[Sca-cooks] Reference to 'stale' ale.

[Chris Stanifer]

--- "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
wrote:
> There are a number of people who probably have a
> better grasp on the history
> of brew than I.  On this list, I can think of Cindy
> Renfrow who has written
> a book on the subject.  However, since you asked
> I'll impart what I have
> gleaned.

Thanks for the *gleaning*.  I was not aware of the
Jewish reference to hopping ale, which places the
practice quite a bit earlier than I had imagined.

For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure the term *beer*
is a derivation of the Germanic *bier* (which may also
be a derivation), and is a general category which
covers all barley or wheat based fermented beverages.
*Ales* are beers which use an ale yeast, and are
brewed at warm temperatures, giving them a sweet,
rich, somewhat floral flavor (particularly if they are
hopped).  "Lagers" are beers which use a yeast which
prefers much cooler temperatures for fermentation, and
are often much *crisper* than ales, lighter in body,
and so forth.  This is not to say that lagers cannot
be rich or highly alcoholic, merely that they tend to
taste thinner than ales.  I am not certain that lagers
are period (Cindy??) though I would imagine it was
possible to brew them during the winter in cooler
climates.  I could be completely wrong about this...

I know that *pilsners* are period, and they require
cool temperatures to produce (possibly actual
lagering??).  Pilsner Urquell has been produced in
Pilsn, Checq Republic since the late 1200's.  Come to
think of it, I believe it was originally hopped, as
well, but I will have to check into that further.  Of
course, modern day commercial pilsners are the
red-headed step child of that glorious brewing
style...

How I got onto this tangent from the "were period
beers sweet or bitter" question is completely beyond
me...  I have a tendency to do this, I've noticed.
Too much caffiene?  Possibly.

Balthazar of Blackmoor

=====
Let the people hate, as long as they also fear.

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