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Archaeologists Recreate Ancient Irish Beer

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Nicole Jimmelson
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« on: August 12, 2007, 04:12:44 am »

Archaeologists Recreate Ancient Irish Beer

Two Galway Archaeologists have proposed a theory that one of the most common archaeological monuments in the Irish landscape may have been used for brewing a Bronze Age Beer.


Billy Quinn and Declan Moore, two archaeologists with Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services (Moore Group) in Galway, believe that an extensive brewing tradition existed in Ireland as far back as 2500 BC. In an article to be published in Archaeology Ireland next month, they detail their experiments and research into the enigmatic site that is the fulacht fiadh. These monuments (of which there are approx. 4500), which present in the landscape as small, horseshoe shaped grass covered mounds, have been conventionally thought of by archaeologists as ancient cooking spots. However, Quinn and Moore believe that they may have also been used as breweries.

According to Quinn “the tradition of brewing in Ireland has a long history, we think that the fulacht may have been used as a kitchen sink, for cooking, dying, many uses, but that a primary use was the brewing of ale.” The two set out to investigate their theory in a journey which took them across Europe in search of further evidence.

To prove their theory, Quinn & Moore set out to recreate the process. They used an old wooden trough filled with water and added heated stones. After achieving an optimum temperature of 60-70°C they began to add milled barley and after approx 45 minutes simply baled the final product into fermentation vessels. They added natural wild flavourings (taking care to avoid anything toxic or hallucinogenic) and then added yeast after cooling the vessels in a bath of cold water for several hours.

According to Moore “including the leftover liquid we could easily have produced up to 300 litres of this most basic ale”. Through their experiments, they discovered that the process of brewing ale in a fulacht using hot rock technology is a simple process. To produce the ale took only a few hours, followed by a three-day wait to allow for fermentation.

Quinn and Moore point out that although their theory is based solely on circumstantial and experimental evidence, they believe that, although probably multifunctional in nature, a primary use of the fulacht fiadh was for brewing beer.

For additional information on ancient Irish beer, contact Declan or Billy or visit www.mooregroup.ie/beer/index.html.

A selection of photographs can be viewed at www.mooregroup.ie/beer/gallery/index.html . Larger versions can be provided on request.

- End -

http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/environmental-services/200708104056.htm
« Last Edit: August 12, 2007, 04:15:14 am by Nicole » Report Spam   Logged

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Nicole Jimmelson
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« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2007, 04:18:32 am »

How Bronze Age man enjoyed his pint 


 
Declan Moore and Billy Quinn have an ancient beer theory
Bronze Age Irishmen were as fond of their beer as their 21st century counterparts, it has been claimed.
Two archaeologists have put forward a theory that one of the most common ancient monuments seen around Ireland may have been used for brewing ale.

Fulacht fiadh - horseshoe shaped grass covered mounds - are conventionally thought of as ancient cooking spots.

But the archaeologists from Galway believe they could have been the country's earliest breweries.

To prove their theory that an extensive brewing tradition existed in Ireland as far back as 2500BC, Billy Quinn and Declan Moore recreated the process.

After just three hours of hard work - and three days of patiently waiting for their brew to ferment - the men enjoyed a pint with a taste of history attached.

Three hundred litres of water were transformed into a "very palatable" 110 litres of frothy ale.

 

The archaeologists are producing their fourth batch of beer

"It tasted really good," said Mr Quinn, of Moore Archaeological and Environmental Services (Moore Group).

"We were very surprised. Even a professional brewer we had working with us compared it favourably to his own.

"It tasted like a traditional ale, but was sweeter because there were no hops in it."

Mr Quinn said it was while nursing a hangover one morning - and discussing the natural predisposition of all men to seek means to alter their minds - that he came to the startling conclusion that fulachts could have been the country's earliest breweries.

The two archaeologists set out to investigate their theory in a journey which took them across Europe in search of further evidence. On their return, they used an old wooden trough filled with water and added heated stones.

After achieving an optimum temperature of 60-70°C they began to add milled barley and approximately 45 minutes later simply baled the final product into fermentation vessels.

The men have since made two more batches of beer - the second was stronger and the third was "a disaster" - but they have started work on batch number four which the hope will taste as good as their first.

The archaeologists' experiment is described in detail in next month's edition of the magazine, Archaeology Ireland.
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6941951.stm
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