Tuesday, February 27, 2018

"The keeping of the stuff" (yeast) for brewing by German brewer Kobrer in 1581.


This bit of translation is extremely interesting as it seems to describe, in quite some detail, the drying of yeast from lees and berm, and the reconstitution of this dried yeast for a new brew. This technique is very similar to yeast storage techniques as described by Professor Odd Nordland. He traveled into the Scandinavian back country to interview the local farmers and brewers about their traditional brewing techniques which were thought to go back centuries. He located a yeast log with the date 1621 inscribed in the bottom but was not able to conclusively date the technique back any further.



Fig. Carved yeast log from Morgedal, Telemark, dated to 1621.
From Nordland 1969.




Kobrer (Cobrer), Christoph. Gründliche und Nütze Beschreibung der Weinhawer und Bierbrewer-Practick  und der ganzen Kellermeister-Kunst. Burger, 1581.

The 20th Chapter.
One should and may keep the stuff for brewing [alternate: brown] and white beer and reuse.

One usually puts from the fresh good stuff [lees] as much as one wants from the first raw beer in an oaken barrel and fill the same roughly to two fingers widths so that the stuff has air. Then hammer the barrel closed and hang it in a well so that the stuff stays fresh good and strong. Similar to fresh stuff right away taken from the beer. But it must nevertheless be prepared and made ferment-y as will be taught after this.
    Some people make a board wide [something, could indicate a frame with fabric stretched in the opening] that is two fingers thick in the middle and on the two sides [clamped?] or as many panes of a simple [something] big at the front it is two fingers wide and the whole thing is well wide stretched and tied together in the back and it has a handle made on it with which you can hang it up and then smear the stuff first on the one side and when that is dry if one wants to also on the other side everywhere one and a half fingers thick so that it sticks well on it. And well [the transcript says 'no', but I think that's a mistake] ground hops with seeds and all [this would add antimicrobial protection], <?> mortared small or ground and scattered on top of it and in that smeared on stuff it should sink well into it so that is stays stuck in/on it. And the stuff pulls the hops in and dries quickly and let it stand in airy and shady place in the house but not in the sun because the sun sucks the strength out of it too much.
    When the stuff is well dressed and stuck to each other on the 'pane' one can glue more on it [add another layer], if not, so one shall hang the 'pane' and let the stuff sticking to it dry.
    After that one should take the panes with the dried stuff in a barrel over each other [stacked] and as often one puts a plane in also as often one puts/scatters hops above and below and cover it well and put a weight on it, so stays the stuff fresh and good.

To use the dried stuff again.

If you want it in the morning to give it to the beer then in the evening before one should knock off the dried stuff with a club [wood hammer] of that 'pane' and crush it small and then you pour the wort on it, either half or a full vat [like half a barrel, open on top] and stir it to each other and also pour from one container into another several times or often [aerate]. Thereafter let it stand the whole night by a warm and well heated oven [until] that stuff rises well several times and starts to ferment and when or as often has it well fermented then again pour it several times from one vessel into another to and fro like one does it otherwise with the fresh stuff and let it stand by the oven until again it ferments. As then the same thing another time pour to and fro and let it stand and ferment again, like before and not so long until the stuff and the wort has become very 'soft' or <?>. Thereafter distribute the prepared and fermenting stuff in the [used for beer making] containers and in each container as much as is necessary and the beer with its stuff well stirred through each other, this is called a white head/hat [the foam].

The storage and preparation of the stuff that belongs to the white beer.

One may try the same storage and drying and use also with the white stuff [barm, top fermenting foam] and the same pour very thinly on wooden boards [exact translation would be on sweated (or soldered) wooden firewood or maybe Schaiten is some sort of vessel, because it says 'in' not 'on' - maybe a description of a yeast log?] and the 'Schaiten' with the stuff and the 'Gerben' glue it well on and then set it on a warm oven where it can quickly dry or dry [the text uses two different words for drying] so that the stuff does not get sour and in the same way how you take the dried stuff from the 'panes' so can one get it off the [other kind of] board. Afterwards you wake it up and then you can try like with the stuff to store it and to use it as taught above.

Das XX. Capitel.
Wie man den zeüg zum Braun und weissen Byer soll unnd mag auff heben und wiederumb anbringen.

Mann pflegt von dem frischen guetten zeüg souil man nach menig des ersten Braw Byers haben will in ein Aiches Fässl zu thuen und dasselb ohn geuerd zween Fingerlehr an zu füllen / damit der zeüg Lufft habe / das Fässl zuuerschlagen / unnd in einen Brun zu hencken / damit soll der zeüg so Frisch guet und krefftig bleiben / als etwa ein frischer zeüg / schlecht von der Byer her genommen / Aber er mueß nichts dests weniger angebracht und gierig gemacht werden / wie hernach gelehret wird.
    Etlich aber machen eines brets braitte stroene taicken am siro zweyer Finger dick / in der mitte und anbaiden örtern in klüppen gefast / Oder souil ströene Schaibl einszimblichen Bösems groß / unnd fornen zweyer Finger dick / fein weit auß einander gebreit und hinden zusamen gebunden / unnd eine handhab daran gemacht / das mans aufhencken mag / unnd streichen den zeüg erstlich auff die eine seitten / wann diesel truckenworden / so man wil / auch auff die ander seitten / nach aller weitten eines oderanderthalben Fingers dick / das er drauff wol klebet / unnd kein zerwirbten Hopffen mit samen und allem / auch Zixnidat klein gestossen oder gerieben daruff geströwet / unnd denselben inn den auff gestrichnen zeüg wol eingetruckt / das er darm klebendt bleib / unnd der zeüg von dem Hopffen desto ehe anziehe und trucken werde / an einem Lüfftigen und schattigem Ort des hauß stehen lassen / aber nur nit an der Sonnen / dann die Sonn zeücht Ihme die krafft zu sehr auß.
    Wann der zeüg also wol angezogen und nu ob einander auff den schaibln klebet / will man / so mag man mehr darauff kleben / wo nit / so sol man di schaibl auffhencken und den zeüg an die statt trucken werden lassen.
    Darnach soll man die schaibl mit dem dürren zeüg in ein Faß uber einander richten / unnd als offt ein leg schaibl / als offt ein leg Hopffens darunder und darauff sträen / dieselben fein zue decken und schwären / so bleibt der zeüg Frisch unnd guet.

Den gedörten zeüg wiederumb anzubringen.

Wann man dem Byer zu Morgens will geben / soll man den gedörten zeüug mit einem schlegl ab den siröenen scheibln am Abendt dauor abklopffen / und klein stossen / das der die Wüertz daran Giessen / einen halben oder gantzen Kübl vol /durcheinander rüeren und aué einem schäffl in das ander Giessen etlich oder offtermal / darnach die gantze Nacht bey einem warmen wolgehitztem Ofen stehen lassen / diß sich der zeüg etlich mal wol erhebt / unnd anfähet zu gieren / und wann oder als offt er wol gegieret hat / widerumb etlichmal auß einem Geschierr in das ander hin und wider / wie man sonst dem frischen zeüg thuet / Giessen / unnd aber beim Ofen stehen lassen / biß er wiederumb hergieret / als dann denselben abermals durcheinander oder hin und wider Giessen stehen und hergieren lassen / wie vor / unnd das so lang / bi der zeüg und die Würtz sehr waich oder Jerig worden ist / Darnach den angebrachten / und gierigen zeüg in die Pottign auß thailen / unnd einer Jeden Pottign als vil von nöthen geben / unnd das Byer auch den zeüg wol durcheinander rüeren / Das heisset man einen weiß haup.

Die auffhebung und anbringung des xeügs zum Weissen Byer gehörig.

Dergleichen auffhebung und dörrung auch aubringung mag man auch mit dem Weissen zeüg versuechen / unnd denselben gar dünn in schweisse hößlene schaitten Giessen / unnd die schaitten mit dem zeüg oder den Gerben wol bekleben / darnach auff einen warmen Ofen als bald ab dörren oder trucknen / das der zeüg nit sawr werde / unnd wie man oben den gedorten zeüg ab den schaibeln bring / also mag man den auch ab den hoblschaitten bringen / darnach waicken und also mit versuechung den zeüg lehrnen auffheben und anbringen / wie oben gelehret.


Transcribed by Michael Sugg (2017)
Translated by Angelika St.Laurent (2018)
Edited by Susan Verberg (2018)

To read more in Scandinavian brewing and yeast preservation:
Brewing and beer traditions in Norway: The social anthropological background of the brewing industry by Odd Nordland, Universitetsforlaget, 1969.

To download the original book in German:

https://books.google.com/books?id=0bqggM3u6SkC&num=13&source=gbs_slider_cls_metadata_7_mylibrary

2 comments:

  1. Ooh, this is exciting! These techniques are extant today (e.g. http://www.garshol.priv.no/blog/291.html) and seeing _written_ evidence so far back is really cool.

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    1. Which is why I was so excited when we started translating this chapter - and why it was a good thing we did it together as my translator, a non-brewer, went uh, I have no idea what is going on here... and I went, cool! a yeast frame!! It reads very similar to what is described in Nordland.

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