_Of the Strength and Age of Malt Liquors_.
Whether they be Ales or strong Beers, it is certain that the midling sort
is allowed by Physicians to be the most agreeable of any, especially to
those of a sedentary Life, or those that are not occupied in such Business
as promotes Perspiration enough to throw out and break the Viscidities of
the stronger sorts; on which account the laborious Man has the advantage,
whose Diet being poor and Body robust, the strength of such Liquors gives
a Supply and better digests into Nourishment: But for the unactive Man a
Hogshead of Ale which is made from six Bushels of Malt is sufficient for a
Diluter of their Food, and will better assist their Constitution than the
more strong sort, that would in such produce Obstructions and ill Humours;
and therefore that Quantity for Ale, and ten Bushels for a Hogshead of
strong Beer that should not be Tapp'd under nine Months, is the most
healthful. And this I have experienc'd by enjoying such an Amber Liquor
that has been truly brewed from good Malt, as to be of a Vinous Nature,
that would permit of a hearty Dose over Night, and yet the next Morning
leave a Person light, brisk and unconcern'd. This then is the true Nostrum
of Brewing, and ought to be studied and endeavoured for by all those that
can afford to follow the foregoing Rules, and then it will supply in a
great measure those chargeable (and often adulterated tartarous
arthritick) Wines. So likewise for small Beer, especially in a Farmer's
Family where it is not of a Body enough, the Drinkers will be feeble in
hot Weather and not be able to perform their Work, and will also bring on
Distempers, besides the loss of time, and a great waste of such Beer that
is generally much thrown away; because Drink is certainly a Nourisher of
the Body, as well as Meats, and the more substantial they both are, the
better will the Labourer go through his Work, especially at Harvest; and
in large Families the Doctor's Bills have proved the Evil of this bad
Oeconomy, and far surmounted the Charge of that Malt that would have kept
the Servants in good Health, and preserved the Beer from such Waste as the
smaller sort is liable to.
'Tis therefore that some prudent Farmers will brew their Ale and small
Beer in _March_, by allowing of five or six Bushels of Malt, and two
Pounds of Hops to the Hogshead of Ale, and a quarter of Malt and three
Pounds of Hops to five Barrels of small Beer. Others there are, that will
brew their Ale or strong Beer in _October_, and their small Beer a Month
before it is wanted. Others will brew their Ale and small Beer in _April,
May_ and _June_; but this according to humour, and therefore I have hinted
of the several Seasons for Brewing these Liquors: However in my Opinion,
whether it be strong or small Drinks, they should be clear, smooth and not
too small, if they are design'd for Profit and Health; for if they are
otherwise, it will be a sad Evil to Harvest Men, because then they stand
most in need of the greatest Balsamicks: To this end some of the softning
Ingredients mentioned in the foregoing Receipts should be made use of to
feed it accordingly, if these Drinks are brewed forward. And that this
particular important Article in the Brewing Oeconomy may be better
understood, I shall here recite Dr. _Quincy_'s Opinion of Malt Liquors,
viz. The Age of Malt Drinks makes them more or less wholsome, and seems to
do somewhat the same as Hops; for those Liquors which are longest kept,
are certainly the least viscid; Age by degrees breaking the viscid Parts,
and rendering them smaller, makes them finer for Secretion; but this is
always to be determined by their Strength, because in Proportion to that
will they sooner or later come to their full Perfection and likewise their
Decay, until the finer Spirits quite make their Escape, and the remainder
becomes vapid and sour. By what therefore has been already said, it will
appear that the older Drinks are the more healthful, so they be kept up to
this Standard, but not beyond it. Some therefore are of Opinion, that
strong Beer brewed in _October_ should be Tapp'd at _Midsummer_, and that
brewed in _March_ at _Christmas_, as being most agreeable to the Seasons
of the Year that follow such Brewings: For then they will both have part
of a Summer and Winter to ripen and digest their several Bodies; and 'tis
my humble Opinion, that where the Strength of the Beer, the Quantity of
Hops, the boiling Fermentation and the Cask are all rightly managed, there
Drink may be most excellent, and better at nine Months Age, than at nine
Years, for Health and Pleasure of Body. But to be truly certain of the
right Time, there should be first an Examination made by Pegging the
Vessel to prove if such Drink is fine, the Hop sufficiently rotted, and it
be mellow and well tasted.