seeking small beer recipe

[WWFSM]

I'm looking for a small beer recipe. Small beer is a low alcoholic beverage, made like beer, popular in the Middle Ages (and as late as Victorian Times) what was often drunk at breakfast or given as a beer substitute for very young children and the ill.

I have rye, barley, oats, and wheat all in whole grain form. I know how to sprout and toast my grains. I'm really interested in starting from whole grains, and malting them myself. If possible, I would like to capture the yeast from the air (we have some awesome wild yeast here). These are the techniques they use to use, but finding an actual recipe has proven more difficult than expected.

The only recipe I've found that starts with the whole grains is in Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions. As much as I love her writings, I have a lot of problems with the recipes in that book. I've never had this problem with any other book, but somehow the recipes in NT never turn out well for me.

Anyone here ever made Small Beer before? Do you know any recipes? Anyone have a copy of Wild Brews, or Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers and would be willing to check if there is a recipe in there? Any other books that may have a recipe in it?

Also, was thinking of trying one of the other non-hops herbs to bitter the brew. I have a pretty complete herb garden, any thoughts on what would work well? But if not, I can always use hops.

[Tim Hall]

I have both books...will see if there are small beer recipes in there. What you should do first is familiarize yourself with the brewing process (just like you were making regular beer), and check out some of the brew forums/sites. Also just be aware that going from unsprouted grain to proper malt to beer is no small task. I'm sure you can figure it out, but it's a lot of fairly technical processes to start out with, each process having a dramatic impact on each other and the final result.

There are several "brew calculators" online (just google that.) Some calculators will let you adjust the recipe to a desired alcohol content. You might start out by taking a basic ale (not lager) recipe, plug it into the calculator, then scale it down to 2-3% ABV. However when using these calculators you will need to keep in mind that your first batch of homemade malt will probably not be as efficient as grain from a maltster. (FYI you can get buy organic malts.)

Lots of culinary herbs work well in beer, particularly rosemary and sage. Just don't overdo it, especially with such a light beer. Many medicinal herbs are bittering, but they can quickly make beer taste "medicinal."

[WWFSM]

Thank you Tim, this is good advice.

That's a good idea, starting with already malted grain to learn the process. I have a friend who brews from malted grain, so I might just have to tag along with him on a brewing day and see how it's done. But then again, he's one of those people who likes to keep the process a mystery and only share the results. Even if I can't talk him into showing me, I bet I can score some malted grains off him.

Eventually I want to get the whole process down so I can demonstrate it at an event we do every year - it's a medieval re-enactment that we put on for a week or so every year. It's load of fun because we live 24/7 in this park and have a 90 percent medieval lifestyle (certain restrictions because of the park bylaws), however, it's also educational for the park visitors, so it's a bit like living in a zoo. We are not allowed to make alcoholic drinks because of the public interacting with us, so I was thinking why not a small beer?

Do you have any ale recipes that you like best? Any books you could recommend? I'm off to google brew calculator and then to the library to see what brewing books are there.

[wayne rodriguez]

check this:
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/books/herbmed.php
http://www.amazon.ca/Sacred-Herbal-Heal ... 0937381667
These books gives a very good description on the type of herbs used. And many recipes of how to make it at home. Most of the herbs used can be grown at home itself. I have a small herbal garden where i grow many of the basic herb blends having medicinal values.