THE LONDON and COUNTRY BREWER
1736
CHAP. XIV.
Of an Artificial Lee for Stout or Stale Beer to feed on.
This Article, as it is of very great Importance in the curing of our malt
Liquors, requires a particular regard to this last management of them,
because in my Opinion the general misfortune of the Butt or keeping Beers
drinking so hard and harsh, is partly owing to the nasty foul Feces that
lye at the bottom of the Cask, compounded of the Sediments of Malt, Hops
and Yeast, that are, all Clogg'd with gross rigid Salts, which by their
long lying in the Butt or other Vessel, so tinctures the Beer as to make
it partake of all their raw Natures: For such is the Feed, such is the
Body, as may be perceived by Eels taken out of dirty Bottoms, that are
sure to have a muddy taste, when the Silver sort that are catched in
Gravelly or Sandy clear Rivers Eat sweet and fine: Nor can this ill
property be a little in those Starting (as they call it in London)
new thick Beers that were carry'd directly from my Brewhouse, and by a
Leather Pipe or Spout conveyed into the Butt as they stood in the Cellar,
which I shall further demonstrate by the Example of whole Wheat, that is,
by many put into such Beer to feed and preserve it, as being reckoned a
substantial Alcali; however it has been proved that such Wheat in about
three Years time has eat into the very Wood of the Cask, and there
Hony-comb'd it by making little hollow Cavities in the Staves. Others
there are that will hang a Bag of Wheat in the Vessel that it mayn't touch
the Bottom, but in both Cases the Wheat is discovered to absorp and
collect the saline acid qualities of the Beer, Yeast and Hop, by which it
is impregnated with their sharp qualities, as a Toast of Bread is put into
Punch or Beer, whose alcalous hollow Nature will attract and make a
Lodgment of the acid strong Particles in either, as is proved by eating
the inebriating Toast, and therefore the Frenchman says, the English
are right in putting a Toast into the Liquor, but are Fools for eating it:
Hence it is that such whole Wheat is loaded with the qualities of the
unwholsome Settlements or Grounds of the Beer, and becomes of such a
corroding Nature, as to do this mischief; and for that reason, some in the
North will hang a Bag of the Flower of malted Oats, Wheat, Pease
and Beans in the Vessels of Beer, as being a lighter and mellower Body
than whole Wheat or its Flower, and more natural to the Liquor: But
whether it be raw Wheat or Malted, it is supposed, after this receptacle
has emitted its alcalous Properties to the Beer, and taken in all it can
of the acid qualities thereof, that such Beer will by length of Age prey
upon that again, and so communicate its pernicious Effects to the Body of
Man, as Experience seems to justify by the many sad Examples that I have
seen in the Destruction of several lusty Brewers Servants, who formerly
scorn'd what they then called Flux Ale, to the preference of such
corroding consuming Stale Beers; and therefore I have hereafter advised
that such Butt or keeping Beers be Tapp'd at nine or twelve Months end at
furthest, and then an Artificial Lee [dead yeast] will have a due time allowed it to do good and not harm.
An Excellent Composition for feeding Butts or keeping Beers with.
Take a Quart of French Brandy, or as much of English, that
is free from any burnt Tang, or other ill taste, and is full Proof, to
this put as much Wheat or Flower as will knead it into a Dough, put it in
long pieces into the Bung Hole, as soon as the Beer has done working, or
afterwards, and let it gently fall piece by piece to the bottom of the
Butt, this will maintain the Drink in a mellow freshness, keep staleness
off for some time, and cause it to be the stronger as it grows Aged.
ANOTHER.
Take one Pound of Treacle or Honey, one Pound of the Powder of dryed
Oyster-shells [which contain calcium carbonate] or fat Chalk, mix them well and put it into a Butt, as soon
as it has done working or some time after, and Bung it well, this will
both fine and preserve the Beer in a soft, smooth Condition for a great
while.
ANOTHER.
Take a Peck of Egg-shells and dry them in an Oven, break and mix them with
two Pound of fat Chalk, and mix them with water wherein four Pounds of
coarse Sugar has been boiled, and put it into the Butt as aforesaid.
To fine and preserve Beers and Ales by boiling an Ingredient in the
Wort.
This most valuable way I frequently follow both for Ale, Butt-beer and
Small Beer [beer or ale with very little alcohol], and that is, in each Barrel Copper of Wort, I put in a Pottle,
or two Quarts of whole Wheat as soon as I can, that it may soak before it
boils, then I strain it thro' a Sieve, when I put the Wort in cooling
Tubs, and if it is thought fit the same Wheat may be boiled in a second
Copper: Thus there will be extracted a gluey Consistence, which being
incorporated with the Wort by boiling, gives it a more thick and ponderous
Body, and when in the Cask, soon makes a Sediment or Lee, as the Wort is
more or less loaded with the weighty Particles of this fizy Body; but if
such Wheat was first parched or baked in an Oven, it would do better, as
being rather too raw as it comes from the Ear.
Another Way.
A Woman, who lived at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, and
had the best Ale in the Town, once told a Gentleman, she had Drink just
done working in the Barrel, and before it was Bung'd would wager it was
fine enough to Drink out of a Glass, in which it should maintain a little
while a high Froth; and it was true, for the Ivory shavings that she
boiled in her Wort, was the Cause of it, which an Acquaintance of mine
accidentally had a View of as they lay spread over the Wort in the Copper;
so will Hartshorn shavings do the same and better, both of them being
great finers and preservers of malt Liquors against staleness and
sourness, and are certainly of a very alcalous Nature. Or if they are put
into a Cask when you Bung it down, it will be of service for that purpose;
but these are dear in Comparison of the whole Wheat, which will in a great
measure supply their Place, and after it is used, may be given to a poor
Body, or to the Hog.
To stop the Fret in Malt Liquors.
Take a Quart of Black Cherry Brandy, and pour it in at the Bung-hole of the Hogshead and stop it close.
To recover deadish Beer.
When strong Drink grows flat, by the loss of its Spirits, take four or five Gallons out of a Hogshead, and boil it with five Pound of Honey, skim it, and when cold, put it to the rest, and stop it up close: This will make it pleasant, quick and strong.
To make stale Beer drink new.
Take the Herb Horehound [also hoarhound] stamp it and strain it, then put a Spoonful of the juice (which is an extream good Pectoral [medicine or remedy for disorders of the chest or lungs]) to a pitcher-full of Beer, let it stand covered about two Hours and drink it.
To fine Malt Liquors.
Take a pint of water, half an Ounce of unslack'd Lime, mix them well
together, let it stand three Hours and the Lime will settle to the Bottom,
and the water be as clear as Glass, pour the water from the Sediment, and
put it into your Ale or Beer, mix it with half an Ounce of Ising-glass
first cut small and boiled, and in five Hours time or less the Beer in the
Barrel will settle and clear.
There are several other Compositions that may be used for this purpose,
but none that I ever heard of will answer like those most Excellent Balls
that Mr. Ellis of Little Gaddesden in Hertfordshire
has found out by his own Experience to be very great Refiners, Preservers
and Relishers of Malt Liquors and Cyders, and will also recover damag'd
Drinks, as I have mentioned in my Second Book, where I have given a
further Account of some other things that will fine, colour and improve
Malt Drinks: The Balls are sold at {missing text}
London and Country Brewer - Preface and Contents