If your mission is to bring out the full potential of flavors and aromas trapped in grains, yeast, fruits and spices then you need to open the magic box of fermentation and maturation.
The key to open this magic box is hidden in four drawers, each of which can be used on its own, of course. However, used together they may hold the secret code to a completely new world of fascinating flavors and aromas:– microbiological perspective– artistic perspective
– historic perspective
– scientific perspective
Besides yeast (as the fermentation agent) the vessels used for fermentation & maturation can have dramatic impact on flavors & aromas. Historically, vessels made from clay (known as amphorae) were used for this purpose. The fact that the material clay – its porosity, surface area, and mineralogy – is so vastly different from the standard stainless steel and also from wood fuels our hypothesis.
The History of Amphorae
The history of amphorae vessels stretches far back to the late Stone ages. A brief history of these containers will be outlined here. These vessels were much more than simply clay pots, their socioeconomic importance in prehistoric and ancient cultures was tremendous.
One of the earliest records of amphorae comes from the Caucasus in what is now the modern state of Georgia. Vessels dated to 6000 BC, known as kvevri, were central to life in this area and were chiefly created for winemaking. Kvevri were often lined with beeswax, filled with wine and then buried for fermentation. Kvevri were also used to store food and other liquids.
Amphorae came in many different shapes and sizes but the typical vessel could hold around 100 pounds of goods and was usually shaped with a conical base so as to allow for easier stacking with other amphorae during maritime transportation. Typically these vessels, which were exceedingly cheap, were only used once – when they reached their destination they were emptied and then disposed of. This is why shards of amphorae are found all over the Mediterranean. Their prolific use, and the evidence of it, cannot be stressed enough. For example, a majority of the trade done on the river Tiber – the major water artery that runs through Rome – was done in what is now the modern day district of Testaccio in Rome. Around 53 million amphorae were discarded into one pile in this town – the shards now make an artificial hill 115 feet high known as Monte Testaccio.
Amphorae began to spread across the Mediterranean throughout the Bronze age and quickly became the standard container in which to transport food, wine, olive oil, and pretty much anything else that could fit into them. Amphorae were the vessels through which the Mediterranean trade economies of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire flourished. Discovery and identification of amphorae potshards today make it possible to trace the trade networks of ancient societies. For example, 234 kg of Ancient Roman potshards dug up in Canterbury, England in 1980 are firm evidence of busy Roman trade outside of the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the Romans ruled over parts of Great Britain from 43 to 410 AD, and chemical analysis of these shards help to shed light on both trade and culture in Roman Britain.
Amphorae vessels are critical pieces of history, vessels that shed light on cultures and trade across the world. But, more importantly and specifically, vessels that were central to the everyday lives of ancient peoples. Revisiting the use of these vessels can bring back the tastes of the old, and has the potential to bring back flavors and aromas that no one has experienced for centuries.
To drink beers from this project, look for beers that were matured in amphorae. Any our beers could make it into the amphorae for a special release.