Comments on: Becoming a Brewster – How I Make Medieval English Ale in my Kitchen https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/ Mon, 28 Apr 2025 08:57:26 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 By: Alison Kay https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2900 Mon, 28 Apr 2025 08:57:26 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2900 In reply to Tony Huff.

Thanks!

]]> By: Tony Huff https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2885 Sun, 27 Apr 2025 02:10:48 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2885 In reply to Alison Kay.

Yes, I would recommend the book. It’s well written and provides interesting insight into medieval women’s lives.

]]> By: Alison Kay https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2868 Thu, 24 Apr 2025 06:33:33 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2868 In reply to Tony.

Hi Tony, it’s nice to connect! Would you recommend the book? Let me know if you decide to brew some ale, it’s quite an experience 🙂

]]> By: Tony https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2852 Tue, 22 Apr 2025 03:23:24 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2852 Thank you for posting this! It’s very interesting and informative. I’m intrigued and may brew some. I got interested in medieval brewing while reading “Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife: The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women” by Hetta Howes. On a whim, I thought I’d search for a recipe, and that’s how I came here. Thank you again!

]]> By: Jessica Teitel https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2238 Sat, 15 Feb 2025 21:03:20 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2238 In reply to Alison Kay.

Hi Alison,
I think you’re right! The paper I found also references that book, so I suppose that may be the only good source.
I’ll keep researching! I’ll let you know if I dig up anything exciting. This has been so fun 🙂
Thanks,
Jessica

]]> By: Alison Kay https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2183 Mon, 10 Feb 2025 10:22:03 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2183 In reply to Jessica Teitel.

Hi Jessica. I’m glad it turned out well. I don’t think there is anyone, aside me, not using modern equipment (at least I’ve not come across them) to make English historic ale. I recommend Judith M Bennet’s book Ale, Beer & Brewsters in England. She has primary source inventory records. Other than that, the ‘recipes’ I’ve found have all been post-hops.

]]> By: Jessica Teitel https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2170 Fri, 07 Feb 2025 17:08:35 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2170 In reply to Alison Kay.

Hi Alison!

I did not make my own malt, I bought the grain already malted and ground from a brew shop. I’ve tried this twice now with barley and it was really good! I’m going to try either a wheat/barley blend or try adding herbs to my next batch.

I was wondering if you would mind sharing any sources you used to come up with this historic recipe? I found a paper from a historian in 1998 (https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pwp/tofi/medieval_english_ale.html#:~:text=In%20medieval%20England%2C%20ale%20was,Virtually%20everyone%20drank%20ale.) who had a similar process, but I’ve been unable to find any primary sources that contain a recipe so far. I’m getting my masters degree right now, and I want to try to make my thesis related to medieval brewing in some way. I found some ‘historic Gruit’ recipes online but they use way too much equipment and scientific measuring to actually be historically accurate.

Thank you for this great resource!

– Jessica

]]> By: Alison Kay https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2158 Tue, 04 Feb 2025 10:10:34 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2158 In reply to Di Murrell.

Hi Di!

What an exciting prospect reading your forthcoming book is! Thanks for getting in contact. I’ve emailed you, reply to that and we can chat.

Alison

]]> By: Di Murrell https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2142 Sat, 01 Feb 2025 15:34:05 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2142 Hello Alison, Stumbled across your website in the course of researching a chapter for my forthcoming book. The book is a sort of culinary journey down the Thames and I’m currently working on a piece about Southwark and the history of beer brewing. At the end of each chapter I include a recipe that relates to the chapter subject. In this case I want to include a recipe for home-brewed ale. Having read your blog on the subject I think it would be great if I could add your recipe (with credits obv) and a link to your wonderful site. Would this be possible? Sorry, can’t find any other way to contact you.

]]> By: Alison Kay https://ancestralkitchen.com/2024/04/30/becoming-a-brewster-how-i-make-medieval-english-ale-in-my-kitchen/#comment-2052 Thu, 16 Jan 2025 09:32:54 +0000 https://ancestralkitchen.com/?p=5240#comment-2052 In reply to Jessica Teitel.

Hi Jessica!

Thanks for questioning the mash steps. Yes, the water should be boiled. I’ve amended the post to specify this.

I know that water pH can make a huge difference to ale, but I’ve not tested this so far in my experiments. I would love to know any conclusions you come to!

Are you making your own malt?

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