Distilled alcohol, just as a very stimulating drink?
Rurik is not addicted to alcohol, and he also knows that drinking alcohol in his current body is tantamount to suicide. He even estimates that once his people experience the feeling of being drunk, there is a high probability that they will die.
Can't let go.
The craft ales that the priestesses indulged in selling to merchants turned into a puddle of mud after drinking so much. If a man got the strong liquor, it would be normal for him to drink it until he died violently.
But, spirits, it's a good thing.
Make some high-quality spirits, whose spiciness and quick hangover experience can be a moneymaker.
He expects it to make big money, but Rurik does not have huge expectations in this regard.
If you can create very pure alcohol, you can change many things.
It is extremely difficult to produce alcohol in large quantities in this time and space. The raw materials for making wine must be grains rich in sugar. In order to make a good wine, a lot of wheat must be consumed.
Raw materials? It's probably not a problem.
Rurik does not need to be responsible for the survival of other tribesmen. As long as he has the ability to obtain a large amount of wheat, it is his own business how to use it.
You don't even have to devote yourself to grain brewing. In fact, you only need to buy ordinary ale with low alcohol content and process it yourself.
The so-called finishing is distillation, and it is enough to develop a set of distillation equipment that can be used in this time and space to achieve the purpose of concentrating alcohol.
In the final analysis, to fulfill his promise to Gould, Rurik must build a still.
How is alcohol distilled?
The problem may not be difficult in theory.
For the blacksmiths, life suddenly became very promising. Everyone became busy, and the price of being busy was that they made a lot of money.
A large number of looted silver coins from the Gotlanders were circulated in Roseburg. Their appearance really gave a powerful shot in the arm and a stimulant to the economic development of Roseburg.
Silver coins were accumulating from all kinds of craftsmen, and this was exactly the situation faced by the blacksmiths.
The blacksmiths did not participate in this year's war. As a result, they continued to earn money from the soldiers by virtue of their craftsmanship.
As for Klavason, this old guy's orders have been queued up until Hanukkah, which is the winter solstice. He frequently orders his son, and takes the manservant Kamni to pull a two-wheeled cart and run to the store not far away.
Go to the mountains to mine iron ore, and also dig sand and calcium oxide.
He himself was never idle. His hairy hands were often sweating by the stove, and the heat often baked his arms, making them look like two one-foot-long grilled lobsters.
The work of pressing glass has not stopped. Although making glassware is really a good way to make money, its audience is limited. For ordinary people, metal tools and weapons are necessary, and glass cups are just a kind of
Luxurious enjoyment, ordinary poor people do not have the financial resources to have that kind of luxurious life.
The work of pressing glass did not stop, and a young woman took over this magical job.
Lilia, the eldest lady of the White Tree Manor in Novgorod, had the opportunity to learn about Varyag's iron smelting skills. She actually also understood some of the essentials of blacksmithing. But she never expected that after more than one
Through frequent practice, Yue has become a glassmaker. With a woman's delicate mind, strong patience, and curiosity about magical things, her level of making glassware is still improving, and she even has many ideas of her own.
For example, while the glass is still hot, carve some patterns into the soft surface.
After all, the raw materials for making glass can be said to be everywhere, and the price at which it was sold shocked Lilia at first, but now it is normal.
The raw materials were collected by her husband and father-in-law. At first, she just manipulated the die-casting tools made by Rurik. Later, she wore thick leather gloves and boiled the molten sand and mixed the pure molten silica.
, and add necessary alkali metals such as lead dioxide and calcium oxide to it.
Or because of the "Periodic Table of Elements" Rurik placed in the blacksmith's place, her worldview has been completely subverted.
It was as if he had become a magician.
What's the saying? If you don't study physics and chemistry, your life will be full of magic and miracles.
She asked herself, if she didn't know the so-called elements, how could she have imagined that the crystal clear cups all came from tiny yellow sand.
Although she still believes that these are "miracles of God", she was lucky enough to be close to a god and gained this magical power.
Today, the man of God came unexpectedly.
As usual, Rurik and his guys spent every sunny morning on the lush hillside, sweating profusely while wielding swords and shields. Everyone learned to fight while fighting, studying each other's fighting routines, and discussing what kind of shield wall was best.
So powerful.
Rurik came, on the first day of August in the Julian calendar, with his own ideas.
"Oh! My little master, are you also here to collect your benefits today?" Seeing Rurik coming alone, Klavason hurriedly threw his hammer and the sword embryo back into the furnace.
Klavason then shouted: "Lilia, go back and get the money."
"Okay! Father." Lilia also stopped wiping the glassware and hurried back to the longhouse to get the silver she had prepared in her bag.
After a while, Lilia stuffed the bag of silver into Rurik's little hand.
"Brother, look at these pieces of silver, not a single one is missing." She stammered in the Norse language she studied hard.
Because there is an engagement, and the engagement will almost never change, now Lilia always calls Rurik "brother", and she is the only one with her status to enjoy the privilege of calling Rurik by his first name.
Rurik took a serious look at the girl. Underneath her quiet appearance, there was a hint of the sophistication of a laborer. And the glassware now made by her herself will surely turn into huge wealth when the merchants return in large numbers.
Rurik carefully counted the money, no more and no less than one hundred and twenty. This money is the so-called contract dividend. 10% of the profit of Klavasen's steel products must be given to Rurik. One hundred and twenty
Ten silver coins means that the Klavason family made a profit of 1,200 silver coins in the last ten days of July.
Mild steel products themselves are hugely profitable, but what makes it easy for many blacksmiths to make money is the inflation caused by the inflow of large amounts of silver coins.
"Next, do you want to go to those shops to collect money? My little master, please allow me to keep you here and drink some water at my place." Klavason said politely.
"Drink water? That's fine." The heavy silver was hanging on his waist. Rurik found a wooden bench and sat down leisurely. Seeing this, Lilia hurriedly poured a cup of fresh daisy tea in a beautiful glass full of patterns.
Handed it over.
After all, it is the end of July and the beginning of August, and a large number of wild flowers are in bloom in the grassland under the mountains and forests near Roseburg, the largest of which is the chrysanthemum. Year after year, it is the time to collect chrysanthemums.
Taking a sip of chrysanthemum tea, Rurik subconsciously crossed his legs.
Yes, his blacksmith shop in Clavason is a real master, and he is a big benefactor who needs to be well supported.
"Kawi and that Kamne, are they going to the mountains again?" Rurik asked.
"Yes." Klavason, who was standing respectfully, said hurriedly, "I have a lot of orders. The wooden boards for writing contracts are stacked together, which is more than I can do in my entire body. Little master, it seems that you will get more than a thousand silver coins.
income.”
"Oh? Doesn't this mean that your income will exceed 10,000 silver coins again?!"
"Of course." Klavason said with a smile on his face and felt happy in his heart. Even though he suddenly had a lot of money, he felt that life had become a little confused. Because blacksmiths are generally not people who pursue luxury. Everyone's fun is often to build the best
of iron.
Chrysanthemum tea is much better to drink than pine needle water, and it can also improve the body's immunity.
Rurik didn't want to die at a young age due to a sudden illness, so he quickly drank the tea and explained his wishes like an uncle.
"Clavason, now I have another job that makes a lot of money. You have to help me."
"Oh, it's up to you." Clavarson complimented.
"It's nothing else. Remember the wine I mentioned? I'm going to make the best wine, which is spicier than the so-called good wine sold by merchants. So much so that it can burn."
"What? Burning?" Klavasen searched his ears: "My little master, what exactly did I hear just now? The best wine? Burning? The best wine can burn?"
"Yes! It's burning." Rurik looked at the embarrassed old guy without changing his expression.
"How is that possible? Wine is wine, not charcoal. How can it burn?"
"Do you think it's ridiculous?" Rurik asked deliberately with a sullen face.
"I..." Klavasen thought, this Rurik is not a mortal, it is normal for him to continue to create miracles, but he can't imagine the ale burning. "Wine, that is wine! It can extinguish water, how can it
Can it burn?"
"Of course wine can burn, but we must take away the water inside, and the remaining essence is the essence of wine. Klavason, you already know that this world is made up of many elements, and you have already set foot on it.
If you have entered the realm of God, why should you question anything?"
"I...I dare not speak nonsense."
The so-called "god's realm" was the most deceptive thing, and Klavason did not dare to ask any more questions. He only asked for a guide on how to create flammable wine.
"How to make it? It's distillation. For this, I need you to make some special glassware. Don't worry, I will help you in the next few days until we turn the existing ale into flammable water." Here is Rurik.
Special emphasis is placed on the word "steam".
"Like pure water, can it still burn despite the aroma of wine? Oh, I really want to see this miracle, let's get started."
Klavasen's suspicion could not be eliminated before he saw the burning alcohol. He chose to bring the whole family's unconditional support to Rurik and accompany this seemingly child, but actually a man of divine power, in his work.
An attempt to create distilled liquor officially began!
If it is just for making distilled wine, why do you have to use glass vessels? Is there any problem with ancient stills and using pure wood materials to make various containers? Of course there is no problem.
Bronze is used as the raw material here to process a very high-quality distiller. With Klavasen's current craftsmanship, of course he can do it. He is also capable of making seamless pipes made of bronze.
Rurik had already thought about the cost issue, and even more thought that he was just conducting an experiment.
The manufacture of large-scale distilled liquor is definitely not something a skilled person can point out. A group of brewers who have never seen distilled liquor can build high-efficiency stills to quickly mass-produce spirits.
Can the Russians produce distilled liquor on a large scale? Of course they can, and even very much should.
If Russians don’t drink spirits, then why are they still called Russians? Even Rurik has already thought of the most appropriate name for the spirits of the future - vodka.
The problem now is that you must use your own theoretical knowledge to complete a practice from zero to one, that is, you must first complete laboratory-level alcohol distillation to prove that the Russians can do it.
In this case, the most suitable for the current needs is a series of transparent and easy-to-shape containers. It must be transparent so that the operator can actually observe the specific process of the distillation reaction.
Bronze is not good, and ceramics are even less good. Although they are all materials that can be chosen for distillers, nothing is better than glass nowadays.
To make the glassware into a still, the Klavasen family has already started acting under Rurik's personal guidance.
If glass is blown rashly without the guidance of a professional, such a craftsman will not only be unable to blow the glass well, but the hot air that comes back can instantly destroy the worker's lungs and cause him to die. So Rurik would not dare to let the blacksmith take risks. The Russians
The technology currently mastered is still the die-casting glass technology. Even the production of large-scale glass stills is still based on the die-casting process.
A set of large bronze die-casting molds has been produced. Together with the accompanying lever system, it took Clavassen four days to make such a brand-new "glassware die-casting machine".
Rurik also had some regrets about this. It was just a set of "special manual stamping machines" with a simple structure. Is it really difficult to manufacture it? But the fact is more realistic. If Rurik hadn't personally guided him, Klavasen and Kawei
, in this life, they will never think of a machine composed of a combination of levers. In other words, there is no mechanical structure in their lives. Because Rurik came, there were machines. Machines made of wood are still machines.
.
At this point, it is already August 5th, and the flammable wine still does not exist.
This afternoon Rurik came again as usual. He had already collected all the silver that the blacksmiths had given out. This was his "steelmaking dividend".
Compared with the profit from this money, Rurik was more concerned about whether the special task entrusted to Klavasen was finally completed.
"It's finally finished. What do you think? Rurik." Facing the wooden structure machine that was as tall as a person that he pieced together, Krava couldn't help but sigh with emotion for his many days of hard work.
"I think it's okay. I hope it works as well as it looks."
Rurik's eyes were particularly focused on the huge bronze mortar and the pressure punch. These two mechanisms would not make craftsmen in this time and space feel unfamiliar. This combination is simply an enlarged version of the stone mortar. It is precisely for this reason.
Casting such a special bronze piece really tests the blacksmith's smelting ability.
Compared with other blacksmiths, the smelting level of Klavasen and Kawei has improved by leaps and bounds in the past year. In order to smelt sponge iron more efficiently and even carburize sword embryos on a large scale, a larger mud furnace has been put into use.
use.
In a sense, the blast furnace technology of the East is to continuously create larger-scale furnaces under the concept of maximizing smelting efficiency, and eventually quantity becomes qualitative change. The huge furnace has an extremely powerful lock.
The higher temperature capacity and more powerful blower enable the blast furnace to maintain extremely high temperatures for a long time, so that the molten pig iron can be continuously smelted.
The Klavasen family's new furnace is only about 50% larger than the previous furnace, the furnace wall is thicker, and there are two bladder blowers.
The new furnace is more efficient in smelting iron and cleaning up the ash. Of course, it melts the bronze liquid in the clay crucible with unprecedented efficiency.
After consuming a lot of bronze materials and constantly debugging, the lever system was finally put into production.
But having said that, Klavason really had some doubts.
"Rurik, do you think it's really worth it for us to spend a lot of bronze materials to make such a set of machinery just to make a large glass vessel?"
"Why isn't it worth it? Of course it is."
"I... am just a little worried. If your plan is completed, this machine will have no use."
"Are you afraid that I will waste it?" Rurik smiled, "My friend, why don't you use it to continue to make large glass containers? Don't you think that it can replace wooden barrels and become a new way to store ale, or something else?
A container for what?”
"Huh? That's true. For example, storing the wine that you said can burn? Although I prefer oak barrels."
Rurik shook his head, and then he took a good look at the machine he asked to make. His little hand especially reached into the bronze mortar, and he especially touched the huge bronze punch that reflected golden light, and he couldn't help but shake his head.
"Rurik, do you feel something is wrong?" Klavason asked.
"There's a problem." Rurik turned his head and the golden ponytail on the back of his head swung. "The mortar is too rough. I think you need to polish it a little better."
"Well, since you're so insistent, this job still takes time."
"It doesn't matter." Rurik shrugged, "If it is not smooth enough, our vessels cannot be made. By the way, before die-casting, a layer of charcoal powder must be brushed inside to prevent adhesion."