Part 1

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A TREATISE ON THE BREWING OF BEER, &c. &c.

_A Saving of Twenty per Cent._

A TREATISE ON THE BREWING OF BEER,

WHEREIN IS PROVED

That one Bushel of Malt will produce a Gallon of Beer more than another Bushel of an equal Strength, although both Malts be made of one Sort or Species of Barley.

In this work will be found some profitable and necessary directions to Maltsters.

Improvements in the Brew-house, and Brewing Utensils.

Showing the cause what makes hard and sour Beer.

Directions for preventing Beer from becoming sour or foxed, even if used in the warmest Season.

ALSO

Directions in what State to cleanse the Beer, so as to have it fine without using any art or device whatsoever; and for the Management of the Beer in the Cellar.

Some Observations in the Choice of HOPS;

Proving that they are useful after they have been used in brewing.

_The different Experiments are from Twenty Years Practice._

By E. HUGHES.

--> Some very useful and necessary directions to the Publican who retails Common Brewer's Beer.

SECOND EDITION.

UXBRIDGE:

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, AND SOLD BY T. LAKE. SOLD ALSO BY E. NEWBERY, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, LONDON, AND ALL BOOKSELLERS IN TOWN OR COUNTRY.

1796.

PREFACE.

The first edition of this treatise met with encouragement enough to flatter me that I had left no room to improve it: but, encouraged by the satisfaction my friends was pleased to express of its utility to the public, I have been induced to make every improvement I could collect.

Before I presumed to offer this small treatise to the public, the different modes and methods, here recommended, I have proved by different experiments, which I flatter myself will be found of utility, particularly to private families, especially farmers, because their servants have very little knowlege of brewing, their time being so much employed in other business, and so frequently are they changing their employ that they are rendered incapable of being competent in brewing. I do not presume to dictate to those who are proficients; but it must be acknowleged that good malt is frequently marred in brewing by persons who have very little or no knowlege of brewing, and I flatter myself that by a perusal of this treatise it will enable them to be more competent in making the best of the malt intrusted to their care, to the greater satisfaction and benefit of their employers.

Waters having a great predominance in brewing, I have given directions in the choice and improvement of them.

The improvements in the brewing utensils will be attended with some expence, but the utility arising therefrom will soon make amends.

I have taken the liberty to admonish the retailer of common brewer's beer, because, from their inattention in managing the beer after it comes into their stock or possession, the blame, if any, is imputed to the brewer but I am fully convinced to the contrary, from the almost daily practice of the common brewer, and their malt being of the first quality, as country brewers generally make their own malt, and that from the best barley, together with the conveniency of their utensils, enables them to have the advantage of most private families that brew their own beer; therefore it principally depends on the conduct of the publican as to the quality of the beer, after it comes into his stock, or possession.

I have taken the liberty to give some directions in the choice of malt, not that I mean to challenge the maltster, or give him directions in the management of his corn, except in the drying. I presume if malt is not attended to on the kiln and perfectly sound dried, it never will produce good and wholesome beer.

E. HUGHES.

Sep. 3, 1796.

A TREATISE.

_On Waters._

Waters differ in their quality, that is to say, in extracting the goodness from the Malt; it is, therefore, very necessary for every one who professes the brewing of Beer, to be well acquainted with the nature and quality of the Water he brews with; for as the quality of the water is, so depends the brewing of beer. I am fully persuaded that waters so differ in quality, they will very much add or diminish the quantity and quality of the beer.

Well Waters ought not to be used only in cases of necessity, when waters of a softer quality cannot be procured: the well water should be pumped into tubs, or any convenient vessel that is clean and sweet. It is a custom with many to fill the copper a day or two, and sometimes longer, before they begin the operation of brewing, but this I strongly forbid; for a liquid cannot be too short a time in the copper, except it is in a boiling state; my reasons for this I shall point out in another part of this treatise. I would recommend fresh bran to be put into the well water whilst in the tubs, and now and then give it a stir, this will cause a sort of fermentation, and will likewise soften the water.

The time for keeping water in the tubs must depend upon the season of the year: if in winter, or moderate cool weather, a week will not be too long; but if in summer, two days will be sufficient.

Spring or River Water is far preferable to Well Water, but river or spring waters differ very much in their softness, and that which will lather best with soap is a convincing proof, and is to be prefered for brewing; for,

First,--It will leave the grains dryer than well water of a harsher quality.

Secondly,--The beer will come to a quicker fermentation in the tun; and,

Thirdly,--It will also fine itself much sooner in the cask, than if brewed from well water.

Rain Water, such as runs off tiled roofs, is, undoubtedly, to be prefered before well or river water in brewing, being of a simple and soft nature.

There is one very great object to the interest of the brewer;--Beer, brewed with rain or river water, will be stronger than beer brewed with well water from an equal quantity of Malt, because it will have a freer access to the Malt; and, as I said before, it will leave the grains much dryer than well water, which is convincing, the dryer the grains are, the better will be the beer.

Many persons very much prefer Pond Waters, such that are frequently disturbed by horses and other cattle, which generally causes it to be in a thick muddy state; but the sediments of this thick muddy water must be found prejudicial; for when the wort is emptied out of the cooling tubs into the working tun, or running from the coolers into the tun, a part of the sediment, from the foulness of the water, will follow the wort into the tun, consequently the yeast will be in a foul state and cannot be of that utility in baking, as though the brewing had been from pure clean water.

There is a great difficulty often happens in making beer come to a fermentation in the tun; this, I verily believe, is principally owing to the hardness of the water it is brewed with.

_Some Observations on the Grinding of Malt._

Much depends on the grinding of Malt. Many people give directions to have their malt ground small, having an idea that the water will mix itself with, and have a more free access to it, than when ground in a more coarser state; but this idea is very erroneous. Malt should be only broke in the Mill, that is, if possible, every corn should be only bruised; malt ground in this manner will discharge the wort in a fine state throughout the whole brewing.

I have known many persons neglect giving orders for their malt till the day before they intend to brew; but malt should be ground four or five days, or a week would not be too long for brown malt, but great care must be taken to keep it in a dry place.

Malt, ground a reasonable time before it is used, loses the heat which it receives in grinding, and reduces it to a soft and mellow state; it will receive the water more freely, and a greater quantity of wort may be made than if it was brewed immediately after it was ground. The beer will also work much better in the tun and in less time become fit for use than if brewed as soon as it comes from the mill. This is proved by good housekeepers, who have their wheat ground two or three days before they use it; for by losing the heat it receives from the mill in grinding, the flour will be lighter, and receive the yeast and water more freely, than if used immediately from the mill.

Brewing is generally left to the care of servants, particularly in farm houses, who frequently have at the same time other business to perform, which too frequently causes the brewing to be neglected, particularly in its first stage. The mash in this first stage determines the whole of the brewing, for the malt ought to be well mixed up with the water, which will cause some time and labour; therefore the person employed in brewing should not, on that day, have any other business to perform, so as to engross any time or attention from the brewing, for any part neglected may mar the whole, which is too frequently the case.

_Improvements in the Mash Tun._

Mash Tuns should have false bottoms, to take up as occasion may require;--they should be about two inches clear of the fixed bottom, with holes therein, about a sixth part of an inch in diameter. The false bottom answers two good purposes;

First,--You may be more expeditious in mashing, by having a free access to all parts of the mash tun, which, with a tap vase or some such like instrument being in the mash tun, will impede the stirring of the mash, therefore some part of the malt will not be mixed with the water.

Secondly,--The false bottom will drain the grains dryer than the tap vase, and in the fixed bottom there will be a sediment left, which, with one bottom only, would have passed through the tap vase, and a part of it accompanied the wort down into the tun. This will answer another good purpose; for the sediment not accompanying the wort into the copper, it will want less boiling, as it will break sooner and fine itself.

_Note._ Where the false bottom is used the tap must spend through a cock at the bottom of the tun. The holes in the false bottom may be about three or four inches distance from each other.

Fail not to boil your water six or eight minutes, then let it into the mash tun; if time will permit, do not put your malt in for mashing till the steam has escaped and you can see your face in the water; but if time will not admit of this, add about one gallon of cold water to eighteen gallons of hot. Whilst you put your malt into the tun, let a person stir it to prevent its clotting, then well mash it, and let the mash stand two hours at least. The second mash need not stand so long as the first. If convenient, always make use of hot water for your small beer, for by boiling the water a few minutes it will soften it, and will cause it to have a more free access to the malt, and the wort will require less boiling.

_Boiling of the Worts._

Many brewers boil their worts from one to two hours; this is very much practised in private families;--a great part of the time the wort is in a simmering state the fire perhaps is not attended to, the person who has the care of the brewing is, as I said before, frequently employed in some other business, therefore this very material part is neglected: As soon as the wort is in the copper it should be made to boil as quick as possible, and a brisk fire should be kept under the copper to cause the wort to boil as fast as possible, for fast boiling will cause the wort to break and fine itself much sooner than it would if kept in a slow boiling state. Thirty or forty minutes will be sufficient to boil ale, and one hour if strong beer. This quick boiling will cause a saving of one gallon in twenty, at least, which must be acknowleged a _great advantage_, considering the present high price of malt.

I will presume to say there will be a saving in the wood or coal by boiling the wort, as is commonly said, a gallop, when it rises itself considerably above the copper.

The copper should have a curve made of wood, fixed round the brim, to prevent the wort from being spilt when boiling; or the copper should be so hung, with a sheet of lead fixed round the brim in a sloping position, that when the wort is hastily boiling, it would fall on the lead and immediately return into the copper, therefore it would prevent the wort from wasting or boiling over.

_Cooling of the Worts._

As soon as the wort is out of the copper the next thing is to get the heat out as soon as possible, and to get it in a state for fermentation. Most private brewers, and many victuallers, separate their worts into tubs, bowls, pans, &c. for cooling; I have seen wort in no less than twelve or sixteen different utensils; worts being of a sticky quality, it must be acknowleged that a loss is sustained by having the wort in so many utensils, and also very inconvenient to pour the wort from the tubs and pans into the working tun; for in each of the before mentioned utensils will be a sediment, which too frequently follows the wort into the working tun.

Now to prevent the use of all these small utensils, a brew-house, though ever so small, will admit of two coolers being erected; for two coolers will take up nearly the same room in the brew-house as if only one were to be erected; for one cooler should be nearly underneath the other, so that the second cooler may receive the wort from the first. Care must be taken in fixing the coolers, so as to admit the working tun underneath the coolers, to receive the wort: but this need not be consulted where there is a conveniency to convey the worts and work them in the cellar.

_Note._ A victualler is compelled by law not to alter the position of his coolers without giving notice to the excise officer;--now private families have the advantage,--they may have their coolers fixed in the brew-house, or to lay on trestles, and move them to any part, as occasion may require.

The size of the coolers must so correspond with the quantity of malt brewed, that in warm weather the worts do not exceed two inches in depth in the coolers; for in summer brewing the heat cannot too soon escape from the worts; and this is the evil--not having a conveniency to separate the worts in a thin state, the brewer has not been able to get the heat out,--he has let the wort down into the working tun in a warm state, which has often brought on the fox, in a short time became sour, and rendered unfit for drinking.

The reader will observe that brewing in warm weather ought to be avoided as much as possible; for the coolers or tubs in warm weather being in a very dry state, and the worts being a long time cooling, that, at least, one gallon in forty will exhaust itself.

I shall point out one more improvement for cooling the worts more expeditiously: In many brew-houses there is no conveniency, when the worts come out of the copper, for the steam to escape out of the brew-house, but will continue for a time in a thick cloudy state, to the great detriment of the worts:--to remedy this, I would recommend flap shutters to be erected in as many parts of the brew-house as convenient, and the building will admit; the flap shutters will permit the steam to escape and very rapidly cool the worts. These shutters are as convenient in the winter, or when the weather is moderately cool, for they are so contrived that you may set them to what centre you please.

From these improvements the brewing will be more expeditiously performed, as the worts will, of course, from this conveniency, much sooner make way for the small beer, and totally prevent its being left in the copper all night, which is too often practised, to the injury of those who drink it, as it will not be fine, but remain in a thick wey colour, which is owing to its being in the copper too long, and not being kept in a boiling state; for if a copper has been in use twenty years it will at times shew symtoms of the verdigrease, which is a sufficient voucher that the wort cannot be too short a time in the copper, except when boiling.

Coolers will last many years without repairing; when, on the contrary, cooling tubs, &c. are frequently out of repair, and are as lumber, being of little or no use, except when used in brewing.

From the before mentioned improvements you will always finish your brewing before a late hour at night, which will enable you to pay the more attention to the worts in the tuns, &c.

Care should be taken to keep the brewing utensils as clean and as sweet as those used in a dairy; for without cleanliness it is impossible to have your beer in a good and wholesome state.

The copper should be cleaned after each brewing, as it will keep it bright; when it is used but seldom, and in wet or damp weather, the verdigrease will appear, but care should be taken to examine and clean it, previous to the warier's being put in for brewing.

It often happens, where the mash tun is not used for a working tun, the grains are left in the mash tun till the next morning, they will then be in a sour state; therefore the tun should be scalded before the next brewing. If in very warm weather, some quick lime, that is, lime not slacked, will be necessary, by adding some water to dissolve it to the same consistence as used for a white-wash; then with a mop or brush wet the tun with the lime like unto white-washing; after the lime has been on about a day it may be washed off.

Much care should be taken to keep the coolers and working tuns in a clean state, by frequently scalding; it will be necessary in warm weather to lime the coolers and working tuns;--this is an excellent remedy where the coolers and tuns are tinged with the fox, as also a preventative against that fulsome complaint. Experience will inform you that the use of lime is excellent in cleaning the utensils.

When you soak the coolers, &c. previous to brewing, add some lime to the water, as it will search and purge the joints of the coolers and tubs, by cleaning them from disagreeable smells.

Particular attention should be paid to the cooling of the worts, by having coolers as before mentioned. You may let your worts down into the tun as quick or as slow as you please and as the season may require; in very cold weather it should go down into the tun from the cooler by a good stream, as the worts require to go down into the tun in a warm state, particularly when there is but a small quantity brewed. In summer brewing your worts will require to go down into the tun in a cold state; however it will be much the best for them to be cold than too warm, therefore you should set the cock or plug to discharge the worts from the coolers into the tun but slow and dribbling; for by going down slowly it will prevent a hasty fermentation, and consequently will have the good effect to prevent your tun of beer from being foxed; therefore it must be allowed to be convenient and necessary to have coolers erected, as the worts will go down into the tun in almost one regular degree of heat.

On the contrary, when worts are cooled in tubs, pans, &c. they are emptied into the working tun in different degrees of heat, one after another; perhaps in some of these cooling tubs or pans the worts are two or three inches in depth; in others, six or seven inches; therefore the worts will be of different degrees of heat, and by having part of the worts let down into the tun much warmer than those already down, and which, perhaps, are in a fermentation, those worts will, of course, cause a fermentation too hastily,--will frequently cause the tun of beer to be foxed, and will always be in a heavy state, for the yeast will not separate itself from the beer; this renders the coolers more necessary and convenient.

_Attending the Working Tun._

Attention should be paid to the beer when in the tun. It is a custom with many brewers to put their yeast for that brewing into the tun at one time: I will prove that practice to be very erroneous; for by adding the quantity of yeast you intend to use at one time, may cause a fermentation too hastily, and then you have no remedy. You should feed your tun with yeast by adding a little at a time, as occasion may require, for by so doing you will always be master of your tun of beer, by having it in what state of fermentation you please; as the quality of malt and waters differ, it will require more or less yeast to ferment it, and by adding the yeast at different times you will be enabled to form such a judgment as never to over-yeast your tun. Every time you add more yeast you should stir your beer with a bowl or bucket.

_Cleansing._

It is a practice with many people to keep their beer in the tun from four to six days; by that time the yeast will fall to the bottom of the tun, and the beer will be in a flat, dead state; it will always be _heady_ beer, being kept so long before it is cleansed; it will not be inclined to work in the casks, nor will it drink with a pleasant, lively taste. There is no coming at any exact time, with respect to hours, when your beer will be ready to cleanse, therefore this must be done by attention, in frequently examining when your beer is at its full head of working, or what is commonly said, rather inclined to go back; when it is in that state it should be cleansed immediately. This, I say, should be attended to, notwithstanding it should happen at twelve o'clock at night; for this is the evil, by neglecting the proper time to cleanse your beer it will not be able to fine itself in the casks, and then some device must be used to fine it, which is too often injurious to the beer.

_A very necessary Caution._

It is a common practice, when casks are scalded or cleansed, to expose them to the sun and wind to dry, and there leave them till the time of cleansing, then they are placed in the cellar, &c. and the beer immediately cleansed into them; when the sun, in warm weather, has penetrated through the wood and become so warm that you cannot conveniently lay your hand upon them; this is often done unthinkingly, but the casks being thus heated by the sun causes the beer to work too hastily; after all the care and pains before taken, it here receives a material injury, by having, as may be said, undergone a second fermentation, and will reduce its strength by working too hastily out of the casks, and very probably may be the cause of its not being soft and pleasant; however, care should be taken to get your casks perfectly dry, previous to the cleansing into them; in hot weather place them in the cellar, &c. some time before you have occasion to cleanse your beer into them.

Attention should be paid in keeping your casks filled up after cleansing, to enable the yeast to discharge itself from the beer, for by so doing there will be the greater probability of your beer being fine; if the casks are not kept filled up when working, the yeast cannot discharge itself from the beer, which, in change of weather, will be purging and hissing in the casks, and will cause it to be harsh and unpleasant; this is the principal cause why we have so many muddy ales. Attending your beer when working, by filling up the casks, will be found to be of the greatest utility, as you will have no occasion to use any device to fine your beer, which will only attend to adulteration.

_Small Beer._

As I said before, small beer is too frequently neglected, because the master or mistress of a family drink but a small quantity of it. I verily believe there would be less _good_ small beer consumed in a family of servants and workmen, than if it were inferior and bad in its quality. It may be thought strange by adding the name of _good_ to small beer, but it must be acknowleged that there is a great disparity in the quality of ales, and why not in small beer; on the one hand, it certainly depends on what length you draw from quantity of malt.