By Kieran Haslett-Moore
Have you ever wondered what beer was like when your great grandparents turned 21? I certainly have. In part that is because my ancestors on both sides of my family were involved in the brewing and pub trade and, more generally, because I have always been fascinated by history. The opportunity to eat and drink like our ancestors is almost like a quick spin through the centuries in the DeLorean; Marty McFly may have drunk Pepsi but I’m more interested in a pint. Let us go ‘Back to the Foudre’ … ok, ok I will stop.
I have brewed my fair share of historic recipes, both as a homebrewer and commercially. From Victorian ‘Tonic Ales’ to vatted funky brown malt heavy strong porters to old ales boiled over night, I have explored techniques, styles and ingredients that are uncommon in brewing today. One of the glories of homebrewing is that you can explore beer styles that simply are not commercially viable, or that are at least commercially unwise for pro brewers to attempt.
I am currently back homebrewing after 12 years of producing beer commercially. The opportunities to make wonderful beer to please myself and no one else have opened up before me. Recently I have set myself the challenge of producing an 1840 pale ale as prepared for the Indian market, that is to say, the beer style that would become known as IPA. An added touch of relevance to us here in NZ is that beers like this that were produced by the early IPA brewer Hodgson were advertised for sale in NZ and Australia in the 1830’s. I want to taste the beer that flowed in the hotels and fleshpots of Kororareka, hell hole of the Pacific.
Where to start?
So, if you want to attempt an historic brew, how do you go about it? Short of having access to the brewing records of the past, we must rely on historians for our understanding of historic brewing. Luckily, we have access to the work of two great beer historians.
Martyn Cornell, who passed away earlier this year, spent the last 20 years writing and researching the history of beer in the British Isles. His books give a good overview of the evolution of beer in the anglosphere. Amber Gold and Black in particular is a great primer to start thinking about historic ale brewing. I haven’t read it yet but shortly after he died, Porter and Stout: A Complete History was released which I am sure would be a hive of information. All his books seem to sell for big money these days. Luckily his blog Zyphophile is still live and, for now, is a wonderful enduring legacy.
Idiosyncratic historian Ron Pattinson has spent decades trawling through the brewing records of British and, more recently, Continental European brewers. The result is not only his blog Shut Up About Barclay Perkins, but also a host of books designed to help you brew beers from the past. The Homebrewer's Guide to Vintage Beer is a good general introduction. There are also individual books that explore beer brewed before the world wars, during each world war, mild through the ages, the history of decoction brewing, etc.
Before Martyn and Ron, there was the rather wonderfully named Durden Park Beer Circle. The circle is a West London homebrew club formed in 1971. Under the guidance of the late Dr John Harrison, they released several editions of a slim book called ‘Old British Beers and How to Make Them’. I have a prized dusty well-thumbed copy somewhere, however the magic of the internet means you can purchase any of the released editions in PDF format from their website https://durdenparkbeer.org.uk/.
The Ingredients
Malt:
One of the harder aspects of brewing from the past is accessing historic ingredients. Varieties of malting barley and hop often have finite lifespans and while they often live on as heirloom varieties, these seldom make it to NZ. The favoured Victorian variety of malting barley Chevalier has recently made a revival but, to my knowledge, sadly doesn’t make it to NZ. Maris Otter would be your best bet for British style historic brewing.
In recent years, Weyerman have brought out three malts made with the ‘heirloom’ Barke variety of malting barley. While in this case 'heirloom' only dates back to 1996 (if that is heirloom, then I am neolithic) it is said to contain the character of the malt of the past if you are wanting to brew historic German style beers. Again, this is not easily accessed by homebrewers so failing being able to find it, try the Weyerman Bohemian Pilsner malt.
Hops:
In the world of hops, Goldings and Fuggles are really where it is at for British historic brewing. Imported American, New Zealand, Australian and Continental European hops have been used in British brewing for a surprisingly long time. However ,they were used early in the boil so as to minimise how much of their character would come through in the resulting beers, leaving the English hops to flavour and scent the beers.
Yeast:
We are lucky to have access to a seriously extensive range of yeast strains these days. Back when I started homebrewing, the big question was whether to use Saf US-05 or Saf S-04. Now you can often find a liquid yeast strain that owes its origins to a location near to the beer you are trying to recreate. One thing to keep in mind is that single isolated strains of yeast are a relatively modern development. Brewers of the past had multi-strain yeast cultures; today, Harveys and Adnams are last survivors of this tradition. Within these strains there would have been at least one strain of Brettanomyces. Beers that were aged developed brett character; this was expected and valued, not a flaw. Even if you don’t walk on the wild side, don’t be afraid to blend yeast strains if you are going for a taste of the past.
Oak:
When recreating beers from the time when many of the vessels beer was fermented and aged in were made of wood, a little oak character is appropriate. The key point here is subtlety. We aren’t talking bourbon barrel age stout. A little lightly toasted virgin French oak in chunk or spiral form boiled in water both to sanitise and mellow the oak added to the primary fermenter works well. Adding in primary means the limited contact time doesn’t over egg your pudding.
The Pay-off
Some of the best beers I have ever brewed have been historic recreations. They offer something totally different to what is sitting on the supermarket shelf, and they often challenge our ideas about what exactly beer was, and perhaps also what it could be in the future.