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- Jan 26, 2002
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I know that there's some beer afficinados here, as well as folks interested in the old way to do things. So I thought I'd post a few links about old fashioned brewing. Almost all beer as we know it today is only a couple of hundred years old.
Lambics: "The Lambic style can trace its roots back over 400 years, and has remained mostly unchanged from its introduction. The first written recipe is dated 1516 and accounts from 1559 mention the production of Lambic "according to an old recipe".
It's pretty likely that's what these dutch peasants depicted in the early 17th century are drinking.
These are the "sourdough" of beers--innoculated by indigenous yeast from the air and microbes in the brewery. Produced only in the Senne valley near Brussels, Belgium. A couple of other areas in Flanders produce similar products. Very laborious to make, and quite expensive. They require two to three years to make, and cellar well for years. Sadly, the traditionally complex sour taste is being "dumbed-down" by some (especially large) producers in order to attract more consumers and enable mass production. Some non-traditional products are to me disgustingly sweet. Not common, but some good ones can be found in the US
Typically bottled in champagne bottles--indeed shortly after the development of the method, it was applied to this type of beer. Still versions out of casks are available, but you pretty much have to go to Belgium to find them. Maybe someday.
No new khuks for a while--I spent my lunch money on a few amazing brews from Cantillon Brewery that my nearby bottle shop happened to get in.
A good introduction and some very nice pics of old fashioned brewing--no stainless steel towers or carefully cultivated yeast cultures here !!
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pvosta/pcrbier1.htm
These two old brews are described as very lightly carbonated or still--similar to cask conditioned english ales. They are not stored and drunk as soon as they are ready. Proper corks and bottles capable of holding a fully carbonated beverage didn't arise until the introduction of champagne, I think. If you'll want to try either, need to visit somebody's brewery or have a go at it yourself. They are about as old fashoned as you can get. They cheat a bit and add bread yeast. I imagine that in the old days, they let it start from wild yeast or maybe added some rising bread dough.
Sahti: "Sahti is a rustic Finnish beerstyle that has been brewed probably since 9th-10th century."
Extensive site--
http://www.posbeer.org/oppaat/sahti/
Koduolu: Estonian brew similar to Finnish sahti.
Great photos of brewing process in wooden containers.
http://www.pcuf.fi/~jarmala/ekoduolu.html
Of course, there's similar things made from other fermentables like corn, agave, palm sap...but to me, it has to made from malted barley to really be called beer.
Lambics: "The Lambic style can trace its roots back over 400 years, and has remained mostly unchanged from its introduction. The first written recipe is dated 1516 and accounts from 1559 mention the production of Lambic "according to an old recipe".
It's pretty likely that's what these dutch peasants depicted in the early 17th century are drinking.
These are the "sourdough" of beers--innoculated by indigenous yeast from the air and microbes in the brewery. Produced only in the Senne valley near Brussels, Belgium. A couple of other areas in Flanders produce similar products. Very laborious to make, and quite expensive. They require two to three years to make, and cellar well for years. Sadly, the traditionally complex sour taste is being "dumbed-down" by some (especially large) producers in order to attract more consumers and enable mass production. Some non-traditional products are to me disgustingly sweet. Not common, but some good ones can be found in the US
Typically bottled in champagne bottles--indeed shortly after the development of the method, it was applied to this type of beer. Still versions out of casks are available, but you pretty much have to go to Belgium to find them. Maybe someday.
No new khuks for a while--I spent my lunch money on a few amazing brews from Cantillon Brewery that my nearby bottle shop happened to get in.
A good introduction and some very nice pics of old fashioned brewing--no stainless steel towers or carefully cultivated yeast cultures here !!
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pvosta/pcrbier1.htm
These two old brews are described as very lightly carbonated or still--similar to cask conditioned english ales. They are not stored and drunk as soon as they are ready. Proper corks and bottles capable of holding a fully carbonated beverage didn't arise until the introduction of champagne, I think. If you'll want to try either, need to visit somebody's brewery or have a go at it yourself. They are about as old fashoned as you can get. They cheat a bit and add bread yeast. I imagine that in the old days, they let it start from wild yeast or maybe added some rising bread dough.
Sahti: "Sahti is a rustic Finnish beerstyle that has been brewed probably since 9th-10th century."
Extensive site--
http://www.posbeer.org/oppaat/sahti/
Koduolu: Estonian brew similar to Finnish sahti.
Great photos of brewing process in wooden containers.
http://www.pcuf.fi/~jarmala/ekoduolu.html
Of course, there's similar things made from other fermentables like corn, agave, palm sap...but to me, it has to made from malted barley to really be called beer.
) Most people in the US would probably not like most European brews. Not sweet enough for them. But then I also love Guiness.
He went on at length to describe how much he was enjoying the hospitality of the pubs and how much he likes the different beers and ales. No more Coors Light for him, you think?