Kvass

Classification: kvass, rye, bread

Source: message header lost, posted to r.c.b., 2/11/92

This recipe is from the book "Wines, Beers and Spirits by Maurice Hanssen and Jacqueline Dineen, Baronet Publishing Co. New York, 1978.
Kvass is very refreshing on a hot summer's day and is quickly made from black bread and yeast. It is quite like weak beer and is fermented and slightly alcoholic, but must be stored in the refrigerator using corks, not screw-in stoppers or else it will go on fermenting and blow.

This, to me, looks very similar to the Sumerian recipe which Anchor Brewery of San Francisco recreated a couple of years ago.

Ingredients: (for 10 bottles)

1 pound (1/2 k), Dry Black Bread
24 cups, Boiling Water
1 1/2 lbs (3/4 k) Sugar
2 ounces (56g), Fresh Compressed Yeast
1/2 cup, Sultanas (yellow seedless raisins)

Procedure:

Put the bread into a large container and then add the boiling water. When the mixture is lukewarm squeeze the liquid from the bread very thoroughly, making sure that the bread itself does not come through because this clouds the drink.

Add the sugar and yeast, mix, cover and leave for ten hours. Pour the drink into clean bottles, and three sultanas to each, put the corks and tie them down---then refrigerate immediately.