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The Archaeology of Beer
cold fjord writes with an excerpt from The Atlantic's profile of Dr. Pat McGovern, a biomolecular archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, who has what sounds like a fascinating job: decoding ancient clues about what (and how) humans in the distant past were brewing and drinking.
"'We always start with infrared spectrometry,' he says. 'That gives us an idea of what organic materials are preserved.' From there, it's on to tandem liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, sometimes coupled with ion cyclotron resonance, and solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The end result? A beer recipe. Starting with a few porous clay shards or tiny bits of resin-like residue from a bronze cup, McGovern is able to determine what some ancient Norseman or Etruscan or Shang dynast was drinking." The article points out that McGovern has collaborated with the Dogfish Head brewery to reproduce in modern form six of these ancient recipes.
But will these 6 rediscovered recipes be "free as in beer"?
...or did Beer help to create Civilization?
Vermont black market microbrews are currently selling for about $28 per can, and the market has been infiltrated by modern day Elliot Ness's. So this is worth serious study. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-12-06/vermont-tries-to-squelch-a-black-market-for-craft-beer
Gently reply
cold fjord getting drunk while he gets other people to do the work.
That's Internet Libertarianism!
Don't knock this as Homer Simpson level work, beer has shaped history for thousands of years. From the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock to the establishment of trade routes beer has always had it's place.
The idea of beer as somehow being sinful is a bit like the diamond ring, it's essentially a modern invention. Monks in Europe brewed beer for centuries as a bonafide way to make money for the monastery to live on. Any number of religions have brewed and used beer for their religious purposes all over the world, it is literally a mark of civilization. When water was historically often filthy and unfit to drink, it's use as a stock drink for the masses wasn't anything to mess about with. When the colonies were established beer was one of the first priorities for the colonists.
drinking.
It's always beer-thrity somewhere in the world!!
I'm old, not dead. Well that's my 2 cents worth, your mileage may vary. I say what I think, not what you want to hear.
Life is far too short to purchase and enjoy anything but the best beers. Even when I was younger, I never understood why others bought cheap swill, despite the low price. I'm not a snob, but there is a definate, discernable difference to beer brands and quality. People claim they are purchasing beer suitable for parties. Shouldn't that be the best you can afford? Really. I look on in abject horror whilst in the supermarket and see people walking out with horrid brands that are nothing but fermented urine. Please. You owe it to yourself to spend the little bit extra for something decent. No one is saying you must always buy Jupiler or Pilsner Urquell, but at least spring from something that pairs well with real food. Impress your date. Isn't s/he worth it?
bringing it back to TFA, given that these beers are ancient, they're not American. YHBCT*. YHL. HAND.
/*You Have Been Counter-Trolled.
In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
I invented beer.
Look it up.
Have tried all of DFH's "Ancient Ales" (except the Kvasir which hasn't showed up locally yet), and they were all interesting and surprisingly drinkable. Their "Theobroma", a cacao-based beer based on a Honduran recipe is one of their best products.
Dogfish beers aren't for everyone. But their slogan "Off-Centered Ales for Off-Centered people" should explain that...
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Quite true,
However there is some thing to say, about giving it a try to understand how your ancestors lived.
Finding something that was lost over time, a combination of ingredients we wouldn't think about trying.
But for the most part, I think we still have some early renaissance in us, where we fell the ancients had a better grasp on the world then what we do today.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Inquiring minds want to know...
Maxim: People cannot follow directions.
Increases in truth directly with the length of time spent explaining them
Saccromyces pastorianus (aka "effing lager yeast") IS a bottom-fermenting yeast. It was discovered by brewers who put their casks of beer in cold mountain caves, in the days before refrigeration.
Learn something on the subject, beer-snob wannabe.
lager yeast is "bottom fermenting"
Ale yeast is "Top fermenting"
and if you really believe that you can't make a good beer with lager yeast you are an idiot. But then you are on slashdot ranting about something you obviously know nothing about so idiot is a pretty likely diagnosis.
"In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women..." -H. Simpson
Basically the world has been divided between two camps:
- Those who keep their beverages by fermenting them.
- Those who keep them by boiling them.
As you said, the main problem before the invention of more modern food industry, is trying to find way to preserve your food / drinks.
Regarding drinks:
Some tribes solved the problem by boiling the water (which kills potential germs), and throwing in some herbs to improve the taste. And thus they more or less invented tea.
Other tribes let the drinks ferment (which puts alcohol in the drink, and thus kill potential germs. This also puts bio-ferments in the drink which are competing with potential germs. Last-but-not least some fermented beverages also involve boiling at some step, which also helps killing germs). And they more or less invented boose.
Interesting fact: gene to process alcohol are more prevalent in regions (like Europe) were tribe choose the booze route (they could probably start easier with this route by already having some alcohol-resistance. and by having alcohol consumption, the genes for it were probably positively selected and spread more through the population), whereas in regions where the tribes choose the tea-route, genes for alcohol are less frequent (see the well know problems for lots of Asian and alcohol).
To go back on "fermenting has helped civilisation":
Fermentation is also a way to preserve food: it can be used in milk to turn the lactose into acid and thus turn the fesh milk into yogurt and cheese. It has 2 advantages: it also helps killing potential germs (acid can kill some germs, other germs are out-competed by the milk-ferments. Also the molds aded in some cheese are natural antibiotics), and also it lowers the lactose content (useful for those tribes where the genes to digest it yourself are scarce. The normal routefor all mamals is to loose the ability to digest milk once the individual grows adult. Only some of us humans have a mutation that causes us to retain the capability into adulthood. Cheese and yogurt are more edible for those who don't have an efficient enough mutation and don't retain the capability to drink the milk) which also helps commerce (The tribe milking mamals is very likely to have the necessary gene to drink it too - same mecanism as alcool genes and tribes brewing booze. But by fermenting the milk, not only the milk can by kept for much longer, it can now be made edible and thus traded with other tribes that can't drink milk as easily).
Also, fermenting plays a role in producing bread (producing alcohol in dough, which subsequently evaporate during baking. These alcohol vapours and the gazes produced by the previous fermenting step is what gives bread its texture, and makes it easier to eat).
So yeah, when you have invented booze, not only have you found a way that keeps your water drinkable, but you've also invented a methods that paves the way for other techniques in food preservation.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
Of course not. But the fact that the Dogfish Head guys think it's worth shipping means it's going to be interesting beer. It might or might not be something you like well enough to drink again, but it'll be interesting.
They need to look look in Australia for beaar!!!
From there, it's on to tandem liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, sometimes coupled with ion cyclotron resonance, and solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.
Bah, a couple of Belgian guys in a shed where enough.
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Chouffe
-- 29A the number of the Beast
Id love to try those brews
Midas Touch is a beer recipe recovered from remains found in King Midas' tomb. I'm a brewer and an afficionado of almost anything Dogfish Head brews. Far from being weird, that beer is delicious!
Apparently Dogfish Head has been brewing these ancient ales since 1999. Talk about late to the party!
Anyway, beers are listed here:
http://www.dogfish.com/ancientales
The Kvasir is currently stocked in stores near my house, I may make a trip tonight to pick some up!