Historical Document · 1842

The Cause and Prevention of Acidity in Malt Liquors

Author: Hitchcock
Year: 1842
Type: Historical Document

distilling

A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON BREWING; SHOWING THE CAUSE AND PREVENTION OF ACIDITY IN MALT LIQUORS. BY THOMAS HITCHCOCK, PROFESSOR OF BREWING AND MALTING. LONDON: PRINTED BY R. BOYD, UPPER STREET, ISLINGTON. 1842. AAR. Digitized by Google PREFACE. Brewine is a science that in the present age may be considered as almost in its infancy, or at least under- stood but by few, notwithstanding many works have issued from the press on the subject. It is not the pur- pose of the author to detract from the merits of various publications; it will be sufficient to state, that none have been able to direct the practitioner how to produce that bright, sound, exhilirating beverage proposed when commencing business. The intent of this treatise is to supply that deficiency. Acidity has been the stumbling-block to many an aspirant to public favour, and is still a great plague in the brewery. The writer of this therefore flatters himeelf, that in pointing out the cause and prevention of that plague, he is conferring a favour of no ordinary kind on the public brewer. li PREFACE. The system herein laid down is the result of many years’ experience, and of numberless experiments; and is free from theory of all kind. It simply and plainly directs the operator in the manufacture of the malt, choice of hops, and shows the best means of making the most of his materials with unerring certainty. The testimonials of a large number of gentlemen, whom he has instructed, will be a sufficient guarantee of the superiority of this system over all others, and may induce many moré to adopt it; the author being certain that the result will be appreciated, at least, where a good article from malt and hops is desired. That it has been a general belief that malt liquors cannot be produced to perfection, save only in the colder months of the year, the author is well aware; but he conceives it equally as easy to produce them in perfec- tion in hot weather, as to make good bread. It is merely necessary to arrange the plant of the brewery properly, and to follow certain truths revealed by na- ture. Did we do so, we should not then hear cf such nonsense as thunder and lightning turning beer sour, or of electricity producing ropiness. Brewing is an art that from time immemorial has been considered simple; yet, simple as it is, our brew- PREFACE. ili ers do not produce results that lead us to suppose it so very simple. Yet it is simple ; its simplicity is shown in the following pages ; and the author concludes, by stating that he attends the principals of establishments, for the purpose of fully carrying out the system herein laid down. He also deems it not out of place here to state, that he discovered the means of preventing acidity in malt liquors so long ago as the year 1828, and that he ad- vertised the discovery in the public newspapers of 1832, under the initials, T. H.”? He merely mentions this, as others have been supposed to be the discoverers thereof. THOMAS HITCHCOCK, Professor of Brewing and Malting. 16, OLp Barey, 14TH Marca, 1842. Digitized by Google CONTENTS, Liquorback ...ccsceseesccscoeessens coeees eee seecascesees coeveeseeses Coppers... 0+ sseeoMash-tun —....+ «0s steeeeesess ceeeescensee Hopback .......sceeeseeeesee sees ceeeee teeeen ceeees ceenes cease eevese Coolers ...06--ssceeeee Refrigerators ...... 22.00. cscs corres sesees Gyle-tuns ....... ee cee eee eecnes cereescnecesenereseesseseees te veseereee Boiling .........seeccoees sever Hopping - Cooling ......... Fermentation ......+. Attenuation ........c..00e8 Ales: Burton ....csscccssserese coreersessee es » Scotch .....0.-. «- Porter ces eneeesceecescenceecercccens “0080 coe seccessceneees Table, showing the i increase 2 of gravity, per ‘barrel of worts Malting of Barley.........---sscscesssscccessescceserenncsessreesece Steeping ..0...cseesseseoeeeee O06 erase cesses vonseceas Couching ...... Flooring ..............+sssesssees Kilm-Grying ....0..ccesscoesssceeesees sereee coseeenes Rule for guidance in the Heats of Kiln... ...... Construction of the Malt-house ...... ....0...00 Table of Registry of Brewings ...... seeesesccnee erscer seasecnes Observations ........sseereseseeeeeees ” Hops .ccocoseseeeceseees KEY TO THE ENGRAVING. 1 Liquorback. 2 Liquor-copper. 3 Mash-tun, 4 Underback, 5 Wort-copper. 6 Hopback. 7 Large Gyle-tun. 8, 8 Refrigerator. 9, 9, 9, 9, 9 Small Gyle-tuns, under ground. 10, 10 Coal-holes for coppers. 11, 11 Ash-holes to coppers. 14, Coal Store. 15 Steam-engine. 16, 16 Furnaces to coppers. 17, 17 Discharge for cold liquor to attemperators. 18, 18 Liquor-pipe from pump. 19, 19, 19 Cold liquor charge for attemperators and refrigerator. 20 Tap to cold liquor-pipe. 21, 21, 21 Wort-pipe from large gyle to small gyles. 22, 22, 22, 22, 22 Taps to small gyle-tuns, to let wort in and out. 23 Tap to large gyle. 24 Liquor discharge from refrigerator. 25 Wort charge to ditto. 26 Liquor discharge from pipes in hopback, 27,27 Wort discharge to refrigerator. a, a, b, b, b, b Taps. e, e Tap to cold liquor-pipe from back. d, f Valves to ditto. g, g Taps for coppers. 0, 0 Doors to underback, A Grinding toom. B, B Gyle-rooms and Stores. C Vat Store. D Hop and malt Store. - ON BREWING. Tax primary object of every public brewer is a generally good article; to accomplish this end, it is necessary the plant be properly arranged. The site or situation of the brewery should be near a sufficient supply of good spring — water. Erect a strong substantial building of brick or stone; place the liquor copper therein sufficiently high, that liquor may run therefrom to any desired part of the brewery. The setting of the coppers should be par- ticularly attended to; the mash-tun may be a little below the tap of the liquor copper: the liquor is introduced at its bottom, beneath the perforated false bottom, and rises through there, saturating the malt. Two or more taps are necessary in the mash-tub, for the more ready dis- charge of the worts. Immediately below the mash-tun 14 A TREATISE is the underback, which should be built either round or square, of wood: when in use, it should be rendered quite air-tight, and free from any atmospheric current, On a level with the bottom of this utensil is the wort copper; the hopback placed a little below the tap of the wort copper ; the coolers, if any, low enough that the worts may run therein from the hopback, yet sufficiently high as toallow the worts to run into the gyle-tuns, By arranging the plant in this manner, much time and labour is saved, which is the reverse with the old round about method. These few observations, together with the plate engraving, showing the arrangement of the utensils, and to which we would call particular atten- tion, will be sufficient to guide a brewer in the ar- rangement of his plant. We will therefore proceed to treat of the different heads the system herein to be described is to be arranged. Some individuals recommend the Liqvorsack to oc- cupy the place of a roof toa brewery. This is decidedly a bad plan, unless it be protected from the air and sun. But, be it placed where it may, it should have pipes leading therefrom to all parts of the brewery, where cold liquor is required. The refrigerator and attem.- perators are best filled from its source. ON BREWING. 15 Coppers need not be so thick as they are generally made. It is erroneous to suppose, that unless the sides possess considerable thickness, the action of the fire will cause the worts to burn. The reverse is the case; the thinner they are, the sooner their caloric is absorbed by the wort, or liquor; but a medium is to be observed. Do not have them so thin as to bend or give way in the least, Their dimensions are, depth equal to mean diameter. Open coppers are superior to those with domes and pans, as the worts boiled therein are not so likely to rise over, and are sooner rendered pure ; nor are they so apt to become high coloured, as is the case with close coppers. The liquor copper should contain from three to four barrels of liquor, per quarter of malt; with two taps, one straight, with union joint on its end, for sparging. The wort copper may contain little more than two- thirds the contents of the liquor copper. Round tuns are preferable to the square ones. The Masu-tun should be in proportion to the quan- tity of malt intended at first to be mashed. Always mash, if possible, the same quantity, and never have too large a utensil at first. Commencing under an idea of increase of business, B2 16 A TREATISE the mash-tun can always be enlarged at a trifling ex- pense. It is better to brew two quarters five times a week, than to brew ten quarters once a week. The utensils are then kept in use, and obtain no unpleasant taste consequent in having them little used. The above applies to wooden mash-tuns, which are best made of English oak, at least two inches thick ; and should have a moveable false bottom of cast iron, perforated with holes. The oblong form is superior to the round perforations; they should be about three quarters of an inch long and a sixteenth broad, made to cross each other in the shape of a star. These holes are not so likely to fill, as is the case with round ones, which often cause the malt to crack and sink in different places of the tun. We would recommen, in lieu of a wooden mash-tun, a cast-iron round pan, with flat bottom and straight sides, surrounded with a nine-inch wall, of brick-work, six inches from the pan, lined inside with cement, and made water-tight round the bottom of the pan; witha partition from top to bottom. The hot or cold liquor passes in at the bottom, on one side of the partition, and is discharged from the other side at the top. The superiority of this over the common mash-tun is ob- ON BREWING. 17 vious, as the mash may be maintained at any required heat, and at any time of the year, by passing either hot or-cold liquor between the pan and brick-work. The machinery of the mash-tan can be applied as well to this as to the other kind. ; The best way to mash with this mash-tun would be, to put the desired quantity of liquor therein at one hun- dred and thirty degrees, with the malt, and raise the heat to one hundred and fifty-seven. Mash all the time with the mash-tun covered. When that heat is attained, let it remain kept at that heat two hours. The most saccharine worts will be obtained by this means, which it would be impossible to obtain from any other. ; Hor-Ba0ck.—A square or oblong is best for this utensil, as deep as it is broad. Good Dantzic deal should be used; and it should be made sufficiently large to contain the whole boiling of wort at once, with cast iron false bottom, perforated, as described for the mash-tun, placed about ten or eleven inches from the top. The hops will then serve as a covering, to exclude the air. It should, when filled with wort, be covered with a lid, Pipes may run round the interior of this utensil, be- neath the false bottom, and, being connected with the re- 18 A TREATISE. frigerator, form a continuation of that machine; they may be charged at the bottom, and discharged at one side or end. Coorers.—With a proper refrigerator, such as is herein recommended, coolers may entirely be dispensed with. If any are used, do not place them in a current _ of air; and especially avoid exposure to easterly winds. Rerriegrators have become, through increased and increasing competition, indispensible. in a public brewery. The expense of these utensils, it is true, isa great barrier to their more general adoption. This is owing to the ignorance of the persons employed to furnish them. Like their coppers, they contain too much metal, and are thus rendered cumbersome; and on that account, in removing, are soon out of repair. A refrigerator properly made is not more expensive than coolers, and will last a person’s life-time. With- out one in a brewery, it is impossible to produce a good sound beverage. The best refrigerators, undoubtedly, are those which cool the greatest quantity of wort with the least portion of liquor. Such a one is here recom- mended ; and as we write for the instruction of the public brewer, we will endeavour to describe its construction. A number of pipes, about ten, are placed in a per- ON BREWING. , 19 ' pendicular position, united at each end with semicir- cular pipes or elbows, with unions. These pipes, with- out the bends, are eight feet in length and four inches in diameter. When put together, they have a serpen- tine form. The large pipes contain each eight small ones, half an inch in diameter, tinned inside. These small pipes lead into the bends at each end of the large pipes. They are brazed to a plate, and made fast and air-tight at each end of the large pipes, just below the unions. The wort passes through these small pipes into the bends or elbows; and so continuously through the whole machine. Just below the plate to which the small pipes are made fast, is a straight piece of pipe, joining, by means of unions, the large pipes. Through the large, and among the small pipes, the cold liquor passes. The liquor is allowed to enter the refrigera- tor at the contrary end at which the wort enters. At the top of each bend or elbow, and cross pipe, a small tap is inserted, to enable the instrument to be charged, by letting out the air, and for drawing out its contents after the worts are all cooled; or it may be filled by means of an air-pump. At the wort discharge a tap is inserted, to regulate the flow of wort through the refrigerator, and one at 20 A TREATISE the water-charge, to regulate that also. The instra- ment, when in use, is placed against a wall, and made fast in frame-work. Gy.z-TuNns.—Round upright bell-shaped casks make the best gyle-tuns, Some persons, however, prefer square ones. If so, they are best made of oak, two inches thick, or more. They should be large enough, if skim- ming is adopted, to hold the head of yeast. But skimming is a bad plan. More than seven barrels of wort should not be fermented at once in one tun. Squares should have a lid placed just as high as the wort (seven barrels) will reach; with a man-hole, and arim eight or ten inches deep round it. When in use, this man-hole is covered with a moveable lid, contain- ing a hole about four inches diameter, to allow the yeast to rise and be retained on the lid. A valve should be inserted in the lid, to let the beer settled from the yeast ran into the square, and to admit other beer, to keep the square fall. This lid is made not moveable. The top covering the yeast should be made air-tight, when in use. When rounds are used, they should be permitted to discharge the yeast at top, by means of bent pipes, and should be kept full for that purpose. ON BREWING. 21 ‘The best way to fill gyle-tuns is from the bottom.— An attemperator is indispensible in each. Worts, when fermenting, should lie deeper than they are broad, this state being more favourable to a low fermentation. Worts should remain in the gyle-tuns until quite cleansed. Stillions are not then required. ATTEMPERATORS are variously made; but the fol- lowing is the most approved plan: Two flat cylinders, about twelve inches diameter and two inches deep, are connected with each other by means of half-inch pipes, eighteen inches long, and twelve or more in number. It stands perpendicularly in the gyle-tun, and is con- nected with the charge and discharge pipes by unions. The discharge pipes run along the top of the gyle-tuns, and the charge pipe at bottom, underneath. Vars, or Store Casks, should not contain less than thirty barrels, and are best filled at the bottom. They should be of good thickness, well made, with good English oak, and strongly bound with iron hoops. The sooner vats are emptied after being tapped the better. When a vat or cask is a considerable time on tap, the top of the contents is likely to become mouldy. This in time sinks, and produces what is commonly termed mothery beer. It is in fact nothing but mould floating 22 A TREATISE . in the beer. This is often the case even in a quick draught; the cause of which will be explained here- after, when we come to speak of the impurities of ales, &c. Vats, in fact all utensils, should be perfectly sweet, dry, and clean, previous to being used. As soon as vats are emptied, they should be made air-tight, if not to be used again immediately: if so, admit the air freely, that the carbonic acid gas may escape; and never allow any person to enter them until a lighted candle will burn freely in their interior. Many lives have been lost by men ‘entering them before this gas has*escaped. Two or three pails-full of hot liquor thrown into them, from the man-hole, will tend to dis- perse this gas, and render the task of cleaning them less dangerous. If very foul, vats should be well scraped, especially the top. It sometimes happens, that notwithstanding the greatest care to prevent it, vats will become mouldy. They may be effectually cured, by suspending an iron dish from the man-hole, containing a few pieces of sulphur and rags, or paper. Set fire to the rags or paper, and when well lighted, make the vat air-tight, and allow the brimstone to remain burning; keep the sulphur smoke in it twelve hours; then unstop the vat, ON BREWING. 28 to admit the air; throw in some hot liquor, and scald it well; when dry, it is fit for use, if properly done. The vat must be well cleaned and perfectly dry before the sulphur is burned therein, or it will be of no avail using it. Should the vat become acid, a few rincings with bright strong lime-water will destroy the acidity. Scald it well, before using it. Casks may be effectually cured in the same way. If a vat is to be used immediately after being emptied unless a long time on draught, it may be filled without being cleaned. But it is best to err on the right side, and have it well cleaned before using it. Having dwelt sufficiently on the utensils necessary for the production of a good article, we will proceed to show how that is produced. MASHING Is the first operation malt undergoes in a brewery, after being ground, and is one of great consequence to the brewer, as it is here that his property is at great risk ; for by improper or imperfect mashing, the starch and gluten of the malt may, in a greater or less degree, 24 A TREATISE be left unconverted into sugar; thereby causing an irreparable loss. Proper mashing prevents this loss. ‘The principal component parts of malt, as stated by scientific men, and which appears to be correct—at least sufficiently so for our purpose—are gum. gluten, sugar, and starch. The object of the brewer is not only to extract the sugar already formed in the malt by mashing, but to convert the other component parts into the like substance. Various methods, in the adop- tion of varied heats, &c. have been had recourse to by different individuals, to obtain this desideratum. ‘The greater the quantity of saccharine obtained from a given portion of malt, by any one system of mashing, is unquestionably the best. We will endeavour to supply the hest. _ Too high heats in mashing set the goods; or, if that is not the case, little saccharine is obtained; the gum and starch being rendered a kind of paste ; worts from which have a thinness on the palate. Too low heats produce rawness, as well as causing impurities and acidity. Mashing then has for its object, not merely to dis- solve the sugar and gum that is already formed in the malt, but also to convert into a sweet mucilage the ON BREWING. 25 starch which had remained unchanged during the ger- mination of the grain on the malt floor. Starch and gluten digested with hot liquor a sufficient time, become akind of sugar. This is accomplished in the mash-tun. " Diastase and gluten are present in the malt in suffi- cient proportions to convert the starch into sugar. To obtain this end, the temperature of the liquor must be maintained during the mashing and standing on the goods at one hundred and fifty-seven to one hundred and sixty degrees. The best and soundest extract is obtained by beginning at the lowest and concluding at the highest of these heats ; unless a mash-tun, such as is herein recommended, is used; when the malt and Hquor must be introduced into the mash-tun cold, and gradually raised to 157 degrees. When such is not the case, observe the following : Mash with portions of the liquor to be used, at inter- vals of twenty minutes, The first portion is applied for the purpose of equally penetrating the crushed malt, and of extracting its already formed saccharine. The subsequent portion for finishing the sugar fer- mentation, by means of the diastase. As soon as the heat of the liquor in the copper has reached 147 degrees in the summer, or 167 in the winter, 26 4 TREATISE part of it is to be run into the mash-tun, in the propor- tion of forty-five gallons, per quarter of malt. The malt is then gradually added, and well stirred, that no lamps may remain. Continue mashing about twenty minutes, or until the liquor in the copper has attained two bun- dred degrees, or more. The like quantity may then be let into the mash-tun, under the false bottom; but care must be taken to add such a quantity of liquor, and at such heat, the second time, as to increase the heat of the mash to 157 degrees. Mash for twenty mi- nutes ; cover the mash-tun close, that its caloric may be maintained ; let the grist stand two hours anda half; set _ tap ; and when the surface of the goods has become the . least dry, sparge on at intervals of four or five minutes, with liquor, at two hundred degrees, or boiling, until the required length is obtained, not once stopping the taps of the mash-tun. When the length of the first wort is obtained, the after-sparges will do for returns, or inferior ales. By these means, great gravities are obtained, vary- ing from ninety to one hundred and ten pounds weight, per quarter of malt. When the above method of mashing is impractica- ble, the following may be substituted :—The heat of ON BREWING. 27 liquor for the first, 147 to 150 degrees, forty-five gal- lons of water per quarter of malt, mashed well, and infused for three hours in winter, and in summer two and a half. Uniformity of heat is requisite in the mash-tan. Two barrels per quarter at the above heats are most conve- nient for that. But if a thicker or thinner mash is made, vary the above heats, so as to ensure the same temperature of the wort, when running from the tap, as if two barrels of liquor had been used at the above heats. It is impossible to give any fixed rules on this head ; experience is the safest guide. Let the wort, when coming from the mash-tun, be as near 147 degrees as possible. Second mash liquor, two hundred degrees, in suffi- cient quantity to make up the length of the first wort ; infuse one hour and a half. The Third mash, two hundred degrees, infuse half an hour, to make up the length of the succeeding worts, or sparge with cold liquor for that purpose. 98 A TREATISE BOILING. As the wort runs from the mash-tun into the under- back, it should be introduced into the copper. Worts are very prone naturally to ascescence, especially at a medium temperature ; and if left any length of time in the underback, would become either sour or blinked, for which no remedy has been discovered. Therefore get the worts to boil as soon as possible, The object of boiling is two-fold; first, the concen- tration of the worts by evaporation; secondly, the cla- rification of them. For, let worts be ever so bright when drawn from the mash-tun, they are never so clear as they should be when drawn from the copper; a cer- tain degree of dullness and want of transparency is ferceptible, which proper boiling will remove. If wort is examined at different times during the boiling, by _ taking a portion in a small vessel, and allowing it to stand a few minutes, it will appear cloudy, owing to the coagulation of the vegetable albumen * into light flakes. When worts have boiled sufficiently, the flakes * Called mucilage by brewers; but, being coagulated by heat, it cannot be such. It is the vegetable albumen of the barley. ON BREWING. 29 separate more easily, and in greater quantity. This is called the breaking pure of the wort. Being thus boiled, if left quiet a short time, they become perfectly bright, owing to these flakes subsiding. The greater length of time that worts are boiled, the larger these flakes become. Long boiling is inju- rious—it is prejudicial to colour; therefore, as soon as the worts break pure, draw them from the copper. HOPPING. From four to six pounds, per quarter of malt, is suffi- cient ;—if for ales, the aweetest hops should be used. Boil half the quantity of hops with the first wort twenty minutes, before drawing from the copper; the other half in like manner, with the second wort, without those boiled with the first wort. The third wort, if any, may have the whole hops of the two former worts boiled with it the same length of time. By boiling the hops in this manner, their aroma and fine bitter are retained, which are lost by long boiling ; nor does long boiling appear to produce more bitter. When a particularly fine bitter is desire1, the whole 30 A TREATISB of the hops may be placed in the hopback, (such as is herein recommended,) on the false bottom, and the boiling wort run on them, and allowed to remain a quarter of an hour, keeping the hopback covered close. This is decidedly the best way of extracting the finer qualities of the hops. COOLING. As soon as the worts have been sufficiently boiled, or their concentration and evaporation completed, they are run into the hopback, and are permitted to remain a short time to settle, and should be covered close, im- mediately they have left the copper. After having settled, if coolers are used, they are run into them to cool, to the depth of not more than an inch; the object being to allow the heat to escape freely and quickly. Coolers are the greatest curse possible in a brewery; for in them worts are inoculated by the atmosphere, through the absorption of its oxygen; and the fermen- tation of the worts so cooled is either rendered languid, and much attenuated saccharine is left in the beer, which in time becomes ropy, sour, and putrid, or it is net oiled. ON BREWING. 31 so rapid as to leave the beer flat and almost tasteless, and runs into the acetous fermentation frequently be- fore it leaves the gyle-tun. Therefore, to ensure a good fermentation, and consequently a good article, avoid coolers, and use an efficient refrigerator, and never allow the worts, under any circumstances, to be more than an hour cooling. The quicker worts are cooled after they are drawn from the copper and set- tled, the more manageable and complete will be the fermentation. The object of cooling, under all cir- cumstances, is to prevent the acidifying of the worts, which would soon take place at even a high tempera- ture, if left to cool of their own accord. To cool quickly, then, should be the purpose of every one who aims at popularity ; the first germ of the acetic acid is not then formed, or, as is most generally understood, foxing is prevented. It will be needless to add, that if it once take place, no matter where or when, all subse- quent endeavours to remedy the evil will be unavail- ing. The absorption of oxygen takes place most rapidly in warm weather, when the worts are between sixty and one hundred and twenty degrees ; or when their evapo- ration is not sufficiently strong to prevent the atmoas- 32 4 TREATISE phere coming in contact with them, which generally takes place at or about one hundred and twenty de- grees. After the heat has so far subsided, the absorp- . tion of oxygen is very rapid. When the worts have cooled to sixty degrees in winter, less in summer, they may be run into the gyle- tun; which, in the first place, if the quantity be fifteen barrels, or more, should be large enough to contain the whole worts, to be there excited to a vigorous fermen- tation, previous to their being divided into the seven- barrel gyle-tuns. ’ This leads us to the consideration of FERMENTATION. Which is the change vegetable or animal matter un-— dergoes, and which terminates in the production of a vinous and alcoholic liquor, or an acid liquor of a disa- greeable, yet surprising fetor. These different results are produced by a change or alteration of the first component parts of the liquor, or matter, occasioned by some foreign agent, or is the result of spontaneous ON BREWING. 33 reaction. Of these, the vinous fermentation is of most importance for our purpose, Some liquids, as the grape juice, will ferment of themselves; others require an agent to induce this change : and wort, or extracts from malt and hops, are of this kind in a great degree ; yet they will ferment of themselves, and sometimes a fine article, in every re- spect, is the result. But such fermentation most ge- nerally runs into the acetous, and ends in putridity. Yeast therefore is added in certain proportions, varying with the temperature of the gyle-room, the heat of the wort when the yeast is about to be added, and the spe- cific gravity of such wort. From half a pound to two pounds, sometimes more, of good yeast, per barrel, is mixed with a portion of the wort, to be fermented at eighty degrees, and hung in the gyle-tan, to permit the . yeast to boil; and when added to the wort, it should be moderately agitated. The precise quantity of yeast to be used cannot be exactly stated; it depends greatly on the water used, as well as on circumstances before stated. The harder water is, the more yeast is necessary to carry the fer- mentation to a successful issue. Experience will soon enable the practitioner to arrive at the exact quantity. 34 A TREATISE Observing that the less the quantity used to bring the fermentation to the desired point, the brighter, sounder, and more sparkling will be the beverage. Soon after the yeast and wort are well incorporated, succeeding rings are visible, leaving the sides of the tun, and progressing towards the centre ; the whole surface of the wort soon becomes covered with a thin creamy froth ; this rises again into abrupt altitudes, very much resembling the head of a cauliflower—these are gene- rally termed rocks. The heat now begins to increase ; an incipient effer- vescence is perceived, with a slight hissing noise, and the gravity decreases. These are owing to the ebul- lition of carbonic acid gas, and are the results of the vinous fermentation. , The wort should now be divided, after being well roused, into seven-barrel gyle-tuns, containing an at- temperator. The greatest attention to this part of the process is necessary, for, on the fermentation depends greatly ths good or bad qualities of the beverage. Try the heat and gravity twice a day; keep the heat as near sixty- five degrees as possible; and when the gravity has reached the desired point, reduce the heat gradually to ON BREWING. 35 about fifty-six. Let the beverage remain two or three days in the gyle-tun, having the yeast discharge wholly or partially closed. The article will then recover its liveliness, and be quite cleansed. It may then be drawn into casks, or stored in vats, and bunged up tight. ATTENUATION. It is of consequence to the brewer, that he watch closely the progress of the attenuation of his gyles, so that when it has arrived at the desired point, he may - be enabled to retard its further progress, To obtain this end, the best guide is the saccharometer, which should be a very correct one. Wort is of greater specific gravity than its bulk of water; it will consequently become less every hour during its fermentation. This may be easily accounted for. Worts, it must be remembered, contain the sac- charine of the malt held in solution ; this saccharine, in a good vinous fermentation, is converted into alcohol. Sugar is of greater gravity than its bulk of water, which is the reverse of alcohol. If we mix a quantity of sugar with a portion of water, say one gallon, this mixture 36 A TREATISE will be heavier than it was prior to the sugar being ‘added. If, instead, we had mingled alcohol with the water, a pint of such mixture would be lighter than the same quantity of the former. It follows, therefore, that if all the saccharine in the water is destroyed, it pro- duces alcohol; and it is plain the liquor will now be lighter than prior to its fermentation, and lighter than pure water. One would from that be induced to suppose that worts, after being attenuated, would weigh less than water : such, however, is not the case; besides the saccharine, worts contain the other solutions of the malt, together with the extract of the hops. Therefore, were the whole of the saccharine of the malt destroyed or con- verted into alcohol, which is not the brewer’s object, the worts, owing to their holding other matter in solution, would be heavier than their bulk of water; by attenu- ating them, they should become but very gradually lighter than they were previous to the commencement of the vinous fermentation. Worts should not be attenuated too low. If, by un- controuled circumstances, such a mishap should occur, time must be allowed them to recover their flatness, consequent on a too low attenuation. The greater quantity of saccharine that is converted into alcohol, ON BREWING. 37 providing the attenuation is not carried on so far as to produce great flatness, the stronger and better will be the ales. Ale attenuated too low-should be put into clean dry casks, in which it is intended to be sent to the con- sumer, with a few spent hops, or, what is better, a little boiled wort from the copper, rather warm, and bunged down immediately. A quart per barrel will be suffi- cient. In a short time, such ale will be very brisk and good, providing the fermentation had been conducted properly. The following will show the practitioner when the attenuation should be stopped :— Ales from 20 to 24 lbs. gravity, should be reduced to 10 or 12 Ibs, 24 to 30 Ibs....... should be reduced to 9 or 11 Ibs. 30, 35, and 40 Ibs. ............... to 6,8, and 10 ... Worts of 20 lbs. gravity should be reduced about 1 Ib. in 12 hours. From 20 to 25 lbs. ...... 3 Ibs. in 12 hours. 250030 ..0..... Bh wee 30 to 35 ......... 4 ecececeeeee 35 to 40... 4b we. 40 to 45 ......... terran 38 A TREATISE » Table beer under sixteen pounds gravity may be pitched .at sixty-four degrees, with a pound of good yeast per barrel, well roused and cleansed immediately the fermcatation has commenced, without regard to -attenuation. ‘A gyle of wort containing eight hundred and ten pounds of saccharine, or showing that weight by the saccharometer, will be much heavier than the same bulk of water. It is then sufficiently evident, that ‘there cannot be the same quantity of liquid, when sac- charine is held in solutign, as there is in the same bulk of water. This wort, for instance, would show that at thirty pounds per barrel, there would be twenty- seven barrels of wort. But if the sugar and other so- lutions were to be taken from the twenty-seven barrels, we should find a decrease of the original bulk to the extent of one-sixth, nearly, taking water as unity, The saccharine being converted into alcohol, causes, with the escape of its carbonic gas, a decrease of its pre- vious weight, and also a diminution of its previous quantity, as they will neither be so heavy, or of so great a quantity as previous to fermentation. Close tuns should be used, that the carbonic acid gas _ may not be allowed to escape. ON BREWING. 389 This gas is supposed by many to be a preventative of acidity; and a practice exists in some breweries of forcing it into the vats when filled, ander that idea. The way to accomplish this, is to place a strong leaden retort on the top of the vat, to be charged with gas, with a pipe running down the outside of the vat, and connected with the small pipe that enters the bottom of the vat, and which has a stop-cock attached thereto. Chalk, water, and sulphuric acid, are put into the re- tort in certain proportions ; and as the gas is generated, it is forced into the vat, and retained in the ale. This is undoubtedly a good plan to restore flat beer, but is not a preventative of acidity. c2 40 BURTON AND SCOTCH ALES. BURTON ALE. Tur characteristics of Burton Ale are, great strength, paleness of colour, and fulness of flavour. It must be as pale as a straw, or it will not pass as genu- ine with connoisseurs of that article; consequently the palest malt and hops must be used. This ale is of great gravity, from one mash chiefly. The wort from the first mash is seldom or never mixed with the subsequent. These are generally used for a return or inferior ales. Therefore the liquor of the first mash must be in such proportions as to make the gravity of the wort, when boiled, from thirty-six to . forty-one pounds per barrel. The best heat to produce such a mucilaginous wort as Burton ale requires, is one hundred and sixty-six degrecs, infused from two and a half to three hours The heat of the grist should be maintained at one hun- ON BREWING. 41 dred and fifty-seven degrees. Sparge for the subse- quent mashes at two hundred degrees. As long boiling is prejudicial to colour, the worts should not be boiled much longer than until they break pure. Three-quarters of an hour is generally sufficient for that purpose ; but that is scarcely long enough to concentrate them sufficiently. We recommend them to be boiled one hour and a quarter ; and, should they become high coloured, a little powdered charcoal may be thrown in the worts when boiling. This will de- stroy the colour, and impart no unpleasant flavour. Or, a double copper may be substituted for the ordinary one, the inner one made rather thin. Six or eight inches space may be left between the inner and outer coppers, at the bottom and sides: this space being filled with liquor, and made to boil, causes the wort in the inner copper to boil ; it acts on the same principle as a glue pot. The inner copper may be supported by straps of iron rusning under the bottom and up the sides. Ales boiled in this way will possess very little co- lour ; and, were distillers to adopt this method in boil- ing their wash, their spirits would be nearly tasteless. It is true, a little longer time is required, ere the worts 42 A TREATISE boil ; but when avery pale beverage is required, no other method can well supply its place. Charcoal is used sometimes as a substitute. Barton ales are not attenuated so low as ales gene- rally are; but, as the gravity is so great, more unat- tenuated saccharine may, with greater safety, be left in this ale, than would be prudent to leave in ales of low gravity. There is not much risk of souring, if the cooling of the worts have been quick, and the fermen- tation properly managed. The great quantity of alcohol will prevent acidity, and the saccharine left will create fulness of flavour. Most generally, a quar- ter of an ounce of powdered orange-pea per barrel, is added in-the copper, a quarter of an hour before draw- ing off, to heighten the flavour. _ The fermentation will be best conducted, as before stated under that head. Owing to the great gravity of this ale, not less than two or three pounds of yeast must be used. The heat during fermentation may be allowed to reach sixty- eight degrees, but not more: the attenuation not re- duced so low, by three pounds, as is stated under the head of attenuation. The fermentation in some breweries is allowed to be rather rapid: such may be permitted, ON BREWING. 43, if the ale is for immediate consumption ; but if it is to be kept, the attenuation must be slow. Four p