_OF THE LENGTHS NECESSARY TO FORM MALT-LIQUORS OF THE SEVERAL
DENOMINATIONS._
By length, in the brewery, is understood the quantity of drink made
from one quarter of malt. Beers and ales differ in this respect; and
the particular strength allowed to every sort of drink, varies also
somewhat, according to the prices of the materials. This increase or
abatement is, however, never such as to make the profits certain or
uniform; for the value of the grain being sometimes double of what it
is at other times, a proportionable diminution in strength, can by no
means take place.
It might be expected to find here tables determining the differences
in strength and quality of each drink, in proportion to their prices,
and the expences of the brewer. But this, for many reasons, would be
inconvenient, and in some respects impracticable. He, who chuses to be
at this trouble, ought not only to take into the account, the prices
of malt and hops, but the hazards in the manufacturing them, those
of leakage, of bad cellars, and of careless management, the frequent
returns, attended with many losses, the wearing out of utensils, and
especially of casks, which last article, engrosses at least one
fifth of the brewer’s capital, the charges of servants, horses, and
carriages, for the delivery of the drinks, the duties paid immediately
to the government, without any security for the reimbursement, the
large stock and credit necessary to carry on this trade, and many
other incidents, hardly to be estimated with a sufficient accuracy,
and never alike to every brewer. In general it appears, when malt and
hops are sold at mean prices, the value of what is employed of these,
is equal to the charge attending the manufacture, or of about half the
value of the drinks. Hence this conclusion, sensibly felt by every
honest trader, that, from change of circumstances, the reputation of
the profits has outlived the reality of them, and that a trade, perhaps
the most useful to the landed interest, to the government, and to the
public, of any, seems distinguished from all, by greater hazards, and
less encouragement.
But, in a treatise like this, where only the rules upon which true
brewing is founded, are laid down, I would avoid any thing that
might, though undesignedly, give handle to invidious reflections, and
ill-timed controversies. I therefore content myself with setting down
the latitudes of the lengths which should be made for drinks of every
denomination.
_Lengths of beers, according to the excise gauges,
observed within the bills of mortality, or the Winchester
measure._
Lengths of common small beer. }
4-1/4 Barrels to 5-1/4, }
Lengths of keeping small beer. }
4-3/4 Barrels to 5-1/2, }
Lengths of amber, or pale ale. } from one quarter
1-1/2 Barrel to 1-3/4, } of malt.
Lengths of brown strong, or porter. }
2-1/4 Barrels to 2-3/4, }
Lengths of Burton ale. }
1 Barrel to 1-1/4, }