SC - Re: Kvass and yeasties

[Decker, Terry D.]

> Although none of my sources are good "period" sources, I would assume
> (yes, I know the dangers) that wild yeasties have been around for a very
> long time.  
> 
Yeasts are one of the older lifeforms on the planet.  They were first used
to leaven bread in Egypt about 5000 years ago and were used prior to that to
make beer.

> You can make bread by just putting flour and water (a little
> sugar or honey helps) in a container and leaving it open, or preferably
> covered with thin cheesecloth.  
> 
Except in a sterilized environment, yeast spores appear to be ubiquitous.
Flour contains yeast spores which accumulated on the wheat and passed
through the milling process.  So, you can mix flour and water together in a
covered container and still get fermentation.

> Also, you never
> know what types of yeasts you are collecting and the flavors they create
> can be unpredicatable.  Sometimes new and exciting, othertimes not so
> nice.
> 
Many yeasts appear to be localized, so that some vary fine flavors can only
be created in a small geographic area.  The chief problem with collecting
wild yeast is that you also collect molds.  This has little effect on a
flour and water paste, but as you increase the sugar content of the mix,
molds are more likely to form.  I've lost a couple yeast experiments this
way. 

> I know that I have seen statements about brewing mead done this way in
> period, though I can't tell you the books and sources offhand.  I am
> sure that adding some already baked bread or fermented but not baked
> dough to a brewing mixture would be a faster and more predicatable way
> to get your brew a-bubbling.  But there I go making the "they could have
> done it in period" assumption that I am so well known for.
> :-)
> 
>  -Failenn
> 
> 
Actually, I think it may have originated as a way to keep from wasting stale
bread, although Adamantius does point out the Egyptians produced a special
bread for brewing.  Yeast dies at about 140 degrees F, so baked bread
contains no yeast internally.  The Sumerians used a barley flat bread
augmented with crushed barley for their brewing.  

In period, it would be more common to leaven your dough from the ale pot
rather than boost your brew with dough, although I wouldn't put it past some
crazy brewer who had the ale pot die.

I hope you have been able to keep up with the adventures of "Herman" and the
sourdough chain that has been running on the list.  I've found it useful in
some of my experimentation.

Bear
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================