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I have just been watching the video - linked below - after watching a TV program about Ancient Egypt and their Friday night drunken parties (yes they had them and it was a religious requirement") so I researched their beer making methods and came across the video below. I now want to have a go to see what they managed to brew.
Essentially they had a very efficient method of producing beer with a high alcohol content which basically is like this:
Stage 1: Mix a malted grain with ambient temperature water (roughly 15 - 20C) to form a mix high in enzymes.
Stage 2: Mix a non malted (or malted - the experts are not quite sure) grain with hot water - no higher than 80C (as their single fired terracotta pots could not handle higher) - this is much like our current mash methods which we know should be in the region of 65C. This produces the familiar "porridge" with all the gluten chains opened up ready for the enzymes to work with.
Stage 3: Let both volumes sit a bit - the exact time is unsure but I suspect for as long as the hot mash cools to hand hot) before,
Stage 4: Mix both volumes together and strain into a fermentation vessel.
There are now three possible routes to take that provide increasing levels of fermentation and resultant alcohol produced and variation of taste / flavours.
1) the mix is left as is at Stage 4, 2) a Pot-pourri of roasted pistachios, rose petals, sessame seeds, corriander and cumin seeds is added to the mix and, 3) Dates are added to the mix
Route 3 makes the highest ABV about 6% apparently, Route 2 produces about 4% and I am not sure what Route 1 makes but it is less than Route 2.
The mix is - or rather was - fermented in a terracotta pot with a muslin cloth tied over the top as a "bug filter". The mix would be naturally fermented by airborne yeasts. I guess we could substitute a suitable known modern yeast here and ferment in our usual vessels - this would be an experiment after all. The method, as depicted in the video, takes about 5 days to ferment out but we have better tools to use these days and our experience should tell us when fermentation has ceased.
Anyway, I think I will have a go with some spare grains and see what results. Anyone else want to give it a go?
The video I saw is below and there are links mentioned to further reading - I have yet to follow but will get round to it.
I hope this link works....
Essentially they had a very efficient method of producing beer with a high alcohol content which basically is like this:
Stage 1: Mix a malted grain with ambient temperature water (roughly 15 - 20C) to form a mix high in enzymes.
Stage 2: Mix a non malted (or malted - the experts are not quite sure) grain with hot water - no higher than 80C (as their single fired terracotta pots could not handle higher) - this is much like our current mash methods which we know should be in the region of 65C. This produces the familiar "porridge" with all the gluten chains opened up ready for the enzymes to work with.
Stage 3: Let both volumes sit a bit - the exact time is unsure but I suspect for as long as the hot mash cools to hand hot) before,
Stage 4: Mix both volumes together and strain into a fermentation vessel.
There are now three possible routes to take that provide increasing levels of fermentation and resultant alcohol produced and variation of taste / flavours.
1) the mix is left as is at Stage 4, 2) a Pot-pourri of roasted pistachios, rose petals, sessame seeds, corriander and cumin seeds is added to the mix and, 3) Dates are added to the mix
Route 3 makes the highest ABV about 6% apparently, Route 2 produces about 4% and I am not sure what Route 1 makes but it is less than Route 2.
The mix is - or rather was - fermented in a terracotta pot with a muslin cloth tied over the top as a "bug filter". The mix would be naturally fermented by airborne yeasts. I guess we could substitute a suitable known modern yeast here and ferment in our usual vessels - this would be an experiment after all. The method, as depicted in the video, takes about 5 days to ferment out but we have better tools to use these days and our experience should tell us when fermentation has ceased.
Anyway, I think I will have a go with some spare grains and see what results. Anyone else want to give it a go?
The video I saw is below and there are links mentioned to further reading - I have yet to follow but will get round to it.
I hope this link works....