Which beer could we brew that most resembles a medieval ale?

[thebaron1974]

Here's a question. I have developed an interest in social history and would be keen to brew something that resembles the brews of yesteryear...specifically the 'ale' drunk by almost everyone in Tudor times. I have heard it called 'Small Beer' and was less than 1% abv, but there was also stronger ales out there. It seems hops was not used as this was seen as 'foreign'!

What beers we brew today most closely resembles these ales???

Any insights would be great!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Hops were used from the end of the 14th century brought over by the Flemish and soldiers who fought in the 100 years war to help preserve ale. So by Tudor times they would have been in use. As for malt and yeast not sure.

 

[thebaron1974]

Ahhh interesting! So prior to this? It's fascinating! At least I think it is!! Would be nice to get even a hint of what 'ale' was like back then!

My interest has been triggered by discovering my house was actually build in the 1500's (not the Victoria era as we were led to believe...turns out its a Victorian facade build onto a much older property!) so I have been researching life around that time and stumbled across records of beer being brewed as a weekly chore by women for the family!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I think you should google beer history, malting history and the origin of beer yeast. Please copy me really good thread.

 

[Clint]

Beer was drank instead of water as the water was mostly unsafe as daily waste was thrown or drained into the water course.
As you say it was "small beer" and even children got a quota.
Originally flavourings for beers were locally sourced herbs...
I wonder if this has contributed to drinking being a British pass time?

 

[NormanHurst]

I bought a mixed case from a local brewery - Kettlesmith - a few weeks back that unexpectedly contained a "Stone Angel Gruit" they brew for a local 'Medieval Bread and Beer company. It was made with yarrow, broom, bog myrtle and hyssop amongst other herbal additions. A few hops too. No idea if it was the sort of thing Henry VIII necked by the yard on one of his six stag do's but it was pretty good; quite sweet but interesting flavours. Would also be interested in knowing more on the subject.

 

[PhilBrew]

Hi @thebaron1974

Whilst the majority of the book focusses on reproducing beers brewed in the 18th and 19th centuries ... there are a few recipes for reproducing medieval beers and ales in Old British Beers and How to Make them by Dr John Harrison and the Durden Park Beer Circle ... like Cheshire Cat says, there were hops available back then. Though it appears to have taken a long time for those who would produce/drink beer to outnumber those preferring ales, with the strict distinction back then being between hopped, malt liquor being described as "beer", whilst unhopped malt liquor was "ale" ... the distinction between beer fermented with top-fermenting yeast being described as "ale", and bottom-fermented beer being "lager", came much later

Cheers, PhilB

 

[thebaron1974]

Thanks for the input guys! I'll do some not research and see what I can find! The book looks good!!

 

[chthon]

I suppose that you also should start with the malting of those days, how it was done, were there different qualities, which combustibles were used to dry, kiln or roast the malt, etc...

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I'm sure heather was used in pre hop days, especially in Scotland. Williams Bros produce this, which may or may not be close to the original.

https://shop.williamsbrosbrew.com/products/fraoch

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Depending if you use hops to make beer or no hops to make an ale, the ale is no boil so mash and ferment only.

 

[Burlyman]

have a look at these...

Recreating Medieval English Ales

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Ahhh interesting! So prior to this? It's fascinating! At least I think it is!! Would be nice to get even a hint of what 'ale' was like back then!

My interest has been triggered by discovering my house was actually build in the 1500's (not the Victoria era as we were led to believe...turns out its a Victorian facade build onto a much older property!) so I have been researching life around that time and stumbled across records of beer being brewed as a weekly chore by women for the family!

I read somewhere many moons ago that the housewife had a "special" stick which they dipped into the wort to start fermentation & stir it during fermentation. The presumption being that it must have held the yeast on it. The stick had a name but I can't remember it as it was so long ago I'm afraid. I think it was a book about Pagan traditions & folklore.

 

[Norse John]

I wonder if this has contributed to drinking being a British pass time?

I heard beer was first brewed in Mesopotamia. I'm not sure it is much of a part of life in modern day Levant/Arabian peninsula...

I think we're just piss heads...

 

[Pjam]

I read somewhere many moons ago that the housewife had a "special" stick which they dipped into the wort to start fermentation & stir it during fermentation. The presumption being that it must have held the yeast on it. The stick had a name but I can't remember it as it was so long ago I'm afraid. I think it was a book about Pagan traditions & folklore.

Yep, I've heard this too. Also the village brewer would seem to be almost magical because others would try similar methods but without the magic stick nothing happened in the way of a 'falling down water'.
Also, some say nettles were a common flavouring and that bread was thrown in as a source of yeast.

 

[User 38108]

https://www.reenactorsmarket.co.uk/
I'd recommend a trip to see these, some of the brewing books are very interesting

 

[MmmBeer]

Just discovered this thread and found it interesting reading. The book 'Radical Brewing' by Randy Mosher has some interesting information about the history of beer and ingredients, including a section on herbs, spices and fruit used as flavourings.

Early malt would have been dark, probably similar to modern brown malt, as the technology and fuels needed to kiln green malt weren't available until about the 18th/19th century. Hops, if available are unlikely to have been used in a traditional British ale of this period, a mixture of mixture of herbs etc. called gruit would have been used instead.

A few breweries make Gruit Ales, although ironically, most seem to be Belgian.

 

[ARNWD]

Early malt would have been dark, probably similar to modern brown malt, as the technology and fuels needed to kiln green malt weren't available until about the 18th/19th century. Hops, if available are unlikely to have been used in a traditional British ale of this period, a mixture of mixture of herbs etc. called gruit would have been used instead.

I don't know where you are getting this from.

London and Country brewer was first published in 1730 (Early 18th centuary). As a read it covers a lot of what a modern brewer would recognise. Fermentation temperature control, the cost of yeast, sanitation. There is advice on steam cleaning barrels for example. Water adjustment advice is included but obviously very wrong but recognisable to a modern brewer. Pale malts and hops are are well covered. Chapter 4 is titled "Of the Use of the Pale, Amber, and Brown Malt". Chapter 10 is "Of the Nature and Use of the Hop".

As a final edit to this post: Chapter 11. "Of Boiling Malt liquors, and to Brew a Quantity of Drink in a little Room, and with a few Tubs". That is all us homebrewers!

Others have mentioned books to read but as a period publication and now public domain, I suggest it also a read. The font used makes the letter 's' look like an 'f', so the word 'sucked' can look odd to the modern eye, but it is my favorite brewing book.

 

[stevey]

What a great name: Randy Mosher. I'd probably watch all of his films .