SC - Re: Yeast

[kathe1@juno.com]

> Heather Law wrote:
> > 
> > As beer was drunk daily by children, pregnant women, and nursing
> > mothers, one hopes it had a very low alcohol content
> > Caroline
> 
	Given the likely quality of available water (and milk), it would
be more healthy for them to drink ale than water.  BTW in the UK,
pregnant women are advised that a 'small' quantity of alcohol (1 unit a
day) is not unhealthy.

> Evidence suggests that ales, which tended to be infusion mashed, would
> have a low alcohol content: infusion mashes tend to be fairly hot at
> first, since they are made with boiling water. This causes the
> starches
> in the malt to be converted to dextrins (heavy, non-fermentable
> complex
> sugars) rather than sinple maltose. Only as the mash cools do the
> fermentables come though. You'll find literary references to stale
> ale,
> old ale, and strong ale; these might be said to have a somewhat higher
> alcohol content. In general, though, you're right, the average beer
> was
> chewier and heavier until the twentieth century, when a great change
> in
> styles occurred...
> 
	My understanding (and its my husband's subject, not mine) is
that the great change occurs around the switch to glassware for serving
beers.  When you were using horn or pewter (etc) the clarity of the beer
was much less important.

	Caroline

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