Ancient Sumerian Beer
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds of malted barley
- 2 pounds of malted wheat
- 1 pound of honey
- 1 ounce of dried date or fig pieces
- 2 gallons of water
- Ale yeast
Equipment:
- Ceramic fermentation vessel
- Wooden paddle
- Cloth strainer
- Ceramic serving vessels
Instructions:
- In a large pot, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil.
- Add the malted barley and wheat to the boiling water, stirring with a wooden paddle to create a thick porridge-like consistency. Boil for 1 hour.
- Remove the pot from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. This mash will release the sugars from the grains.
- Once cooled, stir in the honey and dried date or fig pieces.
- Transfer the mixture to the ceramic fermentation vessel and add the ale yeast. Stir well to incorporate.
- Cover the fermentation vessel with a cloth to prevent contamination and allow it to ferment for 7 to 10 days at room temperature.
- After fermentation is complete, use a cloth strainer to separate the liquid from the solids. Discard the solids and transfer the liquid to ceramic serving vessels.
- Serve the ancient Sumerian beer in these vessels, using a reed straw to drink the beer, as was traditional in ancient Sumer.
Medieval Gruit Ale
Ingredients:
- 10 pounds of pale malted barley
- 1 pound of roasted barley
- 1 ounce of dried yarrow
- 1 ounce of dried marsh rosemary
- 1 ounce of dried sweet gale
- 5 gallons of water
- Ale yeast
Equipment:
- Wooden mash tun with a false bottom
- Copper boiling kettle
- Wooden paddle
- Fermentation vessel (such as a barrel)
- Cloth strainer
Instructions:
- Heat 5 gallons of water in the copper boiling kettle. Once heated, transfer the water to the wooden mash tun.
- Slowly add the pale malted barley and roasted barley to the mash tun while stirring with the wooden paddle. Let the grains steep for 60 minutes.
- Using the false bottom, separate the liquid wort from the grains, and transfer the wort back to the copper boiling kettle.
- Bring the wort to a boil and add the dried yarrow, marsh rosemary, and sweet gale. Boil for 60 minutes.
- Remove the kettle from heat and let the wort cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, strain the wort into a fermentation vessel and pitch the ale yeast.
- Allow the gruit ale to ferment for 7 to 10 days at room temperature.
- Once fermentation is complete, transfer the ale to bottles or a serving vessel, and enjoy this traditional medieval brew.
Colonial American Spruce Beer
Ingredients:
- 8 pounds of pale malted barley
- 2 pounds of molasses
- 2 ounces of spruce tips or spruce essence
- 5 gallons of water
- Ale yeast
Equipment:
- Copper boiling kettle
- Wooden mash tun
- Wooden paddle
- Fermentation vessel (such as a barrel)
- Cloth strainer
Instructions:
- Heat 5 gallons of water in the copper boiling kettle.
- Add the pale malted barley to the wooden mash tun, and slowly pour the heated water over the grains while stirring with the wooden paddle. Let the grains steep for 60 minutes.
- Separate the liquid wort from the grains, and transfer the wort back to the copper boiling kettle.
- Bring the wort to a boil and add the molasses and spruce tips or spruce essence. Boil for 60 minutes. 5. Remove the kettle from heat and let the wort cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, strain the wort into a fermentation vessel and pitch the ale yeast.
- Allow the spruce beer to ferment for 7 to 10 days at room temperature.
- Once fermentation is complete, transfer the beer to bottles or a serving vessel, and enjoy this unique colonial American brew.
Traditional Belgian Lambic
Ingredients:
- 7 pounds of pale malted barley
- 3 pounds of raw wheat
- 2 ounces of aged hops
- 5 gallons of water
- Wild yeast and bacteria (captured from the environment or sourced commercially)
Equipment:
- Copper boiling kettle
- Wooden mash tun
- Wooden paddle
- Fermentation vessel (such as a barrel)
- Coolship (a large, shallow, open-top vessel for cooling the wort)
- Cloth strainer
Instructions:
- Heat 5 gallons of water in the copper boiling kettle.
- Add the pale malted barley and raw wheat to the wooden mash tun, and slowly pour the heated water over the grains while stirring with the wooden paddle. Let the grains steep for 60 minutes.
- Separate the liquid wort from the grains, and transfer the wort back to the copper boiling kettle.
- Bring the wort to a boil and add the aged hops. Boil for 60 minutes.
- Remove the kettle from heat and transfer the hot wort to the coolship, allowing it to cool and be exposed to the open air for 12 to 24 hours. This exposure will enable the wort to become inoculated with wild yeast and bacteria.
- Once cooled and inoculated, transfer the wort to a fermentation vessel (such as a barrel) and let it ferment for at least one year, allowing the wild yeast and bacteria to develop the beer’s complex flavors and sourness.
- After fermentation is complete, blend the lambic with other batches to achieve the desired flavor profile, then transfer the beer to bottles or a serving vessel to enjoy this traditional Belgian sour ale.
19th Century British Porter
Ingredients:
- 10 pounds of pale malted barley
- 2 pounds of brown malt
- 1 pound of black patent malt
- 2 ounces of East Kent Golding hops
- 5 gallons of water
- English ale yeast
Equipment:
- Copper boiling kettle
- Wooden mash tun
- Wooden paddle
- Fermentation vessel (such as a barrel)
- Cloth strainer
Instructions:
- Heat 5 gallons of water in the copper boiling kettle.
- Add the pale malted barley, brown malt, and black patent malt to the wooden mash tun, and slowly pour the heated water over the grains while stirring with the wooden paddle. Let the grains steep for 60 minutes.
- Separate the liquid wort from the grains, and transfer the wort back to the copper boiling kettle.
- Bring the wort to a boil and add the East Kent Golding hops. Boil for 60 minutes.
- Remove the kettle from heat and let the wort cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, strain the wort into a fermentation vessel and pitch the English ale yeast.
- Allow the porter to ferment for 7 to 10 days at room temperature.
- Once fermentation is complete, transfer the beer to bottles or a serving vessel, and enjoy this classic 19th-century British brew.
- Traditional German Rauchbier
Ingredients:
- 8 pounds of smoked malted barley (Beechwood-smoked)
- 2 pounds of Munich malt
- 1 pound of caramel malt
- 2 ounces of Hallertau hops
- 5 gallons of water
- German lager yeast
Equipment:
- Copper boiling kettle
- Wooden mash tun
- Wooden paddle
- Fermentation vessel (such as a barrel)
- Cloth strainer
- Lagering cellar or refrigerator for cold storage
Instructions:
- Heat 5 gallons of water in the copper boiling kettle.
- Add the smoked malted barley, Munich malt, and caramel malt to the wooden mash tun, and slowly pour the heated water over the grains while stirring with the wooden paddle. Let the grains steep for 60 minutes.
- Separate the liquid wort from the grains, and transfer the wort back to the copper boiling kettle.
- Bring the wort to a boil and add the Hallertau hops. Boil for 60 minutes.
- Remove the kettle from heat and let the wort cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, strain the wort into a fermentation vessel and pitch the German lager yeast.
- Allow the Rauchbier to ferment for 7 to 10 days at room temperature.
- After primary fermentation is complete, transfer the beer to a lagering cellar or refrigerator and let it age at cold temperatures (around 35°F or 2°C) for 4 to 6 weeks. This lagering process will help to develop the beer’s smooth, clean flavors.
- Once lagering is complete, transfer the beer to bottles or a serving vessel, and enjoy this traditional German smoked beer.
By following these recipes and instructions, you can recreate historic beer styles from various time periods and regions using traditional equipment and methods. This will not only provide you with a unique and delicious drinking experience but also give you a deeper appreciation for the history and craftsmanship behind these beloved brews. Cheers!