Franconia Beer Message Board
OT: Zoigl Splurge |
| Posted by Barry on 2016-10-26 07:54:17 |
| Just a little perhaps semantic point arising from my modest attempt to explain Zoigl! On Facebook (can't find the post now), our good friend Don suggested that my effort and the original indicated a misunderstanding of the degree of knowledge possesed by the ancient brewers on the role of yeast in the brewing process. He recounted a conversation with Matthias Trum who pointed out that a 'hefener' was employed to scim off the excess after fermentation, some of which was retained for the next brew, with the excess sold to the poor (if I remember rightly - I'm not at all sure what they were going to do with it: brew more beer, add it to bread mix???). However, I (and the original) did not mean to say that the ancients were not aware of this material but, rather, that they were unaware of the role that it played in brewing, viz: 'Since yeast, and its role in fermentation, was not known before the late nineteenth century, it is not represented in the Zoigl Star.' Ok, perhaps this was not the best formulation of words but I think that we were trying to suggest that, before Pasteur et al, brewers did not know what the stuff was that they scraped off beer and, therefore, could not appreciate its true role in the magical transformation of hops and malt into beer. Thus, it was not represented in the star. Personally, I have a lways been a bit sceptical about the popular explanation of the origin and meaning of the 'brewer's (Zoigl) star': 'The Zoigl star consists of two intertwined equilateral triangles, one pointing up, one pointing down. One triangle symbolises the elements of fire, earth and air; the other indicates the essential ingredients of water, malt and hops.' It sounds like a bit of rationalisation to me but I could well be wrong. Of course, our little commentrary was not intended as scholarly discourse and far be it from me to argue with my learned friend, who I regret not seeing since his move to beerier climes! |
| Followups: |
 OT: Zoigl Splurge by Mark Andersen on 2016-10-26 11:34:02 |
| OT: Zoigl Splurge by Nick B. on 2016-10-27 00:11:32 |
| OT: Zoigl Splurge by Nick B. on 2016-10-27 01:18:19 |
| OT: Zoigl Splurge by Barry on 2016-10-27 06:40:25 |
| OT: Zoigl Splurge by Nick B. on 2016-10-27 07:51:25 |