Shavings ale is a some what generic name for fermented beverages that use bits of wood for flavoring and preservatives. Typically twigs, chips, bark or shavings from the trunk are boiled with strike or sparge water. In some cases, mostly Nordic and Baltic apparently, wood alone provides the flavoring.
Sykes was an English country gentlemen who apparently was quite taken with Manx folklore, customs and language. A relative of a friend of mine stumbled across a copy of "Instructions for Thrifty Ales Wives" and another book by Sykes about Manx folklore at an estate sale several decades ago, if i remember correctly, in or near Cardiff. She got the book, along with many others, as an inheritance. Luckily, i've gotten to thumb through it on a few occasions.
The only book I know of that specifically deals with shavings ales and similar drinks is a text called "Curative Ales" written by someone called C.A. Bankroft back in the early part of the last century. Because i've only heard about it rather then actually having seen it I can't tell you if it’s any good. However, i've been looking for pursuing this topic for some time and i have a few good leads on other books covering this topic. I'll let you know if I hear anything. Hopefully, this information is helpful.
NATHAN T Moore wrote:
> "Shaving Ale" is a beverage I am not familiar with. You reference your source on this information as being from "Instructions For Thrifty Ale Wives". Where did you find this book and where is the author, Sykes, from? (Greg, you should add this to your reference section on the Medieval and Renaissance Brewing Page) Also, is there any additional information about the history and/or culture of this beverage in the book or does anyone else know of additional references and/or information about ale made with wood shavings?
> Thank you Adam for all the great information, I look forward to experimenting with this stuff. Sorry if I am jumping the gun with some of these question.
> Thanks, Nate
Correspondence 2, 4/26/00
Adam Larsen wrote:
I've a bunch of recipes that use wood. Mainly, they refer to fur, spruce, oak, juniper, cottonwood and uwe. Your right that each wood tastes differently, keep in mind that weather you use wood from the branches, trunk or bark seems to effect the flavor although i don't know why. As soon as i've finished going over production techniques i'll go over individual recipes as well as changes i've made that i think give better results.
As far as bitter orange is concerned i've found that placing them in the brew pot while collecting runoff from the mash tun provides the best results. I'm a big fan of the use of treacle, especially in unhopped ales, and have used tea in a method similar to what you describe with fine results.
Deborah Wood wrote:
> What kind of wood do you think that they used in the
shaving ales?
> Every wood would give a different taste, or in my opinion
cretain
> woods would be more useful as a flavoring. I have made beer
flavored
> with spruce branches, 6 or 7 times, and although not a session
beer,
> is a very pleasing beverage. I would be interested
> to know if you have any documentation on what type of woods were
used.
> As for adding herbal teas to beer, I am experimenting
this month with
> a dark
> amber wheat beer( barly, wheat, small amount of oats, bit of
chocolate
> malt and a touch of extra dark crystal 135- 165 lovibond)
flavored
> with orange flowers.I steeped the flowers in my beer as it cooled,
but
> will add a stong tea to the keg for aging soon.
> I am also brewing strong ales, with treakle added(
sometimes I put
> demarra
> sugar as well) I find it interesting that kettle sugars often made
up
> 20 %
> of the fermentable material. I boiled my treacle last time, this
may
> affect the flavor.
> Deborah Wood
ii) Responses from Adam Concerning Additional Information on References.
Correspondence 4/26/00
Adam Larsen wrote:
Hi,
In a recent post gave more information about Sykes. The only thing i can add is that his "Instructions for Thrifty Ale Wives" was privately published, seemed to have had a cloth cover originally (the copy i've used was rebound) and is 87 pages in length. Most of the book in question doesn't deal with brewing per say, rather, he spends considerable time giving advice on growing gruit herbs, malt selection and milling and yeast storage. Because these are issues that have little interest to me I didn't bother to take notes on them. Suggsden's "The Curious and Quaint Ales of our Forefathers" is some what less obscure. According to the title page, the work was privately published in Coalville, Leichestershire on commission of the author. Unlike the Sykes title, it is hard backed, has guided edges and high quality production all
around. Suggsden's book is 148 pages in length with several fine illustrations. In terms of Suggsden him self, i've absolutely no information other then that, judging from his introduction, he was a very conservative Catholic. I had the book on loan until recently from a friend of mine, Paul Filby so I was able to take extensive notes.
Sorenson on the other hand I've plenty of information about is Matti Sorenson. He's a dear old friend of mine whose a fine antiquarian, brewer and Gothi. He lives in Iceland but has relatives in Gottland which he frequently visits. He has plenty of very old family brewing recipes and he has been kind enough to provide a few to me. His old recipes (some apparently date to the 1400's), research and brewing experiments have been a big help to me. I hope this little posting has been of use. If you have any other questions please feel free to drop me a line.
Cheers
A.J.
Scotti wrote:
> Please give full bibliographic citations for Sykes,
Suggsden, and Sorenson.
> Thank you,
> Scotti
iii) Discussion Concerning Yeasts, Reffering to Post #3
Correspondence 4/28/00
Jeff Renner wrote:
> Several thoughts. There are literally thousands of
brewing yeasts in the
> National Collection of Yeast Cultures (http://www.ifrn.bbsrc.ac.uk/ncyc/)
> in UK, and who knows how many at Weihenstephan and other
collections. Your
> chances of tracking down on from centuries ago based on its name
or
> description are remote.
> The "buttery" taste of Northerndown is likely a
reference to diacetyl,
> which has a buttery taste and is typical of many yeasts and which
can be
> increased in beer by temperature and oxygenation manipulation,
> particularily by "dropping" the ferementing beer at ~24 hours.
Dropping is
> a traditional process in which the beer is racked off the sediment
after
> ~24 hours into another vessel with vigorous splashing. This
oxygenates the
> yeast cells at a time when they have depleted their lipids, which
are
> needed for cell membranes. (A recent post to HBD by Dr. Clayton Cone
of
> Lallemand Yeast suggests that 14 hours may actually be the optimum
time to
> add oxygen).
> Preparing a starter following the recipe for "tawny
yeast" seems to me
> unlikely to successfully capture any specific yeast, although
serendipity
> may favor you with the capture of some desirable strain.
> Jeff
Adam Larsen wrote:
Thanks for your response,
According to the English/Manx/Cornish folks i've talked to and according to the recipes i've seen racking is often first recommended after fermentation starts in the manner you described. Having used this method and having seen Dr. Cone's postings i can concur that a diacetyl flavor is defiantly noticeable. However, the flavor doesn't seem nearly as strong as i've seen in some currently cultivated strains used in the more exotic Belgian and German ales.
This morning I placed calls to Donnsby and Filby inquiring about this "Northerndown" yeast bother. Filby thinks that it's the result of cultivating wild yeasts found on locally grown horehound, tansy & lemon balm which has been used in a great many batches of ales that have been "dropped according to the old method". Donnsby thinks this is nonsense because he's found that such a yeast has a very strong leathery quality which he not has seen attributed to any old gruit or shavings ales that he's familiar with. He thinks that sloes, pennyroyal and alecost are far better sources for wild yeast. He's also is convinced that egg whites, one half per quart of starter, and yarrow are vital additions to any starter.
This fuss & bother can't help but to make me think that the yeast(s) in question is actually a combination of several wild yeasts which are built up using rather odd starters. I'm also suspecting that that dropping/racking and several generations of mutations are responsible for the actual quality of the yeast. Unfortunately, i'm tempted to agree with you that chances are quite dodgy that i'll ever be able to actually identify the exact strains used in the manufacture of most these curious ale styles.
iv) Discussion Concerning Pensee and Bog Bean, Reffering to Post #6
Adam Larsen wrote:
Well, i must say that i didn't suspect that Pensee's stuff is not as well known with the readership as i initially thought. Pensee's information regarding Bog Bean is lifted from J.G. Hahn's "Die Hausbrauerei" (1804).
Pensee's translation is as follows:
"One lets the Buckbean boil in water for a few minutes and then discards the bitter brew. Then cook the leaves for another hour in fresh water and strain. Add half of this extract to the wort and boil for one hour. Decide if the wort is going to be bitter enough. If not, add from the rest of the Buckbean extract to the worts. If, against expectation , the beer is not bitter enough add the extract a spoonful at a time to the maturing beer when it is in the barrels. To one bucket (about 70 tankards of 1/2 liter each) 10-12 loths (1 loth is about 14 grams) Buckbean are used. Before fermentation one can not use such a beer, but immediatelyafter it has fermented out is loses the harshness. Such beers never sours and may be kept for years and thus one can brew in reserve, but it must ferment out."
Hahn then continues to describe how true porter uses mace, starch and Buckbean. He then describes the use of juniper as an ale flavoring. I agree with Pensee that Hahn's notions of the origin of Porter are dubious. I have also found his suggestions for juniper to be unsatisfactory. That being said, his recommendations for the use of Buckbean are quite good provided one uses dried roots or flowers. The method works equally well for Yarrow & Horehound, although not for aloe. I have used Hahn's recommendations as a starting point for lots of herbs in many different gruited and mulled ales. I have also taken the easy way out by using store bought Buckbean extract when it's diluted 4-6 parts parts water to 1 part extract.
Hope this is of help.
> > I have found that
> > Clive La Pensee's recommendations in "The Historical Companion
to House
> > Brewing" regarding the use of bog bean, pages 142 & 144,
can easily be
> > applied to any bittering herb. If someone out their can't get
the
> > book I suppose I could post the relevant segment in this
forum.
> Please do. Scotti
v) Serving Unhopped North Ales and Lating Names of Herns in Post #6
I got a note from my computerless friend Finsken today that ask that i give the readership his advice on the best way to serve strong unhopped North ales. While I don't know anything about the history or origins of this method i know that it tastes great and is certainly a change from modern ways of drinking ales. I'd suggest you try the following advice on a cold night. The recommendations are as follows:
"When one has a well aged stock of strong, casked old style ales like Gottland Drinka or a sap based ale don't carbonate it. Instead, wait a day and half or so before serving it to draw of a liter or two into a pot with 750 grams of honey per 25 liters of still ale. Boil the mix for half an hour or so & stick it back into the cask. Once the ale has show signs of healthy fermentation for a day or so put a small spoonful of mugwort into your mug/glass with a few crushed spice nails Fill your glass with the live ale and wait 15 minutes. Then stick a hot poker into the ale for a minute or two."
Oh, by the way spice nails is a term for East Indian Cloves. Because i've had an inquiry regarding my last recipe i'll give some additional information here:
The Latin names for the
herbs used in the Sorenson family drinka are as follows:
bog myrtle: Myrica Gale
buck bean: Menyanthes Trifoliata
carduus: Carduus Benedictus
In terms of original gravity i'd say it should not be less then 1.080 and certainly should not be higher then 1.092. My guess is that due to a rather poor rate of extraction typical for the mash regimen you'll likely get not get over 1.085.
vi) Discussions of Old Style Jute Ale and Brewing with Stones
a) Saftey Issues and Stone Selection
Scotti wrote:
> Upon this lattice a few rocks, each roughly the size
of a fist
> were placed. I don't know what kind of rocks were used as I know
nothing
> about geology. The rocks were heated until they glowed with
heat.
They were probably granite stream cobbles, or possibly
from a glacial
outwash plain. Try to pick ones that have a relatively fresh appearance
(not
chemically weathered or pitted). Some of them are going to split or
shatter
when you heat them that hot. Use the big pieces, discard the rest.
> They
> were transported to the mash tub in well soaked buckets and handled
by
> two pairs of tongs.
Be careful that the bucket has no standing water in it.
That *will*
cause the rocks to shatter. And wear safety goggles!!
I would strongly recommend that you use [non-Period] metal buckets,
just to avoid the water-on-hot-rocks problem... <snip>
And, Steve wrote:
<snip> i know of at least three comerical beers that
are produced with at least some
portion of hot rock heating.
one is from germany, they use greywac (sp) stones because they rarley
shatter. and this is the traditoinal rock that has been used there
for
centuries.
another comes from (i think) fredrick brewing in maryland,
the brewer there
uses a metal basket full of diabace cobbles lowered into the kettel after
being
heated to about 1300 degrees F on an open fire, this gives it a nice
smoky
carrmely flavor and he says he does not have problems with the
cracking.
the third is Chuck Skypeck of Bosco's brewpubs in
Nashville and Germantowne
tenn. he heats pink granite to as hot as his pizza oven will get. (i'm
guessing
700-800 degrees F) when i ask him if he had any proplems with the
rocks
shattering, he said very simply "yes all the time",
i would recomend not only safry glasses but a lether
apron, gloves, and any
other protective equpment you can get your hands on, and that you find
yourslef
a gelogist who might find you a good rock for this perpose that is
indiginous to
your area (rocks are cheap but shipping them can be a killer.
<snip>
And, Daniel Butler-Ehle wrote:
<snip> Granite shattered when I tried using it on my
sauna stove. I
prefer quarzites such as agate; seems to hold the heat well (even
up to glowing [oops]) without breaking when the water is put on.
<snip>
<snip>
>> I would strongly recommend that you use [non-Period] metal
buckets,
>> just to avoid the water-on-hot-rocks problem.
Never, ever put hot rocks in a galvanized metal bucket;
the zinc
burning off emits a toxic vapor. <snip>
b) More on Balm and Centuary Extract
Adam Larson wrote:
Balm: Melissa officinalis
Centaury: Centaurian minus or Gentiana centaurium
The later is principally known as an antidepressant
although one
will find it used in salads, teas and liqueurs today in Europe. It
historically was used as a medicinal additive in English and Northern
European ales. I like it's taste very much, in small doses, and it's
aroma, even it's hard to get just right.
Centaury extract is a bittering element used in lots of
Nordic and
German recipes. I just prepare it the same way i would Carduus, buck
bean or horehound extract. Oh, it appears i misspelled earlier so
sorry
for the bother.
c) Oats and more on Vestmanna Stone Ale from Adam
Adam Larson wrote:
PBLoomis had comments on the recipe which were quite insightful, kind and interesting. It's my hope that a little attention given to odd styles meet with the kind of interest that has been generated. I have a few points worth boxing about up in this little follow up.
The comments regarding the amylase content is correct. Certainly the statement regarding the short soak being unable to start germination is also completely right. I suppose that my assumption regarding the oats being unmalted stems from two points. First, i have never found any historical reference to Danish oats being malted prior to the 1500's. Secondly, i have, and have seen, plenty of references to a short soak "proving" oats. I am certain that the readership is familiar with Watkin's oat ale recipe of 1770 which makes a similar reference. I think that unmalted cereals were also used because of the expense of purchasing malt and perhaps a limited pool of available expertise and equipment.
Which raises the question why soak unmalted oats if they can't germinate? My guess, a wild one at that, is that the intention was to help set the stage for latter steps meant to break down gluten content.
While i have yet to read any serious study regarding the effectiveness of such a method i can see why it may seem reasonable to some. Further more, the mashing process described in the first post relating to this subject was a rather complex one similar to several lowlands techniques that often deal with poorly modified or unmodified cereals. I admit that such evidence is tenuous but i simply can't think of any reason why one would "prove" malted oats.
As for the bittering root the answer is yes, it really was unspecified. The lack of specific information in this regards makes me think that the root's use was thought to be so common as to be as Americans often state" it goes without saying". I have had my antiquarian compatriots poke about long and hard to reach some conclusion regarding what bittering root was used. Presently i have several prospects but no clear candidate.
Certainly the ale does have similar characteristics to English dredge ale. Although i think that such ales derived their character primarily from factors other then the mash technique. I have seen recipes for Dredge ale that call for a single stage infusion mash. Which makes me suspect that the long standing English superiority in malting techniques is what resulted in Dredge Ale using malted oats. The Northern peoples lagged behind the English in so far as malting was concerned for quite some time. Making me think that the Vestmanna recipe used unmalted or perhaps poorly malted oats. Finally, i think that the most important and interesting thing about this recipe and the methods used to simulate it is the mash sequence. I have noted that when one makes this ale it tastes quite different from German stone beer or homemade ale versions of the German approach to the general method. I think that to a large degree this is a result of the mash process and the use of poorly modified or unmodified cereals.
And, Adam Larson wrote:
In a quick follow up to PBLoomis's recent post i can contribute the following: The issue of poorly modified versus unmodified cereals is relevant to old brew styles for a few reasons. Most brewers prior to the 1700's, especially outside of Albion, had malting techniques that where of dubious value. A good example of this was the old German practice of deconcoction mashing and the even more elaborate practices used in the low countries, especially in Flemish & Walloonian ales, which were needed to get a decent extraction. These methods were, i guess, even more important before the use of sparges when extraction rates where low, by modern standards, to begin with. If you have talked to an old time home brewer from the Americas or the U.K. you may have heard about the low extraction rates obtained from home malted barley. A poor conversion is always better for extraction rates then no conversion.
The German stones beers that i have had are either lagers or alt beer like in so far as the yeast component of the flavor profile is concerned. Also, all German stone beers,save one noticable example, have used hops with no other spices but juniper. They also have had far less tannins and a less pronounced alcoholic quality. In short, modern German stone beers are a smoky, juniper tinged lager with a much lighter body and mouth feel then the Vestmanna stone ale.
vii) Discussions of Blackened Sugar in Cornish Braggot Recipe
Thea wrote:
> The recipe actual calls for something called "blacked sugar"
Is it possible that the sugar was carmelized? There's that mead
recipe
in Le Managier de Paris that says you should boil the honey until it
starts to grow producing " globules which burst and as they burst emit
a
little smoke which is kind of dark". I have always thought this meant
the sugars were carmelizing at the bottom of the pot. When I made it
the slightly caramely taste was great.
Adam Wrote:
Thank you for your input.
The method of carmelization you mentioned from Managier de Paris is
a long standing practice common to France and the lowlands. The first
mention of something similar that i am aware of is from a Northern
Bretton Braggot, circa late 1200's, recipe i copied awhile ago. A
more
complicated carmelization schedule is found in some Fresian,Saxland
(i.e. Holland) and Danish recipes. Typically, these recipes call for
a
rather complicated regimen of boiling raw honey along with various
spices, bark and saw dust. This boiled goo is then placed into boil
pot
along with the wort or occasionally into the fermenter.
Oh, by the way, if you make the Cornish braggot you can get great
results with carboys and oak chips. If anyone wants the procedure i
worked out just let me know. I'll post it if three or more people
express interest.
Finally, i've found just about every gruit herb that i could ever
need state side so if the readership at large wants the G2 be sure to
let me know, other wise i'll just focus on other stuff.
viii) Gruit Sources
What follows is a list of fine suppliers of herbs used in gruits that are
in the states. When looking about for herbs look out for valerian,
elecampane, lemon balm, wood sage, sloes, nettles & comfrey. All of
these things make for great ales! All though i have yet to post recipes
using some of these herbs plenty of recipes are around so give it a shot.
Be sure to keep in mind that you have to use a hop surrogate for almost
all ales. Don't just assume that what ever herb a recipe calls for all
ready has something that serves the purpose of hops.
alecost/ground ivy & carduus
Andy Yen <info@chineseherbcenter.com>
DAAN Inc.
Phone (415) 433-3277
Toll free (877) 322-6168
Fax (415) 433-9349
www.daan.com
DAAN Inc.
Phone (415) 433-3277
Toll free (877) 322-6168
Fax (415) 433-9349
www.daan.com
Buck bean extract as well as plenty of other extracts that can be of use
to old fashioned brewers:
http://www.greenking.com/western.html#marker_tag
various herbs:
1-800-359-9896
smart drugs/nootropics
http://nubrain-store.com
Below is the best source for all kinds of stuff like alehoof & buck
bean. They carry mainly bulk herbs at good prices and the nicest folks
you could ever run into.
St. John's Botanicals
7711 Hillmead Rd.
Bowie, MD.
20720
301-262-5302
From another post:
It gives me great pleasure to announce that i have discovered a source for dried bog bean in the United States. Although bog bean is much more expensive then Alehoof , which along with yarrow are the most common gruit anti septics in the British isles, it is an excellent bittering and anti septic agent. It is also by far the most common gruit ingredient of it's type in German and Nordic ales. Anyway, if you want it call Blessed Herbs - at: 800-489-4372.
(Editors note: I have ordered from this company and was pleased with the sevice, cost, and product, Nathi)
ix) Gruit Guide Part I
Allot of folks have contacted me asking for a guide to gruit spices. I've
put together a few notes regarding my experiences with the use of several
herbs and a little bit of trivia relevant to each of
them. What follows is a short list that should help get you started. I'll
get more additions to the guide in after i have finished up with the
Cornish Braggot bit.
Oh, an addendum to my last post is taken from the May 25th addition of
Homebrew Digest. I wasn't able to reach the author as the email got
returned but this stuff is really useful for historical brewing so i
included it. It's a listing for the only supplier of Woodruff syrup in
the states i could find. This stuff goes great with plenty of old
fashioned ales and modern wheat beers so buy some.
700 ml for $18.
J J Jackson
Original Home Brew Outlet
Sacramento CA
916-348-6322
Gruit Herb Quick
Reference
Licorice Root (Glyrrhiza Glabra): Flavor enhancer. Goes well with
dark,
full bodied ales. Complements: juniper, woodruff & mugwort.
Recommended dose: 1-2 ounces per 5 gallons (U.S..). Uses: mid way
through boil, alcohol based extract in secondary and boiled into
honey/molassas based syrups. Regional Use: Nordic, English, North
German, Belgium & Holland (less common). Note: improves head
retention
Bitter orange peel (Auurantium Amarae Pericapium): Flavor enhancer.
Taste: faintly spicy, citrus like & bitter. Compliments: lighter
bodied
and adjunct heavy ales. Complements: Coriander, balm, Cardamom, sage
.
Recommended dose: 1-2 ounces per 5 gal.(U.S..). Uses: last third to
last quarter of boil, alcohol based extract in secondary and boiled
with gyle during final conditioning . Regional Use: lowlands,
Brittany,
Alsace & Northern Burgundy.
Juniper Berries, dried (Juniperus communis): Flavor enhancer and
aromatic. Taste: citrus, tannic with slight astringency. Compliments:
non aromatic spices, rye, orange peel, most wood shavings and wood
sage. Best used in ales with O.G.'s over 1.060. Recommended dose,
without shavings: 1 once for every 10 points of original gravity
starting at 1.060 assuming a five gallon batch. When shavings are
used
halve the dose of dried berries. In hoped ales use 1/2 to 1 once for
every 10 points of original gravity starting at 1.050 assuming a five
gallon batch. Regional use: Nordic, Baltic, Fresian and Northern
German. Note: Crush in a hop sack before use. Amounts recommended
should be increased by 2 to 2 1/2 fold when using fresh berries.
Warning: I have recently been told that people with kidney problems,
pregnancies and possible pregnancies may face health problems related
to
juniper consumption. I have no mean of verifying the veracity of this
claim but i would urge caution in any case.
Juniper wood : Flavor enhancer, anti-septic and aromatic. Taste:
tannic
with definite astringency. Compliments: many non aromatic spices,
rye,
wood sage, bog myrtle, orange and carduuus. Best used in ales with
O.G.'s over 1.060. Used principally as an anti-septic in Nordic ales
it
is also used in German ales for it's flavor and aromatic qualities.
Use: boiled for use in strike, mash out and sparge waters as well as
wort. When placed into a secondary fermenter the wood was typically
boiled during a previous stage of the production process. Warning:
see
above
Elder Berries (Sambucus nigra): aromatic & flavor enhancer to a
lesser
extent.
Compliments: rye, orange peel, most wood shavings, treacle and
juniper. Best in drudge like ales, braggots (heavy & sweet
preferably)
and sweet ales. Regional Use: Albion, Cornwall, Wales, Nordic and
Baltic Countries, Lowlands & Germany. Dose, dried: 3-6 ounces per
5
gallons U.S. and twice as much when using fresh.
Use: in mash tun, boil, final conditioning and fresh juice directly
into
one's mug. Note: Crush in a hop sack prior to use.
Wood Sage leaves (Teucrium scorodonia): anti-septic/hop surrogate.
Compliments: balm, coriander, cardamom, orange, Comfrey, nettles, oat
&
rye. I would recommend that wood sage be used in ales characterized
by
the following: high adjunct content, high mash temperatures and an
O.G.
of no less then 1.065. Regional uses: Germany, Albion, Cornwall,
Nordic
and Baltic countries. Use: Boil vigorously an extract consisting of 4
ounces of dried leaves or twice as much fresh leaves for 35-45
minutes
in a kettle with a quart and a half of water. strain off the liquid
and allow to cool before placing the extract in a sealed bottle. One
should add four to 6 ounces during the boil of a six gallon batch. I
would add an additional tablespoon after sampling the ale once it has
sat for 3 weeks if it's not bitter enough. One should sample and
repeat this process once every two to three weeks as needed till you
achieve the desired degree of bitterness.
x) Star Anise and Anise
Scotti writes:
Don't get star anise confused with anise. They are two totally different
plants. Illicium verum (star anise) is a small tree native to the Orient.
Pimpinella anisum (anise) is a small feathery annual
cultivated by the Egyptians as early as 1500BC.
xi) Odense Old Style Ale Tasting Notes
Joel Plutchak wrote:
> adam larsen wrote:
> >At long last and with apologies for the delay comes information
on
> >how to actually make one of my favorite styles of ale.
>
> [...]
>
> I missed the first part(s) of this, so my apologies if you've
> already mentioned this, but... what does this taste like? Is it
> too assertive (or just plain weird :-) for any but
dyed-in-the-wool
> SCAers to stomach? Would your average beer drinker like it, or
is
> it more of an acquired taste?
> Sounds interesting enough for me to make, but I'm thinking
> maybe a 3-gallon batch would be prudent, at least the first
> time.
> --
> Joel Plutchak
Adam wrote:
As it so happens i did not give any tasting impressions with this
particular
ale which was a result of an oversight on my part. In so far as the SCA
is
concerned i am not a member and i really have no idea regarding what kind
of
ales their membership prefers. I do think that it would be safe to say
however
that if you prefer modern industrial lagers you will not like any gruited
ales.
If on the other hand you are receptive to high gravity Baltic and Slavic
ales or
some of the more exotic Belgian styles you very well may like this
one.
Certainly most gruited ales are quite different from almost all
commercially
available beverages. Nonetheless, most are actually quite good, although
it
does take some getting use to as does anything new. Plenty of times one
can
tone down a given spice or sugar used in these ales to arrive at a
flavor
somewhat less exotic.
As for the taste of this ale, when made properly, is complex, quite
heavy
with plenty of mouth feel and no one flavor being prominent. Although
bitterness is clearly perceptible this ale does have a distinct sweetness
that
is similar to a modern sweetened Baltic ale. A distinct tannic flavor
is
present as is a wood like quality that present in all ales that use
shavings.
This is an extremely aromatic ale with definite although not aggressive
smoky
characteristic. None of the spices are readily definable although it is
as
aggressively spiced as some commercial Belgian ales.
Certainly one can easily scale the recipe down to three gallons although
i
would recommend the use of oak chips if you use a carboy or keg in both
the
primary and secondary fermenter.
My next set of posting will deal with lower gravity and lighter bodied
ales
including fruit based ones.
xii) Gottlandsdricka - style issues
I have received a suprising number of inquirers regarding details what
kinds variances exist within the style and what parameters exist to
determine when an ale can properly be termed Gottlandsdricka. Rather then
write several notes covering largely the same ground i'll just cover the
points here as i assume that the inquiries in question came from
participants in this forum.
Their is no commercial example of the style in production presently. To
the best of my knowledge this beverage has always been made by home
brewers although i suppose at some point the drink may have been made at
a public house. Because of the non commercial nature of the beverage
their exists a surpassingly large variety of variations on the theme.
Nonetheless, the genre can be broken down into 6 categories of which
three have a significant modern presence. Despite these differences
within the style certain elements remain constant.
Q: What are the defining characteristics of Gottlandsdricka?:
A: The style has a flavor profile characterized by a dominant juniper
flavor and aroma with a distinct sweetness present in all but the
stronger varieties. The use of wood in the mash, lautering and/or mash
out/sparging results in a significant tannin content which is assertive
in the still versions of the drink. One should also use Sorenson's mash
method as described in my May 16th post for best results when making the
traditional forms of the drink.
A smoky character is most definitely an inherent element in the style. Smoke induced qualities are more assertive then in contemporary German and Scottish styles although they are of secondary influence to the flavor profile when compared to juniper flavors.
Bitterness perception should be fairly low to imperceptible depending
upon the variant. Whatever the source of the bittering & anti septic
qualities they should not add a significant element to the
overall flavor.
The mouth feel and body should be full with the stronger versions having a pronounced alcoholic aspect. While the use of rye, wheat and oats in the grist bill often provide these qualities they should not represent a large portion of the fermentables.
Finally, the dricka should ideally be fermented in either an oak vessel or a ceramic milk churn. One can use a carboy (i do) with 3 or 4 ounces of oak chips and get good results.
Q: What spices are used for preserving and bittering the traditional
versions of the dricka?
A: Bog bean, Carduus (although not as common) and wood sage. Alecost is
reputed to have been used although i have yet to meet someone who has
actually made the drink with it.
Q: Can i use hops?
A: Only the modern versions of the drink use hops. They frankly don't
complement the other aspects of the drink's flavor profile so hopped
Gottlandsdrickas just don't suit me. Also, hops should not be used with
other bittering agents as they result in an over bitter and astringent
beverage that just is not balanced.
Q: Is their a non alcoholic version of Gottlandsdricka? If so how would i
make it?
A: Yes. Although i have no reason to think that such a product existed
until quite recently. A non alcoholic version is presently made by Viungs
Rok & Malt. Basically it's a wort that has been filtered and force
carbonated. If you have a filtering setup and keg equipment you could
make the same thing rather then fermenting the brew.
Q: I understand that a rather strange malt is used during the production
of the Dricka. Is their a retail source for the malt in the states? Would
i have a real example of the style if i used some other malt?
A: Real Gottlands malt is floor malted and kilned over extremely low
Birch fires for 4-7 days with high smoke production. This malt is quite
unique and has no near equivalent i know of. It is not available outside
of Gottland at all. One can certainly smoke the malts you buy (i use
Beeston's malts) and get great results. While the results are not dead on
they can be close enough to get a good idea what it's like. I think that
making unusual ales like the dricka is similar to making lambic and other
odd ales in that you can get something close to the real thing but not
something that is a carbon copy of the original.
Q: What did you think of the Zymurgy article about the style and the
suggested recipe that appeared several years back?
A: A poor effort on the whole which described the making of the modern
form of the drink which is poorly balanced and overly astringent. The
background information was also rather shoddy and way to short. In
summery don't bother with the article as it was a blight on an other wise
fine issue.
Q: What are these variants you keep bringing up?
A: see below -
1) Orginal style, young & still : This variant has no bittering or
anti septic agent in the recipe and no perceptible bitterness. It is
served flat right out of the fermenter 4-7 after the start of
fermentation. Because the the yeast is "fed" during this time you have a
very sweet drink that is referred to often as as "woman's dricka".
This is a harshly astringent concoction that is made drinkable only by
the high residual sugars. I don't like it and this variant is rarely made
now a days.
2) Original style, still & old: Typically this variant has a 20% or
so more fermentables, in the form of sugars & syrups, then does
Sorenson's recipe. And is served flat out of the fermenter like the
last entry. It has little or no anti septic or bittering agents added and
has no perceptible bitterness. This version tends to be quite alcoholic
do to a prolonged fermentation and has a lighter body then
other variants. It typically has a clear sour taste and is often spiced
with mace, balm, cloves mugwort, woodruff or some combination their of
placed in one's mug several moments prior to consumption. This version of
the drink is also rarely made now and is certainly an acquired
taste. I for one like it only on a particularly cold and damp night
before going to bed.
3) Original style, casked/bottled: This is the most common variant of the
original style of production and benefits from 2 to 4 months aging in the
cask or bottle. Sorenson's recipe comes from this
approach.. Certainly it is the best that the genre has to offer as a
result of it's balance, strength and longevity.
4) Original strong style, casked/bottled: This is has become some what
rare during the post war period although it still has it's adherents.
Basically it differs from the previous entry in that it has
roughly 30% more fermentables then Sorenson's recipe. Typically this
variant is aged for 6 months to a year after a prolonged fermentation, is
as alcoholic as a triple bock and has a sour characteristic.
5) Original style, 3 threads: This is the most exotic take on the style
and one that has seen a resurgence of interest recently. Typically it's
made by taking 2 parts old and still and combining it with one part of an
original casked or strong that's undergoing a prolonged secondary
fermentation. At the conclusion of the secondary the ale is spiced with a
sweet syrup, cloves, maybe some woodruff and served about a year latter.
This is very alcoholic drink with the juniper flavors muted.
It bears some semblance to a smoky, alcoholic Flemish soured brown with
lots of aromatics, just imagine that!
6) Modern style: This version uses about half an once of hops for
bittering and has a grist bill roughly 25% less then Sorenson's recipe.
This version is also sparged with juniper laden water. This version of
the style also has little or no spices while retaining the smoky
character. It is often referred to as "youngster's dricka" or "young
girl drink". This is a poorly balanced and unpleasant drink to my tastes.
xiii) Warnings & Revision about Modern Gottlandsdrinka
Warning
As of late i have been flooded with over a dozen esquires regarding the
use of some rather exotic herbs that are dangerous. It appears that
several web sites have been posting recipes using the following herbs
:
Witch's foot, Thorn apple and a Datura root ( American South Western
variety). Under no circumstances should you use these herbs in your ales
or any other internal application. I have known a few folks who have had
extremely dangerous experiences with these elements so please,
be some what less adventurous in your use of herbs and avoid a trip to
the hospital.
Other herbs which i have had mixed reports about are the intoxicants
Darnel and Melilot. I am not willing to try to use these herbs my self
and i would suggest that one consult with several medical professionals
and herbalists before attempting to use them. As a general rule one must
be careful when looking at old recipes as they may call for herbs that
have narcotic or other dangerous properties which very few people are
capable of determining the threats inherent with their use with any
degree of reliability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A brief addendum to my previous post should mention that Viungs Rok
& Malt brewery did make a modernized version of Gottlandsdricka
until
they shut down the brewery three years ago. Apparently they no longer
make the soda version of the drink but another brewer apparently
does.
I have still found no evidence that the traditional versions of the
drink were ever made by any commercial brewer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juniper Warning
I was not sure if i mentioned this before but it appears that some
herbalists maintain that juniper products should not be consumed by
pregnant, possibly pregnant or nursing women. I have no way of verifying
any health risk associated with such a claim so i would recommend that
when in doubt err on the side of caution.
xiv) Beans in Ulla Ostergaard's Table Ale
<SNIP>
- Several folks have ask about the use of beans in this ale and others in
terms of how they are used.
Personally, i have never made ales such as Mums or Babbitage ales with
beans as they are called
for.
However, talking to folks who have i understand that one places the beans
into the mash and that
their addition does not alter the mash schedule. Prior to the mash the
dried beans are boiled in water
till soft and are never seasoned in any way. The use of beans does
lighten the body some what while
providing a little more fermentable material. Like so many things in old
recipes beans were used in
place of more expensive malt for typical 10% - 20% of the grist bill.
<SNIP>
xv) Ulla Ostergaard's Table Ale - Style, strength, and second runnings
Some inquiring brewers have mentioned that they would be interested in stronger versions of this ale. The old Eysturoy style of table ales, to which Mrs. Ustergaard's recipe belong, did come in a stronger version. To make it just double the size of the grist bill, sugars and wood while increase the gruit, using the same relative constituent proportions, by roughly 50-70%.
In the interest of economy i would suggest that you do a second mash using the same grist and make small ale using the same gruit on a smaller scale. This was common practice with a great many kinds of table ales and a sensible one to boot. This way you'll have a table ale for any humor. Also, i have found that even strong gruit ales won't make you fatigued or slow as hoped ales do to some so you'll have more energy after such a wholesome drink then you will after having a lager.
xvi) Wood, it's uses in Ale, Meads & Braggots
Because i've gotten several inquiries with regards to shavings ales
and the use of woods in other recipes i thought i would bang this
little
post out. The next posts will covered boiled & spiced honey used
in
primarily meads and braggots. Shavings ales are the most common type
of wooded ales outside of the Nordic and Baltic nations and the wood
in such ales serves to add flavor, aroma and enhance the preservation
of
the ale.
Basically, shavings are made by using a plane to produce the
thinnest possible slices of wood. which are boiled in the strike
water
or wort, hung in a cask as bundles during the ale's conditioning or
both. Shavings taken from different parts of the tree lend different
qualities with the inner rind tending to be the best.
Many different kinds of wood are used to produce shavings ale largely
as
a result of what's available locally. Most commonly one will find
references to fir, birch, cottonwood, uwe, juniper, ash, bayberry and
linden although i am sure that many others have been used as well. I
personally brought back home a good pile of pinon wood which i
discovered leads wonderful quantities to ales and meads.
Generally, you will do better using the shavings or branches of
young wood during boils. Only mature wood should be used during
conditioning . In terms of quantity i have found 6-12 ounces as being
sufficient during the conditioning stage while the use of a dozen or
so
short branches are better for use during the boil. Shavings placed in
the cask/carboy should have the bark removed and sap should not be
present in any wood used in brewing.
Bark is typically used only in a spice bag placed into the
cask/carboy during conditioning and works best when the bark has been
well dried. Bark is quite commonly used in various recipes that call
for boiling down honey and other sweet syrups which are used to
provide
added complexity to ales and meads in the absence of specialty grains
as
can be seen a few commercial Belgian ales.
Shaving when used in meads typically are employed during the boil
of water which is then strained and then added to the honey or tied
together in a bundle and hung in the mead during it's conditioning
prior
to bottling. Braggots typically resemble ales in their use of wood.
While ales that used only wood to enhance the flavor were common in
the distant past i for one have never been happy with such a beverage
unless it is drunk live which is not my preference. Instead, i
suggest
that one uses other herbs along with a relatively sweet ale or mead
to
provide a level of complexity rather then an overly strong tannin
taste.
If the readership is interested i can submit a few shavings recipes
from the British isles, the low countries and France from my small
collection of resources relating to this genre
xvii) Syrup Production
This post concerns the production of syrups made from honey or pale
treacles which are used in the production of ales, meads and
braggots.
The methods described below are Flemish although i have it on good
authority that they are quite similar to methods used throughout the
low
countries. Thanks are due to Axella Hemmerechts of Alalst, a far
better
researcher then i, who provided the translations into English and
showed
me how to do the procedures mentioned below back in the summer of
'98.
The primary source of the procedural information comes from the
records of the sadly defunct Lanoye brewery in Kortrijk and some
translated bits of Stefan Van Pamel's "Traditional Brewing" circa
1880. Except when noted other wise the measures are given in imperial
units. Oh, the notes are listed under the first dotted line in the
order they appeared in the main body of this post.
If you wish to make a flavored honey syrup use the same method as
described in the Lonoye recipe book of c.1380's:
Strengthened Honey
"a hand full of malt is worked upon a pan (or perhaps a skillet,
ed.) over a low flame along with some small, damp oak chips till they
turn. The malt is then crushed to a flour placed in a strong pot over
a
low low flame to which equal measures of honey and water and a third
again as much juice of Birch are added along with a fifth again as
much cream. After half the admixture has boiled away add a spoon of
well worked Ascension Day Root* and twice as much crushed Michealmas
fruit* . After a quarter again of the mixture has boiled away break
the fruit stones well and add them to the pot. Once the mixture as
fallen to to a quarter of it's original size the strong honey is read
to be put to use."
Pages 17 & 18 of Pamel mentions the use of "molasses or homemade
blackened sugar in a similar process. I assume that "blackened sugar"
is homemade sugar similar to what is found in the Central Americas
although i certainly can't place any specific date to when such a
practice began in the low countries although is know that it is still
practiced in the rural Northlands and has been for quite some time.
Pamel lists the strengthened honey in terms "grades" 1-4 in which the
ratio of water to honey & molasses combined as being being 1:1, 1:2
and
so on.
Axella tells me that the use of Russian and Spanish licorice,
nettles and hyssop greatly improves strong honey when used in
moderation. I have attempted the methods listed above using two to
eight pounds of honey in two pound increments which is then added in
varying quantities to your mead, braggot or ale to provide additional
complexity to the flavor balance as well as color. The major down
side
to making strengthened honey is that it is a rather messy bother and
it
does require iron cookware rather then more modern products in order
to
impart the proper character.
If anyone in the readership is interested i'll get out a braggot
recipe using this method with a few minor concessions to the modern
kitchen.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Ascension Day Root - It would appear that this is a reference to
Elecampane which used to be harvested on the Church holiday of the
same
name. I assume that
"well worked" means that the root is properly dried and cleaned.
Michealmas fruit - In a similar vain it would appear to me that this
is
a reference to sloes berries which were picked during this festival.
However, Axella tells me that she is under the impression that this
is
instead a reference to currents which used to be used in food cooked
for
the same festival.
xviii) Linseed
Cheers for the information on Linseed. Their is a local ale here called
"flax
bier" which uses some kind of seed, i never looked into it before, that
now
seems to be the same as Linseed and the ale does indeed have an amazing
head
although oddly enough little carbonation. Next time i go to Nes i should
talk
to the locals on the off chance that they will tell me something about
it.
Argyle Wolf-Knapp wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Nov 2000 10:34:56 -0500 (EST), Mark Poliner
wrote:
>
> > REmember, OILS KILL THE HEAD.
> > It may make the body richer, but it will also taste oily and
there will
> be
> > no head retention.
> > For a richer body, try adding flaked oats into the
mash.
>
> My sense of flax seed is not so much of oils being expressed as a
form of
> gelatin. If anything, it might *increase* the head.
>
> Argyle
> Greenwich Morris Men (USA)
> Harpies Molly (NYC)
> "Talking about music is like dancing about architecture"
> - Laurie Anderson
>
xix) Blown Malt Production (by Finnbogi Kvamsdahl)
Hello all,
My fellow brewer Adam ask me to cover this one which makes sense as
he is always swopping my malt for his mechanical services. I believe
all
brewers should make their own malt as companies like Crisp charge to
much
and drum
malt is never very good. It utterly amazes me that any Americans,
urban
Europeans
and Britons make ale anymore let alone grut ale but i suppose that
some
kind
of volkish interest may be out their and not just among the volven..
Blown malt is quite hard to make as their is little tolerance of
error.
Basically, i make a mild malt that i torrify then set in a small wood
chamber
on racks. Steamed water is blown through circular opening with a
small
industry
style fan for four hours and let stand for another twelve hours. One
carries
on like
this for 2 days.
The malt is then heated very quickly over birch, hornbeam or oak with
short, intense heat under which the malt must be turned quickly when
it
turns a mid copper color. After about 3-4 minutes the malt has been
turned
two to three times before it swells and bursts open. The malt is
taken
off the heating rack
immediately and let stand to cool before sacking.
The taste is rich, full and complex like a smoked Belgian B malt if
you can picture such a thing. Such malt is best for strong English or
French ales or with
rye and oats. I use it for 20 to 50% of grist in several ales and
always
keep a sack about. If
anyone wants recipes for such malts let me know.
I hope this helps,
Finnbogi Kvamsdahl
xx) More Gruit Sources (and some duplicates)
for Marsh Rosemary, Yarrow and Bog Myrtle email Nancy
Kaytis-Slocum: wldweeds@humboldt1.com
What follows is a list of fine suppliers of herbs used in gruits
that are in the states. When looking about for herbs look out for
valerian, elecampane, lemon balm, wood sage, sloes, nettles &
comfrey.
All of these things make for great ales! All though i have yet to
post
recipes using some of these herbs plenty of recipes are around so
give
it a shot. Be sure to keep in mind that you have to use a hop
surrogate
for almost all ales. Don't just assume that what ever herb a recipe
calls for all ready has something that serves the purpose of hops.
alecost/ground ivy & carduus
Andy Yen <info@chineseherbcenter.com>
DAAN Inc.
Phone (415) 433-3277
Toll free (877) 322-6168
Fax (415) 433-9349
www.daan.com
DAAN Inc.
Phone (415) 433-3277
Toll free (877) 322-6168
Fax (415) 433-9349
www.daan.com
Buck bean extract as well as plenty of other extracts that can be of
use
to old fashioned brewers:
http://www.greenking.com/western.html#marker_tag
various herbs:
1-800-359-9896
smart drugs/nootropics
http://nubrain-store.com
Below is good source for source for all kinds of stuff like alehoof (
ground ivy). They carry mainly bulk herbs at good prices and the
nicest folks
you could ever run into.
St. John's Botanicals
7711 Hillmead Rd.
Bowie, MD.
20720
301-262-5302
It gives me great pleasure to announce that i have discovered a
source for dried bog bean in the United States. Although bog bean is
much more expensive then Alehoof , which along with yarrow are the
most
common gruit anti septics in the British isles, it is an excellent
bittering and anti septic agent. It is also by far the most common
gruit ingredient of it's type in German and Nordic ales. Anyway, if
you
want it call Blessed Herbs - at: 800-489-4372.
Ledum latifolium (Labrador Tea) which is a close
enough relative of Marsh Rosemary (Ledum palestre):
http://www.farm-online.com/taiga/lab-tea.html
Below is good source for birch, ground ivy, juniper, yarrow and all
kinds of stuff
Hopefully this will help you out
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