odinraven
Member
I have recently become interested in brewing an authentic as possible example of beer or "beor" brewed in Scandinavia (specifically Denmark) around 900 AD. This turned out to be a huge can of worms and doing the research was a project in and of itself. Turns out historians and archaeologists debate furiously over what was brewed, how it was brewed and what it was called (some historians think beor is actually cider not beer for example, this is by no means the only point of contention). After several headaches and reading some very poorly written yet interesting stuff on all types of fermented beverages in Medieval Scandinavia, here is what I worked out that is known:
1) Beer in this period and region used mainly malted Barley and some Rye. Other ingredients may have been used but this is where the arguments start. Other fermented beverages drank were probably rare or imported since not much else grew there worth fermenting (yes this includes mead, bees don't like cold either).
2) Hops were used for bittering, clarification, preservation and flavor but were definetly not exclusive to this task. Others included Aleshoof, Sweet Gale, Meadowort, and Juniper berries.
3) Modern brewers in the region use ingredients similar to the above to brew traditional ales and a drink called Sahti.
Now for the assumptions. First of all I figure a brewer in this period would not be pretentious about her ingredients (oh yeah, brewing was women's work back then). She would use what she had on hand to make the best ale possible. Now in this time period in Denmark they had crop rotation worked out and rotated rye with barley so a typical example would have mostly barley and a bit of rye. For bittering, preservation and flavor a mix of on-hand ingredients would be likely as well. Second, an ale during this time would be strong because part of the reason for brewing was to make "liquid bread" a long lasting, portable source of calories and nutrition. This also matches with the modern examples. Third, the malt would be imperfect (some not totally converted) and kilned over a fire imparting smoke flavors and some malt that would be brown or even black. Finally, this ale would be stored for months at a time in wooden casks so would pick up oaky flavors as it aged. So the result? A Dark Brown, cloudy-as-a-thunderstorm, alcoholic brew with spicy fruity and oak notes.
At least that's what I think it would be like and what I hope to produce with this recipe. Let me know what you think and if any improvements could be made for either flavor or authenticity. I am limited to my current equipment so please keep that in mind.
Batch Size: 4.5 Gallons
Grain bill:
8 lbs Smoked Malt
3 lbs Rye Malt
1 lb Flaked Barley
1 lb Flaked Rye
1 lb Brown Malt
4 oz Black Patent Malt
Yeast:
Notingham Ale Yeast (dry)
pitched into 1/2 Gallon starter with 1/2 lb DME the day before
Hop/Herb/Mineral additions:
1 Tbsp Gypsum (Strike Water)
1 Tsp Kosher Salt (Strike Water)
1 oz Northern Brewer Hops (60 mins)
0.25 oz Aleshoof (60 mins)
1 oz Northern Brewer Hops (30 mins)
2 oz Juniper Berries (15 mins)
Secondary:
2 oz light toast Oak Chips
Bottling:
1/4 Cup DME (Really light Carbonation)
Target OG: 1.084
Target FG: 1.020
Target ABV: 8.5%
Heat 4 Gallons water in brewpot to 180 degrees add Salt and Gypsum. Put all the grain in a Nylon mesh bag and steep for 1 hour keeping temp stable at 154-158 degrees. Remove grain, adding additional water through grain bag if needed to get 4 gallons wort and boil adding Hops, Aleshoof and Juniper berries according to schedule. Rack to primary and pitch. Ferment to completion at 60 degrees then transfer to secondary on oak and age for 2 months. Bottle with priming sugar.
1) Beer in this period and region used mainly malted Barley and some Rye. Other ingredients may have been used but this is where the arguments start. Other fermented beverages drank were probably rare or imported since not much else grew there worth fermenting (yes this includes mead, bees don't like cold either).
2) Hops were used for bittering, clarification, preservation and flavor but were definetly not exclusive to this task. Others included Aleshoof, Sweet Gale, Meadowort, and Juniper berries.
3) Modern brewers in the region use ingredients similar to the above to brew traditional ales and a drink called Sahti.
Now for the assumptions. First of all I figure a brewer in this period would not be pretentious about her ingredients (oh yeah, brewing was women's work back then). She would use what she had on hand to make the best ale possible. Now in this time period in Denmark they had crop rotation worked out and rotated rye with barley so a typical example would have mostly barley and a bit of rye. For bittering, preservation and flavor a mix of on-hand ingredients would be likely as well. Second, an ale during this time would be strong because part of the reason for brewing was to make "liquid bread" a long lasting, portable source of calories and nutrition. This also matches with the modern examples. Third, the malt would be imperfect (some not totally converted) and kilned over a fire imparting smoke flavors and some malt that would be brown or even black. Finally, this ale would be stored for months at a time in wooden casks so would pick up oaky flavors as it aged. So the result? A Dark Brown, cloudy-as-a-thunderstorm, alcoholic brew with spicy fruity and oak notes.
At least that's what I think it would be like and what I hope to produce with this recipe. Let me know what you think and if any improvements could be made for either flavor or authenticity. I am limited to my current equipment so please keep that in mind.
Batch Size: 4.5 Gallons
Grain bill:
8 lbs Smoked Malt
3 lbs Rye Malt
1 lb Flaked Barley
1 lb Flaked Rye
1 lb Brown Malt
4 oz Black Patent Malt
Yeast:
Notingham Ale Yeast (dry)
pitched into 1/2 Gallon starter with 1/2 lb DME the day before
Hop/Herb/Mineral additions:
1 Tbsp Gypsum (Strike Water)
1 Tsp Kosher Salt (Strike Water)
1 oz Northern Brewer Hops (60 mins)
0.25 oz Aleshoof (60 mins)
1 oz Northern Brewer Hops (30 mins)
2 oz Juniper Berries (15 mins)
Secondary:
2 oz light toast Oak Chips
Bottling:
1/4 Cup DME (Really light Carbonation)
Target OG: 1.084
Target FG: 1.020
Target ABV: 8.5%
Heat 4 Gallons water in brewpot to 180 degrees add Salt and Gypsum. Put all the grain in a Nylon mesh bag and steep for 1 hour keeping temp stable at 154-158 degrees. Remove grain, adding additional water through grain bag if needed to get 4 gallons wort and boil adding Hops, Aleshoof and Juniper berries according to schedule. Rack to primary and pitch. Ferment to completion at 60 degrees then transfer to secondary on oak and age for 2 months. Bottle with priming sugar.