ARTICLE I.
_To make Rye Malt for Stilling._
Steep it twenty four hours in warm weather, in cold, forty eight, so in
proportion as the weather is hot or cold; drain off the water, lay it in
your malt cellar, about fifteen inches thick, for twelve hours; then
spread it out half that thickness, sprinkling water on it at the same
time; after that, it is to be turned three times a day with care,
sprinkling water on as before. The thickness of the bed in this stage,
must depend on the weather; work it in this way till the sprout is half
as long as the grain, then throw it on your withering floor, wither it
there for forty eight hours; then put it on your kiln to dry.
ART. II.
_Of Brewing Beer._
As the following is intended principally for the use of private
families, it will be necessary to begin with directions how to choose
good Malt; for which, see page 67.
_Of the Brewing Vessels._
To a copper that holds 36 gallons, the mash-tub ought to be at least big
enough to contain six bushels of malt, and the copper of liquor, and
room for mashing or stirring it: The under back, coolers and working
tubs, may be rather fitted for the conveniency of the room, than to a
particular size; for if one vessel be not sufficient to hold your
liquor, you may take a second.
_Of cleaning and sweetening Casks & Brewing Vessels._
If a cask, after the beer is drank out, be well stopt to keep out the
air, and the lees remaining in it till you want to use it again, you
will need only to scald it well, and take care of the hoops before you
fill it; but if air gets into a foul empty cask, it will contract an ill
scent in spight of scalding. A handful of bruised pepper boiled in the
water you scald with, will take out a little musty smell; but the surest
way is to take out the head of the cask, and let the cooper shave and
burn it a little, and then scald it for use; if you cannot conveniently
have a cooper to the cask, get some stone lime, and put about three
pound into a barrel, (and proportionally to smaller or bigger vessels)
and put to it about six gallons of cold water, bung it up, and shake it
about for some time, and afterwards scald it well; or for want of lime,
take a linen rag, and dip it in melted brimstone, and fasten one end to
the bung, and light the other, and let it hang on the cask. You must
give it a little air, else it will not burn; but keep in as much of the
sulphur as you can. Scald it afterwards, and you will find no ill smell.
If you have new casks, before you fill them, dig places in the earth,
and lay them half their depth with their bung holes downward, for a
week; and after well scalding them, you may venture to fill them.
Another way to proceed, if your brewing vessels are tinged with any ill
smell, is to take unflacked lime and water, and with an old broom scrub
the vessel whilst the water is hissing, with the lime; and afterwards
take all this lime and water away, and put fresh water into the vessel,
and throw some bay or common salt into each, and let it stand a day or
two; and when you come to brew, scald your vessels, throw into them a
little malt-dust or bran; and this will not only finish their
sweetening, but stop them from leaking.
But since there is so much trouble in getting vessels sweet after they
have been neglected, you ought to make all thorough clean after brewing,
and once a month to fill your vessels with fair water, and let it off
again in two or three days.
_Of mashing or raking your Liquors._
Suppose you take six bushels of malt, and two pounds of hops, and would
make of it one barrel of strong, and two barrels of small beer.
Heat your first copper of liquor for mashing, and strew over it a double
handful of bran or malt; by which you will see when it begins to boil;
for it will break and curl, and then it is fit to be let off into the
mash tub, where it must remain till the steam is quite spent, and you
can see your face in it, before you put in your malt; and then you begin
to mash, stirring it all the while you are putting in the malt: but keep
out about half a bushel dry, which you are to strew over the rest, when
you have done stirring it, which will be as soon as you have well mixed
it with the liquor, and prevented it from clodding.
After the dry malt is laid on, cover your mash tub with cloths, to
prevent losing any spirit of the malt, and let it so remain for two
hours. Meanwhile have another copper of liquor hot; and at two hours end
begin to let off your first wort into the under-back. Receive a pailful
of the first running, and throw it again upon the malt.--You will find
that the malt has sucked up half of your first copper of liquor; and
therefore to make up your quantity of wort for your strong beer, you
must gradually lade out of the second copper, and strew bowl after bowl
over the malt, giving it time to soak thro', and keeping it running by
an easy stream, till you perceive you have about forty gallons, which in
boiling and working will be reduced to thirty-six.
If you throw into the under-back (whilst you are letting off) about half
a pound of hops, it will preserve it from foxing, or growing sour or
ropy.
Your first wort being all run off, you must soften the tap of the mash
tub; and take a copper of hot liquor for your second mashing, stirring
up the malt as you did at first, and then cover it close for two hours
more. Meanwhile you fill your copper with the first wort, and boil it
with the remainder of the two pounds of hops, for an hour and an half,
and then lade it off into the coolers.
Contrive to receive the hops in a sieve, basket, or thin woolen bag that
is sweet and clean; then immediately fill your copper with cold liquor,
renew your fire under it, and begin to let off your second wort, throw a
handful of hops into the under-back, for the same reason as before: you
will want to lade a few bowls full of liquor over the malt to make up
the copper full of second wort; and when you have enough, fasten the tap
and mash a third time after the same manner, and cover it close for
another two hours; and then charge your copper with the second wort,
boiling it for an hour with the same hops.
By this time you may shift your first wort out of the coolers into a
working tub, to make room for the second wort to come into the coolers;
and then your copper being empty, you may heat as much liquor as will
serve you to lade over the malt, or, by this time, rather grains, to
make up your third and last copper of wort, which must be bottled with
the same hops over again; and then your coolers are discharged of your
second wort, to make room for the third; and when they are both of a
proper coolness, they may be put together before you set them a working.
During the time of shifting your liquors out of the copper, it is of
consequence to take care to preserve it from receiving damage by
burning: you should always contrive to have the fire low, or else to
damp it at the time of emptying, and be very expeditious to put in fresh
liquor.
_Of working the Liquor._
In this, regard must be had to the water: liquor naturally grows warm in
working; therefore, in mild weather, it should be cold before it be set
on, but a little warm in cold weather. The manner of doing it, is to put
some good sweet yeast into a hand-bowl or piggin, with a little warm
wort; then put the hand-bowl to swim upon the wort in the working tub,
and in a little while it will work out, and leisurely mix with the wort,
and when you find the yeast is gotten hold of the wort, you must look
after it frequently; and if you perceive it begins to heat and ferment
too fast, lade some of it out into another tub; and when grown cold, it
may be put back again; or if you reserve some of the raw wort, you may
check it leisurely, by stirring it in with a hand-bowl. The cooler you
work your liquor, the better, provided it does but work well.
If you happen to check it too much, you may forward its working, by
filling a gallon stone bottle with boiling water, cork it close and put
the bottle into the working tub.--An ounce or two of powdered ginger
will have the same effect.
There are a variety of methods in managing liquors whilst they are
working.--Some people beat the yeast of strong beer and ale, once in two
or three hours, for two or three days together.
This they reckon makes the drink more heady, but withal hardens it so as
to be drinkable in two or three days; the last day of beating it in,
(stirring the yeast and beer together) the yeast, as it rises, will
thicken; and then they take off part of the yeast, and beat in the rest,
which they repeat as often as it rises thick; and when it has done
working, they tun it up, so as it may just work out of the barrel.
Others again do not beat it in at all, but let their strong drink work
about two days, or till they see the ferment is over; and then they take
off the top yeast, and either by a tap near the bottom, let it off sine,
or else lade it out gently, to leave the sediment and yeast at the
bottom.
This way is proper for liquor that is to be drank soon: but if it be to
keep, it will want the sediment to feed upon, and may probably grow
stale, unless you make artificial lees: This you may make of a quart of
brandy, and as much flour of wheat as will make it into dough; put them
in lumps into the bung hole as soon as it has done working. Or else take
a pound of the powder of oyster shells and mix it with a pound of
treacle or honey, and put it in soon after it has done working.
It would add to the goodness, as well as sining of your malt liquor, if
you took two quarts of wheat, and make them very dry and crisp in an
oven, or before the fire, and boil them in your first copper of
wort.--They would strain off with your hops, and might be put with them
into the second copper.
_Of the fining of Malt Liquors._
It is most desirable to have beer fine of itself, which it seldom fails
to do in due time, if rightly brewed and worked; but as disappointments
some times happen, it will be necessary to know what to do in such
cases.
Ivory shavings boiled in your wort, or hartshorn shavings put into your
cask just before you bung it down, will do much towards fining and
keeping your liquor from growing stale.
Isinglass is the most common thing made use of in fining all sorts of
liquors; they first beat it well with a hammer or mallet, and lay it in
a pail, and then draw off about two gallons of the liquor to be fined
upon it, and let it soak two or three days; and when it is soft enough
to mix with the liquor, they take a whisk, and stir it about till it is
all of a ferment, and white froth; and they frequently add the whites
and shells of about a dozen of eggs, which they beat in with it, and put
altogether into the cask; then with a clean mop-stick, or some such
thing, stir the whole together; and then lay a cloth, or piece of paper
over the bung-hole, till the ferment is over; and then bung it up close,
in a few days it will fall fine.
But if you want to fine only a small quantity, take half an ounce of
unflacked lime, and put it into a pint of water, and stir it well
together, and let it stand for two or three hours, or till the lime
settle to the bottom; then pour the water off clear, and throw away the
sediment; then take half an ounce of isinglass cut small, and boil it in
the lime water till it dissolves; then let it cool, and pour it into the
vessel, &c.
_Of the season for Brewing._
The season for brewing keeping-beer is certainly best before Christmas,
for then your malt is in perfection, not having time to contract either
a musty smell, dust or weavels, (an insect that eats out the heart of
the malt) and the waters are then seldom mixed with snow; and then four
pounds of hops will go as far as five in the spring of the year: For you
must increase in the quantity of hops as you draw towards summer. But,
in short, chuse moderate weather as much as you can for brewing, and if
you have a kindly cellar besides to keep your liquor in, that will not
be much affected by extremity of heat or cold, you may reasonably expect
great satisfaction in your brewery.
Avoid as much as possible brewing in hot weather; but if you are
necessitated to brew, make no more than present drinking, for it will
not keep.
_To make Elderberry-Beer or Ebulum._
Take a hogshead of the first and strong wort, and boil in the same one
bushel of picked Elderberries, full ripe; strain off, and when cold,
work the liquor in the hogshead, and not in an open tun or tub; and
after it has lain in the cask about a year, bottle it; and it will be a
good rich drink, which they call ebulum; and has often been preferred to
portwine, for its pleasant taste, and healthful quality.
N. B. There is no occasion for the use of sugar in this operation;
because the wort has strength and sweetness enough in itself to answer
that end; but there should be an infusion of hops added to the liquor,
by way of preservation and relish.
Some likewise hang a small bag of bruised spices in the vessel.
_To make improved and excellent wholesome Purl._
Take Roman wormwood two dozen, gentian-root six pounds; calamus
aromatics (or the sweet flag root) two pounds; a pound or two of the
galen gale-root; horse radish one bunch; orange peal dried, and
juniper berries, each two pounds; seeds or kernels of Seville oranges
cleaned and dried, two pounds.
These being cut and bruised, put them into a clean butt, and start your
mild brown, or pale beer upon them, so as to fill up the vessel, about
the beginning of November, and let it stand till the next season; and
make it thus annually.
_To brew Strong Beer._
To a barrel of beer take two bushels of wheat just cracked in the mill,
and some of the flour sifted out of it; when your water is scalding hot,
put it into your mash-vat, there let it stand till you can see your face
in it; then put your malt upon that, and do not stir it; let it stand
two hours and an half; then let it run into a tub that has two pounds of
hops in it, and a handful of rosemary flowers; and when it is all run,
put it into the copper, and boil it two hours; then strain it off,
setting it a cooling very thin, and setting it a working very cool;
clear it very well before you put it a working; put a little yeast to
it; when the yeast begins to fall, put it into your vessel, put in a
pint of whole grain, and six eggs, then stop it; Let it stand a year,
and then bottle it.
A good table-beer may be made, by mashing again, after the preceding is
drawn off; then let it stand two hours, and let that run, and mash
again, and stir it as before; be sure to cover your mashing-vat well;
mix the first and second running together.
_To make China Ale._
To six gallons of ale, take a quarter of a pound or more of China root,
thin sliced, and a quarter of a pound of coriander seeds, bruised--hang
these in a tiffany, or coarse linen bag, in the vessel, till it has done
working; and let it stand fourteen days before you bottle.
_To make Ale, or any other liquor, that is too new, or sweet, drink
stale._
To do this to the advantage of health, put to every quart of ale, or
other liquor, 10 or 12 drops of the true spirit of salt, and let them be
well mixed together, which they will soon do it by the subtile spirits
penetrating into all parts, and have proper effect.
_To recover sour Ale._
Scrape fine chalk a pound, or as the quantity of liquor requires, more;
put it into a thin bag into the ale.
_To recover Liquor that is turned bad._
If any liquor be pricked or fading, put to it a little syrup of clay,
and let it ferment with a little barm, which will recover it; and when
it is well settled, bottle it up, put in a clove or two, with a lump of
loaf sugar.
_Directions for Bottling._
You must have firm corks, boiled in wort, or grounds of beer; fill
within an inch of the cork's reach, and beat it in with a mallet; then,
with a small brass wire, bind the neck of the bottle, bring up the ends,
and twist them over with a pair of pincers.
_To make a quarter of a hogshead of Ale, and a hogshead of Beer, of
cooked Malt._
Take five strike of malt not ground too small; put in some boiling
water, to cover the bottom of your mashing-vat before you put in your
malt; mash it with more boiling water, putting in your malt at several
times, that it may be sure to be all wet alike; cover it with a peck of
wheat bran, then let it stand thus mashed four hours, then draw off
three gallons of wort, and pour it upon that you have mashed, so let it
stand half an hour more, till it runs clear, then draw of all that will
run, and take two quarts of it to begin to work up with the barm, which
must be about a pint and a half--put in the two quarts of wort at three
times to the barm; you need not stir it till you begin to put in the
boiled wort.
You will not have enough to fill your vessel at first; wherefore you
must pour on more boiling water, immediately after the other has done
running, till you have enough to fill a quarter of a hogshead, and then
pour on water for a hogshead of beer.
As soon as the ale wort has run off, put a third part into the
boiler--when it boils up, take off the scum, which you may put upon the
grains for the small beer--when it is skimmed, put in a pound and an
half of hops, having first sifted out the seeds, then put in all the
wort, and let it boil two hours and an half, afterwards strain into two
coolers, and let it stand to cool and settle, then put it to cool a
little at a time, to the barm, and two quarts of wort, and beat it well
together: every time you put the wort in, be sure you keep the settling
out.
Suppose you brew early on Thursday morning, you may tun it at 9 or 10 on
Saturday morning.
Do not fill your vessel quite full, but keep about three gallons to put
in, when it has worked 24 hours, which will make it work again.
As soon as it hath done working, stop it up, put the drink as cool as
you can together; thus it will work well.
_To make Treacle Beer._
Boil two quarts of water, put into it one pound of treacle or molasses,
stir them together till they are well mixed; then put six or eight
quarts of cold water to it, and about a tea cup full of yeast or barm,
put it up in a clean cask or stein, cover it over with a coarse cloth,
two or three times double, it will be fit to drink in two or three days.
The second and third time of making, the bottom of the first beer will
do instead of yeast.
If you make a large quantity, or intend it for keeping, you must put in
a handful of hops and another of malt, for it to feed on, and when done
working, stop it up close.
The above is the best and cheapest way of making treacle beer, tho' some
people add raisins, bran, wormwood, spices, such fruit, &c. as are in
season, but that is just as you fancy.
Indeed many pleasant, cheap, and wholesome drinks may be made from
fruits, &c. if they are bruised and boiled in water, before the treacle
is added.
The plan of manufacturing domestic wines, mead and small beer, once
established and understood in a family, becomes easy--is considered a
duty--and the females prepare as regularly for renewing them, as for
baking, and doing every other branch of business. Many families amidst
plenty of ingredients and means, rarely have a comfortable beverage
under their roof--this is attributable to indolence, stupidity and want
of knowledge.--A little well timed, planning and system, with little
more than usual labour, by the intelligent housewife, will cause
comfort and plenty to reign throughout, and prove a fine and salutary
example to society. Besides, the pleasure a lady derives from presenting
a glass of good wine, in a nice clean glass to her welcome visitants,
will always amply compensate for the trouble of manufacturing, and
preparing it; but when the more intelligent pass a handsome and well
merited compliment on the neatness and quality of her fare--she derives
happiness from her industry, and a degree of pleasure approaching to
exquisite. She may be esteemed one "who hath used her active faculties
for the benefit of her family and society, and not only deserves well of
society, but of heaven, for the judicious and liberal exercise of the
mind, that god-like intellect, among the finest gifts of the munificent
creator of worlds." But of her, who sitteth still and inactive, and doth
not exercise those intellectual powers, it may be said "she is of an
estrayed soul," and "hath buried her talent." And neither merits the
attention of society, or the grateful love of her husband and
family--and throws herself on the mercy of her God for forgiveness, for
her numerous omissions, in withholding the exercise of her active
faculties--presuming the being or individual, who is capable of the
neglect of one duty, is capable of neglecting all--and tho' some little
appearance may be kept up, yet conviction is eternally in the eye of the
great judge--and not to be evaded.
Thus then the laws of society, morality and religion, requiring the
active exercise of our person and faculties--offering the finest and
most inducing rewards, the words of our language are capable of
describing, in the health afforded from exercise; the example, from
which society is benefitted; the pleasure derived from the approbation
of our neighbors, and a conscientiousness of having performed our duties
here, and living by the exercise of a proper system of economy, in a
constant state of independence, always in possession of the means of
alleviating the condition of the indigent and unfortunate in
society--and relieving the wants of our friends--and above all, the hope
of eternal happiness in the approbation of heaven hereafter.
_FINIS_
End of Project Gutenberg's The Practical Distiller, by Samuel McHarry