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Historical Brewing Techniques: The Lost Art of Farmhouse Brewing
Ancient brewing traditions and techniques have been passed generation to generation on farms throughout remote areas of northern Europe. With these traditions facing near extinction, author Lars Marius Garshol set out to explore and document the lost art of brewing using traditional local methods. Equal parts history, cultural anthropology, social science, and travelogue, this book describes brewing and fermentation techniques that are vastly different from modern craft brewing and preserves them for posterity and exploration. Expect to see today's craft brewers innovate and experiment with their own practices as old traditions reveal new life and creativity.Learn about uncovering an unusual strain of yeast, called kveik, which can ferment a batch to completion in just 36 hours. Discover how to make keptinis by baking the mash in the oven. Explore using juniper boughs for various stages of the brewing process. Test your own hand by brewing recipes gleaned from years of travel and research in the farmlands of northern Europe. Meet the brewers and delve into the ingredients that have kept these traditional methods alive. Discover the regional and stylistic differences between farmhouse brewers today and throughout history.
400 pages, Paperback
Published April 7, 2020
51 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 15, 2020
I kind of feel that you deserve college credit for reading through this entire 400+ page book and learning all that it teaches you. Wow. It is absolutely packed with the history of brewing in Eastern European countries especially, with loads of photographs and information. Garshol goes into great detail about ingredients, safety, regional differences, you name it. He provides lots of recipes with traditional ingredients and the classic ways of brewing them. This is definitely for the hard core enthusiast. I love to do home brewing but I am more a country wine brewer. For those who want to take their craft beer brewing to a whole other level and discover some really fascinating stuff along the way, this will be an invaluable tool.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
October 2, 2020
I'm going to have to agree with Jeff Alworth on something: this has to be one of the most important beer books written in the past 20 years. In fact, I will take it one step further and say that it's THE most important beer book of the 21st century.
In my personal (and relatively educated) opinion, Lars's body of work and its impact on the brewing and beer drinking world is only comparable to Michael Jackson's. The World Guide To Beer provided us with the theoretical background for beer styles, as well as the terminology needed to properly taste and assess them, and it has even helped revive the interest in (and consequently, the sales of) Belgian beers. Meanwhile, Lars's influence began making itself felt even a few years back, when he started touring Norway in search of traditional brewing techniques, which resulted in articles published on his blog. Nowadays, Lars is regarded as not just an ethnographer who specializes on farmhouse beers and traditional brewing, but also the man who, almost single-handedly, sparked an international interest in kveik (traditional Norwegian farmhouse yeast), which has eagerly been picked up by both homebrewers as well as craft breweries, with the full effects on the modern brewing industry yet to reveal themselves.
I began reading Lars's blog posts about beer around 2018, and found them both informative and entertaining. This book is much the same: it uses unpretentious language and every day examples of how farmers used to brew, in order to familiarize readers with how our ancestors lived, thought, and drank. Unlike other books about the history of brewing, his approach is more relatable because he focuses on the simple lives of simple people. He doesn't delve into the technicalities of commercial brewing (whether it was after mechanical processes were introduced in breweries or a mere half a century ago), the implications of Reinheitsgebot, etc and nor does he need to - there's enough literature on these aspects.
It's also interesting to see how he is humbled by his interactions with traditional brewers, and how what he took for granted is turned on its head. There are several examples of Lars trying to understand the WHYs and HOWs behind a beer, and is met with blank stares from the brewers. They do things a certain way because that's how things are done. At first, it seems like the entire brewing process takes place in a haphazard sequence of steps, and that the resulting beer will be awful. But upon closer inspection, those steps make a lot of sense even if the brewers only rely on intrinsic, almost instinctive knowledge. Farmers didn't use equipment to measure temperature or gravity, yet they always knew what they were doing through sheer experience, and because tradition told them what to do. Meanwhile, homebrewers using professional equipment still struggle to explain the processes, or make consistently good beer.
I also liked that this book dispels a lot of myths regarding beer in the old days and the way it was made, while confirming that some myths were in fact not myths at all. Yes, men, women and children did habitually drink beer in the old days because it was safer than water. And no, they weren't a bunch of superstitious savages who drank semi-infected beers because they didn't understand how bacteria worked. In fact, brewers were well aware that beer could easily spoil and took measures to prevent that, because their livelihood was at stake. They didn't know what microorganisms were, but they knew that yeast was responsible for fermentation, and that the way you malt barley and mash it has a direct impact on the resulting beer. In simple terms, Lars gives traditional brewers credit, in a way nobody else has thought to.
You can see that a lot of work and thought went into it, and that Lars found it important that readers understand not just how beer was made traditionally, but also the regional differences between beers, the geographical, social and economical backgrounds of each style, and the importance of documenting these styles and processes before they disappear. Towards the end of the book, there are even several recipes that you can try to replicate on a homebrew level.
The book itself is insanely gorgeous, with glossy pages and high quality color pictures, and it's a sheer delight to read. I would recommend getting a physical copy of it based on that alone. If there was one thing I would have to point out, however, is that the * signs that signal that there's a footnote are very, very small, and I often found myself finding a footnote and then having to scan the above text trying to figure out which section it refers to.
Otherwise, this is a magnificent book, thoroughly well researched, and with a great deal of passion and genuine curiosity driving it. And yes, I don't rate beer books out of principle, but in this case, I must make an exception. It truly was amazing.
In my personal (and relatively educated) opinion, Lars's body of work and its impact on the brewing and beer drinking world is only comparable to Michael Jackson's. The World Guide To Beer provided us with the theoretical background for beer styles, as well as the terminology needed to properly taste and assess them, and it has even helped revive the interest in (and consequently, the sales of) Belgian beers. Meanwhile, Lars's influence began making itself felt even a few years back, when he started touring Norway in search of traditional brewing techniques, which resulted in articles published on his blog. Nowadays, Lars is regarded as not just an ethnographer who specializes on farmhouse beers and traditional brewing, but also the man who, almost single-handedly, sparked an international interest in kveik (traditional Norwegian farmhouse yeast), which has eagerly been picked up by both homebrewers as well as craft breweries, with the full effects on the modern brewing industry yet to reveal themselves.
I began reading Lars's blog posts about beer around 2018, and found them both informative and entertaining. This book is much the same: it uses unpretentious language and every day examples of how farmers used to brew, in order to familiarize readers with how our ancestors lived, thought, and drank. Unlike other books about the history of brewing, his approach is more relatable because he focuses on the simple lives of simple people. He doesn't delve into the technicalities of commercial brewing (whether it was after mechanical processes were introduced in breweries or a mere half a century ago), the implications of Reinheitsgebot, etc and nor does he need to - there's enough literature on these aspects.
It's also interesting to see how he is humbled by his interactions with traditional brewers, and how what he took for granted is turned on its head. There are several examples of Lars trying to understand the WHYs and HOWs behind a beer, and is met with blank stares from the brewers. They do things a certain way because that's how things are done. At first, it seems like the entire brewing process takes place in a haphazard sequence of steps, and that the resulting beer will be awful. But upon closer inspection, those steps make a lot of sense even if the brewers only rely on intrinsic, almost instinctive knowledge. Farmers didn't use equipment to measure temperature or gravity, yet they always knew what they were doing through sheer experience, and because tradition told them what to do. Meanwhile, homebrewers using professional equipment still struggle to explain the processes, or make consistently good beer.
I also liked that this book dispels a lot of myths regarding beer in the old days and the way it was made, while confirming that some myths were in fact not myths at all. Yes, men, women and children did habitually drink beer in the old days because it was safer than water. And no, they weren't a bunch of superstitious savages who drank semi-infected beers because they didn't understand how bacteria worked. In fact, brewers were well aware that beer could easily spoil and took measures to prevent that, because their livelihood was at stake. They didn't know what microorganisms were, but they knew that yeast was responsible for fermentation, and that the way you malt barley and mash it has a direct impact on the resulting beer. In simple terms, Lars gives traditional brewers credit, in a way nobody else has thought to.
You can see that a lot of work and thought went into it, and that Lars found it important that readers understand not just how beer was made traditionally, but also the regional differences between beers, the geographical, social and economical backgrounds of each style, and the importance of documenting these styles and processes before they disappear. Towards the end of the book, there are even several recipes that you can try to replicate on a homebrew level.
The book itself is insanely gorgeous, with glossy pages and high quality color pictures, and it's a sheer delight to read. I would recommend getting a physical copy of it based on that alone. If there was one thing I would have to point out, however, is that the * signs that signal that there's a footnote are very, very small, and I often found myself finding a footnote and then having to scan the above text trying to figure out which section it refers to.
Otherwise, this is a magnificent book, thoroughly well researched, and with a great deal of passion and genuine curiosity driving it. And yes, I don't rate beer books out of principle, but in this case, I must make an exception. It truly was amazing.
June 4, 2020
This was probably one of the best brewing books I've read yet.
Throughout the book it is clear that Garshol spent a lot of time in research and effort in the book.
The book is a fantastic companion to his Larsblog. If you haven't read the blog do yourself a favour and do so. Even if you are not interested in farmhouse ales, the book is worth reading as it leads one to a greater appreciation of the history of beer.
One of the things I really liked about the book is that it dealt not with the theory of brewing, but with living brewers, brewing in styles that most had thought to the world.
Throughout the book it is clear that Garshol spent a lot of time in research and effort in the book.
The book is a fantastic companion to his Larsblog. If you haven't read the blog do yourself a favour and do so. Even if you are not interested in farmhouse ales, the book is worth reading as it leads one to a greater appreciation of the history of beer.
One of the things I really liked about the book is that it dealt not with the theory of brewing, but with living brewers, brewing in styles that most had thought to the world.
April 28, 2020
This is an extensive book and a perfect fit for those who do homebrewing. It's packed with history, brewing techniques, beer as part farm life, recipes and so on. As the author is Norwegian, he naturally focuses on Norway and (Eastern-) European history and such, but that made it even more fascinating.
If one is a home brewer and into making your own beer, I would highly recommend this book.
If one is a home brewer and into making your own beer, I would highly recommend this book.
April 20, 2020
Surprising interesting book that included more than straight beer information. Interviews, commentary on local customs, maps pictures, diagrams, analysis, theories, research, extensive history in a comprehensive readable volume. Great read.
January 6, 2022
I think I expected way more focus on the recipes in this book (which there are quite a few), but I was pleasantly surprised that they didn't dominate. The history of the methods, ingredients, and just the sheer amount of work it took to make and drink beer is pretty amazing. I started this book with some level of certainty that I would never be interested in brewing a farmhouse style ale based on the methods and some of the ingredients. I don't know that Lars was trying to be overly persuasive with this book, but my mind was changed. I now look forward to trying out a few of the recipes. I think Historical Brewing Techniques would be of interest to many brewers, but also to craft beer enthusiasts with an interest in history.
January 14, 2024
I've read 30+ brewing books and I think this might be my favourite one.
You will read about ways of making beer that you almost certainly will never have heard of, and will likely be surprised work, be surprised ever existed or still exist now.
This book is sometimes hilarious, in the anecdotes and archaic practices and bits and bobs he's found out. Sometimes mind bending in his theorising why certain methods are used, and how these traditions came to be. While reading I would often find myself internally shrugging and saying oh they must do this because of say avoiding lacto infection or whatever, as someone who knows a little of the science of brewing as a whole it was fun to read, and puzzle over these practices. It has a kind of detective bent, figuring out say why in certain places men brew while in others women do. Why these farmhouse brews have survived and others didn't. Why their crazy yeast strains are how they are and the flipside of that, why we have bred our yeasts to be lacking in certain areas. This book is nuts. The level of research is deep.
It is perhaps a crazy response to even write out but when reading this I was genuinly moved, genuinely sad for the brewing traditions struggling to continue and being piece by piece swallowed up by progress, removed from memory, from culture. The author communicated perfectly his love and respect for these old forms of brewing, his fascination, admiration, astonishment.
Really well written too.
A perfect book.
You will read about ways of making beer that you almost certainly will never have heard of, and will likely be surprised work, be surprised ever existed or still exist now.
This book is sometimes hilarious, in the anecdotes and archaic practices and bits and bobs he's found out. Sometimes mind bending in his theorising why certain methods are used, and how these traditions came to be. While reading I would often find myself internally shrugging and saying oh they must do this because of say avoiding lacto infection or whatever, as someone who knows a little of the science of brewing as a whole it was fun to read, and puzzle over these practices. It has a kind of detective bent, figuring out say why in certain places men brew while in others women do. Why these farmhouse brews have survived and others didn't. Why their crazy yeast strains are how they are and the flipside of that, why we have bred our yeasts to be lacking in certain areas. This book is nuts. The level of research is deep.
It is perhaps a crazy response to even write out but when reading this I was genuinly moved, genuinely sad for the brewing traditions struggling to continue and being piece by piece swallowed up by progress, removed from memory, from culture. The author communicated perfectly his love and respect for these old forms of brewing, his fascination, admiration, astonishment.
Really well written too.
A perfect book.
August 11, 2020
I am buying a copy of this book for a family member who brews. Somewhere between Germany and the US my grandmother's farmhouse beer recipe was lost. Her daughters loved to tell us how good the beer was, but none bothered to learn it! Worse, no one said a word about it until AFTER grandma died! I read this book and was just so envious of the author for being able to travel and check out how these brews were made all over Europe. I'm not a beer expert by any means, and was quite surprised at how much went into producing the beers fronm place to place. I never would have thought grains, malts, yeast, water, could all affect how the finished products tasted! Even ones from the same village. Well, I believe this book would make a fine gift for craft beer drinkers and brewers. very educational. Kudos Lars Marius Garshol!
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
September 1, 2020
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a surprisingly thorough book!
Full of old school brewing techniques and why they work this book breaks down farmhouse brewing and how brewing has changed over time. There's information on how to get started in farmhouse brewing and why it was used as a brewing techinque.
While this isn't something that I'd recreate on my own it was interesting to read about!
This is a surprisingly thorough book!
Full of old school brewing techniques and why they work this book breaks down farmhouse brewing and how brewing has changed over time. There's information on how to get started in farmhouse brewing and why it was used as a brewing techinque.
While this isn't something that I'd recreate on my own it was interesting to read about!
August 1, 2021
A read both enjoyable and informational
This book was an inspiration to try new ingredients, techniques and methods for brewing beer. There’s a lot to learn from all the brewing stories here and this book was a satisfactory replacement for not being able to experience the beers and brewing methods myself. I hope the true farmhouse ale tradition lives on and that it will grow as a result of this book.
This book was an inspiration to try new ingredients, techniques and methods for brewing beer. There’s a lot to learn from all the brewing stories here and this book was a satisfactory replacement for not being able to experience the beers and brewing methods myself. I hope the true farmhouse ale tradition lives on and that it will grow as a result of this book.
January 26, 2021
I’ve finished reading book, but I don’t think I will ever finish going back to it.
It’s like a text book, but reads more like an ethnography: journalist dispatches on the brewing methods of crotchety Nordic farmers.
It’s awesome.
It’s like a text book, but reads more like an ethnography: journalist dispatches on the brewing methods of crotchety Nordic farmers.
It’s awesome.
January 27, 2021
I have no desire to brew my own beer, but the information in this book about the history of beer and farming throughout Northern Europe, particularly Scandinavia and the Baltic States, is absolutely fascinating.
June 21, 2021
Є певний ризик, що книжка видавтиметься нудною, бо містить купу технічної інформації (наскільки вона може бути технічною в контексті фармхаусів), але це нора кролика. Як пірнеш, то важко вилізти, і тепер аж свербить (вкотре) доїхати у всі ці закапелки цивілізації, скуштувати пра-пиво.
November 27, 2021
Amazing book on (mostly) Scandinavian farmhouse beer/ale brewing tradition and culture. There is going to be 2nd edition with corrected errors, so I'd recommend to wait for that maybe? I dunno. 5/5 for me anyway even with errors, im so drunk on Maltøl right now, i hope this comment is anonymous.
July 23, 2020
Lots of interesting information about brewing in rural Northern Europe.
May 17, 2021
A fun and informative read for a homebrewer like me! It gave me ideas and now I want to travel to the old country and commune with hardy brewers and brewsters.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews