Blarney Blog

Written by Ray Province

Sunday, 06 June 2010 16:01

The shillelagh is an ancient walking stick/fighting stick that has been carried by many Celtic people for hundreds of years now. The actual origin is a bit dubious, though. The stick has a sister that was carried by Englishmen in and around the 1800’s. The Irish tended to like walking canes that were made from oak, blackthorn, ash and holly. They were strong sticks that did not easily break. Yet, they were light enough to wield quickly in a fight.

The name Shillelagh comes from a forest in County Wicklow. The famous fighting stick, though, was also known by the name of “bata” which is Gaelic for fighting stick. The old forest is almost gone now. But in its day, it sported some of the most beautiful oak trees in the world. To give you an idea, the woodwork of Westminster Hall is most likely Shillelagh oak.

Curiously, it was from the pen of an English writer who, on seeing an oak cane and knowing where it came from, coined the term Shillelagh. Eventually, it became synonymous for any Irish walking stick.

It’s the knot on the end of the stick that makes this such a great fighting stick. In fact, an old custom used to be to hollow out the knob, and fill it with lead. I guarantee you, though, you don’t have to do that with a stick made from blackthorn. The knob comes from a root, and is some of the hardest wood you will ever find. As the old song goes, when bashed on the head: “and we made it a tad tedious returnin’…”

The bark is typically left on, and a metal ferrule is placed on the bottom end, to keep the wood from splitting. The wood was often dried well also. The wood would be smeared with manure or butter, to keep the wood intact while it was drying. Often, the stick would be put in the chimney to dry.

For the Irish, having your own shillelagh became a kind of rite of passage. Young boys would be taught the art of stick fighting. Then, when they came of age, they could get a stick of their own. The sticks were used often, and young men would keep up their skills by sparring a lot. So, it became popular to carry the shillelagh everywhere. The youth would also learn from a Maighistir Prionnsa, or kind of fencing expert.

Perhaps the most famous use of the shillelagh happened every year at the Saints Feast Day. It was a time of year when all the local families would gather, so it gave everyone a chance to start some scraps. So, you would come to town, attend the festival, and have a pint, then a little punch up! Stories are told of fights that would have hundreds of people involved, men and women.

So, stay away from the fancy made shillelaghs. Now you know what the real ones are like.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Written by Ray Province

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 22:40

Happy St. Patrick's Day folks. I have you all have had a chance to celebrate today. Just be careful tonight. Here in the Ozarks, St. Patrick's Day is one of the biggest nights of the year for DUI arrests. That would be no fun.

St Patrick is most commonly known as the patron saint of Ireland. The interesting thing is that he is not actually Irish by birthright. He served in Ireland, and became an ex-officio Irishman.

Patrick was born in approximately 370-395 C.E. There are differing views about the exact year and place of his birth. According to one school of opinion, he was born about 390 A.D., while the other school says it is about 373 AD. His real place of birth is said to be in either Scotland or Roman England. His real name was probably Maewyn Succat. Patricius was his Romanicized name. The name Patrick was kind of a nickname.

Patrick was the son of Calpurnius, a Roman-British army officer. He grew up in a very normal fashion for that time and place in the Empire of Rome. However, one day a band of pirates landed in south Wales and kidnapped him. They sold him into slavery in Ireland. He was there for 6 years, and was in prison most of the time. During this time, Patrick became very religious. Legend contends that he had a vision of God, which told him to escape on a ship.

He was able to finally escape, and made his escape to Britain and France. There he joined a monastery and studied under St. Germain, the bishop of Auxerre. He spent around 12 years in religious training. When he became a bishop, he dreamed that the Irish were calling him back to Ireland to tell them about God. The Confessio, Patrick's spiritual autobiography, is the most important document regarding this. It tells of a dream after his return to Britain, in which one Victoricus delivered him a letter headed "The Voice of the Irish."

So he set out for Ireland with the Pope's blessings. There he converted the Gaelic Irish, who were then mostly Pagans, to Christianity. He was confident in the Lord, he journeyed far and wide, baptizing and confirming with untiring zeal. And, in a diplomatic fashion he brought gifts to a kinglet here and a lawgiver there,but accepted none from any.

Indeed, Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. Through active preaching, he made important converts even among the royal families. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times,but escaped each time. For 20 years he had traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He founded schools and churches. He helped to develop a solid group of native Irish clergy, and he fostered the growth of monasticism, established dioceses, and held church councils. A good deal of the Catholic roots of Ireland came as a direct result of his work in Ireland.

Patrick's doctrine is considered orthodox and has been interpreted as anti-Pelagian (against a notion of free will playing a part in a person's salvation.). Although he is not particularly noted as a man of learning, a few of his writings remain importantt: his Confession, a reply to his detractors, and several letters. The Lorica ("Breastplate"), a famous hymn attributed to Patrick, is also around. By the end of the 7th century, Patrick had become a legendary figure, and the legends have continued to grow through the years, not unlike the legend of William Wallace in Scotland. There are lots of legends associated with St Patrick. It is said that he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity. The biggest legend, though, is associated with the so-called curse of God he placed upon poisonous snakes. He is also credited with having drove all the snakes from the Emerald Isle.

St. Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for around 20 years. So, he really was able to get a lot done in a little bit of time. He passed away on March 17, 461. So, that is where we get the date. The celebration is now more secular than religous. Not as many people celebrate the holy day associated with March 17th. Many pagan symbols have also now been associated with the holiday: the leprechaun, shamrocks, the Blarney Stone, and the like.

Happy St. Patrick's Day,

Ray Province, The Celtic Ozarkian

Distilling Spirits

Written by Ray Province
Saturday, 06 March 2010 15:13
The art of distilling spirits is on the rise. There are many people beginning to look at this old Ozarkian art as a potential new business. As we have mentioned before, we even have our first (legal) micro distillery in the Ozarks. The owner of Copper Run Distilleries is even now doing some consulting people wanting to learn the business. In a time when the Federal Government is looking for more revenue, the old moonshiners may end up helping the cause. I know on the $20 bottle of Ozark Moonshine I purchased recently, there was just over $2.00 in taxes. So, what is distillation by shere definition? Distill- Distill"\, v. t. 1. To let fall or send down in drops. 2. To obtain by distillation; to extract by distillation, as spirits, essential oil, etc.; to rectify; as, to distill brandy from wine; to distill alcoholic spirits from grain; to distill essential oils from flowers, etc.; to distill fresh water from sea water. 3. To subject to distillation; as, to distill molasses in making rum; to distill barley, rye, corn, etc. Source:* Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. The Distillation Process Put simply, distillation is the process used to seperate your alcolohic wort into separate elements. It will help to get rid of gases, water, and other such things, and leave you with a purer alcohol. The process of boiling the liquid turns it to steam, then condensation will return the left over product to a liquid again. Only now, the concentration of alcohol is greater than the basic 10-14% achievable by mere fermentation. The basic still is made up of 3 basic parts: (1) A flask with an outlet tube, (2) A condenser, and (3) A vessel. Distillation Simplified So basically, we are going to use a still to separate alcohol from our base product: various kinds of fruits, wheat, rye, corn, wines, and beers. We have to start with a simple wort, that has been fully fermented. Then, we will heart the fermented wort. The various parts of the fermented product will boil off, at different points. (i.e. not all elements reach a boiling point at the same time.) The product is then collected is some kind of bottle, can, etc. There are three classic parts of this process: the head, the heart, and the tail. What we are after is the heart. The other two parts are the undesireable part of the process, and can even cause physical harm. Types of Stills Used in the Spirit Industry Alembic Pot still - The oldest and most recognized still design. The flask or kettle is typically copper and resembles a huge onion shape, which liberates the alcohol from the mixture. The vapors rise and pass through a narrow pipe and then through a serpentine coil, a cold-water bath condenses the vapors in the coils, converting them back to liquid form. Reflux or Column still - A 'technological' advance over the pot still. It is more efficient, requiring only a single distillation done in one continuous operation. This type of still allows for exact separation techniques. Also, changing the reflux rate provides great flexibility to create the style and quality of the type of spirit produced. The reflux still is not only more efficient, but also is equipped to reduce potential cyanides and ethylcarbamate that are harmful if too much of them are present. So, that's the basic on the two types of stills commonly in use. Some Basic Equations for Figuring Cost and Consumption Here are some basic numbers on cost and consumption. Please understand that these are estimates, and may not reflect the actual experience you would have. Water consumption per batch: For every 600 liters of batch, estimate about 1200 liters of water needed. The water is required for cooling and should not exceed an inlet temperature of less than 20 °C. The water outlet temperature is ~ 70 °C. If the costs for water are high, there are technical solutions to circulate chilled water. The temperature of the output distillate should be about 20°C. Steam consumption: about 100 kg/hr is the standard value for a capacity of 600 liter, assuming 1-hour time to bring the mash to boil. To finish the process, you need about an additional 1.5 hours consuming approximately 70 kg steam per hour. For the calculation of the energy consumption the following basic numbers are valid: Net 170,000 BTU is required per hour. For gas fired steam boilers this means a 220,000 BTU on input. Based on the BTU value of your natural gas or propane, you can calculate to cost of fuel. I have attempted to provide very basic information on the distillation process. The best thing to do is get the help of a real mentor. If you are considering entering the business, I would be happy to put you in touch with someone who can help you do the process right. Not only do you have to know how to distill, you will have many other tasks involved to get a legal micro-distillery up and going. Slainte, Raymond C. Province The Celtic Ozarkian.
Last Updated on Sunday, 07 March 2010 14:04

Mid Season Care of the Hop Plant

Written by Ray Province

Sunday, 21 February 2010 14:16

As your hop plant grows to its ultimate height, typically at the end of June here in the Ozarks, the mid season care of the hop plant begins. The beginning of the decrease in sunlight will be the trigger for the plant to start putting on side vines, and the plant will stop its vertical growth. The sidearms will then begin to produce hop cones on the side arms. This is know as the flowering stage, when horizontal grwoth begins.

Make sure to keep the sidearms from tangling up during this time and clear away any weeds and branches from the bottom 3 feet of the plant. Weeds promte moisture, which can provide a safe haven for insects that you do not want in your hop plant. Fungal disease can also get started with way. Better to bid it goodbye from the gitgo.

As the hop cones grow larger, you will want to keep an eye on the color and texture of the flower. They will end up yellowish green to a very light green. They should feel very light to the touch, and feel very dry also. A rule for know when harvest time is getting close is this: if you crush one of the cones in your hand, and it stays compressed, then it is not time. Low alpha hops, or aroma hops, will typicallly be ready to harvest sooner than your bittering hops. When you have crushed a hop also, you should have the smell of the lupulin on your hands. The smell of fresh hops is incredible.

We'll talk again soon,

Raymond C. Province

Copper Run Distillery

Written by Ray Province

Friday, 12 February 2010 12:47

A few months ago, the Ozarks got its very first distillery. I have been meaning to share a little about the Copper Run Distillery. It is quite the place.

The Copper Run Distillery is a small craft style distillery located about 10 miles north of Branson, Missouri. Jim opened the doors a couple of months ago, featuring a Ozark style corn whiskey, golden rum, and vodka. I had a chance to be there on almost the opening day (my first bottle of whiskey was No. 12!). The product is very good, and will only get better with time.

The Distillery is located at 1901 Day Rd. Walnut Shade MO 65771. The phone number is 417-294-0375 Sample Room Hours: 10-7 Tues. thru Sun. Private tastings by appointment only. Here are some directions to Jim's place: from Branson MO. Take 65 North to Bear Creek Rd, (approx. 9 miles. Turn left and go 4.5 miles. Stay right as Bear Creek becomes Day Road. (Bear Creek turns left.) Look for the whiskey barrels on your left.

Jim is now aging some whiskey in oak barrels, and it should be very interesting. His barrels came from a local wine maker. The special barrels should add some interesting overtones to the whiskey over time. I especially liked the vodka also.

Let me add some pictures of the facility for you also. However, you really need to pay a visit. The trip is worth the samples.