[Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague

Mon Sep 20 10:37:09 CDT 2010

One can also use the leftover beer barm (you know the yeasty sludge on
the bottom?)from brewing beer to cause bread to rise. Even dried it
works.  I've used just straight beer too. Just cut back on the water in
your recipe.  There are lots of books on the subject and lots of
options. 

Juliana

-----Original Message-----
From: artemisia-bounces at lists.gallowglass.org
[mailto:artemisia-bounces at lists.gallowglass.org] On Behalf Of Nancy
Knapp
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2010 3:22 PM
To: artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org
Subject: Re: [Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern
Plague

According to the quickee internet research just compleated there is
evidence confirming that yeast was used for both leavening and brewing
in Egypt as early as 4000 BC. So I just need to find how to get this
fungis we refer to as yeast. Also found that if you make a batch of
dough and save some of it for later bread making and contine doing this
you will have sourdough. (I'm hitting myself for not realizing this
before having to read it). There is also the remains on the bottom of
the ale/mead barrel when brewing is done. So Red, there are a few
different ways of getting yeast for your bread. Will continue my search
on this topic.

Mairghread

>> -----Original Message-----
> From: Redhawk
> Sent: 9/19/2010 6:26:44 PM
> To: Kingdom of Artemisia mailing list
> Subject: Re: [Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern
Plague
> i have my eye on a couple horse drawn implements.  i have mowed hay
the horse dawn way.  thank goodness HL Wulf is a good carpenter because
the pitman arm can break and it's made of wood.  the question is, here
in great falls there isn't much for harness shops.  other materials
would have to be used such as heavy webbed straps.  i do have a treddle
sewing machine so sewing something heavy would be okay.
> i'd like to know how we get yeast for breads... hm... gotta have
bread.  what was used back then to make the bread rise?
> Redhawk
> 
> --- On Sun, 9/19/10, Allen Hall <dukealan at q.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> From: Allen Hall <dukealan at q.com>
> Subject: Re: [Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern
Plague
> To: "Kingdom of Artemisia mailing list"
<artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org>
> Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010, 10:54 AM
> 
> 
> 
> Well, this discussion is moving right along.  Some summarizing...
> 
> Water, as noted by many is a key element.  You can go a while without
food, but not long at all without water.  Our medieval ancestors drank
milk, wine, ale, beer, distilled spirits, but you don't hear water
mentioned often.  You do read about wells being destroyed by opponents
however, so some water was used in some manner.  When I was a kid, a
house just down the road had a hand pump that was cool to play with.
The local water table _used_ to be about 20 feet down.  The local gravel
pits would frequently fill up with water.  Irrigation pumping seems to
have lowered the water tables locally.  Perhaps without electric
irrigation pumps, that water would rise back to normal levels.
> 
> Osondrea mentioned strength in numbers, but how large are these
numbers?  I know that London was one of the largest medieval cities, and
it's population was about 40,000.  Larger cities of Europe were only a
little larger than London.  Realistically, the ability to bring
sufficient food and supplies into such a city is pretty tough.  That
would also include taking out the city's waste/garbage.  Though in a
plague situation, waste would be greatly reduced as recycling, re-using,
and composting vegatative matter would be much more widely employed.
> 
> Windmills used to be common in mundane Artemisian territory.  They
obviously worked or they wouldn't have been there.  How do you construct
one (and maintain it)?  Sounds like some extensive blacksmithing would
be needed.  Where do the blacksmith's get their coal/charcoal?  Does
anyone know how to make charcoal?  Anyone who has driven from Salmon to
Idaho Falls may recall seeing the remains of charcoal kilns east of the
road.  Would anyone care to comment on their operation?
> 
> Our medieval predecessors preserved meats by smoking and salting, who
can tell us about doing that?  How about drying meats (making jerky)?
Once you slaughter an animal, the fresh meat only last so long (unless
you've got a big crowd of people), and the meat will go bad.  You've
only so much time to do something to preserve that meat for future use.
Who can tell us about canning meat or other methods of preservation?
Anyone heard of keeping cooked meat imersed in lard as a preservation
method?  How do you make lard?
> 
> Handcarts are seen in medieval illuminations.  The dramatically
increase the amount of "stuff" a person can move.  Let's hear more about
making them.  Perhaps a new "side business" could emerge from this
conversation!
> 
> So Red, where would you go thieving a horse pulled mower and rake.
Steal 2 of each and bring the extra down to the Uprising site!
> 
> Gardening will quickly cease to use modern chemical aids...so what
plants naturally repel insects, how do you deal with birds raiding your
cherry crop, etc?
> 
> I'd really like to thank everyone who has had comments on this thread.
You've all added some good food for thought, and it's obvious that we
have some smart, experienced folks in this Kingdom!
> 
> Alan
> 
> 
> 
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