Pertinax Posted October 14, 2006 Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 I was asked on another "ancient world " forum if I had ever attempted to brew a "Sumerian Beer" . As some of you will know I have attempted home brewing without any modern chemical addittives ,using simple herb flavourings and basic malts., ( rosemary, molasses, malt extract, comb honey, rolled oats etc). I was aware of the "twice baked" suggestion for Sumerian bread as a sort of universal staple for consumption or as a nutritious basis for fermentation , but I found this useful piece from the Anchor Brewery .Note the remarks about using more bread, this is quite interesting as I find that use of quality oats gives a beer tremendous richness and smoothness. http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beers/ninkasi.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted October 14, 2006 Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 Growing up here in the San Francisco area, Anchor Steam is a constant...but I didn't know they were into the history of brewing as well! All the more reason to continue purchasing their product! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecimusCaesar Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 I once saw the method of making Sumerian style beer on television about a year ago or so. Anyone ever drank it? How does it taste? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 I once saw the method of making Sumerian style beer on television about a year ago or so.Anyone ever drank it? How does it taste? "In the Sumerian and Akkadian dictionaries being compiled by scholars today, the word for beer crops up in contexts relating to medicine, ritual, and myth". (Don Sharp -"brewing an ancient beer") The factor that constantly intrigues me when we look at ancient beers/wines , (AD posted on Carthage very recently:on the subject of wine: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showto...amp;#entry46612 ) is the apparent sweetness of the finished product. This may be illusory , as fermentation might have proceeded for a considerable while and produced a very robust "barley wine" type drink.I would be prepared to say that these beers might have plenty of body (you only need 2lbs of oats to 5 gallons of stout to get a noticeable "creaminess"), if you are using a dense malt staple (I cant help picturing huge stacks of "soreen" in Sumerian warehouses) then the mash is going to be very hefty http://www.soreen.com/about_soreen.asp Here is the sacred hymn: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dalby Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 "In the Sumerian and Akkadian dictionaries being compiled by scholars today, the word for beer crops up in contexts relating to medicine, ritual, and myth". (Don Sharp -"brewing an ancient beer") The factor that constantly intrigues me when we look at ancient beers/wines , (AD posted on Carthage very recently:on the subject of wine: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showto...amp;#entry46612 ) is the apparent sweetness of the finished product. This may be illusory , as fermentation might have proceeded for a considerable while and produced a very robust "barley wine" type drink ... Interesting points, Pertinax. As regards context, it's easy to forget that ritual, myth and a bit of medicine account for most of the contexts in which anything turns up in Sumerian and Akkadian texts. All right, you can add 'historical annals' and 'business accounts'. But not much on 'leisure', 'evenings out' or 'binge drinking', so we may never know whether beer occurred in those contexts in Akkadian life! As regards sweetness, yes, I wholly agree with your suggestion that fermentation would have proceeded till most or all of the sugar was gone. In pre-modern conditions, unless you have spirits (which they didn't) you can't easily stop it, can you? If wine (and beer) are sometimes described as 'sweet' in translated sources, that may be because we have no good translation for the word involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 I wonder if "sweet" had a similar meaning to contemporary N American slang -that is "good, appropriate , correct" as opposed to a real flavour ? I cannot resist posting this link, which offers the delights served to Eaanatum of Lagash and Prince Messkalaamdug:- http://www.amazon.com/Oldest-Cuisine-World...9530500?ie=UTF8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecimusCaesar Posted October 17, 2006 Report Share Posted October 17, 2006 Great link Pertinax! I wonder how much of the stuff they had were imported as I have read that the Sumerians depended on importing materials from their neighbours, would this have included ingredients for food or just raw materials like wood etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantagathus Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 I've always considered the Hymn to Ninkasi's use of 'sweet wort' to have a literal meaning as well a poetic one (much like Pertinax's slang suggestion). Remember that wort is different from the finished product in that the sugars have been released from the grain into the liquid. You are the one who holds with both hands the great sweet wort, Brewing [it] with honey [and] wine (You the sweet wort to the vessel) Ninkasi, (...)(You the sweet wort to the vessel) Then it is fermented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted October 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 Indeed , I percieve a many layered eulogising of (not just ) the fertility and potentiation of the actual "noisy fermentation" , rather a greater , universal quickening and fecundity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted October 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 A useful link here , courtesy of the "Apicius" Group posters (after hearing of my interest in Sumerian Beer): http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/food/index.html Turnips in Blood anyone? The barley porridge has a ring of ordinary authenticity about it. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Turnips in Blood anyone? Ugh...I hate turnips, period, and somehow this concept doesn't make it any better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted October 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Turnips in Blood anyone? Ugh...I hate turnips, period, and somehow this concept doesn't make it any better. Sweet Lady , surely the cute little quail are to your liking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 (edited) Sweet Lady , surely the cute little quail are to your liking? Quail is ok...not much meat, tho. I prefer Cornish Game Hens for the small poultry category. The Barley Poridge sounds fine, tho! Edited October 23, 2006 by docoflove1974 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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