What kind of tools did colonial people use for brewing?

Answer 1

Brewing was a very common trade in medieval times, since almost everyone drank ale at every meal. There were very few tools required, simply containers and raw materials, plus a source of heat..

The main requirements for brewing are wooden containers (today called vats and barrels), water, yeast and cereal crop such as barley or oats. The grain first had to be malted, which meant soaking in water for several days, then spreading it out on a clean floor so the grain begins to sprout. Then it was dried in the sun or in a kiln - this process was often done on the farm before the grain reached the brew-house.

Once malted, the grain was crushed to release the flour. This meant passing the grain through a mill, which meant paying a local miller to do this work - or taking it to a specialist malt-mill which was often powered by two horses.

Next the grain was mashed - added to hot water which is then filtered off and called "wort". This process can be repeated several times for successive brews, but each time liquid is drawn off the MASH the brew gets progressively weaker. The wort was boiled in a vat, cooled and the yeast was added and allowed to ferment for about a week.

The ale was then sealed in wooden butts (barrels) and it would keep for some time.

Apart from coopered vats and barrels, the brewer needed funnels for pouring the ale into containers, spoons for stirring and adding the yeast and wooden bungs for sealing the barrels.

The link takes you to an image of a German monk brewing ale:

Answer 2

siffer- large shallow winnowing basket

HOP

YEAST

CORN SOMETIMES

PORTER

NATURE

BARLEY