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Lars Marius Garshol

@larsga.bsky.social

1.1K followers 200 following 1.5K posts

Author, speaker, and researcher of farmhouse ale. Norwegian posts: @larsga-no.bsky.social https://www.garshol.priv.no

www.garshol.priv.no

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · Feb 11

I recently gained a lot of new followers, so I thought I'd introduce my work. I work on farmhouse ale, which farmers used to brew from their own grain, because, basically, they already had the grain, so it didn't cost them anything. As long as there was enough to eat they could brew from the rest. 🧵

Black and white photo of two older men holding brewing gear in their hands, standing in the doorway to a brewhouse. Western Norway, probably 1930s or 1940s.

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 40m

Tonight’s event is a talk here, at an industrial lager brewery long since acquired by Carlsberg. Now a brewpub and the craft brewing arm of Carlsberg in Norway

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 1d

Beer brewing has already been raised as a subject by other speakers here. And they did invite me. So a totally different attitude here

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 1d

It’s a seminar, gathering of people interested in the subject. Lots of short presentations + discussions. All in Norwegian, unfortunately.

Photo of program

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 1d

This will be interesting: all-day archaeological seminar on the development of the farm in the Viking and Middle Ages. I will be speaking as well.

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 2d

I usually eat cheese cut with a knife for lunch, so my wife painted this porcelain cutting board for me. I feel seen.

Small porcelain cutting board with a painting of a mouse lying on top of a cheese, hugging the cheese and licking its lips.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 2d

Much too cold for weed up here. Even spruce trees have a hard time growing up here. They grow, but they all look stunted and misshapen.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 2d

Could be.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 2d

Best explanation yet.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 2d

Which makes sense, but this is a marsh on a mountain at 750 meters above sea. There's no pollution sources, and nobody cares about growing anything here. I could see it being done for science, perhaps.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 2d

That what I was wondering, too. There's lots of marshes here, so maybe from those. But why?

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 2d

Not what you expect to see while hiking in the mountains: a pH meter hanging in a tree next to the path.

Someone must have dropped it, but why bring a pH meter here anyway?

A red plastic pH meter with a clip on the back, attached to a thin branch. Behind is heather and spruce trees.

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 3d

Today’s lunch view. A 5km hike from the cabin. There is a little shelter here, but someone was already there

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 3d

The claim in the paper is that fermentation causes recognizable damage to the starch granules, not that they are fermented. Exactly how the damage happens I don't know.

Starch usually isn't fermented to alcohol, although diastatic yeast can do it, but it's very unlikely to have been at Raqefet.

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 3d

Normally the malt is not present for the fermentation, but for some primitive brewing processes it is. And as I understand it they looked at trace starch grains, not complete pieces of grain. If you have an incomplete mash (some starch is left) the starch grains would be there for fermentation.

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 3d

These have worked well before, but sometimes the mice get away. I was also a bit careless with setting it. I should have adjusted the pin better.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you again! As one of the organizers it really makes me happy to hear that.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

Why not?

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks a lot for posting about us! Getting this kind of publicity is very important for us.

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you for writing about us, both here and on the blog. It's much appreciated! We really need this kind of publicity.

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

There is concrete evidence for the find being specifically beer and not just malt.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

I agree the situations are somewhat similar. This paper identifies the find as beer based on analysis of the starch grains.

Theoretically the bread find might also in reality be beer, but I don't know that the hole in that situation was suitable for beer. Also micro-holes in "breads" point at bread

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

Looks like the origin is probably in India, so opposite direction to how the tone/tonir/tanur/tandoor oven spread

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

De hadde så ekstrem suksess med det på 1600-tallet at de fortsatt er hekta. Sjekk slaget ved Kirchholm og Wien 1683.

Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

Hadn't heard of that before, but the saaj bread is more like a European would expect it to be baked

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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 4d

Looks like the origin of the word definitely is Middle Eastern, and too old for the ultimate origin to be traced.