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Questions for SCA Brewmasters

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WRATHWILDE

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Mar 19, 2005
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As many of you have read I'll be wandering Pennsic for almost a week. I was happy and care free, no solid plans for my time... but, thanks to lostnbronx, I, Wrathwilde, shall quest for the Holy Grail... in this case SCA Brewmasters. I shall interview them and try to bring them into our fold. It is no easy task laid before me, and made all the more perilous by the quantities of mead I shall have to consume.

Join me at Pennsic Friends...
if not in body, in Spirits. ;D

Raise your long bows toward the sky and let loose a volley of pointed questions... empty those quivers.

Take a knife to those Quills... who's life's blood shall out live us all. I implore you... let not his life be lived in vein, let his blood be spilt so it may wash over this board and serve as an example and challenge to others.

I ask you now my fellow Mazers and Meadites...
Do you want to play Questions? ;D

Wrathwilde​
 
Wrath,

First off, thanks for taking this on! Here's a question I want answered:

Who played the Cisco Kid?


Barring that, how about one or more of the following:

1.) How many of your (the Brewmaster's) recipes are original, and how many recreations? For the originals, do you feel it important to stick to period styles, using only those ingredients in common usage in Europe during a particular time frame, or can you/must you take certain liberties? For originals, is doing a period recipe even important? For recreations, please describe the processes involved, including adapting the measurements into usable modern terms. I, for one, would like to take a crack at some of old Digby's recipes, but I'm intimidated by the terms and quantities!

2.) While the guild structure generally used by brewers in the SCA is obviously good from a learning/teaching standpoint, is there a mechanism in place for the free exchange of ideas between guilds, or is it also important to simulate the proprietary closeness that was the historical norm among guilds?

3.) Where do they (the Brewmasters), taken individually, come down on the "all-natural vs. chemical adjunct" question? Personally, there have definitely been times when better living has been through chemistry -- especially when something has gone wrong with a batch. Since SCA events often require brewing in large quantities, there are a lot of ingredients, and therefore money, involved -- and that's a lot to lose should a batch turn sour (unless, of course, you wanted it sour).

4.) Is anyone culturing their own yeasts?

5.) What moves faster at SCA events -- beers, wines, or meads? Why do they think this is?

6.) Is anyone a beekeeper? How about a barley or hops grower?

7.) What are the judging criteria for SCA mead events? Can you (Wrathewilde) get ahold of a copy of these rules? Who are the judges, and what are the accepted categories? Does this vary from guild to guild?


I'll probably come up with more when I'm not so tired. (Yikes! I have to get up early, too!)

-David
 
Duncan Reynaldo played his sidekick "Poncho!"

Questions:

Moon cycles:
Do any of the brewers in the SCA use the moon cycles to influence their mead?
Do they keep records of what type of mead they made on those moon cycles?
What type of effect/influence did they note, or was there anything that was discernable?

Meadmaking:
What is their favorite honey to use and why?
Fruit in the primary, seconday or both?
Sulfites, what's their position and how many people do they know that are sensitive to sulfites?
How long should primary fermentation last? How many do Sur Lie Aging? What kind of yeast for Sur Lie aging?
Blending of meads, do they do it? If so is it the same type of mead, the same age, same color?
Airlocks, glass, plastic, balloons, cheesecloth, wooden bung?
Barrel fermentation, how many barrel ferment, do they barrel age, favorite barrel size?
Oak, favorite type and why, which type of oak lends what type of character to their favorite meads, what
type of oak matches best to what type of mead?
Favorite mead they've ever made and why was it their favorite? favorite commercial mead, favorite overall mead?
Brix or SG?
Capping, corking or screwcaps?
pH measurements, litmus paper or handheld digital pH meter?
Refractometers, useful tool or demon spawn?

That's about it for now, but I may have more.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
Hmm. I think when I go to Pennsic, I'll hunt me up some Brewing Laurels and do some interviews for Gotmead! What a way to make a pleasure trip a write off, hmm?

Vicky - always looking to snow the gummit out of money
 
OK,

Now that's too weird. The whole time I was typing Duncan Reynaldo I was visualizing Leo Carillo and that crazy mustache. Mind and fingers in two different directions. I used to love watching that show, the Lone Ranger, Gene Autry and such. Those were some really cool TV programs, and, they were all in B&W which was cool too.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
WW,

I think you will find out a lot of good things but I think people here will be surprised to some extent. I believe that asking the questions at War will get you as many different and varied answers as if you asked them here.

While each kingdom may possibly have a brewing guild and those guilds may loosely be related at a higher level, the SCA has no "standards" or "rules" to which brewers generally comply. Each group, like my Household, may have preferred methods as a result of having learned and shared with each other. But it would surprise me if you got 20 brewers together and had over half of them agree on any one thing.

All of that said, I look forward to seeing the results of your research. You might want to get a sample from each brewer so that you can see whether their choices lead to nectar or bear whizz... Of course I will help you deal with the samples! ;D ;D ;D
 
Pewter,
I'm looking forward to the hearing about the different paths they've taken in search of the perfect mead. I have no illusions of "period style" being the predominate brewing method. Although they may try to top each other with show meads for competition... I expect them to be even more varied than this forum in yeast selections aging styes and the like. If I were expecting them to all ferment naturally in oak caskets using only Honey & Water it would hardly be worth the time to interview them. ;)

Wrathwilde
 
I HAVE GOOD NEWS!!! ;D ;D ;D. After discussing the option with Vicky, she has agreed to host, here in the SCA forum, a central forum for all the SCA Brew Guilds. 8) 8) 8)

Every Kingdom will have it's own Forum Board (newbies interested in joining a guild will be able to see which kingdom they reside in, post their questions, and browse the latest news.) This will also allow Guilds to keep in easy contact with each other, allow Masterbrewers to make new contacts they may otherwise have missed, allow them to help their apprentices and other brewers in a forum format. This will also help those Kingdoms without established Guilds to solicit help and ideas from established Guilds. The Kingdoms are far reaching, encompassing all of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Panama, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

In other good news Vicky has offered to let me help moderate the new SCA board 8) ;D

Wrathwilde
 
Congradulations to the SCA!! Congradulations to Wrathwilde!! Three cheers for the Mead Wench!!

Greenblood
 
Wrath,

Wonderful news! What's your gut feeling about the reaction and/or enthusiasm the SCAers will have to this? I'm hoping they'll like the idea! What a great way to put the two schools of thought together. After all, two heads are better than one! ;)

-David
 
This sounds great. I'm looking forward to seeing comments from SCA brewmasters!

I hope that anyone who does come in to post will not feel constrained to posting only in the SCA section. I'd like to see some more "at-large" participation.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
Me too, I think the main forum will still be the main stop for Mead Info and brewing tips while the second forum will allow the Guilds to post information, local events and other brewing information specific to their guilds. I see this as a win/win for GotMead and the SCA Brewing Guilds.

Wrathwilde
 
I know there are wonderful brewers in Caid, Atenveldt, West Kingdom and the Outlands. We just need to find them and bring them here. ;D

Donal
 
briankettering said:
I know there are wonderful brewers in Caid, Atenveldt, West Kingdom and the Outlands. We just need to find them and bring them here. ;D

Donal
Click to expand...

Brian,

Wassail! I'm hoping we start getting more SCA Brewers soon. I have contacted the Art's & Science Ministers, of every Kingdom, asking them to help us get in touch with their Brew Guilds. We are offering them a central forum in which to discuss brewing in the SCA.

Vicky is in the process of updating the SCA section to provide a forum that represents each individual Kingdom while allowing all brew guilds to interact with one another. I have a list of Guild contacts that I've been able to gather, but I'm waiting for the Kingdom Listings (No Rush Vicky) before emailing the Guilds directly. Oddly enough your address in that category, as the Guild's Secretary/Exchequer. I see, also, that you are the web master for http://brewers.sca-caid.org/. A very warm welcome to you sir.

I am hoping you will be kind enough to list the GotMead SCA Brew Guild forum link when it's ready to go.

Wrathwilde
 
A good spot/event to check out at Pennsic would be the Knowne Word Brewing and Vinting Judging.

This is usually hosted by House Darkyard . Check the schedule and stop by, I'm sure there'll be some fine beers, wines, meads, cordials, etc..to experience. Along with their proud makers.
 
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