[Sca-cooks] Medieval yogurt

[Chris Stanifer]

--- rtanhil <rtanhil at fast.net> wrote:


> Ale, fermented with wild cultures, sometimes gets bacterial
> fermentation from lactobaccillus, among other things.
> Lambics get their flavor components from this phenomenon.
> I'm prepared to wager my reputation that medieval people
> would drink mildly soured beer. I'm not sure about
> widespread lambic consumption during our period of interest.


The Mort Subite brewery in Belgium  has written records of brewing Lambic as far back as 1686. 
The 'Babble Belt Virtual Pub' offers this brief History, as well"

"
The Lambic style can trace its roots back over 400 years, and has remained mostly unchanged from
its introduction. I have heard the first written lambic recipe is dated 1516, ironically the same
year that Reinheitsgebot - the German purity law - went into effect over all of Bavaria. In fact,
in ancient Mesopotamia a beer that could be thought of as the "roots" of lambic was brewed 5000
years ago. Sikaru, the premium beer of the day, was brewed from 60% malt, 40% raw wheat, used wild
fermentation and was flavored with spices. "  (There are at least 3 websites which offer the same
'history', almost verbatim, but do not give primary source material)

Further accounts dating 1559 refer to the production of Lambic 'according to an old recipe',
according to a website devoted to Lambic beers.


> As any brewer knows, once you get wild yeast or
> microorganisms you might not want in your beer inside your
> house, it gets harder to prevent them from innoculating
> future batches of beer.


One of the reasons you should never grind your grain in the brewhouse.  Also, these wild yeasts do
not give one whit about whether they inocculate your beer, or your bread dough.  They do make a
magnificent sourdough, but not a great cinnamon roll.


> 
> If the microorganisms are floating around making beer sour,
> they're getting in the milk pails, too. It takes
> surprisingly little time for milk to turn into yogurt in the
> presence of the right bacteria.


This is very true.  In a sugar rich environment (like milk, especially fresh milk), it would
likely take less than an evenings work to sour a pail.  Even in my own apartment, I can get a
decent sourness overnight, and I haven't brewed any sour beer in this one.  Maybe it's the dirty
socks on the kitchen table???

> 
> Would people have eaten the thickened, soured milk? As "new
> cheese," probably.
>

My own early evidence seems to suggest that soured milk was eaten quite readily in Asia and
Northern Europe during our period of interest.  Again, I am without primary source documentation
to support this, but I am looking for it.  I will let the list know if/when I find it.

William de Grandfort

=====
Every heart to love will come... but like a refugee.


		
__________________________________ 
Do you Yahoo!? 
Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. 
http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo