Chapter 8

As he observes Care should be taken in the Spring to unstop the Vent, lest the warm Weather cause such a Fermentation as may burst the Cask, and also in _September_, that it be first try'd by Pegging if the Drink is fine, well tasted and the Hop rotted; and then if his Way is liked best, bring the rest into a transparent Fineness; for Clearness in Malt Liquors, as I said before, and here repeat it again, is a most agreeable Quality that every Man ought to enjoy for his Health and Pleasure, and therefore he advises for dispatch in this Affair, and to have the Drink very fine, to rack it off before the Ising-glass is put in; but I can't be a Votary for this Practice, as believing the Drink must lose a great deal of its Spirits by such shifting; yet I must chime in with his Notion of putting the Wort so often over the Malt till it comes off fine as I have already taught, which is a Method that has been used many Years in the North of _England_, where they are so curious as to let the Wort lie some time in the Underback to draw it off from the Feces there; nor are they less careful to run it fine out of the Cooler into the Tun, and from that into the Cask; in all which three several Places the Wort and Drink may be had clear and fine, and then there will be no more Sediments than is just necessary to assist and seed the Beer, and preserving its Spirits in a due Temper. But if Persons have Time and Conveniency, and their Inclination leads them to, obtain their Drink in the utmost Fineness, it is an extraordinary good way to use _Hippocrates_ Sleeve or Flannel Bag, which I did in my great Brew-house at _London_ for straining off the Feces that were left in the Backs. As to the Quantity of Malt for Brewing a Hogshead of _October_ Beer, I am of Opinion thirteen Bushels are right, and so are ten, fifteen and twenty, according as People approve of; for near _Litchfield_, I know some have brewed a Hogshead of _October_ Beer from sixteen Bushels of Barley Malt, one of Wheat, one of Beans, one of Pease and one of Oat Malt, besides hanging a Bag of Flower taken out of the last four Malts in the Hogshead for the Drink to feed on, nor can a certain Time Be limited and adjusted for the Tapping of any Drink (notwithstanding what has been affirmed to the contrary) because some Hops will not be rotted so soon as others, and some Drinks will not fine so soon as others; as is evident in the Pale Malt Drinks, that will seldom or never break so soon in the Copper as the Brown sort, nor will they be so soon ripe and fit to Tap as the high dryed Malt Drink will. Therefore what this Gentleman says of trying Drink by first Pegging it before it is Tapp'd, in my Opinion is more just and right than relying on a limited time for Broaching such Beer.

End of Project Gutenberg's The London and Country Brewer, by Anonymous