An Elementary Dictionary (of the brewers trade)

An Elementary Dictionary (of the brewers trade)

AN ELEMENTARY DICTIONARY, oR, Cyclopeviz, FOR THE USE OF MALTSTERS, BREWERS, DISTILLERS, RECTIFIERS, VINEGAR MANUFACTURERS, AND OTHERS. BY GEORGE ADOLPHUS WIGNEY, | *. ad aot Bretver, eS BRIGHTON, SUSSEX. eT bie ** There is no royal road to knowledge.” BRIGHTON: . PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY R. SICKELMORE, AT 45, HIGH STREET, (LATE THE CATHOLIC CHAPEL) AND SOLD BY P. RICHARDSON, BOOKSELLER, 23, CORNHILL, LONDON; J. LONG, INSTRUMENT MAKER, 20, LITTLE TOWER sTREET, LONDON; MESSRS. BANCKS AND CO., BOOKSELLERS, MAN- CHESTER; MESSRS. WHYTE AND CO., BOOKSELLERS, EDIN- BURGH; MESSRS. CURRY AND CO., BOOKSELLERS, DUBLIN; AND MAY BE HAD OF ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS. PREFACE. The love of ease is a predominant passion of the human mind, and the paradoxical condition of man is, that without labour he cannot obtain rest. The organized structure of the body and mind is such, that the laborious and active employment of both, is requisite to induce the desire for, and the obtainment of rest; and the obtainment of the latter furnishes the motive and capability for the performance of the former. And hence the alternations of labour and rest, furnish that zest to existence, without which life would be insupportable, But the love of ease is a legitimate and salutary passion, inasmuch as it is a powerful incentive to mental and bodily action, inducing the acquirement of knowledge and personal exertion to endeavour to obtain it, leading to general improve- ment, and the acquisition of social comforts. The strong desire of youth is to toil severely for the ease of later years. Reason and observation teach him that the day may come, when sickness, infirmities and age may paralize his arm, and unnerve his mind, and that in such a day the fruits of labour may be needed and enjoyed. But he that builds must at the base commence !—he must lay a foundation firm and strong upon a stable soil—he must temper his mortar well, and lay each brick and stone -with care, precision, and by plummet, line and rule—he must often pause between to cause the perfect cementation of the whole —he must brace, bind and tie as he progresses—he must toil with patience, perseverance and with hope, until he lays the top-stone, and having laboured well and long, then may he crown the’ whole with joy, and rear the floating emblem ex- pressive of his pleasure. And thus it should be in every branch of human learning ; the rudiments the base—the firm and solid mind the scite— diligence the well tempered mortar—facts and truths the il. PREFACE. brick and stone; and to observe, to comprehend and act with order, system and decision; to fix the whole indelibly upon the mind; to read, reflect and well deduce from every page; to meet difficulties with an indomitable will to over- come, abstruse subjects with indefatigable research, and dis- appointment with an expectation that never shall succumb, is to ensure the ultimate obtainment of knowledge of the highest order which is attainable by man. But it is the love of ease which too often prompts a shorter course—a flight to the pinnacle, and a fall for proud presump- tion ; instead of the safe, yet weary spiral way to eminence and elevation. And where is the manufacturer who has not essayed the shorter course—the airy flight for ample knowledge of his business; and after many fruitless flutterings and loss of feathers, has been compelled to seek first principles, as the only safe and certain way to reach the elevated prize; and to tread with slow and weary step the steep ascent, after the noontide strength of youth is gone. Such has been my case, and I believe the lot of thousands. And as instruction is the purport of my writing, and the few following incidents in my first career in the brewing business, may be to some both amusing and instruetive, and will serve to illustrate the maxim which I have endeavoured to incul- cate, that the love of ease induces labour to obtain it, and that labour induces the desire for and the obtainment of rest; and as they will serve to exemplify some of the effects resulting from an endeavour to aecomplish manufacturing processes, without the possession of the prerequisite elementary know- ledge thereof, and prove that “necessity is the mother of invention,” I will therefore venture to relate them. A four-quarter brewery ready fitted up being offered, and a motive existing for the acceptance, I commenced the business of a brewer above twenty years since, without the slightest theoretical or practical knowledge of the subject or its details. I engaged a person to instruct me, who received his premium and: withheld information, and at the end of about a fortnight he left, and I learnt just what I could see PREFACE. iii. enacted in three or four brewings, without receiving any communications as to the why or wherefore. The produce of the first brewing which I performed myself, cost me three halfpence per gallon less than the cost of such as my instruc- tor brewed, and I thought myself a clever fellow. The brewery was very small and comprised no cellarage. It con- sisted of two cleansing rooms, the fermenting tuns forming the line of separation, and were upon a level with, and adjoining to the street, which with a small back yard, con- stituted the extent of premises on the ground floor. The under back and basement of the copper occupied a space in one of the cleansing rooms. The second floor consisted of three small cooling backs, mash tun stage, mash tun, copper and stoke hole. The dimensions of the whole of the premises to the best of my remembrance, were about 24ft by 30ft, including the yard. The whole of the work was performed by hand labour. A brewing in winter occupied from 12 to 14 hours, and in summer, from 24 to 28 hours, before the worts were all down into the fermenting tuns. The cleansing rooms, fermenting tuns and cleansing casks, were so exposed to the external atmosphere, that in winter the table beer often froze in the cleansing casks after fermentation, and in the summer the cleansing casks, although full, often leaked from excessive heat. In the winter the wort in the tun, although pitched very high, would often be reduced below a fermenting temperature ; and in summer, although pitched as low as the night air would reduce its temperature, often attained most rapidly to a heat of 90 degrees, In about one year, having completely set the goods of two brewings, and being compelled to give the whole produce to the hogs, consisting of eight quarters of malt and plenty of ropy wort; and having crammed the premises with stale beer, I became convinced that I was any thing but a clever fellow. Well! what was to be done? the work of reformation. The unlearning of the little which I had learnt, and the learning of that which I had never learnt, recommencing at the beginning instead of the end. And who was to teach me? stern necessity. Well! nothing daunted, I began. iv. PREFACE. The fermenting tuns were furnished with an accelerator for the winter, the same utensil serving (not so effectually,) for a refrigerator in the summer. The stale beer was sold at a very great sacrifice. A vault was dug in the yard about ft. deep, and arched over for a cleansing room. A discovery made of a formula for the correct calculation of mashing heats under every circumstance: and commenced brewing at about noon in the summer, instead of four o’clock in, the morning, and worked all night to save time, and to prevent so long an exposure of worts to a sultry and oxygenated atmosphere. Well! and what were the disasters of the second year? Cleansed a guile of strong beer late in the evening in the new cleansing room ; went early in the morning to fill it up; got half way down the steps, was seized with giddiness and stupor, and rushed back again with a narrow escape of life; stillions all working over, but could not get down to draw them off and fill up the casks. Consulted the knowing ones, one of whom advised me to throw plenty of water down; did so, but to no good purpose. Another advised me to get some fresh dried lime and throw down; I did so, and soon cleared the room of the carbonic acid gas. Asked him where he got his information ; he told me from some chemical work; took good care to read it, and learnt much that was useful beside. The new cleansing room was abandoned, because it was im- possible to ventilate it from the bottom, situated as it was. Malted: some tick beans for curiosity ; they absorbed so much water in the cistern, as to cause the charge of nearly or quite double duty. Mixed therewith some barley malt and brewed one guile, obtained but little extract, that was nauseous and spoiled the whole. Burnt down a malthouse by snapping porter malt on an improper kiln; killed a horse by feeding him on the half burnt barley and bean malt; by leaving on the cover of the manhole to wooden wort back over copper, while running off boiling wort into hop back, created a vacuum in the copper, and the pressure of the atmosphere broke the bottom of the back asunder, and forced it into the copper with a tremendous explosion. Well! and who can PREFACE. v. say that a little knowledge is not useful, although Pope says it is a dangerous thing ? It is said that ‘bought experience is the best, if not too dearly bought ;” and if the reader is not already, convinced that for want of a little elementary knowledge of the business which I precipitately engaged in, I could furnish him with many other incidental disasters, which would not fail to pro- duce such an effect. But “all is well that ends well,” is another adage not in- applicable to my case; for had I not severely smarted for want of elementary knowledge, I most probably should never have sought it; and as an illustration of the utility of seeking and obtaining it, my last labours in a four-quarter brewery, built and fitted up on a plan of my own designing, for the term of about three years, were unattended with any’ preju- dicial occurrences; .and I had the pleasure of completing each four-quarter brewing, in from seven to eight hours by manual labour, from the time of first mashing until the whole of the worts were in the tuns, consisting of ale and table worts, with much less labour, cost of fuel, or waste of wort, than in the first brewery. Those who are conscious of their own need of knowledge, are generally able to appreciate the probable wants of others ; and influenced by a desire to impart such as I have been able to meet with, as a theoretical, experimental and practical gleaner, during a period of more than twenty years, I trust that the endeavour, however imperfectly fulfilled, will prove both useful and satisfactory to many, who may need the in- formation which the following work contains. The primary object which I have had in view in penning this volume, has been to render the parties to whom it is addressed, better acquainted with the elementary principles of their respective manufacturing processes, preparatory to their endeavours to improve their practical systems. To enable them first to perceive the need of improvement, secondly to perceive the way to effect it, and thirdly to dis- criminate between the spurious and genuine information which may occasionally be offered to them, and to form a vi. . PREFACE. correct estimate of its intrinsic value, and thereby to avoid the rejection of that which is truly useful, and a superfluous expenditure for that which is either valueless or prejudicial. In carrying this object into effect, the reader may have much occasion to complain of tautology oft repeated, by furnishing the same information frequently under several different heads; but the.necessity of the endeavour to render every article or subject as complete and independent of each other as possible, irrespective of their close and intimate con- nection and assimilation, must be my apology for thus offend- ing. And having written each without reference to any one preceding, I trust that the same truths, facts and opinions, agreeing in identity, yet clothed in variable expression, will lose none of their force or interest by frequent repetition. The man of science and the critic, will, I expect, accuse me of advancing and endeavouring to inculcate some new and insufficiently supported doctrines, and delivering them with a dictum, as if they were established, unimpugnable and uni- versally recognized ; and to the charge I plead guilty, craving mercy, referring them and every other reader to the article ‘* Hypothesis,” and pleading convenience in extenuation of the misdemeanour. The present work was prompted by an enquiry of one of the purchasers of my Practical Treatise on Malting and Brewing, as to what chemical works he could read with the most advantage, so as to obtain a more scientific knowledge of his business; to which in reply, I referred him to several. But reflecting subsequently upon the task assigned him, of wading through a great many portly volumes for that in- formation which he needed, and which he would find in fragments diffused over an immense number of pages, and much which he might require he would never find therein ; I determined on the endeavour to furnish in a concentrated form, and in one small volume, such information as I had collected, and which I conceived might prove serviceable to himself and others, and which I trust will meet with both in- dulgence and a favorable acceptatance by those for whom it is designed. ELEMENTARY DICTIONARY. PIII IRR re ABSORB, #o suck up, to hold in combination, Se. The term absorb, is one of great consideration in various manufactories, and the amount of absorption frequently be- comes a subject of calculation in the account of profit and loss. In the malthouse the maxim of the excise is to charge the malt duty, on the largest quantity of grain they can find in process of malting, from the time of steeping until it ig thrown on the kiln to dry; making a definite and arbitrary allowance in deduction, for the increase of the bulk of the in in the several stages of the process, agreable to an established rule, regardless of all circumstances, that may cause such an allowance, to be more or less adequate to the uantity of dry grain which may have been steeped, or the dry malt which may be thrown from the kiln; and such deductions are regulated in amount, by the several situations in which the grain is found, whether in the cistern, under water, or subsequent to the withdrawal of the water from it; and whether in the couch or on the floor; and in proportion to the time which may have elapsed, subsequent to its remo- val from the couch. As the amount of duty charged, is then proportionate to the amount of increase in the bulk of the grain, by the absorption and retention of the steep water; and as the different species of grain, and even the same species, are subject to an unequal absorption, and consequently to an unequal increase in bulk ; so is the charge of duty unequal, as relates to the quantity of dry grain steeped, or the quantity of malt thrown off the kiln ; and consequently, the average amount of duty to which the several species of grain are liable, should be taken into the account of calculation on the debtor side, and the average product of each, on the credit side; so as to enable the malt- ing salesman, or the malting brewer, to conclude, which species of grain according to the market price, will answer his purpose best to malt. As some years, one species of malting grain is higher or lower in price, or better or worse in quality than another spe- cies, in the relative proportion of usual prices and quality ; every malting brewer more particularly, should be in posses- B 3 Absorb. Abstract. sion of the average amount of duty, to which each species is liable ; and the average amount of the product of each, and the proper mode of brewing each, in order that he may be enabled, advantageously to change from one species to ano- ther, as circumstances induce. The absorption of water by grain, is neither instantaneous or rapid; but on the contrary is very slow and tedious ; and as the cuticle or skin of grain, is coated with an oleaginous or resinous substance, such material must first be dissolved by the water, before the water can penetrate into the body of the grain ; and when such solution is effected, the water gradually penetrates into the interior; and combines in chemical ad- mixture with the component substance of the grain. The quantity of water absorbed during the process of steep- ing, is by no means an unimportant * onsideration, as the successful conduction of the process of germination, very materially depends on the absorption of a proper quantity of water; and it is much to be regretted, that the legislative period, too often interferes with the maltster’s judgment; and that the maltster has no better rule than his own opinion, founded on his own experience, or fancy, to direct his judg- ment, in allotting the time he deems necessary; and regardless of the temperature of the steep water, or the atmosphere, and the quality and condition of the grain as well as the species, it is too customary for him to choose, a determinate and fixed period at the commencement of the season, and adhere to it under all circumstances throughqut its continuance. This fallacious and erroneous method of determining the time of steeping, and the invariable adherence to it, throughout the whole of a malting season, is one among many of the evils in the system of malting, that needs reformation. The brewer is also interested in the amount of absorption of malt in the mash tun, as the quantity of menstruum retained, after the whole of the first wort is withdrawn, that will run from the goods, is one of the indications of the quality of the malt, or the correctness, or approximation thereto, of the first mashing heat. The absorption and retention of wort by hops, is also ano- ther point of consideration by the brewer; whose annual profits, may be seriously affected by the retention, if he does not reclaim as much of it as possible. The annual absorption of spirits by wood, and the conse- quent loss, is both to the distiller and rectifier, a subject of serious consideration; and one in which those of minor traffick are also interested. ABSTRACT, to take from, to separate, to withdram, &c. In the several manufactories of the various products of in in a liquid form; the first operation consists in the impartation of water to the grain in the steeping cistern, asa Abstract. prelude to the process of germination, to render such grain capable of effecting the required production: or the imparta- tion in the mash tun, to cause an immediate produce from the prain in an unmalted state, having first prepared it for solution, y crushing or grinding. The conversion of grain from its natural state to that of malt, is to the brewer and vinegar maker, an indispensable preliminary measure, to the production of such a wort, as will y the process of a vinous fermentation, furnish him with a compound of satisfactory quality. And if the vinegar maker, whose ultimate object is an acetous fermentation, finds it absolutely necessary that he should use no raw grain with his malt, but malt alone, to produce a wort liable to pass through a vinous fermentation only, and not a vino-acetous fermen- tation ; of how much greater necessity then, is the sole use of malt by the brewer, whose purpose is strictly to avoid all the liabilities of a vino-acetous, or an ultimate acetous fermen- tation. But the distiller, is content to use a very small proportion of malt, to the quantity of grain in its natural state; because his purpose is, to produce a spirit at the smallest possible cost; and the duty on malt, would be a barrier to the accomplish- ment of such a purpose: and because the rapidity of his vinous fermentation, and the prompt separation of the spirit generated from the wash, enables him to avoid the conse- quences of an acetous fermentation, to which he would be subject, if compelled to keep his wort for a comparatively short period of time. | But with all the advantages resulting from such celerity of operation, it is with him, a case of diffi- culty, to prevent the occurrence of a vino-acetous fermen- tation. The process of a preliminary preparation of the grain for that of extraction, and the subsequent extraction ; or the im- mediate extraction, without preparation, may conveniently be divided into two sections, impartation or accretion, and abstraction. To convert grain into malt, is either to impart principles which it does not possess, or more of those which it does pos- sess, and which is necessary to alter its properties and make it a new compound ; and to abstract those principles, which as grain in its natural state it does possess, and which as malt it should not possess: or ifas malt it should possess, yet should not possess it in the latter state, to the same extent as in the former. The impartation of water to grain in the cistern, effects a solution of the oleaginous or resinous matter, with which the skin is coated, softens and distends it, and renders it pervious, for the admission and abstraction of such principles, as are necessary to create the new compound, and to remove the Abstract. impediments to its formation : and a portion of such water as produces this chemical effect, also causes germination to com- mence, by its chemical combination with the component ma- terials of the body of the grain, a decomposition of each, resulting from the affinity and attraction of atoms, terminatin, in their union, and the creation of new compounds; an causing the conversion of latent heat, appertaining to each substance, into active heat; in order to effect its transference as a resident constituent of the new solid compounds, and a fugitive and volatile transformer of solid substances, into gaseous and evolating products. The purport of malting, is to increase the quantity of gum and saccharum, and to diminish the quantity of gluten and fecula ; and as grain in its natural state, is composed of these substances in variable proportions, it is quite evident, that impartation and abstraction, are the means by which the in- crease of the one, aud the diminution of the other is effected ; and the difference in the weight of malted and unmalted in, denotes that the abstraction is more than equal to the impartation. n abstraction of the residue of the water from the grain, which has not been decomposed in the process of germination, must be effected on the kiln, to ensure its preservation, and an impartation of the required colour and flavor. he process of abstraction of the soluble materials of malted or unmalted grain, consists first in the impartation of a suit- able menstruum at a proper temperature, and a subsequent abstraction of such menstruum, charged with such materials in solution: and as water or return wort is the usual men- atruum, the former should be as mechanically and chemically pure as is possible ; and the latter of correct composition, and perfectly free from acidity and putridity- The soluble substances of which malt is compounded are four, and if each were submitted to the process of solution in a separate state, it would be found, that the most suitable temperature of solution for each would materially differ; but as they are blended together in malt, it is the brewer’s busi- ness to choose such a medium temperature for his menstruum, as is best calculated to produce him, as much soluble extract as is possible, in a wort of suitable quality: and experience proves, that there isa medium, yet variable temperature of the menstruum, which is best adapted to effect such a purpose, and that there is a method (although known to but few) to discover on each occasion of brewing, what that temperature should be ; and that any deviation from such a temperature, is attended with loss in proportion to its extent, above or below the right amount. The danger attendant on a deviation from a right tempera- ture, of the mashing menstruum, is the solution of too much Abstract. Accelerate. of one portion of the compound, and not enough of another ; or too little of each altogether, or the nonobtainment of any by a deviation to too great an extent from a proper heat; occa- sioning what is technically termed “‘ setting the goods.” The extract from malt called wort, is not alone sufficient for the formation of a vinous fluid, that is calculated to please the taste of the consumer, on early or late consumption; but it requires the admixture of a corrective and grateful bitter extract, with the cloying and mawkish flavor of the malt ex- tract, to satisfy the palate ; and a large fund of carbon to unite with the oxygen, which is continually absorbed by the unfermented and fermented product, from its egress from the mash tun, until the period ofits consumption. And the most suitable substances that have yet been discovered to furnish the required properties, are, the hop flower and seed: and an abstraction of their soluble properties, and the best method of its impartation to the wort, is by boiling them therein for a suitable period of time. Boiling is not only practised for the sake of abstracting the soluble materials of the hop, but also for the purpose of abstracting a portion of the gluten contained in the wort, by its coagulation, which boiling effects. In the boiling of wort, an abstraction of gluten by coagula- tion, may occur to a salutary or an injurious extent: for as the presence of gluten is necessary to a vinous or an acetous fer- mentation, and the presence of too much, causes a vino-acetous fermentation ; the judgment of the brewer is required, to determine the extent of its abstraction by coagulation, so as to leave a sufficiency in the wort, to cause a proper vinous, and not so much, as to cause a vino-acetous fermentation. In fermentation an additional abstraction of gluten occurs, and also a large quantity of carbonic acid gas. An abstraction of the heat from wort after boiling, either by the air in contact with, and passing over it, while spread thin in cooling backs; or by water through the medium of a refri- gerator, is treated fully under the head “ Refrigerator.” The abstraction of the soluble materials from the malt, and its transference to the menstruum, is the result of an affinity and attraction, subsisting between the atoms of the soluble materials and the menstruum. ACCELERATE, to hasten or quicken. Applied to the process of malting, the remedy of accelera- tion is too often needed, to obviate the evils resulting from a bad system, founded on ignorance, indolence, parsimony, or carelessness. . Malthouses are generally built agreeable to mechanical conveniences, or local necessities, rather than with a reference to chemical consequences. In fact, the latter consideration is seldom thought of or entertained, either by the Proprietor, Accelerate. architect, or builder, because neither one or the other pos- ses any, or a sufficient knowledge of the subject: and if the latter two did, it is not their business to devise and execute a plan, agreeable to chemical requirements. As a general rule, the proprietor does not know the chemi- cal requirements, because necessity, or other circumstances, have not compelled him to seek and obtain, a theoretical or practical knowledge of the subject: and as an exception to such rule, if he does know, the erection of a building on the best principles is but of little use, because he is compelled to leave the mental and manual direction and performance of the process, to an uneducated, and uninformed labourer, so far as relates to a scientific knowledge of the subject. And on the supposition, that a maltster well skilled in the theoretical and practical knowledge of the process of malting, does not per- form the operation himself, he must either find the working man who understands both as well as himself, (if it is possible to find such an one) or he must teach one: or else, in despite of his knowledge, he has no alternative, but to select the best blind practitioner of a tolerable system, which he may have been fortunate enough, by chance, to pick up; and in effect- ing such a selection, he will find his own knowledge highly serviceable, as it will enable him to appreciate the value of the workman’s system, and to direct a judicious choice. But if the master is too idle, or indifferent to the obtainment or impartation of suitable knowledge, how can we condemn, or wonder, that the unlettered labourer, should not seek, or is unable to obtain it? the more so, when he knows the master too often passes an unintelligent eye over the scene of his la- bours, and is alike unconscious or indifferent to the various errors and negligences of his several performances. If both master and man knew but this one simple fact, that there is a medium temperature at which the grain and the steeping water should be mixed together; surely they would not leave a leaf unturned, until they had acquired so important a branch of knowledge. Yet such is the fact, and how few are con- scious of it; or if conscious, yet are they totally regardless of it, notwithstanding that the task of acquirement, and the ful- filment of the conditions, are of easy accomplishment. Again, if they knew of another fact not less important, that the temperature of their room should be, as near as possible, at an equable and medium amount, throughout the malting season ; and that the grain in the couch, and on the floors, should be kept at the same; surely some architectural en- deavours would be resorted to, to ensure such an object na- turally, as far as it could be accomplished ; and that measures of expediency would be adopted in the process of malting, to compensate for the deficiency. But seldom is the need known, or if known, seldom is it attended to. The malthouse is built Accelerate. agreeable to custom, whim, caprice, local circumstances, or real or imaginary necessity. The supply of water to the cis- tern, may be from the well at about 50 degrees of heat, or from a reservoir at 32 degrees; and the difference in the heat is either not thought of, or ifso, it is deemed a matter of little or no consequence, or an irremediable evil. The grain is steeped, regardless of its temperature, or that of the steep water, for such a period as is restricted by the excise law; or short of the limited period to an extent, as is induced by the habits or practice of the maltster, without any reference to the judgment, unless at the commencement of the season ; when some few will then determine, what shall be their invariable steeping period for the whole of the sea- son, deducing their opinion of what that pericd should be, from a report of the general quality of the malting grain, and the general condition in which it was harvested. By this random practice, grain may be steeped with water too warm or cold, and for too short or long a period; and on the supposition that grain has been steeped with water too cold, and for too long or short a period, the consequence is, that although it is thrown thick into the couch, as the law will not allow it to remain there long, it must be thrown out before germination has commenced, or the temperature of the grain is raised, by a decomposition of a portion of the im- bibed steep water, and the component substances of the grain, to that point, below which germination cannot commence: then necessarily follows the process of acceleration, which is effected by throwing the grain from the couch into a thick heap, and occasionally to cover it up with sacks or cloths, until it begins to nip; and the result of having recourse to such a remedy, rather than to avoid the evil in the first in- stance is, that while the upper surface of the grain is raised but to the germinating temperature, the lower surface is raised much above it, and each strata between is proportion- ably affected; and to effect this operation of acceleration, a considerable portion of the steep water, which was absorbed purposely, to carry on the process of germination to the extent needed, is lost by its decomposition, to generate that heat, which should have been imparted to the steep water, previous to the steeping of the grain. Thus it may be said, that an unnecessary cause, occasions the need of acceleration, as a remedy for an avoidable evil: and well would it be if the mis- chief terminated here, but it does not; for the first false step, leads to a succession of evils, that pervade and continue throughout the whole process, and is evidenced by an in- equality in the growth of the grain; by the necessity of in- curring the risk, resulting from an infraction of the excise laws, by sprinkling on the floors before the permitted time ; or experiencing the effect of a languid, improper, and imma- Accelerate. ture process of germination ; while every remedial measure which is adopted, to accelerate the growth from the couch to the kiln, is, (irrespective of the resulting loss and risk) at- tended with more labour, care, and anxiety, than would arise from the adoption in the first instance, of the measures of _ prevention. The brewer, distiller, and vinegar maker, &c. may profit much by acceleration in the process of extraction, refrigera- tion, and fermentation ; but it is a race to run, that needs the light of a well informed judgment, long experience, careful observation, and punctilious attention to all the minutize of an every varying practice, to run it well. As the result of long experience and practice, I can, and do assert, that by an improved system of construction and fit- ting up of a brewery, occupying much less room, and of much less cost, than by the old and accustomed mode of building and fitting up; and by an improved system of brewing therein, that from four to thirty quarters of malt, may be brewed in single brewings, in the space of time, of from ‘six to eight hours from the time of first mashing, until the whole of the worts are in thetun; and double brewings, in the space of from ten and a half, to fourteen hours and a half; and that by the same improved system of brewing, single brewings of the same extent, may be begun and finished, in premises of usual construction and fitting up, with the addition of one of my refrigerators, in the space of from eight to eleven hours ; and double brewings, in from fourteen to twenty hours, and the produce fit for consumption in a state of perfect trans- parency, and of good quality, on the sixth day from the day of brewing. The process of acceleration is too often resorted to, in many breweries, as well as malthouses, as a necessary remedy for an avoidable evil, instead of a preventative to the need of an avoidable remedy. The situation of the fermenting tuns, is generally the result of a choice, dictated by considerations of mechanical advan- tage, architectural expediency, incapacity to contrive, or some other cause ; while not one thought is bestowed on the avera, atmospheric temperature of the situation chosen, nor the extent or the frequency of the variations during the year; therefore the hapless brewer has to conduct his fermentations in such tuns, subject to all the vicissitudes of temperature which may occur ; and in case he is not a thorough Judge of his business, and knows not how to adapt his system to the exigences of every case, he will often find it necessary to accelerate or retard the process, and will be subject to all the concomitant evils, resulting from the administration of reme- dies, instead of avoiding them by the adoption of measures of prevention. 10 Accelerate. docretion. “Prevention is better than cure,” is an adage that should be conspicuously posted up, in each department of every manufactory: and the projector of a building for a manu- factory and its fittings up, should be one, who thoroughly comprehends both the mechanical and chemical details, of every minute process of the manufacture for which it is in- tended; and his first care should be, to make suitable arrangements for every chemical exigency, in preference to the mechanical ; and next to provide such mechanical advan- tages, as will not militate with or frustate, but on the contrary supply chemical requirements. And it should be the busi- ness of every proprietor, or occupier of an ill contrived and constructed manufactory, or one that is unsuitably furnished, to make such judicious alterations and improvements, as will enable him to realize both profit and reputation, on the product of his manufacture. ACCRETION, a growing to another, an increase, an addition, Se. Malting may be termed, a process of accretion and abstrac- tion. The impartation of water to grain, to convert it into malt by the process of germination, does not consist in the mere addition of it m the cistern and the abstraction of it on the kiln; but also in the mechanical operation of enlarging and. distending the grain, so as to render it the more capable to receive and reject those principles, which are necessary by accretion and abstraction, to alter its properties, change its condition, and render it a new compound: and also, that bya decomposition of a portion of the water imparted, a portion of the ultimate principles of which such water is composed, may by accretion to a portion of the ultimate principles of whic the grain is composed, cause the commencement of, and assist in carrying on the process of germination. An accretion of oxygen in a state of simpie mixture with atmospheric air, as well as the oxygen which is a component principle of such air, occurs to the grain during the process of germination; for the purpose of abstracting a portion of its carbon, and the formation of saccharum. An accretion of a very large quantity of heated air to malt on the kiln, for the purpose of dessication is necessary, as well as a considerable portion of oxygen therefrom, for the purpose ofan additional formation of saccharum, and for the imparta- tion of both colour and flavour. The term accretion, may also be applied to that portion of the mashing menstruum, which is retained by the malt, over and above the quantity of wort which is withdrawn from it ; and the average amount of which, is generally computed at three firkins of the menstruum, to one quarter of malt. An accretion also occurs to the wort in boiling from the c 7 Accretion. hops imparted, consisting ofa fragrant bitter extract, contain- ing a considerable quantity of carbon. An accretion of oxygen to wort in the mash tun, the under back, hop back, cooling backs, fermenting tuns, cleansing casks, store vats, and sending out casks, occurs, by its trans- mission, from the atmosphere, induced by an affinity subsist- ing between such oxygen and. the carbon of the wort, and by the action of attraction causing their union. The accretion of oxygen to wort previous to fermentation, to an extent to cause a proper vinous fermentation, is both ab- solutely necessary and Feneficial ; but its accretion may occur to an unnecessary and injurious extent, by an improper mode of, and too long an exposure of it to the atmosphere. Oxygen, in a state of simple or mechanical admixture with atmospheric air, or such as constitutes a chemical component of air, unites with the carbon of the wort, and the result is the formation of carbonic acid, provided the accretion of oxygen to the carbon, is not to a greater amount than is sufficient for the formation of such an acid; but the danger is, that the accretion may be to an extent sufficient to create acetous acid ; and the best means to prevent such an occurrence is, correct mashing heats, a prompt process of extraction, and transfer- ence of wort from one utensil to another, with as little exposure to t