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This photo is under the creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/ license.
News of Russian hacking has really been popular lately. You hear the word all the time now through the headlines. The hacking, I’m referring to, has nothing to do with computer hacking. I’m using the slang sense of the word - to carry out successfully the brewing of Russia’s historic beverage: Kvass. Originally, it was a recipe passed through family generations; it is now also made by large companies in Russia.
A. Recipe for Russian beer, Kvass (pronounced “quass”), which is a slightly sour, low alcohol drink
1. Cut old rye or black bread the size of croutons and bake 150 degrees for 20 minutes
2. Pour boiling hot water over bread crumb croutons
3. Bread crumb soaks for 4 to 24 hours
4. Prepare yeast in cup of warm water using either:
a. Brewer’s yeast
b. Baker’s yeast
c. Wild yeast
d. Ale yeast and Lactobacillus culture
e. Sugar, baker’s yeast starter and flour
f. Ale yeast and lemon juice for souring
5. (Optional) Strain bread/water mixture with collander and cheese cloth
6. Stir yeast (from step 4) into bread/water mixture
7. Cover bowl and leave alone for 10 hours
8. (Optional) Strain again (like step 5), pour into bottles with 2 to 3 raisins (each sliced in two) and cap bottles
9. Set in cool place for 2-3 days
10. Consume beverage soon after
B. Possible fresh or local ingredients that may be used in the recipe
1. Fruits such as apples, strawberries, raisins, mint, prunes or lemon
2. Seasonal herbs or spices
3. Brown sugar
4. Honey
5. Birch sap
C. Other possible breads instead of rye
1. Wheat,
2. Barley
3. Buckwheat can be used for the bread
D. Helpful hints and variations
1. Best to use soft water or water with low minerals or carbonates similar to what is used to make Pilsner beer
2. Try to get bread without so much oil or fat
3. Traditional methods
a. Lemons, raisins and open fermenting could be used as found in Russian literature
b. Honey added to sourdough bread in a jar
4. Boost the alcohol with extra grains
5. BYO’s idea of Toast Ale hits close to Kvass with more alcohol
a. Dry sliced bread at 195 F for hour
b. Toast can be 25% to 33% of total mash
c. Break bread into crouton size pieces
d. Use oat husks or rice hulls to keep down risk of stuck mash
e. Mash for hour in 150‘s
f. Ferment with an ale yeast - following ale yeast directions
g. Bottle as normally
E. References and Further Reading
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/how-to-brew-russian-kvass/
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/08/14/204859046/america-are-you-tough-enough-to-drink-real-russian-kvas
http://thenourishingcook.com/how-to-make-fermented-beet-kvass/
http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/kvas/
http://masterrussian.com/russianrecipes/kvass.htm
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/keSEp6Jtpn/kvass/
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/Cy7SB7zy61/russia/
http://allaboutbeer.com/liquid-bread-brewers-experiment-kvass/
http://blog.culturesforhealth.com/ancestral-fermentation-bread-kvass-made-without-commercial-yeast/
http://www.kvas.lv/en/all-about-kvass/brewing-kvass/
http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2014/05/kvass-liquid-sourdough-beer.html
https://byo.com/stories/issue/item/3432-toast-ale
This photo is under the creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/ license.
News of Russian hacking has really been popular lately. You hear the word all the time now through the headlines. The hacking, I’m referring to, has nothing to do with computer hacking. I’m using the slang sense of the word - to carry out successfully the brewing of Russia’s historic beverage: Kvass. Originally, it was a recipe passed through family generations; it is now also made by large companies in Russia.
A. Recipe for Russian beer, Kvass (pronounced “quass”), which is a slightly sour, low alcohol drink
1. Cut old rye or black bread the size of croutons and bake 150 degrees for 20 minutes
2. Pour boiling hot water over bread crumb croutons
3. Bread crumb soaks for 4 to 24 hours
4. Prepare yeast in cup of warm water using either:
a. Brewer’s yeast
b. Baker’s yeast
c. Wild yeast
d. Ale yeast and Lactobacillus culture
e. Sugar, baker’s yeast starter and flour
f. Ale yeast and lemon juice for souring
5. (Optional) Strain bread/water mixture with collander and cheese cloth
6. Stir yeast (from step 4) into bread/water mixture
7. Cover bowl and leave alone for 10 hours
8. (Optional) Strain again (like step 5), pour into bottles with 2 to 3 raisins (each sliced in two) and cap bottles
9. Set in cool place for 2-3 days
10. Consume beverage soon after
B. Possible fresh or local ingredients that may be used in the recipe
1. Fruits such as apples, strawberries, raisins, mint, prunes or lemon
2. Seasonal herbs or spices
3. Brown sugar
4. Honey
5. Birch sap
C. Other possible breads instead of rye
1. Wheat,
2. Barley
3. Buckwheat can be used for the bread
D. Helpful hints and variations
1. Best to use soft water or water with low minerals or carbonates similar to what is used to make Pilsner beer
2. Try to get bread without so much oil or fat
3. Traditional methods
a. Lemons, raisins and open fermenting could be used as found in Russian literature
b. Honey added to sourdough bread in a jar
4. Boost the alcohol with extra grains
5. BYO’s idea of Toast Ale hits close to Kvass with more alcohol
a. Dry sliced bread at 195 F for hour
b. Toast can be 25% to 33% of total mash
c. Break bread into crouton size pieces
d. Use oat husks or rice hulls to keep down risk of stuck mash
e. Mash for hour in 150‘s
f. Ferment with an ale yeast - following ale yeast directions
g. Bottle as normally
E. References and Further Reading
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/how-to-brew-russian-kvass/
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/08/14/204859046/america-are-you-tough-enough-to-drink-real-russian-kvas
http://thenourishingcook.com/how-to-make-fermented-beet-kvass/
http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/kvas/
http://masterrussian.com/russianrecipes/kvass.htm
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/keSEp6Jtpn/kvass/
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/Cy7SB7zy61/russia/
http://allaboutbeer.com/liquid-bread-brewers-experiment-kvass/
http://blog.culturesforhealth.com/ancestral-fermentation-bread-kvass-made-without-commercial-yeast/
http://www.kvas.lv/en/all-about-kvass/brewing-kvass/
http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2014/05/kvass-liquid-sourdough-beer.html
https://byo.com/stories/issue/item/3432-toast-ale