When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. On August 4, 1790, President Washington signed the “Tariff Act,” a bill that had been written and sponsored by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. The bill authorized the …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
Joseph Priestly and Carbon Dioxide
In Leeds Joseph Priestley’s home was situated near a brewery. Whenever he walked by the brewery, Priestley observed an unusual phenomenon. He noticed that “fixed air” (carbon dioxide) was released in the process of fermentation and that this new “air” would extinguish burning pieces of wood and then drift to the ground. At home Priestley …
Historical Tidbits
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. August 2, 1776 – Fifty-five members of the second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to formally sign the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin is oft quoted as having said …
Historical Tidbits
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. Robbing the First Bank of the United States In 1789, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton hammered out a great compromise that would create our nations first federal bank. Under …
Phlogiston and Fire — The Isolation of Oxygen
In the mid-18th century, the most pressing issue in chemistry and physics was to determine what exactly happens when something burns. The prevailing theory was that flammable materials contained a substance called “phlogiston” (from the Greek word for burn) that was released during combustion. The theory held that when a candle burned, for example, phlogiston …
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The Yeast Ring
This year, I am adding a somewhat archaic bit of brewing equipment to the gear brought out by the Regimental Brewmiester. The yeast ring or gjarkrans is a piece of traditional brewing gear from medieval Sweden and Denmark. This tool resembles a complicated wreath of small pieces of whittled wood. Yeast harvested from one batch …
Historical Tidbits
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. July 31, 1776 – Francis Salvador became the first Jew to die in combat during the American Revolution in the Ninety-Six district of North Carolina. “Here, Mr. Salvador received …
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Basic Colonial Brewing #14 — Period Correct ways to get Yeast
I know Reinheitsgebot permits only water, hops, and malt as ingredients in beer but if you want to make beer, mead, cider or any other alcoholic brew, you need to add yeast. In the 21st Century, many homebrewers just rip open an envelope of dried yeast from the local homebrew shop and add it to …
Continue reading “Basic Colonial Brewing #14 — Period Correct ways to get Yeast”
Historical Tidbits
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. July 30, 1742 Faneuil Hall erected Built as a gift to the city by Peter Faneuil, Boston’s wealthiest merchant, Faneuil Hall is a meeting hall and marketplace. Boston was in …
