PART II. THE PRACTICE OF BREWING.

Before I enter upon the practical, and indeed most important, part of this work, it will not be improper to give a distinct, though general, view of the different parts it is to consist of.

To extract from malt a liquor, which, by the help of fermentation, may acquire the properties of wine, is the general object of the brewer, and the rules of that art are the subject of these sheets.

An art truly very simple, if, according to vulgar opinion, it consisted in nothing else than applying warm-water to malt, mashing these together, multiplying the taps at discretion, boiling the extracts with a few hops, suffering the worts to cool, adding yeast to make it ferment, and trusting to time, cellars, and nostrums, for its taste, brightness, and preservation!

A few notes and observations, such as are too often found to be foisted under the articles of beer and brewing, in some books of agriculture and others of cookery, might be sufficient, were the place and constitution of the air always the same, the materials and vessels employed entirely similar, and lastly, the malt drinks intended for the same use and time; but, as every one of these particulars is liable to variations, and can be complied with, only by the application of different determinate heats; was the artist to submit himself to loose, vague, and erroneous directions, like those above mentioned, they would only serve to deceive him, and his case would be but little mended, if he trusted to indefinite signs, and insufficient maxims, in his deviation from them.

A more certain foundation has been laid down in the first part of this treatise, and the principles there established will, I trust, in all cases, answer our ends, provided we make use of proper means to settle their application. The most elegible means to effect this, must be to follow, as near as possible, such plan, which the rational brewer would, in every particular circumstance, sketch to himself, before he proceeded to business. His first attention ought to be directed not only to the actual heat of the weather, but also to that which may be expected in the season of the year he is in. The grinding of his malt must be his next object, and as the difference of the drinks greatly depends upon that of the extracts, he cannot but chuse to have distinct ideas of what may be expected from the amount of the heat of them. Hops, which are added as a preservative to the extracts form too important a part to be employed without a sufficient knowledge of their power. The strength of malt liquors depending principally on their quantity or lengths, it is necessary to ascertain the heights in the copper, to answer what, on this account, is intended. The difference in boiling, for different drinks or seasons; the loss of water by evaporation; the proper division of the whole quantity of this element employed, and, in proportion to such division, that of the heat to be given in each part of the process; the means to ascertain these degrees, by determining what quantity of cold water is to be added to that, which is at the point of ebullition, come afterwards under his consideration. The manner and time of mashing, the many expected incidents which must produce some small variations between the actual and the calculated heat of his extracts, it will be incumbent upon him to make a proper estimation and allowance for. To dispose of the worts in such forms and at such depths, as may render the influence of the ambient air the easiest and most efficacious, and then, by the addition of yeast, to provide the drink with that internal and most powerful agent it had lost in boiling, are the next requisites. Fermentation, which follows, and which the brewer retards or forwards according to his intentions, completes the whole process; after these necessary precautions, to compare his operations with those of the most approved practitioners in his art, and to find himself able to account for those signs and established customs, which before were loosely described, authoritatively dictated, and never sufficiently determined or explained, must be to him an additional satisfaction. As precipitation is requisite in certain cases, the common methods for effecting it should be known, and likewise the means practised among coopers to correct the real or imagined errors of the brewer, in order to render the drink agreeable to the palate of the consumers, will naturally lead him to consider what true taste is, and by employing the means, by which it may safely be obtained and improved, he will have done all in his power, to answer his customers expectation, and to secure his success.

This arrangement, which appears the most simple, is that, which the reader will find observed in the following sections. The proper illustrations of tables and examples have not been omitted, and from the complete plans for brewing, under two forms of the most dissimilar kind, it will be found the rules are adapted to all circumstances, and applicable to every purpose.

I must here add somewhat in justification, for publishing what may be said to be the mysteries of an art, often too cautiously precluded from the sight and attention of the public; but every art and science whatever have equally been laid open, and from such communication received greater improvements, and become more useful to mankind in general, and the professors of them in particular. If attention is given to the rules and practice here laid down, it will be found that the brewer, from the large quantities he manufactures, from repeated experience, from the conveniency of his utensils, and more than all, from the interest he has to be well acquainted with his business, is most likely to be successful, in preference to any one else, and therefore can have no reason to be displeased on being presented with a theory and practice, which, far from being the sole right of the brewery, the discovery of the principles were certainly the property of the author and of his friends, whose names would do his work honor if mentioned. From the application of these principles, being convinced of their exactness and facility in practice, he offers his labor to a trade he esteems, with no other view than the hope he entertains of being of some service to it and to the public.

If, notwithstanding repeated endeavours, some things, in this treatise, should appear out of their places; others, in more than one; if redundancies, chiefly occasioned by the natural temptation of accounting for particular appearances, have not always been avoided; if inaccuracies should now and then have escaped me, let it be remembered (by the good-natured it certainly will) that, in new and intricate subjects, digressions and repetitions are in some measure allowable, that an over-fulness is preferable to an affected and often obscure brevity, and that the improvement of the art, rather than the talent of writing, must be the brewer’s merit, and was my only aim.

SECTION I. OF THE HEAT OF THE AIR,

AS IT RELATES TO THE PRACTICAL PART OF BREWING.

In and about the city of London, the most intense cold that has been observed is 14 degrees, and the greatest heat has made the thermometer rise, in the shade, to 89. Within these limits are comprehended all the fermentable degrees, and consequently those necessary for carrying on the process of brewing. If the lowest degree proper for fermentation be 40, and the highest 80, the medium of these two would, at first sight, appear to be the fittest for this purpose; but the internal motion, necessary to carry on fermentation, excites a heat superior to the original state of the must by 10 degrees. Hence, if 60 degrees be the highest eligible heat a fermenting must should arise to, 50 should be the highest for a wort to be let down at, to begin this act; which heat can only be obtained, when that of the air is equal thereto, so that it denotes the highest natural heat for beers and ales to be properly fermented. With regard to the other extreme, or the lowest heat, however cold the air may be, as the worts, which form both beers and ales, gain, by boiling, a degree greatly superior to any allowed of in fermentation, it is constantly in the artist’s power to adapt his worts to a proper state. The brewing season, then, may justly be esteemed all that part of the year in which the medium heat of the day is at or below 50 degrees: this, in our climate, is from the beginning of October to the middle of May, or 32 weeks; the most elegible period of time for brewing all kinds of beers.

But, as many incidents often make it necessary to extend these limits, the only time for venturing to comply therewith is, when the medium heat of the season is at 55 degrees; by which, six weeks more may be obtained. But, under these circumstances, the quantity of beer brewed should be less, that the worts may cool more readily, by being thinner spread; and, to gain more time, the brewing is best carried on with two worts only: taking these precautions, and beginning early in the morning, the first wort, by laying long enough in the coolers, will, towards evening, be brought to a heat of 55 degrees. The night, in this season of the year, being generally colder by 10 or 12 degrees than the medium heat of the whole 24 hours, the second worts may be reduced to a cold of 43 degrees: the mean of 55 and 43, being 49 degrees, would be the real heat of the worts in the ton; and with 10 degrees more, (the heat gained by fermentation,) still it would not reach 60 degrees, the highest fermentable heat, beers intended to preserve themselves long should arrive to; but so near would it be to this, and so little is the uniformity of the heat of the air to be relied on, that necessity alone can justify the practice of brewing such drinks, when the heat of the air is so high as 55, consequently, where it exceeds this, it should never be attempted.

As the extractions are made by heats far superior to any natural ones, though the actual temperature of the air neither adds to, nor diminishes from, their strength, yet it is to be known for the following reason. The proper heat given to the mash is by means of cold added to boiling water; and cold water generally is of no other heat than that of the air itself. Indeed, when the cold is so intense, as to occasion a frost, and to change water into ice, that which is then used for brewing, being mostly drawn from deep wells, or places where frost never, or but seldom, takes place, may be estimated at 35 degrees, and this will be sufficiently exact.

The following table shews the temperature of the air for every season in the year, and confirms what I have just now said concerning the season proper for brewing, and the actual heat of the water. It was deduced from many years’ observations, made with very accurate instruments, at eight o’clock in the morning, the time in which the heat is supposed to be the medium of that of the whole day.

A TABLE, shewing the medium heat, for every Season of the year, in and about London, deduced from observations made from 1753 to 1765, at eight o’clock each morning.

Degrees. Degrees.

January to1 15}36´ 38 July to1 15}60´ 52

to31}34´ 97 to31}34´ 97

February to1 14}35´ 51 August to1 15}59´ 89

to28}38´ 11 to31}38´ 48

March to1 14}37´ 99 September to1 15}55´ 17

to28}39´ 72 to31}54´ 13

April to1 14}43´ 13 October to1 15}48´ 66

to28}46´ 04 to31}46´ 72

May to1 14}49´ 05 November to1 15}42´ 26

to28}55´ 67 to31}39´ 40

June to1 14}57´ 20 December to1 15}38´ 61

to28}59´ 14 to31}37´ 54

To ascertain the authority of this table, and to make it useful to several purposes, I have carried to decimals the mean numbers resulting from my observations.—But such an exactness has been found, in the practice of brewing, to be more troublesome than necessary. I have therefore constructed another table, similar to the former, but where the fractions are omitted, and the whole numbers carried on from five to five. The heats of the latter end of October, and beginning of November, have here been set down rather higher than they really are; as, at this time of the year, the hops fit to brew with are old and weak, and I could not devise any means more easy to allow for their want of strength.

A TABLE, shewing the medium heat of the air, in and about London, for every season of the year, applicable to practice.

Degrees. Degrees.

January to1 15}35 July to1 15}60

to31}35 to31}60

February to1 14}35 August to1 15}60

to28}40 to31}60

March to1 15}40 September to1 15}55

to31}40 to30}55

April to1 15}45 October to1 15}50

to30}45 to31}50

May to1 14}50 November to1 15}45

to31}60 to31}40

June to1 14}60 December to1 15}35

to28}60 to31}35

As nothing is so inconstant as the heat of the air, we are not to be surprised when it deviates from the progression specified in the table. The flowing water used in the brewery, at the coldest seasons, we have fixed at 35 degrees, and the highest heat in the air, to carry on the process for beers brewed for long keeping, at 55 degrees. The length proper to be drawn, or the quantity of beer to be made from each quarter of malt being fixed, the brewer, at any time, has it in his power to make calculations for brewings, supposing the mean heat of the air to be at 35, at 40, at 45, at 50 and even at any degree of heat whatever, so as never to be unprovided for any season. Water, being a body more dense than air, requires some time to receive the impressions either of heat or cold, for which reason the medium heat of the shade of the preceding day, will most conveniently govern this part of the process, unless some very extraordinary change should happen in the atmosphere. This must make the business of the artist, in this respect, very easy, as, in the course of his practice, he will have only to correct the little changes that occasional incidents give rise to; and the calculations will answer all his purposes so long as the lengths of beer to be brewed from the same quantity of malt remain unaltered, and with very little variation and trouble, when the coppers employed, by being changed, are of different dimensions.

The best method to know the true heat of cold water, would be to keep a very accurate and distinct thermometer, in the liquor back; but as this, in every place, is not to be expected, and inaccuracies must arise from a change in the air, to prevent their consequences in practice, we must have recourse to experience. This has taught us that a difference of 8 degrees, between the actual heat of the water, and that from which the brewing was computed, will produce, in the first extract, a difference of four degrees.

Most brewers’ coppers, though they vary in their dimensions, are generally made in proportions nearly uniform; the effect of one inch of cold water more or less, will therefore nearly answer alike, that is, it will alter the heat of the tap, by 4 degrees. But this will only hold good in such cases, where the water is in the same proportion to the volume of the grist. In brewing brown beers, or porter, three worts are generally made; the extracts therefore must be of different lengths from what they are in beers brewed at two worts only. In this case, the quantity of water for the first wort, is less than it otherwise would be; and what must be allowed for the first mash, to wet the malt, is so much as to occasion the second, or piece liquor, to be proportionably less also; as it is of great consequence, if the first tap doth not answer to its proper degree, that the second should be brought to such a heat, as to make up the medium of the first and second extracts, the second, or piece liquor, by reason of its shortness, is more conveniently, and more exactly tempered in the little copper; and one inch cooling in, is in this case found, both by calculation and experience, to occasion a difference of one degree of heat only in the mash.

One of the principal attentions, in forming beers and ales of any sort whatever, is that they may come to their most perfect state, at the time they are intended to be used. Common small beer is required to be in order, from one to four weeks, and as it is impossible to prejudge the accidental variations, as to heat and cold, that may happen in any one season of the year, it is rational to act up to what a long experience has shown, is to be expected, and to mix such quantity of cold water with that, which is made to come to ebullition, as to bring the extract to the degree fixed for each particular season, let the heat, at the time of brewing, vary therefrom, in any degree whatever.

In treating on the subject of air, in the former part of this work, I observed the effect it had in penetrating the parts of the malt, or in the technical term used by brewers, in slacking it. As such is the case, when the grain is entire and whole, it is more so when ground, and experience teaches us, that, when malt has been about 24 hours from the mill, the dampness it has imbibed is equal to half an inch more of cold water added to that which is to be made to boil for the first liquor, and produces therefore a diminution of 4 degrees in the heat of the tap11.

An effect, somewhat resembling this, is caused by the impression of the air on the utensils of a brewhouse, which are not daily used; the heat received from a foregoing process has expanded their pores, and rendered them more susceptible of cold and moisture. From this circumstance, the heat of the first mash will be affected in a proportion equal to half an inch less cooling in, or in the space of 24 hours, to 4 degrees of heat.

The time of the day, in which the first extract is made, becomes another consideration; for as 8 o’clock in the morning is the time of the medium heat in the whole 24 hours, the other hours will give different degrees. When a first mash is made about 4 o’clock in the morning, the following table shews the difference between the heat at 4 and 8; that of the other hours, in the like case, may be learned by observation. It has been observed, that, in the cold months, from the sun’s power being less, the heat of the day and night are more uniform, and also that the coldest part of the 24 hours is about half an hour, or an hour before sun-rising. I have judged it convenient to place, in the same table, the several incidents affecting the first extract.

Incidents occasioned by the air affecting the heat of the first extract, to be noticed more particularly, when small beer is brewed, as the quantity of water is then greatest, and the mash more susceptible of its impressions .

Morning at 4 o’clock*

January0 Utensils, for want of being used, in 24 hours lose 4 degrees of heat, equal to half an inch of cold water.

February0

March.2

April4 Malt, which has been ground 24 hours, imbibes moisture equivalent to half an inch, which lessens the heat by 4 degrees.

May6

June8

July10 The difference between the actual heat of the air, and that naturally expected is to be allowed in proportion of 8 degrees to one inch cooling in.

August8

September6

October4 Malts, from having been long kept, or old, become considerably slacked.

November2

December0

* Colder by so many degrees than at eight o’clock in the morning.

Before we quit this subject, it may not be improper to observe, that, in the hottest season, and in the hottest part of the day, the difference between the heat of the air in the shade, and that in the sun’s beams in and about London, is nearly 16 degrees, and also that cellars or repositories for beers, are, in winter, generally hotter by ten degrees, than the external air; and in summer, colder, by five.

SECTION II. OF GRINDING.

Malt must be ground, in order to facilitate the action of the water on the grain, which otherwise would be obstructed by the outward skins. Every corn should be cut, but not reduced to a flour or meal, for, in this state, the grist would not be easily penetrable. It is therefore sufficient that every grain be divided into two or three parts, nor is there any necessity for varying this, for one sort of drink more than another. In every brewing the intention of grinding is the same; and the transparency of the liquor, mentioned by some on this occasion, depends, by no means, on the cut of the corn.

It has been a question, whether the motion of the mill did not communicate some heat to the malt; should this be the case, it can be but in a very small degree; and, what may arise from hence, will be lost by shooting the grain out of the sacks, or uncasing the grist into the mash ton. Of late years it has been recommended, instead of grinding the malt, to bruise it between two iron cylinders: if, by this means, some of the fine mealy parts are prevented from being lost in air, it must be very inconsiderable, and, perhaps, not equal to the disadvantage of the water not coming in immediate contact with the flour of the grain. In brewing, not all, but only a certain portion of the constituent parts of the malt are requisite; these, heated water alone is sufficient to procure, so that, upon the whole, the difference between bruising and grinding the grain can be of no great consequence.

We have before observed, malt, by being ground and exposed for some time to the air, more readily imbibes moisture than when whole, and the dampness, thus absorbed, being in reality so much cold water, a grist, that has been long ground, is capable of being impressed with hotter waters than otherwise it would require. In country places, where the quantity brewed consists only of a few bushels of malt, and make so small a volume as to be incapable to maintain an uniform heat, where the people are ignorant, that a certain degree is necessary to form a proper extract with; and where, instead of this, boiling water is indifferently applied, the effects of these errors are in some measure prevented, by grinding the malts a considerable time, as a month or six weeks before the brewing, and by the excess of fire readily escaping from so small a quantity. This method, from the inconstant state of the air, and from the impossibility of acting up to rule, must be very uncertain and fortuitous, so that few or no arguments are necessary to explode it. The truth is, the merit of country ales, so often mentioned, proceeds from the forbearing to use the drink, but when it is in the fittest state. Thus time not only corrects the errors of the operators, but also gives them, in the eyes of the consumers, the credit of an extraordinary knowledge and unmerited ability.

SECTION III. OF EXTRACTION.

Fire impressed on malt, either through air or water, it is true, has similar effects as to preservation, but the fact is not the same as to taste: the sweet, the burnt flavor, or the proportion of both, the malt originally had, sensibly appear in the extracts; but water heated to excess will not, in extracting pale malt, communicate to the worts an empyreumatic taste; whether this proceeds from some acid parts, still residing in the heated waters, which might help the attenuated oils to tend towards a sweet, or from other reasons, is not easily determinable; certain it is, the foundation of taste in malt liquors is in the malt itself.

The basis of all wines is a sweet: this circumstance for brewing beers agreeable to the palate must always be attended to. Next to this, it is required that the liquor should possess all the strength, it can fittingly be made susceptible of. Pale malt, as it retains the whole virtue of the grain, yields the strongest beers. The finest oils being fittest for fermentation, malt dried by fierce heats, in a great measure loses these, and what remains are not only coarser oils, less miscible with water, but such as bring with them the impressed taste of fire.

To answer the purposes of taste, strength, and preservation, from what has been said it appears, that the extracting water must be of a heat superior to that which dried the malt; no other rule appears to direct in this, than to make choice of malt of such dryness, the delicacy of which has not been removed by fire, and such as will, at the same time, admit of a sufficient number of superior degrees of heat, to extract all its fermentable parts; that is (see page 124) malt whose dryness is nearly 19 degrees less than the mean of the drying and extracting heats applicable to the purpose intended.

As 119 degrees, the first heat forming pale malt, and at which it possesses the whole of its sweetness and virtues, may be said to be the lowest degree of dryness in the grain to form keeping beers with, so 138 degrees, above which the native whiteness of the grain is so subdued, as to remain but in a very small proportion, is the highest dried malt fit to be used for any purpose; from these premises the following table is formed, to shew the degree of dryness of malt, where taste and strength are equally consulted, to brew drinks capable of keeping themselves sound a long time, at any medium required.

The proper choice of malt I thought necessary to point out, previous to entering more at large on the subject of extraction. This table, it must be observed, is in no wise directive for brewing common small beer, soon to be expended, that liquor depending on many other circumstances, of which notice will be taken immediately under that head.

A TABLE, shewing the proper dryness of Malt, applicable to the mean of the drying and extracting heats under which keeping malt liquors should be formed.

Mean degrees of dryness of malt and heat of extracts. Color of malt expressed in degrees.

138119

140121

142123

144125

146127

148130

150132

152134

155136

157138

The subject to be resolved having been examined as to its dryness, we now come to the immediate matter for which this section was intended.

Extraction is a solution of part, or the whole, of a body, made by means of a menstruum. In brewing, it is chiefly the mealy substance of the grain that is required to be resolved; fire and water combined are sufficient to perform this act. Water properly is the receptacle of the parts dissolved, and fire the power, which conveys into it a greater or less proportion of them.

When all the parts necessary to form a vinous liquor are not employed, or when more than are required for this purpose are extracted, the liquors must vary in their constituent parts, and consequently be different in their effects. This difference arises either from heat alone, or from the manner of applying it; and the properties of beers and ales will admit of as many varieties as may be supposed in the quantity of the heat, and in its application. But as the useful differences are alone necessary to the brewer, they may be reduced to the four following modes of extraction.

First, that which is most perfect, and for which malt is chose of such dryness, in which it with certainty possesses the whole of its constituent parts, and the extracts are made with such heats, as to give the beer an opportunity to be improved by time, and to become of itself fine and transparent.

Secondly, that from which, in order to obtain every advantage of time, strength, and flavor, such extracts are produced as cannot become pellucid of themselves, but require precipitation.

Thirdly, that which is intended soon to become intense, where soundness and transparency are for some short time expected, but not always obtained, because brewed in every season of the year, and deprived of the advantages which age and better managements procure to the first.

Fourthly, that where the advantages of strength and pellucidity are to be procured in a very short space.

These four modes of resolving the grain, being the fundamental elements on which almost every specie of drink is brewed, I must observe, the two first may be said to be an exact imitation of natural wines, in forming which, the principles we have laid down may fully be applied. The third is the effect of necessity, by which we are deprived of that time nature directs for properly producing fermented liquors, and where we are subjected to many disadvantageous circumstances; to guard against the consequences of which, we must rely, in some measure, upon opinion formed from observation alone; and the fourth may be said to be art too precipitately carried on. Before I treat of them separately, it is requisite to mention a few general rules applicable to all.

In the enquiry we made of the means which nature employs to form the juices of grapes, we found two remarkable circumstances: the first, a necessary lesser heat for the production of the fruit, and the second, a much greater for its maturation; the former useful to incline the must to fermentation, the latter to raise therein such oils as should maintain it for some time in a sound state. But in all wines, an evenness of taste is requisite to affect the palate with an elegant sensation; and it may be observed, the autumn and spring heats being nearly equal; so the first juices of grapes are formed by almost, uniform impressions; the summer heats, though stronger, act upon the same principle; for though the grapes remain upon the vine some part of the autumn, perhaps in this space they gain little more than the juices prepared by the summer’s sun: from whence the tastes of wine are more simple than otherwise they would be. Thus are we directed, that a first wort shall have the least share of heat of the whole brewing, and the last wort the greatest; intermediate worts; if any; must be proportioned to both, and if several mashes of extracts are made to compose a wort, these must be equal as to their heat, being careful at the same time to preserve to the process the medium heat which is to govern the whole. By this means, we shall obtain our intended purpose; and place into the drink one and the same smooth taste.

In the table12 shewing the different effects produced in the grain by the different degrees of heat, the numbers, with respect to beers, express, not only the mean of the degrees of dryness the malt had, with those also of heat in the extracting liquors, but also is implied the power communicated by the hops, that is, it imparts to us, the idea of the whole combination.

As malt liquors are made with different views, so must the principles on which they are formed be varied. Beers intended long to be kept, require more heat in their extracts, in order to produce such oils, or so many in quantity from the grain, as shall retard and delay the quick effects of fermentation; and malt liquors, which are soon to be brought into use, claim an opposite management. This is imitating nature, for we have before observed13, the hotter the autumnal, the vernal and maturating heats are, with more power do the wines resist the impressions of time and the air; and we traced the rule which governed this variety, by an enquiry into the number of degrees required to form the juices of grapes, and applied their number to discover the first and last heats they were impressed with. In calculations to find out the heat to be given to water properly to resolve the malt, the same method must be followed, it being equally necessary here to employ only such a proportion of the number of degrees which constitute the whole of the fermentable principles in malt that are needful to the purpose we would answer. We have said malts continue in possession of all their constituent parts from their first degree of dryness, 119 to 129. By age alone beers obtain spontaneous pellucidity, when urged in the whole of their process with a heat so great as 138 degrees, precipitation or art extends it to near 157 degrees, after which neither the acid parts furnished by the air, nor art avails: an obstinate foulness is the result; from whence it may be concluded, that at or beyond this heat, so great a part of the fermentable principles is dispersed, as what remains in the grain has not power sufficient to produce transparency. The following table, founded on these principles, will hereafter be found directive to fix the first and last heats to be given to the extracts of malt.

A TABLE, shewing the quantity of fermentable principles residing in malts at their several degrees of dryness, or, the number of constituent parts which form beers in proportion to their properties14, specified in degrees, and to be used in calculations, made to ascertain the proper heats to be given to the first and last extracts of malt.

Mean degrees of heat affecting malt. Constituent parts.

11910

1249

1298

1347

1387

1436

1485

1525

1574

1623

1672

1711

1750

Though beers and ales are divided into strong and small, this division regards only the proportion of the vehicle, and not that of the constituent parts. The same means, as to the heat of the extracts, must be employed, to form small beers, capable of preserving themselves sound for some time, as are used to make strong drinks: for though a small liquor possesses more aqueous parts, the oils and salts of the malt are only more diluted, not altered in their proportions, and this causes but a very small difference in the duration of the liquor.

It now remains to apply these rules, deduced from the theory, to the several sorts of malt liquors, which answer to the four modes of extraction, just before laid down.

The first and most perfect is, when the malt is chosen of such dryness, and the extracts made with such heats, as give the beers an opportunity of being improved by time, and slow fermentations, to become spontaneously bright and transparent. Under this head, may be comprehended all pale keeping strong, and all pale keeping small beers.

From its name, regard must be had to the color of the malt, and such only used, as is dried the least, or by 11915 degrees of heat.

The hops should likewise be pale, and their quantity used in proportion to the time the drink is intended to be kept; suppose, in this case, it is 10 months, 10lb. of fine hops, for every quarter of malt, will be required.

The highest degree of heat, or rather the medium of the highest dryness in malt, with the mean heat of the several extractions, to admit of spontaneous pellucidity, we have seen in the foregoing table (page 124) to be 138 degrees, and this medium is chosen, as it answers not only the intent of long keeping, but of brightness also.

From the medium degree of the malt’s dryness, and of the heat of the extracts, to determine the heat of the first and the last extract, and the value in degrees of the quantity of hops to be used, for brewing pale strong and pale small beers, intended to be kept about ten months before they are used, and expected to become self-transparent.

119Malt’s dryness.

——

138Mean of malt’s dryness, heat of extracts, and value of hops.

3Degrees, value of 10 lb. of hops.

——

135Mean of malt’s dryness and heat of extracts.

For the first liquor.

135As before.

3½Half the number of the constituent degrees, answerable to 138 degrees, the mean heat of the whole process, to be subtracted16.

——

131½Degrees governing the first extracts.

——

119Malt’s dryness.

144First rule to discover the heat of the first extract.

263

——

131½As above.

——

For the last liquor.

135As before.

3½Half the number of the constituent degrees, to be added, to find

——

138½The degrees governing the last extract.

——

119Malt’s dryness.

158First rule to discover the heat of last mash.

——

277

——

138½As above.

——

The elements for forming pale strong and pale small beers, intended to be kept, are therefore as follows:

Malt’s dryness. Value of hops. Whole medium. First heat. Last heat.

119 3 138 144 158

2 2 heat lost at the time the extract separates from the grist.

The proof of this is as follows:

144Heat of the first extract.

158Heat of last extract.

——

302

——

151Mean heat of extracts.

119Malt’s dryness.

——

270

——

135Mean heat of Malt’s dryness, and of heat of extracts.

3Value of hops.

——

138Whole mean given as above.

——

It is necessary to add 2 degrees to the heat of every mash, such being the mean of 4 degrees, constantly lost in every extract, at the time they are separated from the grist, and exposed to the impressions of the air.

The second mode of extraction is, that, in which every advantage which can be procured from the corn, from art, and from time is expected; this produces such drinks, as cannot become spontaneously pellucid, but require the help of precipitation.

The improvement, which every fermented liquor gains by long standing, is very considerable; the parts of the grain, which give spirit to the wine, being, by repeated fermentations, constantly attenuated, not only become more light and pungent, but more wholesome. If, in order to give to beers more of the preservative quality, greater quantities of oils are extracted, in proportion to the salts, transparency cannot take place; but, when the heat employed for this purpose does not exceed certain limits, this defect may easily be remedied, and the drink be fined by precipitation; as time enables it to take up part of the very oils, which at first prevented its transparency, it will, by long standing, and by precipitation, become both brighter and stronger.

Where the demand for a liquor is constant and considerable, but the quantity required not absolutely certain, it ought to be brewed in such manner that time may increase its merit, and precipitation render it almost immediately ready for use. These circumstances distinguish this class of extraction, and justify the preference given to porter or brown beer, which comes under the mode we are now treating of.

Though transparency in beers is a sure sign of the salts and oils being in an exact proportion, it is in no wise a proof of the justness of taste: for strong salts acting on strong oils may produce pellucidity, but the delicacy and pungency of taste, depend on the finer oils and the choicest salts being wholly preserved, these best admitting of fermentation, and most perfectly becoming miscible with the liquor, the more volatile oils and salts of the grain if excluded, by the malt being too high dried, the consequence in the beer must be, an heavy and rancid taste. The less dried the malts are, which are brewed for beers to be long kept, the hotter are the extracts required to be, but this greater heat being communicated to the grain through water, an element eight hundred times more dense than air, the finer parts of the corn, though acted upon by an heat which in air would disperse them, by this means are retained.

It appears, by the table (page 124) that drinks brewed from malts, affected by heats, whose medium is 148 degrees, and with twelve pounds of hops to every quarter of malt, require from 6 to 12 months with precipitation to become bright; this is the age generally appointed for brown beers to be drank at, and by the table, page 133, we find the proper malts where the medium heat of the whole process is 148 degrees, must be such as have been dried with 130 degrees to form this liquor, whose color as yet is expected to be full or brown, without being deprived of more valuable qualifications.

In the drink before examined, the number of degrees which constitute the properties of malt, affected by a mean heat of 138 or 7 degrees, were employed, they being intended to become, in time, spontaneously bright; but, as this quality in the present case is required only with the assistance of precipitation, the number 5, in the table, shewing the constituent parts remaining in the grain at every degree of dryness, (page 168) as this corresponds to the medium 148, is undoubtedly that which must answer our purpose, both as to the nature and to the time this liquor is in general made use of. These conditions being premised, the proper degrees of the first and last extract for porter will be found by the same rules as were used before.

130Degrees, malt’s dryness.

——

148Degrees, whole medium intended.

——

4Degrees, value of hops, fractions omitted.

——

144Mean of malt’s dryness and heat of extracts.

——

For the first extract.

144As before.

2½Half the number of the constituent degrees to be deducted.

——

141½Mean of malt’s dryness, and of the heat of the first extract.

——

130Malt’s Dryness.

153Rule to discover the first heat.

——

283

——

141½As above.

For the last extract.

144As before.

2½Half the number of the constituent degrees to be added.

——

146½Mean of malt’s dryness, and of the heat of the last extract.

——

130Malt’s dryness.

163Rule to discover the last heat.

——

293

——

146½As above.

The elements for brewing brown strong beers, with two degrees added to the first and last extracts, for what is lost at their parting from the malt, independent of its farther division into the respective mashes.

Malt’s dryness. Value of hops. Medium heat of the extracts, malt’s dryness, and value of hops. First heat. Last heat.

130 4 148 155 165

Brown beers, brewed with malt so low dried as 130 degrees, twenty years since, would have appeared very extraordinary, and most likely, at that time, when a heaviness and blackness in the drink formed its principal merit, would have been a sufficient reason to condemn the practice; but strength and elegance being now more attended to, have justified the brewer, in making porter, to employ malt of such degree of dryness, as he shall think will best answer these purposes.

As high liquors used to extract low dried malt will form a must capable to preserve itself equally a long time, as an adequate liquor used to high dried malt doth; and the first of these methods having greatly the advantage of the other in point of taste, as 130 degrees of dryness in malt is one, from its change of color, where part of its finer principles may be supposed to be evaporated. It may not be amiss to enquire if there be not reasons why malt, less affected by fire, should be used for manufacturing this commodity.

The medium of the malt’s dryness, and of the heat of the extracts, together with the value of the hops which are to make porter, is 148 degrees. This, because precipitation has been found convenient and necessary for this drink, yet, when at the proper age, it has undergone this last operation, it is supposed to shew itself in its best form; bright, well-tasted, and strong; that is, in such state as drink should be, which becomes spontaneously transparent, and is capable of preserving itself a long time, if from

148degrees.

The value of the oils yielded by the hops (See page 180) is deducted, 4degrees.

——

Will remain,144

And by table (page 162) we find a must under the mean of 144 degrees should be formed with malt dried to 125 degrees, with this circumstance the elements of brewing porter will be as follows.

125Malt’s dryness.

——

148Degrees, whole medium intended.

4Value of hops.

——

144Mean of malt’s dryness, and heat of extracts.

For the first extract.

144As before.

——

2½Half the number of constituent parts, to be deducted.

——

141½Mean of malt’s dryness, and of the heat of the first extract.

——

125Malt’s dryness.

158Rule to discover the first heat.

——

283

——

141½As above.

For the last extract.

144As before.

2½Half the number of constituent parts, to be added.

——

146½Mean of malt’s dryness, and of the heat of the last extract.

——

125Malt’s dryness.

168Rule to discover the last heat.

——

293

——

146½As above.

Elements for brewing porter with malt dried to 125 degrees, and two degrees added to the first and to the last extracts, for what heat is lost at their parting from the malt, but this, independent of a farther allotment of this heat to the respective mashes.

Malt’s dryness. Value of hops. Medium of the heat of the extracts, malt’s dryness, and value of hops. First mash. Last mash.

1254148160170

Whether any attempt to improve this liquor, by using malt of less dryness than 125 degrees, may ever be put in practice, is very uncertain; porter, if brewed with malts so low as 119 degrees, probably would succeed; for, in this case, the last mash, according to the foregoing rules, would be at the 174th degree, at which the spirit of the grain could not be dispersed, and probably the result would be, a more delicate, more strong, and more vinous liquor.

It may be observed, that 4 degrees are charged for the quantity of hops used; as this number corresponds to the quantity proper to form beer of this denomination. A greater or a less proportion of hops is sometimes allowed to this drink, on account of its better, or inferior quality, of the necessity there may be to render it fit for use in a shorter time than that which is commonly allowed—from nine to twelve months, and, lastly, of old, stale, or otherwise defective drinks, blended, with new guiles. In these cases, which cannot be too rare, the errors should be corrected only by the addition of hops, and no alteration be made, either in the dryness of the malts, or in the heat of the extracts.

The third mode of extraction is that which intends spontaneous transparency, but not a durable liquor. Under this head is comprehended common small beer, soon to be drank.

Common small beer is supposed to be ready for use, in winter, from two to six weeks, and in the heat of summer, from one week to three. Its strength is regulated by the different prices of malt and of hops; its chief intent is to quench thirst, and its most essential properties are, that in the winter it should be fine, and in the summer sound. This liquor is chiefly used in and about great trading cities, such as London, where, for want of a sufficient quantity of cellar room, drinks cannot be stowed, which, by long and slow fermentations, would come to a greater degree of perfection. The duration of this kind of liquor being short, and there being a necessity of brewing it in every season of the year, dividing it into very small quantities, easily affected in its conveyance by the external heat: generally neglected, and placed in repositories influenced by every change of air, the incidents attending it, and the methods for carrying on the process must be more uncertain, various, and complicated, than those of any other liquor made from malt.

The incidents attending this specie of malt liquor are so many, so short of existence, so contrary to one another, and often so different from what should be expected in the different periods of the year, that an attempt to guard, in a just proportion, against every one of them, and against what may happen, and oftentimes does not, must be fruitless. After many endeavours of this sort, which terminated in a doubtful success, we have found it most eligible to form these drinks in proportion to the principal circumstances constantly attending them, and the result was more fortunate, as, in general, the drink was able to maintain itself against that variety of temperature it met with in the places allotted to it.

In proportion as it is brewed, in a hot or in a cold season, we must employ every means, either to repel or to attract the acids circulating in the air; for this purpose, the degree of dryness in the malt, the quantity of hops, the heat of the extracts, and the degree of temperature the wort is suffered to ferment with, must vary as such seasons do. The success, in brewing common small beer, greatly depends on its fermentation being retarded or accelerated, in proportion to the heat of the air, and expansion being the principal effect of heat, was a wort of this sort suffered, in winter, to be so cold as 40 degrees, the air would, with difficulty, if at all, penetrate the must, or put it in action. This slow fermentation would not permit the beer to be ready at the time required.— For these reasons, brewers let down their worts, in that season, at 60 degrees, whereas, in summer, the air of the night is made use of to get them as cold as possible, by which means a part of them may be 12 degrees colder than the medium of the heat of the day, and the whole of the worts nearly 5 degrees, in the space of 24 hours.

The choice of the malt, as to its dryness and color, for brewing this liquor, should be varied in proportion to the several seasons, but custom requires it should be kept nearly to an uniform color. For this reason, when the air is so cold as the lowest fermentable degree, a greater dryness than 119 degrees is required; but the dryness of malt forming only one part of the process, the proper medium directing the whole must be brought to its true degree, by the heat given to the extracts. In the height of summer, malt dried to 130 degrees seems to be the best, as it unites the properties of speedy readiness, preservation, and transparency, and these several characters are, at that time, requisite in this liquor.

To come as near as possible to the inclination of the consumers, or to maintain as near as may be an uniform color, if in the hottest season malt dried to 130 is best for this purpose, the mean between this and 119, the first degree that constitutes malt, must answer nearest every intent, when the heat of the air is at 40 degrees. Upon this footing, the following table will, from the proportion of these two extremes, shew the color of the grain for every season of the year.

Heat in the air.Malt’s dryness.Value of hops in degrees.

351221

401241

451251

501271

551291½

601302

If common small beer was immediately to be used after being brewed and fermented, and it was free from the incidents, most of which we have just now enumerated, no hops would be required, and the medium degree of the whole process would be that of the lowest dried malt, 119, to be employed when the heat of the air was at its first fermentable degree, or 40, as, with adequate malts, this would make the liquor that would be ready in the least space, and, at the same time, yield its constituent parts; but if small beer was intended to be kept some short time, brewed without hops, and not liable to any accidents, and the process to be carried through, in a heat of air equal to the highest fermentable degree, or 80, in this case the governing medium for the whole process must be the utmost heat the grain is able to endure, where malt charrs, or 175 degrees. As malt liquors are principally affected by heat, we will first proportion the medium heat, directive of each process, for every fermentable degree, without any regard had to any incident whatever,

Fermentable degrees.Mean heats to govern the processes.

40119

45126

50133

55140

60147

65154

70161

75168

80175

Now the principal heats affecting common small beer, with regard to its duration, are the degree of heat under which the beer is at first fermented, that of the air when brewed, and when conveyed from place to place, and that of the cellar where it is deposited; let us, in regard to these heats, take the mean of the circumstances this drink is liable to, at the time when the air is at the first fermentable degree, and at the time when the season is hottest (taking for this the medium heat of the whole 24 hours.) Having these two extremes, and making a fit allowance for the hops employed, we shall be able, from the above table, to fix the medium heat that should govern the several processes for making common small beer in every season of the year.

I observed, in page 183, that when the heat of the air is 40 degrees, brewers set the worts of common small beer to be fermented, at a heat of 60; add to this 10 degrees more heat, excited by the fermentable action, makes 70°

The heat of the air we fixed for the first extreme, was the first fermentable heat,40

In page 156, we said cellars in winter were generally ten degrees hotter than the air, but we observed, those employed for this use, were the worst of the kind, subjected to exterior impressions, or perhaps other defects, for which reason we here set this heat only at46

——

Divided by the number of circumstances3 ) 156

——

52°

is the mean of the principal incidents affecting small beer in this season, and, by the foregoing table, this degree indicates a medium to govern the whole process 136, to which must be added, for preservative effect bestowed by the hops used, 1 degree more, which makes it at this heat in the air 137 degrees.

When the mean heat of the whole 24 hours is 60 degrees, (see page 150) if, as in page 183, by the advantage of the evening and night to cool the wort, an abatement of 5 degrees is obtained, the whole of the heat is 55 degrees, add to this only 8 degrees more, because at this time the beer is divided, and put in casks long before the first fermentable act is compleated, and their real heat will be

The medium heat of the air in the hottest season (page 150)60

In page 156 we say, the heat of the cellars in summer time is generally 5 degrees colder than the exterior air, but these being the worst of the kind, may certainly be thought somewhat more exposed, though not so much affected in summer as in winter, when there are fewer culinary fires, for this reason we fix their heat at56

——

Divided by the number of observations3 ) 179

——

59°

is the mean of these incidents affecting the small beer at this season, and by the foregoing table it indicates a medium heat to govern the whole process 146 degrees, to which, if two degrees more be added, for the effect of the hops, (as experience teaches us six pounds of hops in summer scarcely are so powerful as three pounds in winter) it will give us for the mean of the heats drying the malt, those impressed in the extracts, together with the allowance made for the hops 148 degrees.

Spontaneous pellucidity is always expected in this drink, although the time allotted to gain this in general is much too short; to forward this intent as far as possible, without hazarding the soundness of the drink, in the computations to determine the heats of the first and last extracts, the whole number of constituent parts of malt or 10 degrees are employed.

Having premised these rules, the heats for the first and last extracts are to be found by like operations before made use of, an example of which we shall state; and knowing the mean heats required for two distinct distant processes, in proportion to these I shall form a table, for brewing this drink in every season of the year.

When the air is at 40, the degree of dryness fixed for malts to be used for common small beer is 124, the quantity of hops three pounds per quarter, the medium of their dryness and the heat of the extracts, together with the value of the hops added thereto, is 137 degrees.

124° Malt’s dryness.

137 Medium intended.

137

1Value of hops.

——

136Mean of Malt’s dryness, and heat of extracts.

——

For the first extract.

136As before.

5Half the number of the whole constituent degrees, to be deducted. (See p. 168.)

——

131

——

124Malt’s dryness.

138Rule to discover the first heat.

——

262

——

131As above.

For the last extract.

136As before.

5Half the number of the whole constituent degrees, to be added. (See p. 168.)

——

141

——

124Malt’s dryness.

158Rule to discover the last heat.

——

282

——

141As above.

——

The proof.

138Heat of the first extract.

158Heat of the last extract.

——

296

——

148Mean heat of extracts.

124Malt’s dryness.

——

272

——

136Mean of Malt’s dryness and heat of extracts.

1Value of hops.

——

137Medium intended, as above.

——

The elements for forming common small beer, when the heat of the air is at 40 degrees, independent of the proper division of this heat, adequate to each Mash.

Malt’s dryness.Value of hops.Whole medium.First heat.Last heat.

1241137138158

22

The medium of the heat lost in the mash ton, amounting to two degrees, is added to the heat of the first and last mash, in the following table.

A TABLE of the elements for forming common small beer, at every degree of heat in the air, with the allowance of two degrees of heat, in the first and last extractions.

Heat of air.Malt’s dryness.Value of hops.Medium heat of the processes.First heat.Last heat.

351221135138158

401241137140160

451251140145165

501271143149169

551291½146152172

601302148154174

From due observation of this table, it appears, how necessary it is for brewers to be acquainted, not only with the daily temperature of the air, but also with the medium heat of such spaces of time, wherein a drink like this is expected to preserve itself. This I have estimated for every 14 days; (page 150) but as the event may not always exactly correspond with our expectations, an absolute perfection in this drink, as to its transparency and soundness, is not to be expected. It greatly depends on the care and attention given to it, and on the temperature and quiescent state of the cellars it is placed in. The first of these circumstances is often neglected, and the other hardly ever obtained, as the places, where common small beer is kept, are generally the worst of the kind.

In keeping beers, every circumstance is assistant to form them so as to obtain elegance in taste, strength, and pellucidity, either spontaneously or by precipitation, but in common small beer; from the shortness of its duration; and from the many complicated incidents that occur; only the medium of the effect of these can be attended to; which governing medium, in general, differs so much from those which form more exact fermentable proportions, that in these extracts, there cannot be expected that near resemblance to natural wines, which, under more favorable management, it is capable of.

The fourth mode of extraction is that, which, by conveying a heat, equal to what is practised for keeping pale strong, and keeping pale small beers, to the liquors commonly known by the names of pale ale, amber, or twopenny, the softest and richest taste malt can possibly yield, and which makes them resemble wines formed from grapes ripened by the hottest sun, though by artfully exciting periodical fermentations, they are, in a very short time, made to become transparent.

As wines have, in general, been named from the town or city, in the neighbourhood of which the grapes, from which they are made, are found growing, this has, though with less reason, been the case, with our numerous class of soft beers and ales. These topical denominations can indeed constitute no real, at least no considerable difference, since the birth-place of any drink is the least of all distinctions, where the method of practice, the materials employed, and the heat of the climate, are nearly the same.

Ales are not required to keep a long time; so the hops bestowed on them, though they should always be of the finest color, and best quality, are proportionably fewer in the winter than in the summer. The reason is, that the consumption made of this liquor in cold weather, is generally for purl17, whereas, in summer, as it is longer on draught, it requires a more preservative quality.

The properties of this liquor are, that it should be pale; its strength and taste principally depend on the malt, and its transparency should be the effect of fermentation, accelerated by every means, which will not be hurtful to it. Malt capable of yielding the strongest extracts, is such whose dryness does not exceed 120 degrees; and 138 we have seen to be the highest mean of the extracts, and of the dryness of the malt to admit of pellucidity, without precipitation; the hops used, being only so many as are necessary to resist the heat of the seasons the ale is brewed in, may in general be estimated in value, one degree; from these premises, the elements for brewing this drink, will be found by the same rules as before, where 10 degrees are supposed to be equal to the whole of the constituent parts, and the whole of these are employed to accelerate its coming to perfection.

120Degrees of malt’s dryness.

——

138Degrees, whole medium intended.

1Value of hops.

——

137Mean of malt’s dryness, and heat of extracts.

——

For the first extract.

137As before.

5Half the number of the whole constituent degrees to be deducted.

——

132Mean of malt’s dryness, and of the heat of first extract.

——

120Malt’s dryness.

144Rule to discover the first heat.

——

264

——

132As above.

For the last extract.

137As before.

5Half the number of the whole constituent degrees to be added.

——

142Mean of malt’s dryness and of the heat of last extract.

——

120Malt’s dryness.

164Rule to discover the last heat of last extract.

——

284

——

142As above.

The elements for brewing pale ale or amber, with the allowance of 2 degrees for the heats lost in the extracts.

Malt’s dryness.Value of hops.Medium of the whole.Heat of first mash.Heat of last mash.

1201138146166

The time this liquor is intended to be kept, should entirely be governed by the quantity of hops used therein; for this ale being required to become spontaneously fine, the medium of the whole, or 138 degrees, cannot be exceeded. In and about London, and in some counties in England, these ales, by periodical fermentations, are made to become fine, sooner than naturally they would do, and often, in a shorter time than one week. The means of doing this, by beating the yeast into the drink, as it is termed, has by some been greatly blamed, and thought to be an ill practice. An opinion that the yeast dissolved in the drink, and thereby made it unwholesome, prevailed; and some brewers, erroneously led by this, and yet willing that their commodity should appear of equal strength with such as had undergone repeated fermentations, have been induced to add ingredients to their worts, if not of the most destructive nature, at least very unwholesome. The plain truth is, that, by returning the elastic air in the fermenting ale, the effects of long keeping are greatly imitated, though with less advantage as to flavor and to strength; but as this case relates to fermentation, we shall have hereafter an opportunity of explaining it more at large.

It is under this class, that the famous Burton ale may be ranked, and, if I do not mistake, it will be found, that its qualities and intrinsic value will be the same, when judiciously brewed in London, or elsewhere, from whence it may be exported at much cheaper rates to Russia and other parts, than when it is increased in price by a long and chargeable land-carriage.

When drinks are made so strong as these generally are, only two mashes can take place, by which the whole virtue of the malt not being expended, small beer is made after these ales. The purest and most essential parts of the grain being extracted, it is not to be expected, from an impoverished grist, that beers can be made to possess all their necessary constituent parts, or to keep so long, as where fresh malt is used; but the sort of small beer, which answers best to the brewer, and is most salubrious for the consumer, must be, by the addition of fresh hops, to form the remaining strength into keeping small beer, the greater quantity of hops necessary to be allowed, beside those boiled in the ale, is 2¼ pounds for every barrel intended to be made. As much more water must be employed, for this small beer, besides its length, as will steam away in two hours boiling, and 1/8 of a barrel per quarter of malt, for waste. The heat regulating the extract of small, will be found by the following rule.

138Medium heat intended for keeping small beer.

2Value of hops.

——

136Mean of malt’s dryness and heat of extract.

——

120Malt’s dryness.

15218Heat of the mash for keeping small after amber, one mash, and one wort.

——

272

——

136As above.

All the hops after these two brewings, as those added for the keeping small beer have been boiled but in one wort, are in value, for the next guile of beer, equal to 1/10 of fresh hops.

We should now put an end to this section, but, as other drinks are brewed besides those here particularly treated of, we shall just mention them, to shew how their different processes are reducible to the rules just laid down.

Brown ale is a liquor, whose length is generally two barrels from one quarter of malt, and which is not intended for preservation. It is heavy, thick, foggy, and therefore justly grown in disuse. The hops used in this, differ in proportion to the heats of the season it is brewed in, but are generally nearly half the quantity of what is employed, at the same times, for common small beer. The system it ought to be brewed upon is not different from that of this last liquor; the medium of the malt’s dryness, and heat of the extracts, are the same for each degree of heat in the air, and it requires the same management when under fermentation. But though common pale small beer and brown ale are so much alike in their theory, yet, from the difference of the dryness of the malt, which, for brown ale, is constantly so high as 130 degrees, the practice will appear greatly different. Small beer is made after this ale, by the same rules as that made after pale ale or amber; the malt must, in that case, be valued according to its original dryness, and the medium governing the process be the same as for small beer, and as if no extract had been taken from the grain. No small beer brewed after ales can ever be equal in goodness to such as are brewed from entire grists; but that which is made after brown ale, from the grain being so highly dried, and nearly exhausted, is neither nourishing or fit to quench thirst.

Brown stout is brewed with brown malt, as amber is with pale; the system for brewing these liquors is the same, allowing for the difference in the dryness of the malt. The overstrength of this drink has been the reason of its being discontinued, especially since porter or brown beer has been brought to a greater perfection.—That which is brewed with an intent of being long kept, should be hopped in proportion to the time proposed, or the climate it is to be conveyed to.

Old hock requires the same proportion of hops as are used in keeping pale strong, or keeping pale small beer; but more or less, according to the time it is intended to be kept before it becomes fit for use. The length is about two barrels, from a quarter of the palest and best malt. As spontaneous pellucidity is required, its whole medium must not exceed 138 degrees, for the drying and extracting heat. The management of it, when fermenting, is under the same rules with keeping small beer, or those which are allowed a due time to become of themselves pellucid.

Dorchester beers, both strong and small, range under the same head. They are brewed from barleys well germinated, but not dried to the denomination of malt. The rule of the whole 138 degrees for the governing medium, must, even with this grain, be observed to form these drinks; but, from the slackness of the malt, and the quantities of salt and wheaten flour mixed with the liquor, when under fermentation, proceed its peculiar taste, its mantling, and its frothy property.

SECTION IV. OF THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF HOPS.

The constituent parts of malt, like those of all vegetable sweets, are so inclined to fermentation, that, when once put in motion, it is difficult to retard their progress, retain their preservative qualities, and prevent their becoming acid. Among the many means put in practice, to check this forwardness of the malt, none promised so much success as blending with the extracts, the juices of such vegetables as, of themselves, are not easily brought to fermentation. Hops were selected for this purpose, and experience has confirmed their wholesomeness and efficacy.

Hops are an aromatic, grateful bitter, endued with an austere and astringent quality, and guarded by a strong resinous oil. The aromatic parts are volatile, and disengage themselves from the plant with a small heat. To preserve them, in the processes of brewing, the hops should be put into the copper as soon as possible, and be thoroughly wetted with the first extract, while the heat of the wort is at the least, and the fire under the copper has little or no effect thereon. Whoever will be at the trouble to see this performed, by the means of rakes, or otherwise, will be made sensible, that flavor is retained, which, when the wort comes to boil, is otherwise constantly dissipated in the air.

The bitter is of a middle nature, or semivolatile: it requires more fire to extract it, than the aromatic part, but not so much as the austere or astringent. Hence it is plain, that the principal virtues of this plant are best obtained by decoction, the austere parts not exhibiting themselves, but when urged by so violent and long continued boiling, as is seldom, or never practised in the brewery. It would be greatly satisfactory to fix, from experiments, the degrees of heat, that first disperse the aromatic, next the bitter, and lastly the austere parts; as it is likely, by this means, a more easy and certain method of judging of the true value and condition of hops, than any yet known, might be discovered.

This vegetable is so far from being, by itself, capable of a regular and perfect fermentation, that, on the contrary, its resinous parts retard the aptness which malt has to this act. Hops, from hence, keep barley-wines sound a longer space of time, and, by repeated and slow frettings, give an opportunity to the particles of the liquor to be more separated and comminuted. Fermented liquors acquire, by this means, a greater pungency, even though it was admitted they received no additional strength from this mixture, the direct contrary of which might easily be made to appear. Hops, then, are not only the occasion of an improvement of taste, but an increase of strength.

Dr. Grew seems to think the bitter of the hops may be increased by a greater degree of dryness; but, perhaps, this is only one of the means of their retaining longer this quality, which undoubtedly decreases through age, in a proportion, as near as can be guessed, of from 10 to 15 per cent. yearly.

The varieties of the soils in which hops are planted, may have some share in the inequality we perceive in them. They seem to be much benefited by the sea air. Whoever will try similar processes with the19 Worcestershire and Kentish hops, will soon perceive the difference, and the general opinion strengthens this assertion, as the county of Kent alone produces nearly half the quantity of hops used in this kingdom.

The sooner and the tighter hops are strained, after having been bagged, the better will they preserve themselves. The opinion that they increase in weight, if not strained until after Christmas, may be true, but will not recommend the practice; the hops imbibe the moisture of the winter air, which, when the weather grows drier, is lost again, together with some of the more spiritous parts. Nor is this the greatest damage occasioned by this delay, as hops, by being kept slack bagged in a damp season, too often become mouldy.

Hops may be divided into ordinary and strong, and into old and new. The denomination of old is first given to them, one year after they have been bagged. New ordinary hops, when of equal dryness, are supposed to be nearly alike in quality, with old strong ones.

The different teints, with which hops are affected from the fire of the kiln, afford in brewing the best rule for adapting their color to that of the malt; in general the finest hops are the least, but the most carefully, dried.

To extract the resinous parts of the hops, it is necessary they should be boiled. The method of disposing them is generally to put the whole quantity, in the first wort, which, being always made with waters less hot than the succeeding extracts, possesses the greatest share of acids, and is in want of the largest proportion of resins and bitters to defend it. The virtue of the hops is not entirely lost by once boiling, there remains still enough to bitter and preserve the second wort. But where the first wort is short of itself, and a large quantity of hops are required for the whole, it is needless and wasteful to put more in at once than it can absorb, the overplus of which appears by a thin bitter pellicle floating on the wort when laid to cool in the backs. No particular rules can be given to avoid this inconveniency, as the nature and quantity of the worts on one side, and the strength of the hops on the other, must occasion a difference in the management, easily determinable by experience.

When waters, not sufficiently hot, have been used, the wort, for want of the proper quantity of oils, readily admits of the external impressions of the air, and is easily excited to a strong and tumultuous fermentation, which disperses the bitter particles, and diminishes the effects of the hops. The virtue of this plant is therefore retained in the drinks, in proportion to the heat of the extracts, and the slowness of the fermentation.

But beers being a composition of malt, hops, and water, united by heat, and the properties of this combination being judged of by the medium of the whole number of degrees of fire made use of in the process, as we brought the virtues of malt to this denomination, it is also essential to reduce those of hops. After many tedious calculations and experiments, made with this view, and unnecessary here to mention, we were obliged to have recourse to a more simple and probable hypothesis, and confirm the truth thereof by repeated experiments, the relation of which, as it becomes here necessary, will shew the necessity we were under to take a general view of the whole process before we attempted to ascertain this point.

In the table shewing the mean heat of the air applicable to practice, the greatest cold is 35 degrees, and in this season we observed, (page 156) the repositories of beers were more warm than this by 10 degrees, which makes the greatest cold of cellars to be 45 degrees; in the same table the highest heat is 60, when cellars are 5 degrees colder than the external airs, the utmost difference then in the temperature of cellars is 10 degrees, and this takes place in 6 months, so that the whole variety of heat beers deposited for keeping undergo in one twelvemonth is 20 degrees.

There is no specie of beer, in brewing of which it is requisite the artist should be more attentive to alter his process in proportion to the change of heat in the air, than common small beer, which, though brewed in every season, is constantly expected to be in an uniform order for use. In the preceding section, in the table directing this variety, we find a difference of five degrees of heat in the air, requires an alteration in medium heat of the whole process of 3 degrees, and as it is from the mean heat of the dryness of the malt, of the heat of the extracts, and of the value of hops in degrees, that we are to discover the quantity of fire to be given to the extracts, this can be done only by deducting from such medium so much as it is affected by the properties of the hops. Just before we have seen, that the whole of the variety of heat beers deposited in cellars to keep twelve months undergo, amounts to 20 degrees, these, in a proportion of 5 to 3, would be 12, without being scrupulously exact. Hops, with regard to their proportion in the whole process, must be admitted to be one third part thereof, and, in this case, of the proportion, 12, now found, only 4 degrees would be what they contribute towards preserving the drink 12 months: the quantity of hops necessary to maintain beers in a sound state this space of time, we have found to be twelve pounds; this quantity then is equal to 4 degrees of the medium heat of the whole process. On these grounds we repeatedly tried the experiment in a variety of brewings made for different purposes, and never found any inconveniencies from the estimating hops in such like proportion.

Hops should be used in proportion to the time the liquors are intended to be kept, and to the heat of the air in which they are fermented. The quantity requisite to preserve beers twelve months, experience has shewn to be20twelve pounds, of a good quality, joined to one quarter of malt, and when the heat of the air is at 40 degrees, three pounds to every quarter has been found sufficient to preserve drinks from four to six weeks, as six pounds are to keep them the same term when the thermometer is so high as 60 degrees. From these facts, founded on informations obtained from long practice, we shall hereafter ascertain the proper quantities to be used in all cases.

Having premised these observations, sufficiently accurate for the government of this art, the construction as well as utility of the following tables will be obvious.

A TABLE of the value of the hops, expressed in degrees, to be added to the medium of the dryness of the malt, and of the heat of the extracts.

Hops. New or strong.Pale, low dried, or old.

15lb. equal53¾

12 43

8 22

4 11

A TABLE of the quantity of hops requisite for every quarter of Malt brewed for porter, supposed to be fit for use from eight to twelve months.

lb.

Old ordinary hops started over old beer,14 per Qr.

Ditto, neat guiles,12½

Strong good old hops, when started over old beer,12½

Ditto, neat guiles,12

New strong hops, when started over old beer,12

Ditto, neat guiles,11½

New ordinary hops started over old beer,12½

Ditto, neat guiles,12

N.B. The quantity of old beer to be blended with new is here supposed never to exceed one eighth part of the whole.

A TABLE of the quantity of hops requisite for common small beer, for each quarter of malt, in every season.

Heat in the air.New hops. lb. oz.Old hops. lb. oz.

35°2 82 8

403 03 0

453 83 8

504 44 8

555 05 8

606 06 8

656 12

707 8

758 4

809 0

The medium heat of the hottest days in England, in the shade, seldom, at any time, exceeds 60 degrees, but I continued the table proportionably, as what is here set down is from repeated experiments, and from thence it appears, at the lowest fermentable degree of heat, three pounds of hops are required for each quarter of malt; at the highest, nine pounds of hops should be allowed for the same quantity; this, in some measure, determines the effect of a greater activity in fermentation.

A TABLE of the quantity of hops necessary to each quarter of malt, in brewing amber or two-penny.

Heat in the air.New hops. lb. oz.Old hops. lb. oz.

35°2 82 8

403 03 0

453 83 8

504 04 4

554 84 12

605 05 4

Amber is a liquor which, by repeated periodical fermentations, is so attenuated, as to be soon fit for use, and, by its strength, is supposed to resist the impressions of the air longer than common small beer, especially in winter; for this reason, it wants fewer hops than that drink does, and in the summer both require equal quantities, on account of the fermentation of amber being carried to a greater degree.

The hops once boiled in amber, but used afterwards for small beer, may be estimated equal to one fourth of their original quality.

When twelve shilling small beer is made after amber, the quality of the hops used should at least be equal in value to the quantity of ten pounds fresh hops to every five barrels of beer, when brewed from entire grists of malt for this purpose.

A TABLE of the quantity of hops necessary for each quarter of malt, in brewing Burton ale.

This liquor requires fewer hops than such ales as are more diluted by water: as it is always brewed in the winter, the quantities here set down are for the number of months it is supposed to be kept, before it is drank or bottled.

Months.lb. oz.

11 0

21 8

32 0

42 8

53 0

63 8

74 0

84 8

95 5

105 8

116 0

126 8

Though common amber, keeping amber, and Burton ales require the same degree of heat to govern the whole of their processes, yet some small difference will be found in the heats of their extracts, on account of the different quantity of hops used.

Besides the use of hops for keeping the musts of malt, they may also, with great propriety, be employed both to strengthen and preserve sound the extracts. One or two pounds, in a net suspended in the water the mash is to be formed with, are sufficient for this purpose.

Though the purchasing the materials, used in manufacture, does not immediately relate to its practical part, yet as, in this case, it is of great importance to the brewer to know what stock it is prudent for him to keep, of an ingredient equally necessary and variable in its value, I hope the attempt of a calculation on this subject, will easily be pardoned.

The amount of the duty upon hops, for sixteen years, from 1748 to 1765, was £.1,171,227, which sum, estimating the duty at 21s. per bag, gives 1,115,454 bags, used in that time. At the beginning and expiration of this interval, hops sold at such high prices, as no considerable stock can be supposed to have remained in hand, viz. from £.8 to £.10 per hundred. If, therefore, to the aforesaid quantity of 1,115,454 bags, which may be supposed to have served for the whole consumption during this period, we add what may have escaped paying duty21, the annual consumption of hops may be estimated at 70,000 bags, including what is exported to Ireland or elsewhere. From these premises, the following table was constructed, which, though not capable of absolute certainty, may be of some service to the brewers, in informing them of the quantities, that probably remain in hand at any time, and the stock which prudence will suggest to them to lay in.

A TABLE, shewing the medium price Hops should bear, in proportion to the growth, and determining the quantity to be purchased, in proportion to the stock in hand.

Prices of hops at a medium22 per cwt.Stock of new and old hops in the whole kingdom, after the harvest.Quantity of hops equal to as many weeks consumption.

30Shill.130000bags,70

35 125000 65

40 120000 61

45 115000 57

50 110000 53

55 105000 47

60 100000 44

70 95000 40

80 90000 36

90 85000 32

100 80000 28

110 75000 24

120 75000 20

130 70000 16

140 67000 12

150 65000 8

160 62000 4

170 60000

180 57000

190 55000

200 52000

This chapter should not be dismissed without reminding the brewery, of the gross imposition they submit to in purchasing hops. The tare which justice requires to be allowed in the sale of all packed merchandize, by the hop-factors is refused, who exact payment for the bagging, at the same price as for the commodity itself. If the consumption of hops, in England, is yearly 172,268 cwt. and these be packed one half in bags and the other half in pockets, taking the mean price of hops to be 3l. 14s. per cwt. in this case the consumers are defrauded at least of 39,834l. per annum; that, on a just regulation of this matter, the commodity itself would rise in price, there is not the least foundation for. The present practice of monopolizing hops, by much too frequent, is a farther reason to induce the brewery to exert the influence they ought to have with superior power, to obtain a right so justly due to them.

SECTION V. OF THE LENGTHS NECESSARY TO FORM MALT-LIQUORS OF THE SEVERAL DENOMINATIONS.

By length, in the brewery, is understood the quantity of drink made from one quarter of malt. Beers and ales differ in this respect; and the particular strength allowed to every sort of drink, varies also somewhat, according to the prices of the materials. This increase or abatement is, however, never such as to make the profits certain or uniform; for the value of the grain being sometimes double of what it is at other times, a proportionable diminution in strength, can by no means take place.

It might be expected to find here tables determining the differences in strength and quality of each drink, in proportion to their prices, and the expences of the brewer. But this, for many reasons, would be inconvenient, and in some respects impracticable. He, who chuses to be at this trouble, ought not only to take into the account, the prices of malt and hops, but the hazards in the manufacturing them, those of leakage, of bad cellars, and of careless management, the frequent returns, attended with many losses, the wearing out of utensils, and especially of casks, which last article, engrosses at least one fifth of the brewer’s capital, the charges of servants, horses, and carriages, for the delivery of the drinks, the duties paid immediately to the government, without any security for the reimbursement, the large stock and credit necessary to carry on this trade, and many other incidents, hardly to be estimated with a sufficient accuracy, and never alike to every brewer. In general it appears, when malt and hops are sold at mean prices, the value of what is employed of these, is equal to the charge attending the manufacture, or of about half the value of the drinks. Hence this conclusion, sensibly felt by every honest trader, that, from change of circumstances, the reputation of the profits has outlived the reality of them, and that a trade, perhaps the most useful to the landed interest, to the government, and to the public, of any, seems distinguished from all, by greater hazards, and less encouragement.

But, in a treatise like this, where only the rules upon which true brewing is founded, are laid down, I would avoid any thing that might, though undesignedly, give handle to invidious reflections, and ill-timed controversies. I therefore content myself with setting down the latitudes of the lengths which should be made for drinks of every denomination.

Lengths of beers, according to the excise gauges, observed within the bills of mortality, or the Winchester measure.

Lengths of common small beer.╮ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ≻ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╯from one quarter of malt.

4¼ Barrels to 5¼,

Lengths of keeping small beer.

4¾ Barrels to 5½,

Lengths of amber, or pale ale.

1½ Barrel to 1¾,

Lengths of brown strong, or porter.

2¼ Barrels to 2¾,

Lengths of Burton ale.

1 Barrel to 1¼,

SECTION VI. METHOD OF CALCULATING THE HEIGHT IN THE COPPER AT WHICH WORTS ARE TO GO OUT.

The expected quantities, or lengths of beer and ale, can only be found by determining at what height in the copper the worts must be when turned out.

Brewers have several methods of expressing to what part they would have the worts reduced by boiling. Brass, is the technical appellation for the upper rim of the copper; it is a fixed point, from which the estimation generally takes place, either by inches, or by the nails, which rivet the parts of the copper together. These last are not very equal, either in the breadth of their heads, or their distances from each other. Inches then, though not specified on the copper, but determined by the application of a gauge, on which they are marked, claim the preference. The necessity of coppers being gauged, and the contents of what they contain on every inch, both above and below brass, must appear in a stronger light, the nearer we bring the art to exactness. The following tables will shew the most useful manner in which I conceive this gauging should be specified.

Gauges of Coppers.

Great Copper, set up Nov. 30, 1750. Little Copper, set up Aug. 3, 1753.

Inches above Brass. 23B. F. G. Inches above brass. B. F. G. Current of Little Copper allowed.

17 15 3 4 Full 1511 2 7

16 15 2 1 Current of Great Copper allowed. 14 11 1 5

15 15 0 5 13 11 0 3

14 14 2 8 12 10 3 1

13 14 1 4 11 10 1 7

12 13 3 7 10 10 0 6

11 13 2 3 9 9 3 4

10 13 0 6 8 9 2 2

9 12 3 2 7 9 0 8

8 12 1 5 6 8 3 6

7 12 0 1 5 8 2 5

6 11 2 4 4 8 1 3

5 11 0 8 3 8 0 1

4 10 3 3 2 7 2 7

3 10 1 7 1 7 1 5

2 10 0 2 Inches below brass. Brass 7 0 5

1 9 2 6 1 6 3 5

Inches below brass. Brass 9 1 1 2 6 2 5

1 8 3 8 3 6 1 5

2 8 2 6 4 6 0 5

3 8 1 4 5 5 1 5

4 8 0 2 6 5 2 5

5 7 2 8 7 5 1 5

6 7 1 6 8 5 0 5

7 7 0 4 9 4 3 4

8 6 3 3 10 4 2 5

9 6 2 2 11 4 1 6

By the foregoing table, it is seen that my great copper holds nearly nine barrels of water to brass, and as the difference of the volume between boiling worts, of most denominations, and cold water, is nearly as 7 to 9, the quantity it will yield of boiling worts will be but seven barrels. The diameter of this copper, just above brass, is sixty-eight inches, at a medium, and at that mean it holds twelve gallons seven pints of cold water, or nearly eleven gallons of boiling worts, upon an inch.

Hops macerated, by being twice boiled, take up for every six pound weight a volume, in the copper, equal to four gallons and a half of water, or a pin.

In a copper, the gauges of which have just been set down, it is required to know what number of inches a length of twenty-four barrels must go out at, with fifteen pounds of hops, the guile of beer to be brewed at two worts.

24Barrels, length of beer.

14Barrels, for two full brass,.

——

10

34Numbers of gallons to a barrel accounted by the excise, out of the bills of mortality.

——

40Hops twice put in 15lb. is30.

30 ——.

——6lb.[ 30.

340 5

Gallons of boiling wort upon an inch22 Equal to gallons4½.

————

11 [ 36222

————

33 Inches above brass, the two worts to go out together.

When three worts are boiled, the amount of three full brasses must be deducted from the length; and as the hops go into the copper three times, they become more macerated, and take up much less room. The proportion is then nearly thirteen or fourteen pounds of hops for each four gallons and a half.

Thus in coppers, which have never been tried or used, we are able, by the gauges alone, to determine our lengths; but, as their circumferences are not always exact, and the worts are of very different strengths, we should never neglect such trials as may bring us nearer to accuracy and truth.