Caveman Beer

[jlgroves1]

Anyone ever start completely from scratch, that is, home grown barley seed and hop Rhizome/homegrown hops and make a SMaSH?

I think that this will become a long term project for me over the next couple years. I want to get rhizomes this year and hopefully have good production by next Spring. I also would like to grow my own barley (2 row). I think I'll start with buying some unmalted barley and see if I can get the malting process down. Anyone ever try malting their own barley? Any tips are appreciated.

I just think that the sense of pride I feel from a great brew would be exponentially greater if I had started with seeds/rhizomes and ended with beer. Even if it didn't come out great it would still be cool to be able to say that I had done it.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

I'm sure someone has, but at the same time I'd imagine you'd need to temper your expectations of what such a "beer" would taste like. I imagine something brewed hundreds (or thousands, tens of thousands) of years ago would be completely foreign to our modern palates...

 

[TopherM]

Pre-prohibition beers are completely foreign to our modern palates, and that was only 92 years ago!

Also remember that hops were not used in beer until 9th century Bavaria, and were not allowed in beer in England until 1524. Point being, hops in beer are WAYYYYYY post caveman.

I saw a documentary that discussed the archeological evidence of ancient man making beer (like 1500 BC, NOT cavemen). The way they did it was to stuff the whole barley stalk into a big cylindrical, water tight clay pot. When it rained, the rain water would soak the barley in a low efficiency mash, while at the same time wild yeast would ferment it. They'd let it sit for a while to get nice and funky, then drain and drink.

So early man was drinking borderline unsanitary, unhopped, unmalted, low efficiency, low alchohol, uncarbed WARM beer. No thanks.

If you want to try that out, be my guest. Let me know how much it sucks.

Do a forum search for REAL ALES or HISTORIC ALES if you want to do something in the same spirit as your OP, but that will yield a much more palatable result.

 

[jlgroves1]

I'm sure someone has, but at the same time I'd imagine you'd need to temper your expectations of what such a "beer" would taste like. I imagine something brewed hundreds (or thousands, tens of thousands) of years ago would be completely foreign to our modern palates...

Pre-prohibition beers are completely foreign to our modern palates, and that was only 92 years ago! Also remember that hops were not used in beer until 9th century Bavaria, and were not allowed in beer in England until 1524. Point being, hops in beer are WAYYYYYY post caveman.

I saw a documentary that discussed the archeological evidence for early homo-sapiens making beer. The way they did it was to stuff the whole grain plant into a big container that could hold water. When it rained, the rain water would soak the grain in a low efficiency mash, while a the same time wild yeast would ferment it. They'd let it sit for a while to get nice and funky, then drain and drink.

So early man was drinking borderline unsanitary, unhopped, low efficiency, low alchohol, uncarbed beer.

If you want to try that out, be my guest. Let me know how much it sucks.

you missed my point, caveman was just a catchy title, i plan to use modern 2 row barley which can be bought at seed supply stores and hop rhizomes available from midwest supplies. I plan to use the same process I do now just with my own homegrown materials.

 

[Teromous]

There's plenty of people who do this. You will want to do some research on malting as well. Here's a video of a guy who grows barley in his yard:

 

[Crito]

how much is barely unmalted?

 

[jlgroves1]

My local ag supply store has it for $30 for 50lbs.

 

[Qhrumphf]

After a first go around with cultured brewing yeast, you could always do one open fermented with whatever wild bugs are floating around in your backyard. Truly homegrown beer.

 

[jlgroves1]

After a first go around with cultured brewing yeast, you could always do one open fermented with whatever wild bugs are floating around in your backyard. Truly homegrown beer.

This is really my only hang-up with a fully "homegrown" beer. I know that using commercial yeast my final product would probably at least be drinkable if not good or great. With wild yeast it would be a complete crap-shoot as to which "infection" it picked up, most likely an undesirable one that would ruin all the work and time put into growing everything.

I think I'll probably just aim for using commercial yeast, at least the first time. Maybe something to try with a gallon or two from a later batch though.

 

[COLObrewer]

Search for "growing barley" on this forum and here are some threads that may be helpful:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/100-homegrown-287146/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/can-i-culture-yeast-juniper-berries-169156/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/happiness-home-malting-107409/

There are more malting techniques in the gluten free brewing section of this forum, perhaps some of the other links in my sigline below will help. If you want to know more about the very early brewing techniques you may find some by searching "medievel ale" on here also.

Brew on my friend

 

[Crito]

My local ag supply store has it for $30 for 50lbs.

corny keg has 42 bucks with 7.99 flat shipping

So, I ordered 2 50lb bags. So I paid 46 a bag each for 2 row malt

 

[JoanneRigutto]

You can definitely take your beer brewing from seed to bottle. You just need to learn all the steps.

I have a small farm in Mulino, Oregon (near Portland). I'm going to be growing 2 row barley this year. I'll be growing it in small patches and bands around the different crop plantings (I grow produce for a CSA program). What I grow this year will be for seed for next year. I'm also going to be growing my own hops this year.

I'm currently getting organic barley from a feed supplier in Portland. I'm paying around $18 for a 50# bag. I don't know if it's 2, 4 or 6 row, but the farm's name and contact info is on the bag so I can call them. That's the thing with buying whole feed grade barley is you probably won't know which it is. I'm going to grow some of that barley this year too, just to play with it. I do all my own malting and I like the results I've gotten from the bag I'm working on right now.

I also malt my own wheat for brewing and for cooking with (malted wheat is very good in beans, chilli, stews and soups).

I'm also culturing yeast from an original packet of Munton's Ale yeast. I've had it going for about a month now and so far it's still giving reliable results.

I make quick beers from stored wort. I do my mashing on the weekends (usually) and store the wort in the fridge in gallon milk jugs. Then during the week I make up a 2 gallon batch every couple of days (that's how long it takes my yeast culture to recover). What I'm making has a relatively low alcohol content but good flavor and I only let it get to a day or two old before I start drinking it. I'm working with different hop combos between Cascade, Willamette and Mt. Hood.

It comes out nice and fizzy and it's very refreshing. Plus I can drink as much of it as I want to without getting snockered.