merryn
@merryn02.bsky.social
Interests: archaeology of ale, beer and brewing, history & prehistory of malt and malting technologies. I like campervans, spinning, walking, gardening, swimming in the sea. Academic stuff is here:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Merryn-Dineley
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Merryn-Dineley
Reposted by merryn
🎄 Day 14 of our #Shropshire advent calendar brings us to Bridgnorth, with the tower of St Leonard’s Church dominating the skyline. This was a day when the entire county was covered in a magical hoar frost, providing great opportunities for landscape photography. 🎅
December 14, 2025 at 8:38 AM
🎄 Day 14 of our #Shropshire advent calendar brings us to Bridgnorth, with the tower of St Leonard’s Church dominating the skyline. This was a day when the entire county was covered in a magical hoar frost, providing great opportunities for landscape photography. 🎅
Reposted by merryn
Due to a number of factors Brewery History is unfortunately behind schedule. However, we intend to rectify this by publishing several issues over the next few months. Simultaneously, we will also be making older issues free to access. The latest can be found here: bit.ly/48No9SU
Brewery History: Issue 191
bit.ly
December 14, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Due to a number of factors Brewery History is unfortunately behind schedule. However, we intend to rectify this by publishing several issues over the next few months. Simultaneously, we will also be making older issues free to access. The latest can be found here: bit.ly/48No9SU
Reposted by merryn
When the mercury plummets to -40° (where Celsius and Fahrenheit finally agree), most sensible creatures burrow inward. But not in the Yukon. Here, in this land where exhaled breath crystallizes mid-air and exposed skin stings within seconds, I found myself moved to dance Bhangra.
December 13, 2025 at 3:10 PM
When the mercury plummets to -40° (where Celsius and Fahrenheit finally agree), most sensible creatures burrow inward. But not in the Yukon. Here, in this land where exhaled breath crystallizes mid-air and exposed skin stings within seconds, I found myself moved to dance Bhangra.
A Bronze Age burial, a residue in the birch bark container, long interpreted as the remains of an ancient ale made from malted grain with added honey and berries. Now they're saying the drink was made from berries (not possible). The malt has gone. Why? When? Confused. 😕
en.natmus.dk/historical-k...
en.natmus.dk/historical-k...
The Egtved Girl's beer
Pollen is the "fingerprint" of plants and with the aid of careful analysis it is possible to identify the plants that the drink contained.
en.natmus.dk
December 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
A Bronze Age burial, a residue in the birch bark container, long interpreted as the remains of an ancient ale made from malted grain with added honey and berries. Now they're saying the drink was made from berries (not possible). The malt has gone. Why? When? Confused. 😕
en.natmus.dk/historical-k...
en.natmus.dk/historical-k...
Reposted by merryn
Oof. Martyn Cornell's website seems to be down. This is what I get when opening zythophile.co.uk.
I know the content is still available on web.archive.org, but it still feels like a punch in the stomach.
I know the content is still available on web.archive.org, but it still feels like a punch in the stomach.
December 12, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Oof. Martyn Cornell's website seems to be down. This is what I get when opening zythophile.co.uk.
I know the content is still available on web.archive.org, but it still feels like a punch in the stomach.
I know the content is still available on web.archive.org, but it still feels like a punch in the stomach.
Reposted by merryn
🎄 Clun Castle is the subject of Day 12 in our #Shropshire advent calendar. In the distance is Sowdley Wood, which is part of Black Hill. I waited a long time to get a picture of the castle in snow, and I finally managed to tick it off my to-do list a couple of years ago. 🎅
December 12, 2025 at 7:33 AM
🎄 Clun Castle is the subject of Day 12 in our #Shropshire advent calendar. In the distance is Sowdley Wood, which is part of Black Hill. I waited a long time to get a picture of the castle in snow, and I finally managed to tick it off my to-do list a couple of years ago. 🎅
Reposted by merryn
One of my more unusual homebrew projects I've tried so far is home-malting. Not just any malt, but air-dried wheat malt to approximate a historic malt for Bavarian wheat beer. First, I steeped the grains in water for about 36 hours during which it gained about 50% in weight. Then came the sprouting.
December 11, 2025 at 9:29 AM
One of my more unusual homebrew projects I've tried so far is home-malting. Not just any malt, but air-dried wheat malt to approximate a historic malt for Bavarian wheat beer. First, I steeped the grains in water for about 36 hours during which it gained about 50% in weight. Then came the sprouting.
What a great blog about small scale grain growing, harvesting, yes, even some talk of malting. Brewing beer the hard way.
I have no experience but there’s a guy out in British Columbia who does this kind of stuff and blogs about it:
brewingbeerthehardway.wordpress.com
brewingbeerthehardway.wordpress.com
Brewing Beer The Hard Way
Growing, malting and brewing beer
brewingbeerthehardway.wordpress.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:35 PM
What a great blog about small scale grain growing, harvesting, yes, even some talk of malting. Brewing beer the hard way.
No. Probably not. The question is not "Bread or Beer?". It should be "who were the first maltsters?" or "when was malting discovered?" Because you need to learn how to make malt and malt sugars before you can make beer or ale from the grain. Sugars ferment into alcohol. Starch does not. Simple.
New evidence suggests that alcohol was a surprisingly big motivator in our monumental transition from hunting and gathering to farming – but was beer really more important to us than bread?
Did ancient humans start farming so they could drink more beer?
New evidence suggests that alcohol was a surprisingly big motivator in our monumental transition from hunting and gathering to farming – but was beer really more important to us than bread?
www.newscientist.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:44 AM
No. Probably not. The question is not "Bread or Beer?". It should be "who were the first maltsters?" or "when was malting discovered?" Because you need to learn how to make malt and malt sugars before you can make beer or ale from the grain. Sugars ferment into alcohol. Starch does not. Simple.
Reposted by merryn
Jessie Newbery (186-.1948), Scottish artist and embroiderer and one of the artists known as the Glasgow Girls. She created the Department of Embroidery at the Glasgow School of Art where she was able to establish needlework as a form of unique artistic design. #womensart
December 11, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Jessie Newbery (186-.1948), Scottish artist and embroiderer and one of the artists known as the Glasgow Girls. She created the Department of Embroidery at the Glasgow School of Art where she was able to establish needlework as a form of unique artistic design. #womensart
Reposted by merryn
Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts. Not American. Not Dutch. We're going to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia for these little guys. Visit www.myhistoricaltable.com for a read and the recipe ✌️🫶🎄
December 11, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts. Not American. Not Dutch. We're going to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia for these little guys. Visit www.myhistoricaltable.com for a read and the recipe ✌️🫶🎄
Reposted by merryn
🎄 It’s Day 10 of our #Shropshire advent calendar, and here are the radar domes standing like sentinels on Titterstone Clee. I spent a bitterly cold few hours up on the summit, walking around taking pictures in the late afternoon sunshine with the frozen grass crunching beneath my boots. 🎅
December 10, 2025 at 8:19 AM
🎄 It’s Day 10 of our #Shropshire advent calendar, and here are the radar domes standing like sentinels on Titterstone Clee. I spent a bitterly cold few hours up on the summit, walking around taking pictures in the late afternoon sunshine with the frozen grass crunching beneath my boots. 🎅
Reposted by merryn
It has taken me an embarrassingly long time to write, but here are my thoughts on the Greggs pub, The Golden Flake Tavern, in Fenwick Newcastle. With beers from Full Circle Brew Co.
#ad #invite
#ad #invite
Tasting the Greggs pub: The Golden Flake Tavern
Tasting the Greggs pub in Newcastle - the Golden Flake Tavern in Fenwick Newcastle. Does it live up to the hype? There's only one way to find out.
www.extremehousewife.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:26 PM
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Our festive fave Christmas Ale (5%) is back in selected pubs and in bottles (7%) - buy online & in our brewery shop in Faversham. Plus its mini me tree decoration is on sale in our shop for £3.95. Also you can book a Yuletide Brewery Tour! More here: snea.me/christmas-fa... ✨🎄
December 9, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Our festive fave Christmas Ale (5%) is back in selected pubs and in bottles (7%) - buy online & in our brewery shop in Faversham. Plus its mini me tree decoration is on sale in our shop for £3.95. Also you can book a Yuletide Brewery Tour! More here: snea.me/christmas-fa... ✨🎄
Watched that Must Farm documentary last night. Amazing things! Fine linen. Shiny bronze swords for warriors. A wooden wagon wheel. International trade. Anyone else wondering whether these skilled artisans ate just porridge or some other boring cereal product? Could they have been brewing some ale?!
December 9, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Watched that Must Farm documentary last night. Amazing things! Fine linen. Shiny bronze swords for warriors. A wooden wagon wheel. International trade. Anyone else wondering whether these skilled artisans ate just porridge or some other boring cereal product? Could they have been brewing some ale?!
Reposted by merryn
Reposted by merryn
🎄 Day 9 of our #Shropshire advent calendar takes us to historic Fish Street and St Julian's Church in Shrewsbury with - amazingly - no parked cars in sight! The street takes its name from the open air fish market which was held here until Victorian times. ☃️
December 9, 2025 at 8:13 AM
🎄 Day 9 of our #Shropshire advent calendar takes us to historic Fish Street and St Julian's Church in Shrewsbury with - amazingly - no parked cars in sight! The street takes its name from the open air fish market which was held here until Victorian times. ☃️
Today I shall mostly be reviewing a few experimental archaeology papers. Nice thing to do on a cold wet, windy and rainy day. I doubt we will see the sun today. Will let you know if it shows up. #clouds #rain #greyskies
December 9, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Today I shall mostly be reviewing a few experimental archaeology papers. Nice thing to do on a cold wet, windy and rainy day. I doubt we will see the sun today. Will let you know if it shows up. #clouds #rain #greyskies
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Gígja Einarsdóttir, photographer who was born and raised around Icelandic horses #WomensArt
#December8th #ArtAdvent 🎄
#December8th #ArtAdvent 🎄
December 8, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Gígja Einarsdóttir, photographer who was born and raised around Icelandic horses #WomensArt
#December8th #ArtAdvent 🎄
#December8th #ArtAdvent 🎄
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Inside the new Guinness microbrewery and visitor centre in Covent Garden | Morning Advertiser www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2025...
Inside Guinness’s £73m Open Gate Brewery London
Explore Guinness’s £73m Covent Garden visitors’ centre and microbrewery, featuring craft beers, dining by Pip Lacey, immersive tours, and exclusive retail experiences.
www.morningadvertiser.co.uk
December 9, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Inside the new Guinness microbrewery and visitor centre in Covent Garden | Morning Advertiser www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2025...
Reposted by merryn
I have already been quoted and referenced with hallucinated literature, and you all will be too. It’s a growing mess.
“AI models not only point some users to false sources but also cause problems for researchers and librarians, who end up wasting their time looking for requested nonexistent records…”
AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that artificial intelligence models are making up research papers, journals and archives
www.scientificamerican.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:28 AM
I have already been quoted and referenced with hallucinated literature, and you all will be too. It’s a growing mess.
Reposted by merryn
🎄 Day 8 of our #Shropshire advent calendar is the village of Clunbury, seen from Clunbury Hill. The path leading up was more like an assault course - I had to get down on my hands and knees in order to crawl under snow-covered branches. Behind the village is Clunton Hill with Bury Ditches beyond. 🎅
December 8, 2025 at 7:57 AM
🎄 Day 8 of our #Shropshire advent calendar is the village of Clunbury, seen from Clunbury Hill. The path leading up was more like an assault course - I had to get down on my hands and knees in order to crawl under snow-covered branches. Behind the village is Clunton Hill with Bury Ditches beyond. 🎅
Reposted by merryn
'The Skate Girls of Kabul' photographic series by Jessica Fulford-Dobson featuring girls from the Afghan capital before the Taliban took control. #womensart #NeverForget women and girls of Afghanistan #HumanRights
December 7, 2025 at 2:10 PM
'The Skate Girls of Kabul' photographic series by Jessica Fulford-Dobson featuring girls from the Afghan capital before the Taliban took control. #womensart #NeverForget women and girls of Afghanistan #HumanRights
Reposted by merryn
I don't know why but I'd assumed sesame seeds must grow like a cereal grain or something, I had no idea they grew like this, they must look something like a lupin when they're in flower 🌱
December 7, 2025 at 12:08 PM
I don't know why but I'd assumed sesame seeds must grow like a cereal grain or something, I had no idea they grew like this, they must look something like a lupin when they're in flower 🌱
Being a bit of a basket maker, I need straw supplies. I keep such stuff in the garage, wrapped up in bin liners. Last night I heard rustlings and some scurrying about so I am off to check my supplies and see what damage (if any) that little field mouse was doing.
December 7, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Being a bit of a basket maker, I need straw supplies. I keep such stuff in the garage, wrapped up in bin liners. Last night I heard rustlings and some scurrying about so I am off to check my supplies and see what damage (if any) that little field mouse was doing.