Centuries ago, European farmers brewed beer from their own grains, a tradition made obsolete as technology developed. However, a primitive form of farmhouse brewing has been preserved in some of the northernmost European countries, including Finland. There, the production of sahti, an ale made from malted and unmalted grains such as barley, rye, and oats, lives on as one of the best examples of what European beer was like before the Middle Ages.

Author and brewer Mika Laitinen, who lives and brews in Finland, not far from the sahti heartland, was able to fully immerse himself in the ancient brew. He takes readers on a lavishly illustrated tour of rustic farmhouses fueled by wood and passion, covering the tradition, culture, and history behind sahti and other farmhouse ales.

Laitinen writes about the craft of farmhouse ales, with chapters on farmhouse methods for harvesting and maintaining yeasts, the Nordic preference for juniper infusions, and regional grains and malts and related practices, such as the now-defunct Finnish tradition of using saunas for malting. He also teaches readers how to make their own sahti and other Viking and medieval ales, providing recipes and step-by-step instructions.

As the first English-language book to describe the tradition, history, and hands-on brewing of this ancient ale, Viking Age Brew: The Craft of Brewing Sahti Farmhouse Ale is perfect for history buffs and brewers of all experience levels who want to take a trip back in time.

Viking Age Brew: The Craft of Brewing Sahti Farmhouse Ale

Part I: Tradition, Culture, and History

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Farmhouse Ales

A Few Sips and the Bigger Picture

Chapter 2: Brew Day with a Master

Learning the Craft the Traditional Way

Chapter 3: The Landscape of European Farmhouse Ales

A Family Tree of Folk Beers

Chapter 4: History of Farmhouse Ales

What Beer Was Like a Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 5: Drinking Sahti

Is It a Beer Style?

Chapter 6: Commercial Production

Like Homemade?

Chapter 7: Low-Alcohol Farmhouse Ales

Nourishment for Work

Part II: The Craft of a Farmhouse Brewer

Chapter 8: Grain and Malt

Once Brewers Did It All Themselves

Chapter 9: Yeast

That Mysterious Touch in Liquid Lore

Chapter 10: Brewing Herbs

Preserving, Filtering, and Flavoring Too

Chapter 11: The Brewing Process

How Sahti Is Born

Part III: In Your Kitchen or Brewery

Chapter 12: Doing It Ourselves

Tips for Brewing

Chapter 13: Re-creating Medieval and Viking Ales

Brew Like a Viking

Chapter 14: Recipes

Examples and Starting Points