The London and Country Brewer Part 3

Take a Quart of Black Cherry Brandy, and pour it in at the Bung-hole of the Hogshead and stop it close.

To recover deadish Beer.

When strong Drink grows flat, by the loss of its Spirits, take four or five Gallons out of a Hogshead, and boil it with five Pound of Honey, skim it, and when cold, put it to the rest, and stop it up close: This will make it pleasant, quick and strong.

To make stale Beer drink new.

Take the Herb h.o.r.ehound stamp it and strain it, then put a Spoonful of the juice (which is an extream good Pectoral) to a pitcher-full of Beer, let it stand covered about two Hours and drink it.

To fine Malt Liquors.

Take a pint of water, half an Ounce of unslack'd Lime, mix them well together, let it stand three Hours and the Lime will settle to the Bottom, and the water be as clear as Gla.s.s, pour the water from the Sediment, and put it into your Ale or Beer, mix it with half an Ounce of Ising-gla.s.s first cut small and boiled, and in five Hours time or less the Beer in the Barrel will settle and clear.

There are several other Compositions that may be used for this purpose, but none that I ever heard of will answer like those most Excellent b.a.l.l.s that Mr. Ellis of Little Gaddesden in Hertfordshire has found out by his own Experience to be very great Refiners, Preservers and Relishers of Malt Liquors and Cyders, and will also recover damag'd Drinks, as I have mentioned in my Second Book, where I have given a further Account of some other things that will fine, colour and improve Malt Drinks: The b.a.l.l.s are sold at [missing text]

CHAP. XV.

Of several pernicious Ingredients put into Malt Liquors to encrease their Strength.

Malt Liquors, as well as several others, have long lain under the disreputation of being adulterated and greatly abused by avaricious and ill-principled People, to augment their Profits at the Expence of the precious Health of human Bodies, which, tho' the greatest Jewel in Life, is said to be too often lost by the Deceit of the Brewer, and the Intemperance of the Drinker: This undoubtedly was one, and I believe the greatest, of the Lord Bacon's Reasons for saying, he thought not one Englishman in a thousand died a natural Death. Nor is it indeed to be much wondered at, when, according to Report, several of the Publicans make it their Business to study and practise this Art, witness what I am afraid is too true, that some have made use of the Coculus India Berry for making Drink heady, and saving the Expence of Malt; but as this is a violent Potion by its narcotick stupifying Quality, if taken in too large a degree, I hope this will be rather a prevention of its use than an invitation, it being so much of the nature of the deadly Nightshade, that it bears the same Character; and I am sure the latter is bad enough; for one of my Neighbour's Brothers was killed by eating its Berries that grow in some of our Hedges, and so neatly resembles the black Cherry, that the Boy took the wrong for the right.

There is another sinister Practice said to be frequently used by ill Persons to supply the full quant.i.ty of Malt, and that is Coriander Seeds: This also is of a heady nature boiled in the Wort, one Pound of which will answer to a Bushel of Malt, as was ingenuously confess'd to me by a Gardener, who own'd he sold a great deal of it to Alehouse Brewers (for I don't suppose the great Brewer would be concern'd in any such Affair) for that purpose, purpose, at Ten-pence per Pound; but how wretchedly ignorant are those that make use of it, not knowing the way first to cure and prepare it for this and other mixtures, without which it is a dangerous thing, and will cause Sickness in the Drinkers of it. Others are said to make use of Lime-stones to fine and preserve the Drink; but to come off the fairest in such foul Artifices, it has been too much a general Practice to beat the Yeast so long into the Ale, that without doubt it has done great Prejudice to the Healths of many others besides the Person I have writ of in the Preface of my Second Book. For the sake then of Seller and Buyer, I have here offered several valuable Receipts for fining, preserving and mellowing Beers and Ales, in such a true healthful and beneficial manner, that from henceforth after the Perusal of this Book, and the knowledge of their worth are fully known, no Person, I hope, will be so sordidly obstinate as to have any thing to do with such unwholsome Ingredients; because these are not only of the cheapest sort, but will answer their End and Purpose; and the rather, since Malts are now only twenty Shillings per Quarter, and like to hold a low Price for Reasons that I could here a.s.sign.

I own, I formerly thought they were too valuable to expose to the Publick by reason of their Cheapness and great Virtues, as being most of them wholsomer than the Malt itself, which is but a corrupted Grain. But, as I hope they will do considerable Service in the World towards having clear salubrious and pleasant Malt Liquors in most private Families and Alehouses, I have my Satisfaction.

CHAP. XVI.

Of the Cellar or Repository for keeping Beers and Ales.

It's certain by long Experience, that the Weather or Air has not only a Power or Influence in Brewings; but also after the Drink is in the Barrel, Hogshead or b.u.t.t, in Cellars or other Places, which is often the cause of forwarding or r.e.t.a.r.ding the fineness of Malt Liquors; for if we brew in cold Weather, and the Drink is to stand in a Cellar of Clay, or where Springs rise, or Waters lye or pa.s.s through, such a Place by consequence will check the due working of the Drink, chill, flat, deaden and hinder it from becoming fine. So likewise if Beer or Ale is brewed in hot Weather and put into Chalky, Gravelly or Sandy Cellars, and especially if the Windows open to the South, South-East, or South-West, then it is very likely it will not keep long, but be muddy and stale: Therefore, to keep Beer in such a Cellar, it should be brewed in October, that the Drink may have time to cure itself before the hot Weather comes on; but in wettish or damp Cellars, 'tis best to Brew in March, that the Drink may have time to fine and settle before the Winter Weather is advanced. Now such Cellar Extremities should, if it could be done, be brought into a temperate State, for which purpose some have been so curious as to have double or treble Doors to their Cellar to keep the Air out, and then carefully shut the outward, before they enter the inward one, whereby it will be more secure from aerial Alterations; for in Cellars and Places, that are most exposed to such Seasons, Malt Liquors are frequently disturb'd and made unfit for a nice Drinker; therefore if a Cellar is kept dry and these Doors to it, it is reckoned warm in Winter and cool in Summer, but the best of Cellars are thought to be those in Chalks, Gravels or Sands, and particularly in Chalks, which are of a drying quality more than any other, and consequently dissipates Damps the most of all Earths, which makes it contribute much to the good keeping of the Drink; for all damp Cellars are prejudicial to the Preservation of Beers and Ales, and sooner bring on the rotting of the Casks and Hoops than the dry ones; Insomuch that in a chalky Cellar near me, their Ashen broad Hoops have lasted above thirty Years. Besides, in such inclosed Cellars and temperate Air, the Beers and Ales ripen more kindly, are better digested and softned, and drink smoother: But when the Air is in a disproportion by the Cellars letting in Heats and Colds, the Drink will grow Stale and be disturbed, sooner than when the Air is kept out. From hence it is, that in some Places their Malt Liquors are exceeding good, because they brew with Pale or Amber Malts, Chalky Water, and keep their Drinks in close Vaults or proper dry Cellars, which is of such Importance, that notwithstanding any Malt Liquor may be truly brewed, yet it may be spoiled in a bad Cellar that may cause such alternate Fermentations as to make it thick and sour, tho' it sometimes happens that after such Changes it fines itself again; and to prevent these Commotions of the Beer, some brew their pale Malt in March and their brown in October, for that the pale Malt, having not so many fiery Particles in it as the brown, stands more in need of the Summer's Weather to ripen it, while the brown sort being more hard and dry is better able to defend itself against the Winter Colds that will help to smooth its harsh Particles; yet when they happen to be too violent, Horse-dung should be laid to the Windows as a Fortification against them; but if there were no Lights at all to a Cellar, it would be better.

Some are of Opinion, that October is the best of all other Months to brew any sort of Malt in, by reason there are so many cold Months directly follow, that will digest the Drink and make it much excel that Brewed in March because such Beer will not want that Care and Watching, as that brewed in March absolutely requires, by often taking out and putting in the Vent-peg on Change of Weather; and if it is always left out, then it deadens and palls the Drink; yet if due Care is not taken in this respect, a Thunder or Stormy Night may marr all, by making the Drink ferment and burst the Cask; for which Reason, as Iron Hoops are most in Fashion at this time, they are certainly the greatest Security to the safety of the Drink thus exposed; and next to them is the Chesnut Hoop; both which will endure a shorter or longer time as the Cellar is more or less dry, and the Management attending them. The Iron Hoop generally begins to rust first at the Edges, and therefore should be rubbed off when opportunity offers, and be both kept from wet as much as possible; for 'tis Rust that eats the Iron Hoop in two sometimes in ten or twelve Years, when the Ashen and Chesnut in dry Cellars have lasted three times as long.

CHAP. XVII.

Of Cleaning and Sweetening of Casks.

In Case your Cask is a b.u.t.t, then with cold Water first rince out the Lees clean, and have ready, boiling or very hot Water, which put in, and with a long Stale and a little Birch fastened to its End, scrub the Bottom as well as you can. At the same time let there be provided another shorter Broom of about a Foot and a half long, that with one Hand may be so imployed in the upper and other Parts as to clean the Cask well: So in a Hogshead or other smaller Vessel, the one-handed short Broom may be used with Water, or with Water, Sand or Ashes, and be effectually cleaned; the outside of the Cask about the Bung-hole should be well washed, lest the Yeast, as it works over, carries some of its Filth with it.

But to sweeten a Barrel, Kilderkin, Firkin or Pin in the great Brewhouses, they put them over the Copper Hole for a Night together, that the Steam of the boiling Water or Wort may penetrate into the Wood; this Way is such a furious Searcher, that unless the Cask is new hooped just before, it will be apt to fall in pieces.

Another Way.

Take a Pottle, or more, of Stone Lime, and put it into the Cask; on this pour some Water and stop it up directly, shaking it well about.

Another Way.

Take a long Linnen Rag and dip it in melted Brimstone, light it at the end, and let it hang pendant with the upper part of the Rag fastened to the wooden Bung; this is a most quick sure Way, and will not only sweeten, but help to fine the Drink.

Another.

Or to make your Cask more pleasant, you may use the Vintners Way thus: Take four Ounces of Stone Brimstone, one Ounce of burnt Alum, and two Ounces of Brandy; melt all these in an Earthen Pan over hot Coals, and dip therein a piece of new Canvas, and instantly sprinkle thereon the Powders of Nutmegs, Cloves, Coriander and Anise-seeds: This Canvas set on fire, and let it burn hanging in the Cask fastened at the end with the wooden Bung, so that no Smoke comes out.

For a Musty Cask.

Boil some Pepper in water and fill the Cask with it scalding hot.

For a very stinking Vessel.

The last Remedy is the Coopers taking out one of the Heads of the Cask to sc.r.a.pe the inside, or new-shave the Staves, and is the surest way of all others, if it is fired afterwards within-side a small matter, as the Cooper knows how.

These several Methods may be made use of at Discretion, and will be of great Service where they are wanted. The sooner also a Remedy is applied, the better; else the Taint commonly encreases, as many have to their prejudice proved, who have made use of such Casks, in hopes the next Beer will overcome it; but when once a Cask is infected, it will be a long while, if ever, before it becomes sweet, if no Art is used. Many therefore of the careful sort, in case they han't a Convenience to fill their Vessel as soon as it is empty, will stop it close, to prevent the Air and preserve the Lees sound, which will greatly tend to the keeping of the Cask pure and sweet against the next Occasion.

To prepare a new Vessel to keep Malt Liquors in.

A new Vessel is most improperly used by some ignorant People for strong Drink after only once or twice scalding with Water, which is so wrong, that such Beer or Ale will not fail of tasting thereof for half, if not a whole Year afterwards; such is the Tang of the Oak and its Bark, as may be observed from the strong Scents of Tan-Yards, which the Bark is one cause of. To prevent then this Inconvenience, when your Brewing is over put up some Water scalding hot, and let it run throu' the Grains, then boil it and fill up the Cask, stop it well and let it stand till it is cold, do this twice, then take the Grounds of strong Drink and boil in it green Wallnut Leaves and new Hay or Wheat Straw, and put all into the Cask, that it be full and stop it close. After this, use it for small Beer half a Year together, and then it will be thoroughly sweet and fit for strong Drinks; or

Another Way.

Take a new Cask and dig a Hole in the Ground, in which it may lye half depth with the Bung downwards; let it remain a Week, and it will greatly help this or any stinking musty Cask. But besides these, I have writ of two other excellent Ways to sweeten musty or stinking Casks, in my Second Book of Brewing.

Wine Casks.

These, in my Opinion, are the cheapest of all others to furnish a Person readily with, as being many of them good Casks for Malt Liquors, because the Sack and White-Wine sorts are already season'd to Hand, and will greatly improve Beers and Ales that are put in them: But beware of the Rhenish Wine Cask for strong Drinks; for its Wood is so tinctured with this sharp Wine, that it will hardly ever be free of it, and therefore such Cask is best used for Small Beer: The Claret Cask will a great deal sooner be brought into a serviceable State for holding strong Drink, if it is two or three times scalded with Grounds of Barrels, and afterwards used for small Beer for some time. I have bought a b.u.t.t or Pipe for eight Shillings in London with some Iron Hoops on it, a good Hogshead for the same, and the half Hogshead for five Shillings, the Carriage for a b.u.t.t by the Waggon thirty Miles is two Shillings and Sixpence, and the Hogshead Eighteen-pence: But, to cure a Claret Cask of its Colour and Taste, put a Peck of Stone-Lime into a Hogshead, and pour upon it three Pails of Water; bung immediately with a Wood-or Cork Bung, and shake it well about a quarter of an Hour, and let it stand a Day and Night and it will bring off the red Colour, and alter the Taste of the Cask very much. But of three several other excellent Methods for curing musty, stinking, new and other tainted Casks, I have writ of in my Account of Casks in my Second Book.

CHAP. XVIII.

Of Bunging Casks and Carrying of Malt Liquors to some distance.

I am sure this is of no small Consequence, however it may be esteemed as a light matter by some; for if this is not duly perform'd, all our Charge, Labour and Care will be lost; and therefore here I shall dissent from my London Fashion, where I bung'd up my Ale with Pots of Clay only, or with Clay mix'd with Bay Salt, which is the better of the two, because this Salt will keep the Clay moist longer than in its Original State; and the b.u.t.t Beers and fine Ales were Bung'd with Cork drove in with a piece of Hop-Sack or Rag, which I think are all insipid, and the occasion of spoiling great Quant.i.ties of Drink, especially the small Beers; for when the Clay is dry, which is soon in Summer, there cannot be a regular Vent thro' it, and then the Drink from that time flattens and stales to the great loss in a Year to some Owners, and the Benefit of the Brewer; for then a fresh Cask must be Tapp'd to supply it, and the remaining part of the other throw'd away. Now, to prevent this great Inconvenience, my Bung-holes are not quite of the largest size of all, and yet big enough for the common wooden Iron Hoop'd Funnel used in some Brew-houses: In this I put in a turned piece of Ash or Sallow three Inches broad at Top, and two Inches and a half long, first putting in a double piece of dry brown Paper, that is so broad that an Inch or more may be out of it, after the wooden Bung is drove down with a Hammer pretty tight; this Paper must be furl'd or twisted round the Bung, and another loose piece upon and around that, with a little Yeast, and a small Peg put into the Bung, which is to be raised at Discretion when the Beer is drawing, or at other times to give it Vent if there should be occasion: Others will put some Coal or Wood Ashes wetted round this Bung, which will bind very hard, and prevent any Air getting into or out of the Cask; but this in time is apt to rot, and wear the Bung-hole by the Salt or Sulphur in the Ashes, and employing a Knife to sc.r.a.pe it afterwards. Yet, for keeping Beers, it's the best Security of all other ways whatsoever.

There is also a late Invention practised by a common Brewer in the Country that I am acquainted with, for the safe Carriage of Drink on Drays, to some distance without losing any of it, and that is in the Top Center of one of these Bungs, he puts in a wooden Funnel, whose Spout is about four Inches long, and less than half an Inch Diameter at Bottom; this is turned at Top into a concave Fashion like a hollow round Bowl, that will hold about a Pint, which is a constant Vent to the Cask, and yet hinders the Liquor from ascending no faster than the Bowl can receive, and return it again into the Barrel: I may say further, he has brought a Barrel two Miles, and it was then full, when it arrived at his Customers, because the Pint that was put into the Funnel, at setting out, was not at all lost when he took it off the Dray; this may be also made of Tin; and will serve from the b.u.t.t to the small Cask.

In the b.u.t.t there is a Cork-hole made about two Inches below the upper Head, and close under that a piece of Leather is nailed Spout-fashion, that jetts three Inches out, from which the Yeast works and falls into a Tub, and when the working is over the Cork is put closely in, for the Bung in the Head of the upright Cask is put in as soon as it is filled up with new Drink: Now when such a Cask is to be broach'd and a quick Draught is to follow, then it may be tapp'd at Bottom; but if otherwise, the Bra.s.s c.o.c.k ought to be first put in at the middle, and before the Drink sinks to that it should be Tapp'd at Bottom to prevent the breaking of the Head of Yeast, and its growing stale, flat and sour.

In some Places in the Country when they brew Ale or Beer to send to London at a great Distance, they let it be a Year old before they Tap it, so that then it is perfectly fine; this they put into small Casks that have a Bung-hole only fit for a large Cork, and then they immediately put in a Role of Bean-flour first kneaded with Water or Drink, and baked in an Oven, which is all secured by pitching in the Cork, and so sent in the Waggon; the Bean-flour feeding and preserving the Body of the Drink all the way, without fretting or causing it to burst the Cask for want of Vent, and when Tapp'd will also make the Drink very brisk, because the Flour is in such a hard Consistence, that it won't dissolve in that time; but if a little does mix with the Ale or Beer, its heavy Parts will sooner fine than thicken the Drink and keep it mellow and lively to the last, if Air is kept out of the Barrel.

CHAP. XIX.

Of the Strength and Age of Malt Liquors.

Whether they be Ales or strong Beers, it is certain that the midling sort is allowed by Physicians to be the most agreeable of any, especially to those of a sedentary Life, or those that are not occupied in such Business as promotes Perspiration enough to throw out and break the Viscidities of the stronger sorts; on which account the laborious Man has the advantage, whose Diet being poor and Body robust, the strength of such Liquors gives a Supply and better digests into Nourishment: But for the unactive Man a Hogshead of Ale which is made from six Bushels of Malt is sufficient for a Diluter of their Food, and will better a.s.sist their Const.i.tution than the more strong sort, that would in such produce Obstructions and ill Humours; and therefore that Quant.i.ty for Ale, and ten Bushels for a Hogshead of strong Beer that should not be Tapp'd under nine Months, is the most healthful. And this I have experienc'd by enjoying such an Amber Liquor that has been truly brewed from good Malt, as to be of a Vinous Nature, that would permit of a hearty Dose over Night, and yet the next Morning leave a Person light, brisk and unconcern'd. This then is the true Nostrum of Brewing, and ought to be studied and endeavoured for by all those that can afford to follow the foregoing Rules, and then it will supply in a great measure those chargeable (and often adulterated tartarous arthritick) Wines. So likewise for small Beer, especially in a Farmer's Family where it is not of a Body enough, the Drinkers will be feeble in hot Weather and not be able to perform their Work, and will also bring on Distempers, besides the loss of time, and a great waste of such Beer that is generally much thrown away; because Drink is certainly a Nourisher of the Body, as well as Meats, and the more substantial they both are, the better will the Labourer go through his Work, especially at Harvest; and in large Families the Doctor's Bills have proved the Evil of this bad Oeconomy, and far surmounted the Charge of that Malt that would have kept the Servants in good Health, and preserved the Beer from such Waste as the smaller sort is liable to.

'Tis therefore that some prudent Farmers will brew their Ale and small Beer in March, by allowing of five or six Bushels of Malt, and two Pounds of Hops to the Hogshead of Ale, and a quarter of Malt and three Pounds of Hops to five Barrels of small Beer. Others there are, that will brew their Ale or strong Beer in October, and their small Beer a Month before it is wanted. Others will brew their Ale and small Beer in April, May and June; but this according to humour, and therefore I have hinted of the several Seasons for Brewing these Liquors: However in my Opinion, whether it be strong or small Drinks, they should be clear, smooth and not too small, if they are design'd for Profit and Health; for if they are otherwise, it will be a sad Evil to Harvest Men, because then they stand most in need of the greatest Balsamicks: To this end some of the softning Ingredients mentioned in the foregoing Receipts should be made use of to feed it accordingly, if these Drinks are brewed forward. And that this particular important Article in the Brewing Oeconomy may be better understood, I shall here recite Dr. Quincy's Opinion of Malt Liquors, viz. The Age of Malt Drinks makes them more or less wholsome, and seems to do somewhat the same as Hops; for those Liquors which are longest kept, are certainly the least viscid; Age by degrees breaking the viscid Parts, and rendering them smaller, makes them finer for Secretion; but this is always to be determined by their Strength, because in Proportion to that will they sooner or later come to their full Perfection and likewise their Decay, until the finer Spirits quite make their Escape, and the remainder becomes vapid and sour. By what therefore has been already said, it will appear that the older Drinks are the more healthful, so they be kept up to this Standard, but not beyond it. Some therefore are of Opinion, that strong Beer brewed in October should be Tapp'd at Midsummer, and that brewed in March at Christmas, as being most agreeable to the Seasons of the Year that follow such Brewings: For then they will both have part of a Summer and Winter to ripen and digest their several Bodies; and 'tis my humble Opinion, that where the Strength of the Beer, the Quant.i.ty of Hops, the boiling Fermentation and the Cask are all rightly managed, there Drink may be most excellent, and better at nine Months Age, than at nine Years, for Health and Pleasure of Body. But to be truly certain of the right Time, there should be first an Examination made by Pegging the Vessel to prove if such Drink is fine, the Hop sufficiently rotted, and it be mellow and well tasted.

CHAP. XX.

Of the Pleasure and Profit of Private Brewing, and the Charge of buying Malt Liquors.