Canterbury Faire 2019

I’m informed by my guildmasters that there is to be another competition on the theme of “From Honey”,  This will take place at the a&s display on Tuesday 22nd at 2pm at Canterbury Faire next.

Rowany Festival AGM, Competition and Tastings

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!

Firstly, I apologise for the delay in this missive, as I have been distracted by the press of business at my estate.

Item, at Rowany Festival recent was held the Guild’s Annual General Meeting, where the sole order of business was the election of the Guild Clerk.  I am pleased to say that the Guild now has a new Clerk in James Douglass, Baron of the Court of Lochac and Master of the Pelican.

Item, after the election was held the tastings for the Guild competition for Rowany Festival, being for a gruit.  As the sole entrant, I appear to have “won” this competition.  As victor, I would like to announce that the competition for next Festival shall be for a dark ale or beer, to whatever recipe or redaction the entrant favours so long as it come from grain.

Item, after the Competition came the open Tastings.  The meeting attendance varied over the course of the meeting, due to the press of other business at Festival for many, thus some of the most-approved beverages in each section had 11 plusses, others 8.  Recorded attendees were: Padraig, Rosalind, Mont Joye, Constantine, Yast, Bjorn B, Henecoc, Ianto, Al’Attar, Tim, Bjorn P, James, Maximillian and Sigvaldr.  The beverages presented  were as follows:
Ales and beers: Padraig’s rosemary gruit, James’s Stout, Henecoc’s kit honey wheat beer, Bjorn P’s buckwheat scotch heavy, Henecoc’s kit ginger beer.  The most approved was Henecoc’s kit honey wheat beer, followed by James’s stout.
Wines and ciders: Rosalind’s cider, Bjorn B’s perry, Ianto’s elderflower, Bjorn B’s plum wine, Al’Attar’s Bloody Mary Brew, Bjorn B’s beetroot wine, Padraig’s Cider water, Ianto’s 16 yr old kit Cab Sav.  The most approved was a tie, between Ianto’s elderflower and his kit Cab Sav; mention should be made of Bjorn B’s beetroot wine, as the consensus was that it would make an excellent ingredient or base for borscht or other similar stew.
Meads and melomels: Bjorn P’s Casual Profanity, Padraig’s pomegranate and citron melomel, Ianto’s 2015 blackcurrant melomel and Ianto’s 2016 blackcurrant melomel.  The most approved was Bjorn P’s Casual Profanity, underscoring why he is having success with his brews outside of the SCA, followed closely by Padraig’s pomegranate and citron melomel.
Spirits and liqueurs: Kotek’s blackcurrant brandy, Bjorn B’s cherry liqueur and Bjorn B’s butterscotch liqueur.  There was a tie between Kotek’s brandy and Bjorn B’s cherry liqueur for the most approvals.

I would like to thank all the Brewers, Vintners and Imbibers who made my tenure as Clerk such a joy, and look forward to the tenure of James.

Yours in Service,

Padraig, Journeyman of the Guild
At Innilgard on the Feast of St Petronax the Benedictine, Tailtiu and Rowland being Crown.

 

 

May Crown Brewing Competition and Guild Rankings

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!

I apologise for the delay in this missive, but I have been kept busy with the requirements of my estate.

At May Crown last was held a competition on Meads and Fruit Wines, and I congratulate Wolfgang Germanicus on winning the competition.  This completed his requirements for advancement within the Guild, and so I am pleased to name him a Journeyman of the Guild.  Additionally, William Montrose has completed the requirements to be name an Apprentice of the Guild, and has been recorded as such.

I hope that this missive finds you well, and look forward to seeing you all in future.

Warm Regards,

Padraig, Clerk of the Guild,
In Innilgard, on the Feast of St Saturnina, Ariston and Lilavati being Crown

 

 

Rowany Festival AS LI: Guild AGM, Tasting, Competition and New Rankings

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!

This past Festival was a busy and eventful one, especially for the Guild.  This missive is to serve as a recitation of the business conducted at Festival, so that all in the Guild may know of these Happenings.

Primus, there was held after the Laurel Prize Tournament the Guild AGM, wherein the only formal piece of business was the election of the Clerk of the Guild for the coming year.  As the only candidate, your humble Author was returned to the Clerkship, for which I can only offer my humble thanks to the Guild for their confidence.

Item, following the Guild AGM was held the Guild tasting, which was run by Rosalind, Apprentice within the Guild, due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict on my part.  The results of this are as follows; the single entry in Fermented Soft Drinks was Rosalind Beaufort, thus she is victorious in this category.  For Beers and Ales, in order of descending approval, there was Stuart the Brewer’s German beer, then Eclen’s ginger beer, then a tie between James Douglas’ red ale and Eclen’s ginger ale, with Bjorn Bassason’s summer beer making up the numbers.  For Wines and Ciders, in order of descending approval, there was a tie for first place between James Douglas’ Yppocras and Rosalind Beaufort’s mead, then Eclen’s sparkling cherry wine, then a tie between Eclen’s blueberry wine and James Douglas’ cider, then Bjorn Bassason’s cider, then Beatrix’s mead, with Bjorn Bassason’s orange wine making up the numbers.  For Meads and Melomels, in order of descending approval, there was Bjorn Purssaspringr’s sack mead, then William Montrose’s Raisin Mead, with my own mustard mead making up the numbers.  For Spirits and their infusions, in order of descending approval, there was Bjorn Bassason’s peach liquor, then Hostilia’s butterscotch liquor, then a tie between Beatrix’s cherry liquor and Bjorn Bassason’s raspberry liquor, with two more liquors, watermelon and lychee, from Bjorn Bassason completing this section.  This Tasting counts for Advancement, and so I commend those who entered to consider their rank within the Guild and their standing in this Tasting. I would note that, similar to the Tastings undertaken at Canterbury Faire, that the press of Time’s Bootheel be on us all, and so Fellows of the Guild should be wary about the number of beverages they submit to the Tasting, especially if they submit several within the same category.

Item, this Festival the Competition was for a Cider containing one ingredient other than Apples, Yeast, Water and Yeast Nutrient if desired.  Victorious in this competition was Wolfgang Germanicus, with William Monrose placing second and my own water-cider bringing up the numbers.  I have asked Wolfgang to nominate the Category for next Festival’s competition, and he wishes it to be Unhopped Ales.  Thus, a brew primarily from malted barley, wheat, spelt or other grain commonly used for the purpose of making beer, that contains no hops but may be flavoured with other ingredients.  I look forward to this next competition, and anticipate a fine variety of gruits.

Item, a member of our Guild has, through diverse efforts, improved their Rank in the Guild.  This is Asbjorn Pederson, who through his efforts is now reckoned a Craftsman by the Guild.  Craftsman Asbjorn is the first of our number to be reckoned as such by the Masters of the Guild, and I commend his knowledge and experience to all who wish to learn of the Mysteries of our Art.

This complete my report, and so I leave you firm in the knowledge that I remain

Padraig Lowther, Clerk of the Guild
At Innilgard, on the Feast of St Winewald,
Ariston and Lilavati being Their Lochacic Majesties

Guild Competitions: Canterbury Faire, Rowany Festival and May Crown in Aneala

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings.

I write this to remind you of upcoming competitions, some of which have been previously described and one which has been mooted but not described in detail as yet.

Firstly, Canterbury Faire will be upon us in a couple of months, which will include the competition of “Mead plus One.”  The conditions of this competition can be found elsewhere, but in brief all entries are to comprise honey, yeast, one other ingredient attested to in a period source for use in mead and yeast nutrient if deemed necessary.  Entrants from outside of the Crescent Isles are reminded of import restrictions due to biocontamination and quarantine regulations, and to ensure that they have a written testament to the boiling regimen that their entry has undergone.  This competition will count towards guild rankings, and is being organised by Rohesia, Journeywoman of the Guild.

Secondly, there will be held at Rowany Festival a competition in a similar vein as to that run at Canterbury Faire, but with a different source of sugar.  This competition will be on “Cider plus One,” with the conditions being that the brew contain apple juice (pressed yourself, storebought or otherwise is fine), yeast, one other ingredient attested to in a period source for use in cider and yeast nutrient if deemed necessary.  This competition will count towards guild rankings, and will be run myself at Rowany Festival, with further details on the time and place of the judging to come closer to the event.

Thirdly, at May Crown next in Aneala, there will be a competition on Meads and Fruit Wines.  I would encourage all who are able to craft a beverage that will comply with local quarantine restrictions to submit one to Wolfgang, Apprentice of the Guild, who will have more to say as to the mechanics of the competition closer to the event.  This being an official guild competition, it will also count towards guild rankings.

Finally, I would like to wish all entrants in these competitions the best of luck, and to remind folk that we are heading towards stone-fruit season; I look forward to drinking some interesting things done with the produce of the coming months.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me, and know that in the meantime I remain

Padraig, Clerk of the Guild
At Rowany, on the Feast of St Gregory Palamas

Canterbury Faire Cider Competition 2015

The Lochac Brewer’s Guild competition for 2015 was Cider. There were 5 entries, 3 from Roheisa Le Sarjent(Belle Sibly) one from , Dauid de Cochran (Dauid Marsden) and one from Padraig Lowther (Paddy Neumann). Entries were judged by a panel of 3 expert judges, Mistress Miriam Galbraith, Master Brian di Caffa and Rossell Fitz-Richard (aka Redbeard, judge of the annual NAAMA brew comp), and scored on documentation, workmanship, authenticity and overall impression. With only 5 entries the planned 3 categories were combined into one.
1st place Rohesia’s Avoncider with a score 95
2nd place Rohesia’s Crabapple Cider with a score of 91
3rd Paddy’s spiced Cyzer with a score of 89
4th Rohesia’s Serpent’s Kiss Cider with a score of 79
5th Dauid’s Pear Scrumpy with a score of 62

Lochac Brewing Laurels Challange

Queen Elizabeth’s Methaeglen – A Lochac Laurels’ Brewing Challenge

 Your challenge, should you accept it, is to produce no less than two 300ml bottles of Queen Elizabeth’s Methaeglen, as per the recipe below, before Lochac’s Mid-Winter Coronation at which time the brewing Laurels will judge which entrant has best accomplished this task using the Lochac Arts & Sciences judging criteria listed at http://artsandsciences.lochac.sca.org/judging. The recipe recommends aging for six months, so you will need to get brewing promptly.

 You are to submit two bottles, each labelled with your name or the name of your brewery and the date of brewing, accompanied by documentation including your own redaction of the recipe and an explanation of any deviations or changes made.

 Entrants will be asked to declare their intention to compete to the Brewers Guild Clerk, Rurik farserkr (ben.paton@gmail.com) by 1^st June 2014 at latest. All entries must be delivered to him by Tuesday 24^th of June 2014 or, by prior arrangement, brought to Midwinter Coronation in Politarchopolis on Saturday 5^th July. Please contact Rurik for a delivery address and/or to arrange cellaring with him.

 The results will be announced at the event, if possible, or by email soon afterwards. The entry judged the best will win a beautiful hand turned wooden mazer.

You can print a PDF of the recipe and competition details here.  Queen Elizabeths Methaeglen

Original recipe from ‘The Feminine Monarchie, or a Treatise concerning Bees and the due ordering of Bees,’ 1609 By Charles ButlerChapterX “Of the Fruit and profit of Bees. Part 2”  1609 facsimile (Transcribed below)

 Transcription by Justin du Coeur http://jducoeur.org/Cookbook/bees.html :

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One excellent Receipt I will here recite: and it is of that which our renowned Queen Elizabeth, of happy memory, did so well like, that she would every year have a vessel of it.

First, gather a bushel of Sweet-briar-leaves, and a bushel of Thyme, half a bushel of Rosemary, and a peck of Bay-leaves. Seeth all these (being well washed) in a Furnace of fair water:

let them boil the space of half an hour, or better: and then pour out all the water and herbs into a Vat, and let it stand till it be but milk-warm: then strain the water from the herbs, and take to every six Gallons of water one Gallon of the finest Honey, and put it into the Born, and labor it together half an hour: then let it stand two days, stirring it well twice or thrice each day. Then take the Liquor and boil it anew: and when it doeth (?seed?), skim it as long as there remaineth any Dross. When it is clear, put it into the Vat as before, and there let it be cooled. You must then have in a readiness a Kive of new Ale or Beer, which as soon as you have emptied, suddenly whelm it upside down, and set it up again, and presently put in the Metheglen, and let it stand three days a working. And then tun it up in Barrels, tying at every Tap-hole (by a Pack-thread) a little bag of beaten Cloves and Mace, to the value of an ounce. It must stand half a year before it be drunk.