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View Full Version : The fermented cereal beverage of the Sumerians may not have been beer



Mister D
03-23-2012, 02:40 PM
Archaeological finds from cuneiform tablets and remnants of different vessels from over 4,000 years ago show that even around the dawn of civilisation, fermented cereal juice was highly enjoyed by Mesopotamia’s inhabitants. However, besides the two basic ingredients, barley and emmer (a species of wheat) the brew produced in the clay jars of the Sumerians is shrouded in mystery. Despite an abundance of finds and scribal traditions which point to an early love of fermented cereal beverages, reconstructing ancient brewing methods is very difficult, according to the historian of science and cuneiform writing scholar Peter Damerow of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. A scholarly paper by Damerow, who passed away at the end of November 2011 in Berlin, carefully examines the beer brewing technologies of the Sumerians. However, the author also expresses great doubts as to whether the popular brew in ancient times was even beer.

http://historyoftheancientworld.com/2012/01/the-fermented-cereal-beverage-of-the-sumerians-may-not-have-been-beer/

Mister D
03-23-2012, 02:40 PM
Cool website.

Conley
03-23-2012, 03:27 PM
So if it wasn't beer, what was it?

Mister D
03-23-2012, 03:34 PM
So if it wasn't beer, what was it?

According to the article we can't say much more beyond the fact that it was a fermented drink.

Mister D
03-23-2012, 03:36 PM
These uncertainties lead to a question, which the author considers “much more fundamental”: to which extent is it at all possible to compare ancient products with modern ones? “Given our limited knowledge about the Sumerian brewing processes, we cannot say for sure whether their end product even contained alcohol”, writes Damerow. There is no way of ascertaining whether the brew was not more similar to the bread drink kvass from Eastern Europe than to German Pilsner, Altbier or wheat beer.

Conley
03-23-2012, 03:38 PM
We can't even say it contained alcohol? Wow, I am disappointed...I thought that was pretty definite.

Peter1469
03-23-2012, 03:41 PM
I remember an initial article when the discovery was made (or a similar discovery).

Mister D
03-23-2012, 03:41 PM
We can't even say it contained alcohol? Wow, I am disappointed...I thought that was pretty definite.

It's seems pretty well accepted but, according to the author(s), it's only a strong probability that it was beer and that it contained alcohol. I don't know if they have been able to test any jugs etc. for traces of alcohol.

Mister D
03-23-2012, 03:42 PM
The guy might be in a minority regarding this. I just thought it was interesting.

Captain Obvious
03-23-2012, 10:27 PM
Oh man, the resident home brewer is late to the discussion.

It's been widely known in brewing circles that ancient Egyptians have been brewing since the dawn of time. Many geek homebrewers have tried to replicate these "recipes" with either little success or appreciation.

It's been suggested that nutrients and storage were the necessity that birthed brewing. Nutrients because if you don't eat, you die and storage, if you eat something rancid you die which is why an alcohol based drink that gave you nutrients, kept in the summer time and didn't kill you was seemingly a great invention.

Getting pissed up was a bonus.

Now this stuff wasn't carbonated and by most accounts it probably tasted like bile, sour and nasty, gritty maybe but it sustained.

This "beer" and bread were probably the first of the produced foodstuffs in history.

Mister D
03-24-2012, 08:53 AM
True. Beer was a foodstuff. It actually has a plethora of vitamins and plenty of calories. Plus, as you pointed out, the brewing process kills any microorganisms that may have been in the water.

ramone
03-25-2012, 10:42 AM
True. Beer was a foodstuff. It actually has a plethora of vitamins and plenty of calories. Plus, as you pointed out, the brewing process kills any microorganisms that may have been in the water.

They didn't know that boiling would kill bacteria at that time. On a side note, I'm agnostic but I find it interesting that history or discovery did a story about Moses drinking fermented milk to reach his supposed age. Science seems to support that theory in part from what I've seen.

Mister D
03-25-2012, 11:05 AM
They didn't know that boiling would kill bacteria at that time. On a side note, I'm agnostic but I find it interesting that history or discovery did a story about Moses drinking fermented milk to reach his supposed age. Science seems to support that theory in part from what I've seen.

Of course they didn't but that's irrelevant.

Never heard that about Moses.

MMC
03-25-2012, 12:32 PM
They didn't know that boiling would kill bacteria at that time. On a side note, I'm agnostic but I find it interesting that history or discovery did a story about Moses drinking fermented milk to reach his supposed age. Science seems to support that theory in part from what I've seen.

http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4624842766878979&id=b12147685b804780d9d4e7131efdf49a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.alef.net%2fALEFWorks%2fNotice s%2fDavidChildress.Gif

Did someone say Milk and Money.....erm I mean Honey? :laugh:

shaarona
09-07-2012, 10:31 AM
It's seems pretty well accepted but, according to the author(s), it's only a strong probability that it was beer and that it contained alcohol. I don't know if they have been able to test any jugs etc. for traces of alcohol.

If it fermented how could it NOT be alcohol of some sort?

Ivan88
09-07-2012, 02:32 PM
When sweet fruits are fermented in water, they form a carbonated water with some alchohol.

Don't see why grain can't be made to do the same, though I haven't tried grain.

There is a white sake that contains the residual rice from the fermentation process.

Probably no one has really put much effort into comprehending Mesopotamian grain fermentation, especially considering that Egypt was doing it too.

Captain Obvious
09-07-2012, 10:55 PM
Grain is rich in starch and when heated to the right temp, under boiling in a gruel those starches turn to sugars which ferment. It's how beer is made.

GCF
09-08-2012, 02:38 AM
Yea yea all they use was wheat an barley! LOL, fools I say Fools! Herbs is what they were cooking up, those little strange plants they found, I imagine eventually they found some wheat or whatever an mix it in. Yet I tell you, I wouldn't lie! It was DRUGS, oh yea throw in a little poppies, some cannabis maybe a sprinkle of two of mushrooms and the next thing you know everyone is happy happy as Emerald would say. Well at least that is what the Romans did. I imagine they use whatever was on hand, moses, would of been mighty close to the poppy an cannabis fields not like Lebanon is known for something, why you think they called Canaan, Canaan for?:shocked:

Ivan88
09-08-2012, 09:54 PM
Thank you captain obvious finger for the brief summary of the beer making principle. Best, description I ever saw.

And, Thank you GCF for the humorous herbal brew hypothesis and the connection of Canaan with cannabis.:laughing7:
As long as we're having a party, why not have some of this :boobs: