hist-brewing: Medieval brewing assistance needed!

[Richard]

I'm gonna get shot for this, but here goes:
1) Don't use hops!
<ducking>
There is some evidence to suggest that hops were not introduced until the late 15th early 16th century and that they were an invention of the protestant church to cause "calming".  <looking around>  Hops *may* (OK, you all noticed I used the word MAY!) cause drowsiness and impotence, so it is believed this fit the protestant agenda of the time, whereas gruit ingredients and other historical ingredients may have led to hyperactivity and sexual upheaval. <laying really low>.

Here are the substitutions for Hops in Gruit ale:

Myrica Gale
Also known as:
    Sweet Gale
    Bayberry
    English Bog Myrtle
    Dutch Myrtle
    Herba Myrti Rabanitini
    Gale palustris (Chevalier)

Marsh Rosemary
Also known as:
    Marsh Tes
    Marsh Cistsu
    Wild Rosemary
    Wild Rosmarin
    Rosamrinus Sylvestris
    Porsch
    Sumpfporsch
    The Finne
    Ledum palustre

Yarrow

Also horehound is a good substitute for hops, as well as several other herbs.  The ingredients for Gruit ale may be difficult to find, but if you do locate them, please be sure to tell all of us where you got them as there are a number of people on this list trying to locate them.  Perhaps my posting their a.k.a.'s will be of assistance to you or someone else.  If so, please tell us where you got 'em.

Richard

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sarah Wakely" <sarwak at hotmail.com>
To: <hist-brewing at pbm.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 1999 05:42 Richard
Subject: hist-brewing: Medieval brewing assistance needed!


> To the knowledgeable members of this list...
> Help! I am a member of a UK war of the roses re-enactment group, and I 
> really need to find out some information about authentic medieval ale 
> brewing - in other words, how can I do it as our ancestors (circa late 15th 
> century) would have done? Does anyone know any good links that might be able 
> to help me, or does anyone have any advice?
> Regards to you all,
> Sarah
> 
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from this list, send email to majordomo at pbm.com containing
> the words "unsubscribe hist-brewing" (or unsubscribe hist-brewing-digest, if
> you get the digest.) To contact a human about problems, send mail to
> owner-hist-brewing at pbm.com
> 


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this list, send email to majordomo at pbm.com containing
the words "unsubscribe hist-brewing" (or unsubscribe hist-brewing-digest, if
you get the digest.) To contact a human about problems, send mail to
owner-hist-brewing at pbm.com