Illustration: THE VATS.
Illustration: FERMENTING ROOM.
Illustration: ENGINE ROOM.
Illustration: MASH TUN.
Illustration: BOILER.
Beer is made by pouring boiling water upon ground malt, and after a
time drawing it off, which is repeated until all its soluble parts
are removed and dissolved in the water; the liquor resulting is
called “sweet wort,” which is then boiled with a certain proportion
of hops (the dried “stobules” or flowers of the hop plant), and the
liquor allowed to cool. It is then mixed with a small quantity of
“yest,” which is the scum thrown off by a former brewing, and the
whole is allowed to ferment till nearly all the sweet sugary matter
which was got from the malt is converted into spirit, it is then put
into casks and allowed to ferment slowly, in which process it throws
off more yest, which is collected, as seen in the cut, for the next
brewing. It is then bunged up in the barrels and kept for a time,
when it is fit for use. In large breweries machinery of various kinds
is employed, such as pumps for pumping up water, taps for drawing it
off machinery for stirring up the mash in the “mash tun,” and also
the hops in the boiler, to prevent them burning at the bottom of it.
The “cooling floor” is a contrivance for cooling the wort, consisting
of a series of pipes which pass in a serpentine manner through it,
and through which cold water is made to flow. The kind of beer,
whether ale or porter, chiefly depends upon the kind of malt used;
for ale, very pale malt, called “amber,” while for porter, burnt malt
is employed, and hence the color of these two descriptions of beer.
If the fermentation is not carried far enough the beer will be too
sweet, and if too far it will be sour.
Illustration: COOLING FLOOR.