THE LONDON and COUNTRY BREWER
1736

CHAP. XX.
Of the Pleasure and Profit of Private Brewing, and the Charge of buying Malt Liquors.

Here I am to treat of the main Article of shewing the difference between brewing our own Ales and Beers, and buying them, which I doubt not will appear so plain and evident, as to convince any Reader, that many Persons may save well towards half in half, and have their Beer and Ale strong, fine and aged at their own Discretion: A satisfaction that is of no small weight, and the rather since I have now made known a Method of Brewing a Quantity of Malt with a little Copper and a few Tubs, a Secret that has long wanted Publication; for now a Person may Brew in a little Room, and that very safely by keeping his Wort from Foxing, as I have already explained, which by many has been thought impossible heretofore; and this Direction is the more Valuable as there are many Thousands who live in Cities and Towns, that have no more than a few Yards Square of Room to perform a private Brewing in. And as for the trouble, it is easy to account for by those who have time enough on their Hands, and would do nothing else if they had not done this: Or if a Man is paid half a Crown a Day for a Quantity accordingly: Or if a Servant can do this besides his other Work for the same Wages and Charge, I believe the following account will make it appear it is over-ballanc'd considerably, by what such a Person may save in this undertaking, besides the Pleasure of thoroughly knowing the several Ingredients and Cleanliness of the Brewer and Utensils. In several of the Northern Counties of England, where they have good Barley, Coak-dryed Malt, and the Drink brewed at Home, there are seldom any bad Ales or Beers, because they have the Knowledge in Brewing so well, that there are hardly any common Brewers amongst them: In the West indeed there are some few, but in the South and East Parts there are many; and now follows the Account, that I have Stated according to my own general Practice, viz.

A Calculation of the Charge and Profit of Brewing six Bushels of Malt for a private Family.

                                         £. s. d.
Six Bushels of Malt at 2s. 8d.
   per Bushel, Barley being this )
   Year 1733. sold for 14s. per ) 0 16 0
   Quarter by the Farmer )

Hops one Pound 0 1 6

Yeast a Quart 0 0 4

Coals one Bushel, or if Wood or Furze 0 1 0

A Man's Wages a Day 0 2 6
                                        ——————
                                 Total 1 1 4

Of these six Bushels of Malt I make one Hogshead of Ale and another of Small Beer: But if I was to buy them of some common Brewers, the Charge will be as follows, viz.

£ s. d.

One Hogshead of Ale containing 48 )
   Gallons, at 6 d. per Gallon is ) 1 4 0

One Hogshead of Small Beer ) containing 54 Gallons, at 2 d. ) 0 9 0 per Gallon is ) 0 9 0 ___.____.____

1 13 0 ___.____.____

Total Saved 0 11 8

By the above Account it plainly appears, that 11 s. and 8 d. is clearly gained in Brewing of six Bushels of Malt at our own House for a private Family, and yet I make the Charge fuller by 2 s. and 6 d. then it will happen with many, whose Conveniency by Servants, &c. may intirely take it off; besides the six Bushels of Grains that are currently sold for Three-pence the Bushel, which will make the Eleven and Eight-pence more by four Shillings, without reckoning any thing for yeast, that in the very cheapest time sells here for Four-pence the Quart, and many times there happens three Quarts from so much Drink; so that there may possibly be gained in all sixteen Shillings and Eight-pence: A fine Sum indeed in so small a Quantity of Malt. But here by course will arise a Question, whether this Ale is as good as that bought of some of the common Brewers at Six-pence a Gallon; I can't say all is; however I can aver this, that the Ale I brew in the Country from six Bushels of Malt for my Family, I think is generally full as good, if not better than any I ever sold at that Price in my London Brewhouse: And if I should say, that where the Malt, Water and Hops are right good, and the Brewer's Skill answerable to them, there might be a Hogshead of as good Ale and another of small Beer made from five Bushels as I desire to use for my Family, or for Harvest Men; It is no more than I have many times experienced, and 'tis the common length I made for that Purpose. And whoever makes use of true Pale and Amber Malts, and pursues the Directions of this Book, I doubt not but will have their Expectation fully answered in this last Quantity, and so save the great Expence of Excise that the common Brewers Drink is always clogg'd with, which is [blotted text] than five Shillings for Ale and Eighteen-pence per Barrel for Small Beer.

London and Country Brewer - Preface and Contents