Kveik is a Scandinavian farmhouse yeast that is traditionally dried on a “yeast ring” (gærkrans in Danish) between batches of beer. For more information, check out Lars Marius Garshol’s blog and the Kveik page on milkthefunk.com. I was inspired by those sites and by the Medieval Mead and Beer blog.

The Danish design for a yeast ring used here is based on Povl Abrahamsen’s illustration in the book Landbokvinden (written by Ole Højrup).

Purchase options

Rings are available for purchase on Etsy, with options for maple, oak, or walnut wood:

• Fully assembled yeast ring

Open source

You can use the source files to make your own ring:

• ring element - most pieces will look like this
  
• ring key
  

(Note that this design is intended for wood that is 3.2 mm (1/8 in) thick. You will need to make adjustments for other thicknesses.)

Manufacturing

• I cut my first one by hand, but you can also use these files for laser-cutting these pieces.
• I recommend ponoko.com because it’s a great service, and they offer a choice of hardwood materials.

Assembly

• do not discard scrap pieces until you are done.
• if ordering from a laser-cutting service, there will likely be stickers on both sides. Be sure to remove both.
• there is a key piece that only has two ‘teeth’. This will be the first piece in the assembly, and we will use a scrap piece to hold the two ends of the chain together.
• there is often some variability in the thickness of wood, so assembly may require some sanding. I recommend very fine sandpaper (>200 grit). If the wood sheet is too thin, you might even have to cut your own piece to tightly lock the key in place.