Beer is a very simple drink to produce. In its simplest form it is quick to
produce, but almost undrinkable to us twentieth century folks!
Before I describe how the beer is made, here are a few background details:-
1) Correctly any beer made in our period should, in fact, be referred to as
"Ale''. The word "Beer'' used to refer to a brew containing hops.
Hops were not used in this country until much later. The first record of their
use dates from 1236 A.D..
2) Malt. This is the name given to the cereal (nearly all cereals can be used
in brewing) once it has been "Malted''. Malting is the process by which
the grain is soaked over a few days and then laid out to dry. Once it starts
to germinate, it is very roughly crushed or ground so that the husks are just
starting to break away from the grains. This ensures that as much as possible
of the food contained is available for fermenting.
3) Gruit, is the name given to the flavouring. It is well known that nowadays
we use almost exclusively the hop flavour for beer, but in Saxon times many
other things were used, such as:- Bog Myrtle, Honey, Yarrow, and Cinnamon, to
name but a few. Sometimes a mix or blend was used often incorporating a blossom.
Blossoms can add additional yeast to the brew.
4) Yeast. Normally yeast would not be added to the "first brew'', instead
, it would rely on natural airborne yeast to "infect'' it. Before final
straining of the brew any yeast that had grown would be removed and added to
the next brew at the start of the next fermentation. Some extra yeast can be
obtained from certain gruits. The purpose of yeast in the brew is to create
alcohol. As some of you may have noticed this is a particularly popular ingredient
in any beer.
5) Mash. No not the potato variety! Mash is the name given to the mix of malt and gruit which are allowed to ferment together.
I will assume we are starting afresh.
Using, if possible, a copper cauldron as it adds a bit of flavour, boil the
malt in soft water (hard waters can alter the taste of some ales) for around
two hours (some brews may need more, some less). Transfer to a wooden barrel
or similar container and leave to cool down to a temperature of around 16 degrees
Celsius.
Add the gruit and leave to ferment in a location which is warm, not hot or
cold, so do not stand it next to the fire or in a snow drift! After about six
hours cover with a thin cloth. Apart from the occasional stir there is no need
at all to touch the mash and looking at it every five minutes will not increase
the speed of fermentation.
After twenty-four to twenty-eight hours (time will vary according to the ambient
temperature) strain the mash. This can be done with a fairly course sieve as
a second and third straining are always needed to remove the yeast. By now you
will (should) have a wooden container full of an insipid yellowish opaque liquid
and a sieve full of mash. Do not throw the mash way, as this contains a lot
of yeast and can be used to make bread. The liquid should now be left to stand
for a further hour or so to let the yeast drop to the bottom of the container.
It is quite drinkable at this point, but may cause wind amongst those who drink
it.
For the second straining a fine weave cloth may be used as this retains a great
deal of the yeast. Leave again for an hour and repeat. If a second brew is anticipated
keep this and add it to the start of the fermentation of the next brew. By this
method the same strain of yeast can be kept alive for a long period. In Belgium,
one abbey, where brewing takes place, have been using the same yeast for over
eight hundred years.
After the third and final straining the ale should be ready to drink. It must
be drunk quickly, after a day or so it begins to go off. One Saxon writer of
the time wrote ''...after two days only the bravest or silliest men of the village
would drink the ale, but usually it was only fit for pigs.'' The stale brew
was often fed to the pigs as it was said to improve the flavour of the meat
(and also gave rise to the saying "as drunk as swine").
At Preston we had an attempt at brewing and I am pleased to report that the
brew was a complete success. It was called Dennis and here is the recipe.
Malt - Wheat pre malted
Gruit - Locally collected Elderflower blossom ( with thanks to B. Hale)
Boiled for one and one half hours and allowed to ferment. Straining took place
over two days and a good time was had by all those that assisted in this later
process.
Some of the cooks on duty that day took the mash and made a very nice, but
slightly flowery tasting bread which they named Denise.
Finally if anyone has any further information on ales and brewing in general
please get in touch so that we can expand our drunken activities.
With thanks to:- Sue Levick, Tim Hague, Betty Hale, Andrew Whiting, Camra, and all others who helped me with the brewing.
John Shulver November 1992
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