Brews up - old beer found in shipwreck...
By Peter Petterson
First published at Qondio:B)
Finnish scientists are in the process of analysing a golden, cloudy beverage which was found in a 19th century shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. They hope new beers can be modeled on the very well-aged brew.
The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland said recently that through chemical analysis it aims to determine the ingredients and possibly the recipe used in brewing what is called one of the world's oldest preserved beer.
A VTT scientist, Arli Vilpola reportedly said he had the 'honourable task' of becoming the chosen one on the research team to sample the brew. He said it was a little sour and had a slightly salty taste.
Divers stumbled onto bottles of the brew while salvaging champagne from Finland's Aland Islands, last July, 2010. The wrecked schooner is believed to be an early 19th century vessel.
Scientists are also keen to establish what sort of yeast was used, but are unsure if yeast can actually survive two centuries in a cold seabed at a depth of 50 metres.
Divers had recovered 168 bottles of Veuve Clicquot, and the now defunct Juglar champagne brands, when they came across the well-aged brew now being analysed. Research continues.