_The_ London _Method of Brewing_.
In a great Brewhouse that I was concern'd in, they wetted or used a
considerable Quantity of Malt in one Week in Brewing Stout-beer, common
Butt-beer, Ale and small Beer, for which purpose they have River and Well
Waters, which they take in several degrees of Heat, as the Malt, Goods and
Grain are in a condition to receive them, and according to the Practice
there I shall relate the following Particulars, viz.
_For Stout Butt Beer_.
This is the strongest Butt-Beer that is Brewed from brown Malt, and often
sold for forty Shillings the Barrel, or six Pound the Butt out of the
wholesale Cellars: The Liquor (for it is Sixpence forfeit in the _London_
Brewhouse if the word Water is named) in the Copper designed for the first
Mash, has a two Bushel Basket, or more, of the most hully Malt throw'd
over it, to cover its Top and forward its Boiling; this must be made very
hot, almost ready to boil, yet not so as to blister, for then it will be
in too high a Heat; but as an indication of this, the foul part of the
Liquor will ascend, and the Malt swell up, and then it must be parted,
look'd into and felt with the Finger or back of the Hand, and if the
Liquor is clear and can but be just endured, it is then enough, and the
Stoker must damp his fire as soon as possible by throwing in a good Parcel
of fresh Coals, and shutting his Iron vent Doors, if there are any;
immediately on this they let as much cold Liquor or Water run into the
Copper as will make it all of a Heat, somewhat more than Blood-warm, this
they Pump over, or let it pass by a Cock into an upright wooden square
Spout or Trunk, and it directly rises thro' the Holes of a false Bottom
into the Malt, which is work'd by several Men with Oars for about half an
Hour, and is called the first and stiff Mash: While this is doing, there
is more Liquor heating in the Copper that must not be let into the mash
Tun till it is very sharp, almost ready to boil, with this they Mash
again, then cover it with several Baskets of Malt, and let it stand an
Hour before it runs into the Under-back, which when boiled an Hour and a
half with a good quantity of Hops makes this Stout. The next is Mash'd
with a cooler Liquor, then a sharper, and the next Blood-warm or quite
Cold; by which alternate degrees of Heat, a Quantity of small Beer is made
after the Stout.
_For Brewing strong brown Ale called_ Stitch.
This is most of it the first running of the Malt, but yet of a longer
Length than is drawn for the Stout; It has but few Hops boiled in it, and
is sold for Eight-pence _per_ Gallon at the Brewhouse out of the Tun, and
is generally made to amend the common brown Ale with, on particular
Occasions. This Ale I remember was made use of by [Blank space] _Medlicot_
Esq; in the beginning of a Consumption, and I heard him say, it did him
very great Service, for he lived many Years afterwards.
_For Brewing common brown Ale and Starting Beer_.
They take the Liquors from the brown Ale as for the Stout, but draw a
greater Quantity from the Malt, than for Stout or Stitch, and after the
fifth and second Mash they Cap the Goods with fresh Malt to keep in the
Spirit and Boil it an Hour; after this, small Beer is made of the same
Goods. Thus also the common brown Starting Butt-Beer is Brewed, only
boiled with more Hops an Hour and a half, and work'd cooler and longer
than the brown Ale, and a shorter Length drawn from the Malt. But it is
often practised after the brown Ale, and where a Quantity of small Beer is
wanted, or that it is to be Brewed better than ordinary, to put so much
fresh Malt on the Goods as will answer that purpose.
_For Brewing Pale and Amber Ales and Beers_.
As the brown Malts are Brewed with River, these are Brewed with Well or
Spring Liquors. The Liquors are by some taken sharper for pale than brown
Malts, and after the first scalding Liquor is put over, some lower the
rest by degrees to the last which is quite Cold, for their small Beer; so
also for Butt-Beers there is no other difference than the addition of more
Hops, and boiling, and the method of working. But the reasons for Brewing
pale Malts with Spring or hard Well waters, I have mentioned in my second
Book of Brewing.
_For Brewing Entire Guile Small Beer_.
On the first Liquor they throw some hully Malt to shew the break of it,
and when it is very sharp, they let in some cold Liquor, and run it into
the Tun milk warm; this is mash'd with thirty or forty pulls of the Oar,
and let stand till the second Liquor is ready, which must be almost
scalding hot to the back of the Hand, then run it by the Cock into the
Tun, mash it up and let it stand an Hour before it is spended off into the
Under-back: These two pieces of Liquor will make one Copper of the first
wort, without putting any fresh Malt on the Goods; the next Liquor to be
Blood-warm, the next sharp, and the next cool or cold; for the general way
in great Brewhouses is to let a cool Liquor precede a sharp one, because
it gradually opens the Pores of the Malt and Goods, and prepares the way
for the hotter Liquor that is to follow.
_The several Lengths or Quantities of Drinks that have been made from
Malt, and their several Prices, as they have been sold at a common
Brewhouse_.
For Stout-Beer, is commonly drawn one Barrel off a quarter of Malt, and
sold for thirty Shillings _per_ Barrel from the Tun. For Stitch or strong
brown Ale, one Barrel and a Firkin, at one and twenty Shillings and
Fourpence _per_ Barrel from the Tun. For common brown Ale, one Barrel and
a half or more, at sixteen Shillings _per_ Barrel, that holds thirty two
Gallons, from the Tun. For Intire small Beer, five or six Barrels off a
Quarter, at seven or eight Shillings _per_ Barrel from the Tun. For Pale
and Amber Ale, one Barrel and a Firkin, at one Shilling _per_ Gallon from
the Tun.