THE AMERICAN PRACTICAL BREWER AND TANNER:

 IN WHICH IS EXHIBITED

 THE WHOLE PROCESS OF

Brewing without boiling. 

Brewing strong Beer with the extract only of the Hop, leaving out thesubstance. 

A simple method of giving new Beer all the qualities of age, therebyfitting it for the bottle before it is three weeks old. 

A simple method of preventing Beer bursting the bottle. 

An economical mode of constructing Vats above ground, possessing thetemperature of the best cellars and thus rendered fireproof. 

An economical mode by which every Housekeeper may brew his own Beer. 

A method of brewing good Beer from Bran and Shorts, and of preservingit. 

The Bordeaux method of making and preparing Claret Wine for shipping, which may be successfully applied to the wines of this country, particularly those of Kaskaskias. 

The best method and season for malting Indian Corn, from which alonegood Beer can be made, a process highly important to Brewers. 

The best mode of raising Hops. 

The best mode of preparing Seed Barley for sowing. 

Best construction and aspect of Breweries and Malt Houses in thiscountry. 

The French mode of tanning the heaviest Soal Leather in twenty-onedays, and Calf Skins in three or four. (Highly important. )

 BY JOSEPH COPPINGER. Practical Brewer. 

 _NEW-YORK_: PRINTED BY VAN WINKLE AND WILEY, No. 3 Wall Street. 

 1815. 

Transcriber's Note: Part of the last sentence in Footnote 6 isillegible and has been marked [remainder of text is illegible]. Inaddition, the Contents were moved from the rear to the front of thistext for the convenience of the reader. 

CONTENTS. 

 Page. 

Advertisement 3

Preface 5

The best position for placing a brewery and malt house, also the best aspect, with different arrangements of the vessels 11

A description of the form and plan of a brewery, distribution of the vessels; the most judicious and convenient manner of placing them, with a view to economy, cleanliness, and effect 13

Malt house, the best construction of, with proper barley lofts, dropping room, and flooring, how, and in what manner made, and best likely to last 18

Wooden kilns, how constructed 23

A new and economical construction of vats for keeping beer, which, in this way, may be rendered fire proof, whilst at the same time possessing the temperature of the best cellars, although above ground 29

Grinding, how substituted for 31

Malting 33

Plain practical process of malting 44

Malting winter barley 50

Malting oats ib. 

Malting rye ib. 

Malting wheat ib. 

Indian corn, how malted 51

Fermentation 54

Hops, how cultivated 99

Barley cultivation 109

Table beer 112

Small beer for shipping 113

Keeping table beer 114

Small beer of the best kind 116

Another method to brew small beer 118

Another process for brewing small beer 120

Single ale and table beer 123

Strong beer 126

Table beer, English method of brewing it 129

Unboiled beer 131

Strong beer, brewed with the extract of hops, leaving out the substance 134

Table beer for housekeepers, well worth their attention 136

Fermenting and cleansing in the same vessel 138

Plate of the worker 139

A new method of fermenting strong beer, that will produce a pure and good liquor 140

Process of brewing Windsor ale, on a small scale 142

Reading beer, how brewed 145

Two-penny amber beer, as brewed in London 147

London ale, how brewed 149

Windsor ale, on a large scale 151

Welsh ale, how brewed 154

Wirtemberg ale 156

Hock 158

Scurvy grass ale 160

Dorchester ale 162

Porter 165

Porter process No. I. 167

Porter process No. II. 170

Porter process No. III. 172

Porter malt 174

Porter colouring 176

Strong beer 182

Filtering operation (with a Plate) 189

Returned beer, how to make the most of 193

To Bring several sorts of beer, when mixed, to one uniform taste 194

Finings, the best method of preparing them 195

Heading 197

Bottling beer 198

Brewing coppers, the best method of setting them 202

Pumps, the best construction of, and how freed from ice in winter 205

Cleansing casks 208

To make mead wine 210

To make ginger wine 212

To make currant wine 213

Yest, how prepared to keep good in any climate 214

To make a substitute for brewer's yest 217

Another method 218

Another method 220

Process of making and preparing claret wine for shipping, as practiced in Bordeaux and its neighbourhood 221

Brewing company 227

The author's notice about plans and sections of elevation for breweries and malt houses 230

French mode of tanning 232

_Errata. _

In the Advertisement, 4th page, 6th line, first word, for _wine_ read_vine_; and in the next line, first word, for _it_ read _its produce_. 

In page 25, 25th line, the last word should be omitted, and read thus, _malt or grain intended to be dried on it, requiring less fuel_, &c. 

In page 36, 25th line, first word, for _proportion_ read _preparation_. 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW-YORK, _ss. _

BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the fourteenth day of September, in thefortieth year of the independence of the United States of America, Joseph Coppinger of the said district, has deposited in this officethe title of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in thewords and figures following, to wit:

"The American Practical Brewer and Tanner: in which is exhibited thewhole process of Brewing without boiling; Brewing Strong Beer with theextract only of the Hop, leaving out the substance; a simple method ofgiving new Beer all the qualities of age, thereby rendering it fit forthe Bottle before it is three weeks old; a simple method of preventingBeer bursting the Bottle; an economical mode of constructing Vatsabove ground, possessing the temperature of the best Cellars, and thusrendered fireproof; an economical mode by which every Housekeeper maybrew his own Beer; a method of brewing good Beer from Bran and Shorts, and of preserving it; the Bordeaux method of making and preparingClaret Wine for shipping, which may be successfully applied to thevines of this country, particularly those of Kaskaskias; the bestmethod and season for malting Indian Corn, from which alone good Beercan be made, a process highly important to Brewers; the best mode ofraising Hops; the best mode of preparing Seed Barley for sowing; bestconstruction of Breweries and Malt Houses in this country; the Frenchmode of tanning the heaviest Soal Leather in twenty-one days, and CalfSkins in three or four--highly important. By Joseph Coppinger, Practical Brewer. "

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing thecopies of maps, charts, and books to the authors and proprietors ofsuch copies, during the times therein mentioned;" and also to an actentitled "an act, supplementary to an act, entitled an act for theencouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, andbooks, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the timestherein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts ofdesigning, engraving, and etching historical and other prints. "

THERON RUDD, Clerk of the Southern District of New-York. 

ADVERTISEMENT. 

Since writing the Preface, I have been induced to make an addition tothis little work, in order to increase its usefulness, by giving theFrench mode of tanning, as practised by the famous Mr. Seguine. Of suchimportance did the Academy of Arts and Sciences at Paris consider thisimprovement, that they thought it worth while to appoint a committee oftheir own members to go down to one of the provinces where thisgentleman resides, and there, on the spot, superintend his operations, which they did with minute attention; and it is from the journal oftheir reports to the academy, that the different processes of tanningleather in this ingenious artist's way are here given; an improvementthat can, no doubt, be successfully applied to that importantmanufacture in this country, affording the tanner the opportunity ofturning his capital twelve or fourteen times in a year, instead ofonce. This single advantage alone so forcibly recommends its adoption, particularly in a country like ours, where capital is scarce, thatfurther comment is unnecessary. I have also added the Bordeaux methodof making and preparing claret wine for shipping, as practised in thatcity and its vicinity; which practice may possibly hereafter besuccessfully applied to the red wines of this country. The more so, when it is known that in the reign of Louis XVI. , the merchants ofBordeaux presented a memorial to that monarch, praying him to put astop to the importation of the wines of Kaskaskias into France, aslikely, if permitted, to be injurious to the trade of Bordeaux. Therewas at that time a College of Jesuits established in that country, thesuperiors of which caused the wine to be cultivated with great success, and quantities of it were at that time sent to France. As thatterritory is now in our possession, and its soil and climate peculiarlyfavourable to the growth of the grape, which is indigenous there, mayit not be an object well worth the attention of our government, toencourage and improve the growth of the wine in that section of theunion; which wise measure would, probably, in a few years, supply ourown consumption, and leave a considerable surplus for exportation. Tooffer an apology for giving these subjects a place in this publication, seems wholly unnecessary, when their importance is considered. 

PREFACE. 

Brewing, in every country, whose soil and climate are congenial to theproduction of the raw materials, should be ranked among the firstobjects of its domestic and political economy. If any person doubt thetruth of this position, I have only to request him to cast an eye onEngland, where the brewing capital is estimated at more than fifteenmillions sterling; and the gross annual revenue, arising from thiscapital, at seven million five hundred thousand pounds sterling, including the hop, malt, and extract duties. Notwithstanding thisenormous excise of 50 per cent. On the brewing capital, what immensefortunes have been made, and are daily making, in that country, as wellas in Ireland and Scotland, by the intelligent and judicious practiceof this _more than useful art_. Yet how much stronger inducements forsimilar establishments in this country, where we have no duty on theraw materials, or the extract;[1] and where the important article ofhops is raised in as high perfection as in any part of Europe, andoften for one third of the price paid in England. But a still moreimportant consideration is the health and morals of our population, which appears to be essentially connected with the progress of thebrewing trade. In proof of this assertion, I will beg leave to statea well known fact; which is, that in proportion as the consumptionof malt liquors have increased in our large towns and cities, inthat proportion has the health of our fellow citizens improved, andepidemics and intermittents, become less frequent. The same observationholds good as respects the country, where it is well known that thosefamilies that brew their own beer, and make a free use of it throughthe summer are, in general, all healthy, and preserve their colour;whilst their less fortunate neighbours, who do not use beer at all, aredevoured by fevers and intermittents. These facts will be less doubted, when it is known that yest, properly administered, has been foundsingularly successful in the cure of fevers. This the practice of theRev. Doctor Townsend, in England, places beyond all doubt, where hestates, that in fifty fever cases that occurred in his own parish, (some of which were of the most malignant kind, ) he only missed a curein two or three, by administering yest. Having considered the produceof the brewery as it is connected with health, we may, with equalpropriety, say it is not less so with morals; and its encouragement andextension, as an object of great national importance, cannot be toostrongly recommended, as the most natural and effectual remedy to thetoo great use of ardent spirits, the baneful effects of which are toogenerally known, and too extensively felt, to need any particulardescription here. The farmer and the merchant will alike find theiraccount in encouraging and improving the produce of the brewery. Thefarmer can raise no crop that will pay him better than hops; as, underproper management, he may reasonably expect to clear, of a good year, one hundred dollars per acre. Barley will also prove a good crop, if proper attention be paid to seed, soil, and time of sowing. Themerchant will alike find his account in encouraging the brewery, fromthe many advantages derivable from an extensive export of its produceto the East and West Indies, South America, the Brazils, butparticularly to Russia, where good beer is in great demand; largequantities are annually sent there from England, at a much higher rate, it may be presumed, than we could afford to supply them from thiscountry. All these considerations united seem forcibly to recommendgiving the breweries of the United States every possible encouragementand extension. Here, it is but justice to state, that the brewers ofNew-York deserve much credit for the high improvement they have made inthe quality of their malt liquors within a few years, which seem tojustify the hope that they will continue these advances to excellence, until they realise the opinion of Combrune and others, that it ispossible to produce a "_malt wine_. "

 [1] Save five per cent. On brewery sales--a war tax. 

[Illustration:

A Malt House. B Kiln. C Dropping Room. D Mill House. E Brewery. F Working Store. G Vat House and Dry Store. H Bed Room. I Office. K Dwelling House. L Hop Room. M Stable. N Brewing Yard. O Cooper's Shed. P Steep. ]

THE AMERICAN PRACTICAL BREWER AND TANNER

_The best position for placing a Brewery and Malt house, also thebest aspect, with different arrangements of the Utensils. _

Cleanliness being as essential in the brewery as in the dairy, it is ofthe greatest importance, never to lose sight of it in every part of theoperations, and particularly in selecting the ground and soil to placea brewery on. The situation to be preferred should be an elevated one, and the soil either sand or gravel, as it is of great importance in thepreservation of beer that the cellars be dry and sufficientlyventilated by windows properly disposed. If the cellars of the brewerybe under ground, it would be very desirable to have them kept sweet andclean by properly constructed sewers, without which, pumping by a handor a horse power is a poor substitute, as by this means (which we findtoo common in breweries) the washings of the cellars have time tobecome putrid, particularly in summer, emitting the most offensive andunwholesome effluvia, contaminating the atmosphere, and frequentlyendangering both the health and lives of the workmen. This is a seriousevil, and should in all cases, as much as possible, be avoided. It istrue, there are times, when a choice of situation cannot be made; inthat case, circumstances must be submitted to, and people do the bestthey can. The cellars and coolers of the breweries in this countryshould have a northern aspect, and the cellars principally ventilatedfrom east to west. The windows on the south side of cellars should bealways close shut in summer, and only occasionally opened in winter;the floors of cellars should be paved with either tile or brick, thesebeing more susceptible of being kept clean than either pavement orflags, and not so subject to get out of order. Supposing the brewery tohave all its cellars above ground, which I conceive to be not onlypracticable, but, in many cases, preferable to having them under, asmore economical, and more cleanly, particularly where vats for keepingstrong beer are constructed on the plan herein after recommended, inwhich it is expected the temperature necessary for keeping beer will beas securely preserved above, as under ground, and the erections soconstructed, as not only to be air, but fire proof. (See description ofthese vats. )

_A description of the form and plan of a Brewery, distribution of theVessels, the most judicious and convenient manner of placing them, witha view to economy, cleanliness, and effect. _

The best plan of a well-constructed brewery I conceive to be that of ahollow, or oblong square, where all is enclosed by one or two gateways, (the latter the most complete, ) parallel to each other. The firstgateway, forming the brewery entrance, to pass through the dwellinghouse; the second, or corresponding gateway, to pass through theopposite side of the square, into an outer yard, well enclosed withwalls and sheds, containing cooper's shop, &c. Where all the emptycasks might be securely preserved from the injury of wind and weather. This yard should be further sufficiently large to afford room for a hayreek, firewood, dung, &c. The brewery office should be placed in thepassage of the outer gateway, so that every thing going in and outmight be seen by those who are in the office. The dwelling house, vathouse, and working store, to form one side of the brewery. The malthouse, another. The kiln house, dropping room, and stable, a thirdside. The brewery, mill house, and hop room, to form the fourth side;thus completed, it would form a square, and afford security to whateverwas contained within it, when the gates are locked. The sky cooler is, generally, the most elevated vessel in the brewery, and when properlyconstructed, is of great importance in facilitating both brewing andmalting operations, as it usually supplies the whole quantity of waterwanted in both. It commands the copper, and, of course, all the othervessels of the brewery: it may be so constructed as to form a completeroof to the mill loft, and in that situation be most convenientlyplaced for being filled from the water cistern, which should be placedcontiguous to the mill walk, and so raised to the sky cooler by one ormore pumps worked by the mill, with a one, two, or three horse power, according to the length of the lever, and the diameter of the mill. Sky, or water coolers, in general, are square vessels, made of the besttwo inch pine plank, properly jointed, from twenty to twenty-five feetsquare, laid on strong joists sufficiently close, and trunneled down(after pressing) with wooden trunnels from end to end, to preventstarting or warping; the joists are supported by a couple of strongbeams, equally spaced; the sides of these coolers are generally raisedfrom eighteen inches to two feet; in Europe they are generally leadedon their inside, but this expense may be saved, if they are properlymade at first, and afterwards kept constantly full of water. Inconstructing these coolers, all the joints should be paid with whitepaint before laying, and the sides bolted, and screwed down; the betterand easier to effect which, the thickness of the sides may be threeinches after the saw; there should be a roofing all round the sides, toprotect them from the weather; the bottom of the sky cooler shouldcommand the copper back, which should be made to form the cover of thecopper, and to hold a complete charge of the same. These vessels, whenproperly constructed, are extremely useful in preventing waste andaccidents by boiling over, also affording to the brewer, theopportunity of boiling his wort as fiercely as he pleases--a veryimportant advantage in brewing porter and strong beer. A description ofthis back is not necessary, as every set cooper, who knows hisbusiness, is well acquainted with the proper construction of thisvessel. The stuff it is made of should be two inches thick, wellseasoned, and of the best pine plank. Thus placed on the copper, itshould form a complete cover, water and steam tight, so that when thecopper boils over, it will run into the back, and return again by aplug hole into the copper. The copper cock should be sufficientlyelevated to command the hop cooler; the latter the wort coolers, No. 1and 2. By thus running the worts from one cooler to another, you affordthem the opportunity of depositing in each their feculencies, andcoming nearly fine to the fermenting tuns, which should be sufficientlyelevated above the troughs and casks to be filled, so that theoperation of cleansing may be easily performed by one or more leaders, to communicate with a two or three piped tun dish, capable of fillingtwo or three casks at a time. The mill stones, or metal rollers, shouldbe sufficiently elevated to grind into the malt bin, placed over themash tun, which bin should be sufficiently capacious to hold the wholegrist of malt when ground; this bin is generally constructed in theform of a hopper, with a slide at the bottom, to let the malt into themash tun when the water is ready, by being cooled down to its propertemperature. I would recommend making the mash tun shallow, so that thediameter shall be three times as long as the staff of the sides, abovethe false bottom. To the mash tun there should be a cover, in two ormore pieces, according to size. The receiver, or underbank, which isplaced under the mash tun, should be sufficiently elevated aboveground, so as to enable the dirty or washing water to run off from itsbottom by a plug hole. The fermenting tuns should be placed in a roomwhere there is a fireplace, so as to raise the temperature in coldweather; each tun should be cribbed on its sides, with a stationarycover on the top. The cribs should be made to answer the sweep of thevessel, and to be put on or off as occasion, or the temperature of theseason, may require. In one corner of the working store, I wouldrecommend to have placed a set of drains, two in number, one over theother; the lower drain should be sufficiently elevated to get a bucketunder it, so as to draw off its contents by a plug hole, placed at onecorner of each drain. These drains will soon pay for themselves, by thequantity of yest that will be deposited on them, at each time ofdrawing them off, while the liquor will get fine, and may be applied ina variety of ways, to answer the purposes of the brewer, what infilling, starting in the tun, vatting, &c. 

_Malt House, the best construction of, with proper Barley Lofts, Dropping Room, and Flooring, how, and in what manner made, and bestlikely to last. _

Malt houses intended to be annexed to breweries, should not be on aless scale than sixty feet long, by twenty-five feet wide. Unless therebe a proper proportion of flooring to work the grain kindly andmoderately, good malt is not to be expected. Two-floored houses aregenerally preferred to any other construction; would recommend placingthe steep outside the house, to be communicated with from the lowerfloor by means of an arch way or window; the steep so placed should becovered with a tight roof; the best materials for making a steep aregood brick, well grouted; the wall should be fourteen inches thick atleast; this kind of steep will be found far superior to wood, as notliable to leak, or be worked on by rats; the sides and ends of thissteep should be carefully plastered with tarrass mortar; the bottom maybe laid with flag, tiles, or brick. [2] Two barley lofts, the wholelength of the malt house, will be found highly convenient, as affordingsufficient room to different large parcels of barley, and screening thesame from loft to loft as it descends into the steep over wire screens;a contrivance I have found of great advantage in the malting operation, as finishing the cleaning of the barley before getting into the steep, a precaution that should never be omitted. The bottom of the screenshould be cased with wood, communicating from loft to loft with a sackfastened to hooks at the lower end to receive all the dirt andscreenings that may pass through the screens. The Dutch and Germanmaltsters generally prefer having their lower or working floor underground; but this I take to be a bad plan, unless in elevatedsituations, or where the soil is dry and gravelly; for if any spring ofwater or damp arises in the malt-house floor, or walls so placed, theinjury to the malt is very great, and should be carefully guardedagainst. It is also very important to lay a solid foundation for yourlower floor with stones, brick bats, or coarse gravel, which should besolidly compacted by ramming for the whole length, then levelled off bystakes, with a ten-foot level, to the thickness you would wish to giveyour floor--say three or four inches: the former thickness, say threeinches, will be found sufficient. Lay your first coat on two inchesthick with hair mortar; when this coat becomes sufficiently stiff, which will happen within twenty-four hours, you are to begin to layyour second or last coat of one inch thick over the first, to beprepared as follows: Take Roche, or unslaked lime, one part, bymeasure; fine pit sand, one part; clinker, or forge dust, finelypowdered, two parts; clay or lome, by measure also, one part: let thesedifferent ingredients (taking the precaution of first slaking the Rochelime) be well mixed together, and then screened by a wire screen, carefully keeping out of the mixture all lumps and stones; the wholemay be then worked up with a due proportion of water, observing thatthis kind of mortar cannot be too much worked or mixed together, nortoo little wetted, just sufficient to work freely with the plasteringtrowel; the whole floor should, if possible, be laid in one day, andfor this purpose several hands should be employed; in which case itwill dry more equally and firmly. As soon as the floor begins to set, and that it will bear a board on it, without sinking in, you shouldbegin to pound it in all directions, from end to end, with poundersmade of two-inch plank, sixteen inches long, and from nine to twelveinches wide, with a long handle reaching breast high, and to be placedin the middle of this board; thus the operation of pounding willproceed without stooping or much labour. One or two men, withplastering trowels, should follow the pounders, wetting it with skimmedmilk as they go, and set the floor as even and close as possible. Ifthese two operations be well conducted there will not be found a singlecrack in the whole floor from end to end, which is of great importanceto secure the making of good malt. Each loft should have uprights underthe centre of all the beams from end to end of the house; thisprecaution is necessary to prevent the swagging or cracking of theupper floor. Trap doors should be placed at proper distances in theupper malt-house floor, to facilitate the shovelling of the couchesfrom the lower to the upper floor. A well constructed kiln is of greatimportance to insure a successful result to the malting operation, andif large enough to dry off each steep at _one cast_ so much the better. The most approved covering for malt kilns in England (although not themost economical) is hair cloth, as it is asserted, it dries the palestand sweetest malt. Many prefer tiles, as less expensive and morelasting; others dry on boarded floors, and if this construction be wellmanaged, I take it to be as good as any, and much cheaper than eithertiles or hair cloth. (See description page 23. ) The dropping room forreceiving the malt as it comes off the kiln may be constructeddifferent ways; but I take it that a ground floor covered with a twoinch plank well jointed, and properly laid, is preferable to a loft forkeeping malt, and in this situation might be heaped to any depthwithout injury or danger of breaking down. Malt thus kept, if welldried before coming off the kiln, is never in danger of heating orgetting slack. The common mode of keeping malt is in bins situated onupper lofts, often injured by leaks from the roof, and at all timesliable to the depredations of rats, which in the other way can beeffectually guarded against, and is a highly important object ofprecaution to be taken by the brewer. Should weevils at any time getinto, or generate in your malt, which is common when held over beyondtwelve or eighteen months, the simplest and easiest way of getting ridof them, is to place four or five lobsters on your heap of malt, thesmell of which will soon compel the weevils to quit the malt, and takerefuge on the walls, from which they can be swept with a broom into asheet or table cloth laid on the malt, and so taken off. It isasserted, that by this simple contrivance not one weevil will remain inthe heap. Malt intended for brewing should be always screened beforegrinding; and for this purpose it is a good contrivance to screen it bymeans of the horse mill, as it runs from the hopper to the rollers orstones to be ground, the expense of which apparatus is comparativelynothing when compared to the advantages arising from it. 

 [2] By some this construction of a steep may be thought too dear; in that case, a rough wooden one may be substituted, which, instead of placing outside the house, I would place on the upper floor of the malt house, so as to afford the opportunity of getting down its contents to the lower floor by means of a plug hole, which will save the labour of shovelling; but in summer, when this steep is not employed, it should be filled with lime water to prevent leaking, and to keep it sweet. 

_Wooden Kilns, how constructed. _

The best form for these kilns is the circular. I will suppose thediameter sixteen feet; you construct your fire-place suitably to theburning of wood at about ten feet outside your kiln house, sufficientlyelevated on iron bars to secure the draft of the fire place, from whichruns a proportionate sized flue into the kiln, communicating with acircular flue which is close covered at top, and rounds the kiln on theinside at the distance of two feet from the wall; on both sides of thiscircular flue holes are left, at the distance of twelve or sixteeninches apart, on both sides, to let out the smoke and heat; theplatform or floor of this kiln is raised about four or five feet abovethe top of the flue, and is made of three quarter inch boards, tonguedand grooved, supported by joists two inches broad, and nine inchesdeep, placed at proportioned distances, to give solidity to the floor. The floor or platform of this kiln should be carefully laid, and wellnailed; in this floor should be placed a wooden chimney, nine inchessquare, on the most convenient part of the inside next the wall, with awooden register at a convenient distance: this chimney is intended tolet off the great smoke that arises in the kiln at first lighting fire, particularly if the wood be moist or green. When this has gone off, andthe fire burns clear, the register may be shut within a few inches, inorder to keep up a small draft. It would have been proper to state thatjoists, intended to support the floor of this kiln, should be levelledoff to one inch, top and bottom, so as give the fire a better chance toact upon the malt; these joists should be further paid as soon as, orbefore, laying down, with a strong solution of alum water; as also thebottom face of the boards laid on them, which should be first planed;the inside of the chimney and register should be also paid with thealum solution. On the top of the kiln should be placed a ventilator todraw off the steam of the malt, this may be done by means of a looveror cow; the latter turns with the wind, the former is stationary. 

There should be skirting boards, nine inches deep, to lie close to thefloor and walls of the kiln, plastered with hair mortar on the top. This construction of kiln has been introduced by the Dutch, and will befound the most economical of any, joined to the peculiar advantage ofbeing capable of drying malt with any kind of fuel, without danger ofcommunicating any sort of bad flavour to the grain, while the heat canbe securely raised to 120 degrees without any danger of ignition orburning; a higher heat is not wanted to dry pale malt. Of this, however, I have some doubts, as wood is a non-conductor of heat, andpossibly is not susceptible of transmitting such a heat to the maltwithout danger of ignition. I should think that thin metal plates, onefoot square, cast so as to lap on each other, or tiles, of the samemake or form, would be a better covering; they certainly would conveythe heat more rapidly and securely to the malt or grain intended to bedried on it, never requiring less fuel than the wooden covering, andprecluding all danger of fire. 

[Illustration:

A A A A A ground section of the vats. B the section of elevation. ]

_A new and economical construction of Vats for keeping Beer, which, in this way, may be rendered fire proof, whilst, at the same time, itsecures a temperature for the liquor equal, it is expected to the bestvaults: it further affords the convenience of having them aboveground. _

These vats may be constructed in different forms, either square, oval, or round; the latter I should prefer, as stronger, and less liable toleak. These circular vats, to save expense, may be bound with woodhoops instead of iron ones the splay to be given them as little aspossible barely sufficient to have the hoops tight, and the vesselstaunch. The bottoms of these vats should be elevated at least threeand a half, or four feet from the ground, and solidly bedded in clay, earth, or sand; the clay, if convenient, to be preferred. As the earthrises, at every five or six inches, around these vats, it should befirmly pounded down and compressed, as in the case of tanners' vats;and this mode of surrounding the vats with dry earth well pounded andrammed is continued to the top; a stout, close, well-fitted cover oftwo inch plank is then placed on each vat, with a hole sixteen inchessquare, to let a man down occasionally; this hole should have a shorttrunk of an inch and a half plank firmly nailed to its sides, and aboutfourteen inches high; then a covering of earth, twelve inches deep, should be placed all over the tops of these vats, and this earth wellrammed and compacted together; and when levelled off, covered withcomposition or a floor of tiles. Each of the trap doors should have awell-fitted, wooden cover on the top, with a ring of iron in thecentre; this cover should be made fire proof on the outside. The brickwall in front of these vats need not, I apprehend, exceed fourteeninches thick, if of brick, just sufficient to resist the force ofpressure from ramming the clay; vats thus placed, with their contents, may be considered fire proof, and possessing as cool a temperature asif placed fifteen feet under ground; joined to this, they will last sixtimes as long as those in cellars or vaults, although bound in iron, ata considerable higher expense. Two ranges of these vats may be placedin one house, leaving a sufficient space for a passage in the centre, with a window at each end to light it. I have never before either heardor read of this construction; but I have little hesitation in saying itwill in many cases be found preferable to the present mode of placingvats--it being more convenient, cleanly, economical, and secure, and, to all intents and purposes, as effectual in point of temperature asthose expensively placed deep under ground. Under the inside of thehead of these vats, and across the joints, should run a piece ofscantling six inches wide, and four inches deep, with an upright of thesame dimensions in the centre, in order to support the covering on thehead, and to prevent sinking, or swagging, from the weight of thecovering that will be necessarily placed over them, which will be fromsix to ten inches thick. 

_Grinding, how substituted for. _

Malt, for brewing, may be prepared in three different ways, bygrinding, bruising, or pounding; modern practice, however, almostuniversally gives the preference to bruising between metal rollers. This preference, where malt is of the very first quality, may bejustified; but where it is of an inferior quality, which is but toogenerally the case, grinding with stones is preferable, as more capableof producing a fine grist, which, with indifferent malt, is important, as it will always produce a richer extract, by being finely, ratherthan coarsely ground; and it is more soluble in water of suitabletemperature than that malt which is only bruised or cracked, and forthis simple reason, that all imperfect-made malt has a great proportionof its bulk unmalted, and, of course, in a crude hard state, which willpartially dissolve in water if ground fine, but will not dissolve atall if only cracked or bruised. A further object of the brewer'sattention should be to prevent the dispersion, or waste, of the finerparts of the malt, so apt to fly off in the grinding, if not preventedby having the malt bin close covered, as well as the spout leading intoit from the stones; trifling as this precaution may seem, it is wellworth the brewer's attention. Here it may not be improper to observe, that in all cases of horse, or cattle mills, where the shaft of themain wheel is perpendicular, no better ingredient can be placed in thechamber of the lower box than quick silver, which is far superior tooil or grease, and will not require renewing for a long time. The brassof a mill, managed in this way, might be expected to last twenty years, and the movement smoother and easier. This economical substitute foroil and grease can, with equal advantage, be applied to water mills, whether their shafts be horizontal or perpendicular; in a word, to allkinds of machinery, where the preservation of the gudgeons and brassesare an object. 

_Malting. _

The production of good malt is, without question, the key-stone of thearch of brewing; therefore the brewer's attention should be invariablydirected to this point, as the most difficult and important part of hisoperations. The process of making malt is an artificial or forcedvegetation, in which, the nearer we approach nature in her ordinaryprogress, the more certainly shall we arrive at the perfection of whichthe subject is capable. The farmer prefers a dry season to sow hissmall grain, that the common moisture of the earth may but gentlyinsinuate itself into the pores of the grain, and thence graduallydispose it for the reception of the future shower, and the action ofvegetation. The maltster cannot proceed by such slow degrees, but makesan immersion in water a substitute for the moisture of the earth, wherea few hours infusion is equal to many days employed in the ordinarycourse of vegetation, and the grain is accordingly removed as soon asit appears fully saturated, lest a solution, and, consequently, adestruction of some of its parts should be the effect of a longercontinuance in water, instead of that separation, which is begun by theintroduction of watery particles into the body. Were it to be spreadthin after this removal, it would become dry, and no vegetation wouldensue; but being thrown into the couch, a kind of vegetativefermentation commences, which generates heat, and produces the firstappearance of a vegetation. This state of the barley is nearly the samewith that of many days continuance in the earth after sowing, but beingin so large a body, it requires occasionally to be turned over andspread thinner; the former, to give the outward parts of the heap theirshare of the acquired warmth and moisture, both of which are lessenedby exposure to the air; the latter, to prevent the progress of thevegetative to the putrefactive fermentation, which would be theconsequence of suffering it to proceed beyond a certain degree. Tosupply the moisture thus continually decreasing by evaporation andconsumption, an occasional, but sparing, sprinkling of water should begiven to the floor, to recruit the languishing powers of vegetation, and imitate the shower upon the cornfield; but this should not be toooften repeated; for, as in the field, too much rain, and too littlesun, produces rank stems and thin ears, so here would too much water, and, of course, too little dry warmth, accelerate the growth of themalt, so as to occasion the extraction and loss of such of its valuableparts as, by a slower process, would have been duly separated and leftbehind. By the slow mode of conducting vegetation here recommended, anactual and minute separation of the parts takes place; the germinationof the radicles and acrospire carries off the cohesive properties ofthe barley, thereby contributing to the preparation of the saccharinematter, which it has no tendency to extract, or otherwise injure, butto increase and meliorate, so long as the acrospire is confined withinthe husk; and by as much as it is wanting of the end of the grain, byso much does the malt fall short of perfection; and in proportion as itis advanced beyond, is that purpose defeated. 

This is very evident to the most common observation, on examining akernel of malt, in the different stages of its progress. When theacrospire has shot but half the length of the grain, the lower partonly is converted into that mellow saccharine flour we are solicitousof, whilst the other half exhibits no other signs of it than the wholekernel did at its first germination: let it advance to two thirds ofthe length, and the lower end will not only have increased itssaccharine flavour, but will have proportionably extended its bulk, soas to have left one third part unmalted. This, or even less than this, is contended for by many maltsters, as a sufficient advance of theacrospire, which, they say, has done its business, so soon as it haspassed the middle of the kernel. But we need seek no further for theirconviction of error, than the examination here alluded to. 

Let the kernel be slit down the middle, and tasted at either end whilstgreen, or let the effects of mastication be tried when it is dried off;when the former will be found to exhibit the appearances justmentioned, the latter to discover the unwrought parts of the grain, ina stony hardness, which has no other effect in the mash tun, than thatof imbibing a large proportion of the liquor, and contributing to theretention of those saccharine parts of the malt which are in contactwith it; whence it is a rational inference, that three bushels of malt, imperfect in their proportion, are equal but to two of that which iscarried to its utmost perfection. By this is meant the farthest advanceof the acrospire, when it is just bursting from its confinement, beforeit has effected its enlargement. The kernel is then uniform in itsinternal appearance, and of a rich sweetness, in flavour equal to anything we can conceive obtainable from imperfect vegetation. If theacrospire be suffered to proceed, the mealy substance melts into aliquid sweet, which soon passes into the blade, and leaves the huskentirely exhausted. The sweet thus produced by the infant efforts ofvegetation, and lost by its more powerful action, revives, and makes asecond appearance in the stem, but is then too much dispersed andaltered in its form to answer any of the known purposes of art. 

The periods of its perfect appearance are in both cases remarkablycritical. It is at first perfect at the instant the kernel is going tosend forth the acrospire, and form itself into the future blade; it isagain discovered perfect when the ear is labouring at its extrication, and hastening the production of the yet unformed kernels; in this itappears, the medium of nature's chemistry, equally employed by her inher mutation of the kernel into the blade, and her formation thus ofother kernels, by which she effects the completion of that circle towhich the operations of the vegetable world are limited. Were we toinquire by what means the same barley, with the same treatment, produces unequal portions of the saccharine matter in differentsituations, we should perhaps find it principally owing to thedifferent qualities of the water used in malting, some of which are somuch better suited to the quality of the grain than others, that thedifference is truly astonishing. Hard water is very unfit for everypurpose of vegetation, and soft will vary its effects according to thepredominating quality of its impregnations. Pure elementary water is initself supposed to be only the vehicle of the nutriment of plants, entering at the capillary tubes of the roots rising into the body, andhere depositing its acquired virtues, perspiring by innumerable finepores at the surface, and thence evaporating by the purest distillationinto the open atmosphere, where it begins anew its rounds of collectingfresh properties, in order to its preparation for fresh service. Thistheory leads us to the consideration of an attempt to increase thenatural quantity of the saccharum of malt by adventitious means; but itmust be observed, on this occasion, that no addition to water will riseinto the vessels of plants, but such as will pass the filter, the poresof which appearing somewhat similar to the fine strainers of absorbingvessels employed by nature in her nicer operations; we by analogyconclude, that properties so intimately blended with water as to passthe one, will enter and unite with the economy of the other, and viceversa. 

Supposing the malt to have obtained its utmost perfection, according tothe criterion here inculcated, to prevent its further progress, andsecure it in that state, we are to call in the assistance of a heat, sufficient to destroy the action of vegetation, by evaporating everyparticle of water, and thence leaving it in a state of preservation fitfor the present or future purpose of the brewer. Thus having all itsmoisture extracted, and being by the previous process deprived of itscohesive property, the body of the grain is left a mere lump of flour, so easily divisible that, the husk being taken off, a mark may be madewith the kernel, as with a piece of soft chalk. The extractablequalities of this flour are saccharum, closely united with a largequantity of the farinaceous mucilage peculiar to bread corn, and asmall portion of oil enveloped by a fine earthy substance, the wholereadily yielding to the impression of water, applied at differenttimes, and different degrees of heat, and each part predominating inproportion to the time and manner of its application. In the curing ofmalt, as nothing more is requisite than a total extrication of everywatery particle, if we had in the season proper for malting a sun heatsufficient to produce perfect dryness, it were practicable to producebeer nearly colourless; but that being wanting, and the force of customhaving made it necessary to give our beers various tinctures andqualities resulting from fire, for the accommodation of various tastes, we are necessitated to apply such heats in the drying as shall not onlyanswer the purpose of preservation, but give the complexion andproperty required; to effect this with certainty, and precision, theintroduction of the thermometer is necessary, but the real advantagesof its application are only to be known from experiment, on account ofthe different construction of different kilns, the irregularity of theheat in different parts of the same kiln, the depth of the malt, thedistance of the bulb of the thermometer from the floor; for thoughsimilar heats will produce similar effects in the same situation, yetthe distribution of heat in every kiln is so irregular, that the mediumspot for the local situation of the thermometer as a standard, cannotbe easily fixed for ascertaining effects upon the whole. That done, theseveral degrees, necessary for the purposes of porter, amber, palebeers, &c. Are easily discovered to the utmost exactness, and becomethe certain rule of future practice. 

Though custom has laid this arbitrary injunction of variety on our maltliquors, it may not be amiss to intimate the losses we often sustain, and the inconvenience we combat in our obedience to her mandates. 

The further we pursue the deeper tints of colour by an increase ofheat, beyond that which simple preservation requires the more we injurethe valuable qualities of the malt. It is well known that scorched oilsturn black, and that calcined sugar assumes the same complexion;similar effects are producible in malts, in proportion to the increaseof heat, or the time of their continuing exposed to it. The parts ofthe whole being so intimately united by nature, an injury cannot bedone to the one without affecting the other; accordingly we find thatsuch parts of the subject as might have been severally extracted forthe purpose of a more intimate union by fermentation, are, by greatheat in curing, burned and blended so effectually together, that alldiscrimination is lost--the unfermentable are extracted with thefermentable, the integrant with the constituent, to the very great lossof spirituosity and transparency. In paler malts the extracting liquorproduces a separation, which cannot be effected in brown, where theparts are so incorporated, that unless the brewer is very acquaintedwith their several qualities and attachments, he will bring over withthe burned mixture of saccharine and mucilaginous principles, such anabundance of the scorched oils, as no fermentation can attenuate, noprecipitants remove; for being themselves impediments to the action offermentation, they lessen its efficacy; and being of the same specificgravity with the beer, they remain suspended in, and incorporated with, the body of it--an offence to the eye, and nausea to the palate, to thelatest period. From this account it is evident the drying of malt is anarticle of the utmost consequence concerning the proper degree of heatto be employed for this purpose. Mr. Combrune has related someexperiments made in an earthen pan, of about two feet diameter, andthree inches deep, in which was put as much of the palest malts, veryunequally grown, as filled it to the brim. This being placed over acharcoal fire, in a small stove, and kept continually stirred frombottom to top, exhibited different changes according to the degrees ofheat employed on the whole. He concludes, that true germinated maltsare charred in heats between one hundred and seventy-five, and onehundred and eighty degrees, and that as these correspond to the degreesin which pure alcohol, or the finest spirit of the grain itself boils, or disengages itself therefrom, they may point out to us the reason ofbarley being the fittest grain for the purpose of brewing. 

From these experiments, Mr. Combrune has constructed a table of thedifferent degrees of the dryness of malt, with the colour occasioned bythe difference of heat. Thus, malt exposed to one hundred and nineteendegrees, is white; to one hundred and twenty-four, cream colour; onehundred and twenty-nine, light yellow; one hundred and thirty-four, amber colour; one hundred and thirty-eight, brown; one hundred andfifty-two, high brown; one hundred and fifty-seven, brown, inclining toblack; one hundred and sixty-two, high brown speckled with black; onehundred and seventy-one, colour of burned coffee; one hundred andseventy-six, black. This account not only shows us how to judge of thedryness of malt by its colour; but also, when grist is composed ofseveral kinds of malt, what effect the whole will have when blendedtogether by extraction. Experience proves that the less heat we employin drying malt, the shorter time will be required before the beer thatis brewed from it is fit to drink, and this will be according to thefollowing table:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------_A table giving the heats of different coloured malts, and the timebeer takes to ripen when brewed from them. _-----------------------------------------------------------------------124 Degrees 1 Month. | 138 Degrees 6 Months. | 152 Degrees 15 Months. 130 Degrees 3 Months. | 143 Degrees 7 Months. | 157 Degrees 20 Months. 134 Degrees 4 Months. | 148 Degrees 10 Months. | 162 Degrees 32 Months. 

_The plain practical process of Malting pale Malt, according to themost approved English method. _

Suppose you are about to malt spring or summer barley, and that yoursteep contains sixty bushels. The time generally allowed for this kindof grain to remain in steep is from forty to forty-eight hours, takingcare to give two waters; the first water is to continue on the graintwenty-four hours, then run off, and fresh water put on. Thisprecaution is essentially necessary, in order to make clean brightmalt, and should never be omitted. It is further right, at eachwatering, to skim off the surface of the water the light grain, chaff, and seed weeds, that are found floating on it; all this kind of trash, when suffered to remain in the steep, is a real injury to the malt, andconsiderably depreciates its value when offered for sale, and not lessso when brewed. The depth of water over the barley in the steep neednot exceed two or three inches, but should not be less. When the barleyhas remained in steep the necessary time, the water is let off by aplug hole at the bottom of the steep, with a strainer on the inside ofthe hole; when the barley is thus sufficiently strained, it should belet down by a plug hole in the bottom of the steep into the couch frameon the lower floor, (or adjoining to it, which would be the betterconstruction, ) which is no more than a square or oblong inclosure ofinch and a half boards ledged together, and about two feet deep, ofsufficient capacity to hold the contents of the steep, and so placed, in upright grooves, as to ship and unship in this frame. The steepedbarley is to remain for twenty-four hours in the frame, when it shouldbe broke out, and carefully turned from the bottom to the top, nearlyof the same thickness it was in the frame, not less than sixteen oreighteen inches, where it should be suffered to remain twenty-fourhours longer, or until the germination begins to appear: but this willbe always shorter or longer, according to the temperature of theseason, and is generally ascertained by sinking your hand towards themiddle of the heap, and bringing up a handful of the grain, which, ifregularly germinated, will make its appearance in every grain ofbarley, by appearing white at one end; at this stage of the process, (supposing the temperature of your malt house sixty degrees, ) the heapshould be extended on the floor, to the thickness of eight inches;after which it should be turned three or four times a day, according tothe season, and the progress of vegetation; gradually reducing thethickness of the couch to four or five inches; but it should beremarked, that as soon as the root begins to dry and wither, thewatering pot is to be used; the judicious management of which is one ofthe most important parts of the process of malting, and should be paidparticular attention to. One watering, well applied, will, in mostcases, answer the purpose. Two thirds of the whole quantity of watershould be given to the upper surface of the couch, then turn it, andgive the remaining third of the water to the couch when turned. Thewhole quantity of water to be used for sixty bushels of American springbarley, may be averaged at fifty-four gallons; this quantity will, consequently, allow thirty-six gallons to be as evenly distributed overthe surface of the couch for the first water, as possible; theremaining eighteen gallons to be put on in the same way: when the couchis turned after this last watering, the whole couch should be turnedback again; thus, in every turning, the bottom and top should alwaysexchange places. In this stage of the process, care should be taken toturn the couch frequently, to prevent the growth of the root, in orderto give the greater facility to the growth of the blade, it beingessentially requisite to keep that of the root stationary, to prevent awaste of strength in the grain. Three or four days after watering, isgenerally found a sufficient time for the blade to grow fully up to theend of the grain; farther than which it should not be suffered toproceed. The couch should be now checked in its growth, and thrown onthe second or withering floor, where it should be laid thin, andfrequently turned; this continued operation will bring it dry and sweetto the kiln, to which it may be committed without further delay. Although the common practice is to throw it up into what is commonlytermed a sweet-heap, and so remain from twelve to twenty-four hours, oruntil you can hardly bear your hand in it; then, and not before, is itconsidered fit to go on the kiln. This is a practice that cannot be toomuch condemned, or too generally exploded, as producing the very worstconsequences; a few of which I will mention. Green malt, thus treated, becomes in a manner decomposed; and beer brewed from such malt willnever keep long, acquiring a disagreeable, nauseous flavour, rapidlytending to acidity, beside becoming unusually high coloured. Althoughthe malt, before grinding, will have all the appearance of pale malt, this quality can be easily accounted for by the high heat the malt issuffered to acquire in the heap before putting it on the kiln. What Ihave here mentioned will, I trust, suffice to recommend a morejudicious mode of practice. Forty-eight hours for malt to remain on thekiln is enough, as pale malt can be completely dried in that time, iffrequently turned, and properly attended to. It is further worthy ofremark, that barley malt should in no case exceed fifteen or sixteendays from the steep to the kiln, and is often more successfullyeffected in twelve or thirteen days. The common practice of maltstersis to allow twenty one days, which generally brings the green malt in amouldy state to the kiln, to the great injury of flavour andpreservation in beer brewed from such malts; whereas, the grain shouldbe brought as sweet and dry as circumstances will allow of to this lastand important operation of malting, every part of which requires minuteand continued attention. When you suppose your malt sufficiently dry, make a round space in the centre of your kilncast by shovelling themalt to the extremities; after which, sweep this space, and shovel backagain your malt from the walls and angles into it; make a round heap ofthe whole on the centre of your kiln, sweep your kiln all round thefoot of your heap; so let it stand two hours, then throw it off; thislast operation is performed to give every chance for equal drying. Thepractice of many maltsters is to take seventy two hours to dry theirpale malt, keeping all the time a very slow and slack fire, this isanother capital error, and should be corrected with the former ones. Various are the opinions entertained, as to the best mode of preservingmalt after coming off the kiln: some are of opinion that thecircumambient air should have a free access to it; this opinion, Iadmit, might have weight if such malt was to be immediately brewed; butwhere it is allowed to remain in heap for four or five months, andgradually become cool, the less air admitted to have access to it thebetter; this has been the practice and opinion of the most judiciousmaltsters I have been acquainted with, and, consequently, is what Iwould recommend, except in the case of immediate use, where exposurebecomes necessary, particularly after grinding, as malt so treated willbear a higher liquor, and yield a more preserving extract. 

_Winter Barley. _

To avoid useless and unnecessary repetitions, it is enough simply tostate, that winter barley, being a weaker bodied grain than summer, requires less watering, consequently, a less time in steep, say 36 to40 hours, and about 32 gallons of water to sixty bushels will besufficient on the floor; the other treatment the same. 

_Oats the same_, with about 24 gallons of water on the floor, for sixty bushels, dividedas directed in the case of summer and winter barley; the remaining partof the process the same. 

_Rye Malt. _

Rye may be steeped 48 hours, with 48 gallons of water on the floor; theremainder of the process the same, quantity of grain sixty bushels. 

_Wheat. _

The above time in steep, and same proportion of water on the floor, will answer to make wheat malt, suppose 60 bushels, varying somewhataccording to season, the time of steeping, and bringing to the kiln;the remainder of the process the same. 

_Indian Corn Malt, a valuable auxiliary to Brewing materials. _

This species of grain well managed, and made into malt, will be foundalike useful to the brewer and distiller, but it is peculiarly adaptedto the brewing of porter; further, it is known to possess moresaccharine matter than any other grain used in either brewing ordistilling, joined to the advantage of not interfering with the seasonfor malting barley, as this should commence when the former ceases. Thesummer months are the fittest for malting this kind of grain, and canbe only very defectively made at any other season, as it requires ahigh temperature to force germination, and cause it to give out all itssweet. The following process, it is expected, will be found to answerevery purpose wished for: suppose your steep to contain sixty bushels, after you have levelled it off, let on your water as directed inmalting barley; you should give fresh water to your steep at the end oftwenty-four hours. If it is southern corn you are malting, it willrequire to remain in steep seventy-two hours in the whole; if it benorthern corn, it will require ninety-six hours, there being aconsiderable difference in the density of these two kinds of grain; thehardest, of course, requires the most water; and, in all cases, thefresher Indian corn is from the cob the better it will malt. When youhave accomplished the necessary time in your steep, you let off yourwater; and, when sufficiently drained, let it down in your couch frame, where it will require turning once in twelve hours, in order to keep itof equal temperature; the depth of the grain should be about two feetand a half in the frame; as it begins to germinate and grow, open yourframe, and thin it down at every turning, until you reduce itsthickness to six or seven inches; thus extending it on your lowerfloor, turning it more frequently, as the growth is rapid. Thevegetation of the grain, together with the turning, will by this timemake the watering pot necessary; the criterion by which you will judgeof its fitness for the water, is as soon as you perceive the root oracrospire begins to wither. Two thirds of your water is to bedistributed over the surface of your couch for the first watering, which will require thirty-two gallons, and when turned back again, sixteen gallons for the second watering, making in the wholeforty-eight gallons of water to sixty bushels of corn. This watershould be put on with a gardener's watering pot, as equally aspossible. Supposing this pot to contain four gallons, it will makeeight pots for the first watering, and four for the second. In thisstage of the operation the turnings on the floor should be veryfrequent, in order to keep the grain cool, as the heat of the weather, at this season, will be sufficient to promote and perfect thevegetation. The second day after the first watering, if the blade isnot sufficiently grown, water again, but in less quantity, say onehalf. It will be now four or five days more before the couch is readyfor the kiln, which will be ascertained by the blade becoming the fulllength of the corn. After this it should be thrown on the upper floor, and suffered to wither for a couple of days, turning it frequently; bythis time the blade will have a yellow appearance, the grain willbecome tender, and, if tasted, be found uncommonly sweet; in this stateit may be committed to the kiln, and dried in the usual way. 

N. B. It will generally take ten days after it is out of the steep toperfect the malting of southern corn, and twelve days for northern. 

_Fermentation. _

Notwithstanding that progress of improvement in the doctrine offermentation has, in the last twenty years, far surpassed any thing inthe same period that preceded it, we have still much to learn. Fermentation is the instrument or means which nature employs in thedecomposition of vegetable and animal bodies, or reduction of them totheir original elements, or first principles. Fermentation is, therefore, a spontaneous separation of the component parts of thesebodies, and is one of those processes that is conducted by nature fortheir resolution, and the combination and fermentation of other bodiesout of them; therefore, it is one of these operations in which natureis continually present, and going on before our eyes; this may be onereason that a very critical observance of it has escaped our attention. Fermentation brings us acquainted with this unerring axiom; thatnothing in nature is lost; or that matter, of which all things arecomposed, is indestructible. For instance, the vinous process offermentation, succeeded by distillation, produces ardent spirits, oralcohol, the elements of which are here described. If we pass thisalcohol, or spirits of wine, through a glass, porcelain, or metallictube, heated right hot, provided with a suitable condenser andapparatus to separate and contain the parts or products, it will bedecomposed and resolved into its primitive elements, carbonic acid gas, or fixed air, and hydrogen gas, or inflammable air; the oxygen beingdecomposed and united with the oxygen, or vital air, into carbonic acidgas; the water of the spirit of wine being also decomposed, or resolvedinto its first principles as herein is stated, forms a part of theproduce before mentioned. 

Hence spontaneous fermentation, vinous, acetous, and putrefactive, isthe natural decomposition of animal and vegetable matters, to which acertain degree of fluidity is necessary; for where vegetable and animalsubstances are dry, as sugar and glue for instance, and are kept so, nofermentation of any kind succeeds. 

There can be no doubt that spontaneous fermentation first taughtmankind the means of procuring wine and other agreeable beverage;observation and industry the means of making spirit and vinegar, thefirst of which is evidently the produce of art, combined with theoperations of nature. 

With nature for our guide, and our own ingenuity, fermentation has beenmade subservient to the various products we now obtain from saccharineand fermentable matters, such as sugar, molasses, grain, with which wehave made wine, spirits, bread, beer, malt, &c. ; which last has muchfacilitated our practice in fermentation, but proved the tide-ending, or point of stagnation to its further improvement. Relying too much onmalted grain in the operation of fermentation, we are presented withsome of the most pleasing and instructive phenomena of nature; theresolutions and combinations that are formed during the process of thevinous and acetous stages of fermentation, are interesting, beyondcomparison, to the brewer, malt and molasses distillers, vintager, cider and vinegar maker, &c. The elastic fluids and volatile principlesthat are extricated and escape, formerly so little attended to, are nowbetter understood. The method of commodiously saving, andadvantageously applying them, and other volatile products, to theimprovement of the fermenting and other fluids, will, I hope, not onlyform a new era in the progress of fermenting, brewing, distilling, &c. But a new source of profit, that may, in time, lead to a recompositionof those elements from which they were produced, or, at least, thefermentation of vinous fluids, vinegar, spirit, &c. By resorting to aninexhaustible source supplied by nature, of these important materials, and their application to the uses that may be made of that abundance soeasily procurable, and at present so unprofitably wasted. But tocontinue our views to the business immediately before us, let us beginwith the several products, by stating that carbonic acid gas, or fixedair, is copiously extracted from fluids in a state of vinousfermentation, and sundry mineral and vegetable substances, easilyprocurable, for which we have the testimony of our own senses; the samemay be said of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, &c. Presuming these positionsgranted, let us make a short inquiry into the composition of vinousfluids, &c. Apprehending there are but few people to whom theseobservations will be useful, but what will allow that all vinousfluids, whether intended for beer, wine, cider, &c. Are the produce ofsaccharine matter, or fermentable matter obtained from the sugar cane, grain, fruit, &c. And the part which art at present takes in thisbeautiful process of nature, is to facilitate her operations inproportion to observation and experience, in conformity to the objectin view, in making wine, beer, cider, spirit, &c. ; or, subsequent tothe vinous, to forward the progress of the acetous fermentation for theproduction of vinegar. The saccharine or fermentable matter ofvegetables, consists in what is chemically called hydrogen gas, orinflammable air; carbonic acid gas, or fixed air; oxygen gas, or vitalair; which last forms nearly one third part of the whole atmosphere, circumvolving our globe in which we breathe; or, more exactly, thirty-seven parts of oxygen, and seventy-three of azotic gas, are thecomponent parts of our atmosphere, except the small proportion ofundecomposed carbonic acid gas there may be found in it. 

Beer, wine, cider, malt and molasses wash, and other product bydistillation; spirit consists of these three elastic fluids or airs, incomposition with various proportions of water. Water itself is acompound of vital and inflammable air; a proof of this, and of theindestructibility of matter, these two elastic fluids burned together, in certain proportions, and in a proper apparatus, reproduce water. Byanother chemical process, this very water is reducible to these twosubstances, vital and inflammable air; hence, we see, that allsaccharine and fermentable matter, and their products, by fermentation, are composed of the same materials, and resolvable into the sameelements. 

It is scarcely necessary to give any definition of spontaneousfermentation, after what has been said on the subject; if it was, Iwould say it is that tendency which all fermentable matter has todecomposition, attended with intestine motion or ebullition, whensufficiently diluted with water, under a certain temperature of theatmosphere, the rapidity of which motion is always accompanied by anincrease of temperature, or the change to a greater degree of heatgenerated within the body of the fermenting fluid, in proportion to therapidity or augmentation of motion or ebullition excited. Fermentationproduced by the addition of yest, or any other suitable ferment, in afluid duly prepared, is governed by the same laws, and under the sameinfluence of temperature, except when it is accelerated or protractedby the management of the operator, or by the changes induced by theinfluence of the atmosphere, rendered more or less subservient to hispurposes, and produces a similar kind of spirit by distillation, possessing in common the properties of vinous spirit, or is convertedto vinegar by the subsequent process of acetous fermentation, but muchmore productive in quantity and quality, so as to answer commercialpurposes. In both spontaneous and excited fermentation, there is asimilar escape of a large quantity of elastic fluid, or carbonic acidgas, with a considerable proportion of spirit, and some of the water ofthe fermented fluid. This gas is known to form a considerable part ofmucilaginous substances, as sugar, molasses, honey, malt, and othersaccharine and fermentable matter. 

Although the doctrine of fermentation, as a science, does not enable usto alter the spontaneous course of nature; yet if, by the assistance ofthe instruments, and means recommended, we are enabled to foresee andprovide for the changes induced by the alterations of the atmosphere, we can guard against the inconveniences in some cases, and make themsubservient to our purpose in others; so as more securely to conductthe process in each to advantage; and that with unusual facility;complex as it at present appears: it will not only be a greatimprovement in the present mode of fermentation; but facilitate ourprogress to still greater improvements in the doctrine of fermentation. Therefore, the rule of our conduct, in these pursuits, should be towatch the operations of nature with the closest attention, and assisther when languid, and control her when too violent; that is, byspurring in one instance, and bridling in the other, and accurately andundeviatingly apply the means proposed in the manner recommended, untilexperience enables us to improve it; otherwise, we shall only admire, without improving or profiting by her choicest phenomena. 

The motions of the planets, perplexed and intricate as they must haveappeared in the infancy of astronomy, are now calculated and known withease and precision. 

Attenuation is a term not unaptly applied to fermentation, the propertyof attenuation being to divide, then dilute, and rarify thick, gross, viscid, and dense substances, in which some degree of fluidity ispre-supposed; it is, therefore, that kind of dilution or fluidity whichis promoted by agitation, and very aptly applied to mark the progressof fermentation, which is itself the process of nature, for decomposingvegetable and animal substances under a convenient degree of fluidity;it exists in intestine motion, either spontaneous or excited, accompanied with heat, which, under certain limits, is proportioned tothe vigour of the fermentation, which ends in the decomposition of oneclass of bodies, and the composition of another; and which may beinstanced in the resolving saccharine substances into hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, and the combining them into inflammable spirits, oralcohol, and inflammable acids or vinegar; to which may be added, thelower you attenuate, the lighter and more spiritous the fermentingfluid becomes; and that attenuation, which is the offspring offermentation, like the parent process, has its bounds, and can only beconducted with certainty and advantage by the use of the hydrometer, thermometer, &c. In this only lies the difference between the old wordfermentation, and the new word attenuation, every thing used as aferment, or to promote fermentation, is attenuant. The tendency of thevinous process of fermentation is to evolve or disentangle the hydrogenof the fermenting fluid, and unite it, with the carbon and oxygen ofthe same fluid, into ardent spirit, wine, beer, or alcohol, which lastis well known to be inflammable. The tendency of the acetous process offermentation, is to involve or entangle the hydrogen and carbon of thefermented fluid, with a greater proportion of oxygen, into vinegar, which is uninflammable. The fixed air, or carbonic acid gas, soabundantly extricated during the vinous process of fermentation, whichevery one concerned in the process is presumed to be acquainted with, is either composed of hydrogen and oxygen, or is a composition ofcarbon and oxygen, on which philosophers are divided in opinion. As theresult is the same with respect to the formation of wine, beer, andspirit, I shall enter into no controversial reasoning on this head, instead of which, I shall endeavour to point out the most effectualmode of saving and profitably applying it, and the other elements, inthe composition of wine, beer, spirit, and acid. 

As in fermentation, spontaneous or excited, there is a sensible escapeof carbonic acid gas, or fixed air, it may not be improper to note, that fermentable, or saccharine matter, consists of about twenty-eightpounds of carbon, eight pounds of hydrogen, and sixty-four pounds ofoxygen, reducible into fixed, inflammable, and vital air, weighing onehundred subtile pounds in toto, or that every one hundred subtilepounds of saccharine matter consists of such proportions of these airsand gasses. 

Attenuation is the result of a due resolution of the fermentable matterproduced by excited fermentation, which divides mucilages, resolvesviscidities, breaks down cohesions, generates heat and motion, extricates the imprisoned gasses, and, by frequent commixture, promotesthe action and re-action of the component particles on each other, andby continually exposing a fresh surface and opposition of matter, brings them within the sphere of each other's attraction. 

As their original attraction is weakened by heat and motion, theirexpansion is increased by repulsion; and as they revolve, and recedefrom each other in this way, they are fitted, by the change in theirmodification, to involve each other, and from new attractions combiningwith each other into new substances, according to affinity, underchanges induced in their nature conducive to this end, which not beingexactly known, cannot at present be fully defined. In every brewing, orpreparation of saccharine fluid for fermentation, the followingphenomena occur: first, _heat_ is either disengaged or fixed: secondly, an _elastic fluid_ is either formed or absorbed in a nascent state:these two indisputable facts form the uniform and invariable phenomenaof fermentation, and may be admitted as an established _axiom_, thatthe proportions, extrication, and action of heat, with the fermentationand fixation of elastic fluids, during the process, are the foundationof the vinous products of the fermenting fluid. In conformity to sorational a theory, I have for many years regulated my practice, theresult of which is the object of these papers. These, therefore, arethe three great objects which should engage our attention; not onlyin fermentation, but in every similar process in chemistry, and arethe fundamental principles of our doctrine. FERMENTATION being notonly a decomposition of the fermentable matter, but of the water ofthe fluid also; and the fixed air formed during the process beingcomposed of the hydrogen and oxygen of the fermentable matter, andthe water of the fluid also, there is a perpetual decomposition andrecomposition of that water, which gives fluidity to the whole mass, taking place during the continuance of the process, part of thehydrogen and oxygen of which escapes under the form of fixed air, forwant of a proper substance being presented of affinity enough toabsorb and combine with it into wine, beer, or spirit, or some othernecessary assistance in heat, light, motion, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, &c. Or an intermedium to facilitate the formation of wine, beer, orspirit, in preference to fixed air. Fixed air, or carbonic acid gas, consists of about twenty-five parts of oxygen, and nine of carbon, devested of the mucilage and yest that rises with it. It should berecollected, that the decomposition of pyrites, the formation ofnitre, respiration, fermentation, &c. Are low degrees of combustion, and though it is the property of combustion to form fixed andphlogisticated airs, both the modes of doing it, and the quantity ofthe products, depend on the manner of oxygenating them in the changesbrought about by the different modes of combustion, or fermentation inthe vinous, acetous, and putrid process, which show the affinitybetween them. 

Fermentation is a subsequent _low combustion_ of the vegetable oxydesor grain, that has undergone a previous, but partial combustion, something like the slightly charring, or oxydating of wood orpit-coal, by which the oxygenation is incomplete in both, and renderedmore complete in the former. An ultimate combustion of the fermentablematter employed, is found only in the putrid process of fermentation, which is a final or total decomposition of vegetable and animalsubstances, in the actual combustion or burning of wood, charcoal, orbones. 

In the vinous process we have seen the escape of carbonic acid gas; inthe acetous process there is a great escape of azotic gas, orphlogisticated air, from the decomposition of the air of the atmosphereconsumed in this process, which consists of about two-thirds of azoticgas, and one third of oxygen gas, [3] the oxygenous part being absorbedin the acetous process, and azotic set free with more or less hydrogenand acetic gas, proportioned to the existing heat. If the heat isbeyond a certain degree, a portion of the ethereal part of thenew-formed acid escapes also. 

 [3] Twenty-seven parts of oxygen gas, and seventy-three of azotic gas. 

In the putrid process, the hydrogen escapes under the acriform shape ofinflammable air and azotic gas, and nothing more remains than mereearth or water, or both, as the case may be, which is exactly similarto other combustions, of which nothing remains, (if we exceptphosphorus) but earth or ashes, with what small portion of alkaline orother salts they may contain. This alkaline matter being present duringthe formation of carbonic and azotic gas, absorbs, to saturation, a dueproportion of them, and generates _tartar_. 

Experience has taught us the truth or justness of this definition, andthough it has brought us acquainted with the results of those threestages of fermentation, combustion, or decomposition, we have certainlyoverlooked the means of applying them with all the advantage they admitof in the business which is the subject of these papers, and which alittle time and close observation must convince us of; and how much hasbeen hitherto lost, with the means of saving it in future, shall bepresently explained, and particularly pointed out. 

In the prosecution of this design, where I may not be able to give anunexceptionable demonstration, I hope always to be provided with apractical proof, which may prove equally beneficial. 

Let us now see what passes in a state of low combustion, such as may bethe result of fermentation in vegetables, arising from heat, moisture, and motion, when impacted together. The most obvious occurrence of thisnature is found in new hay, which, under these circumstances, for wantof care and attention, often spontaneously takes fire, particularly inwet seasons. 

Fermentation, being one of the lowest degrees of combustion, is herethe spontaneous effect of the moist hay being impacted together, andnot properly made, that is, without the superfluous juices being driedout of it, by which it retains a sufficient degree of fluidity ormoisture to begin a fermentation, in which heat and motion aregenerated, and light, in a nascent state, extricated; these appearancesaccumulated and accelerated by incumbent pressure, the redundantmoisture being soon exhausted, and the heat and motion increasing, theactual combustion of the mass takes place, which is much facilitated bya decomposition of the water of this moisture, and the air of theatmosphere, unavoidably insinuated between the interstices formed bythe fibres of the hay, as they are impacted together into cocks, orstacks, breaks out into actual flame, or _light visible_. These are nonovel appearances, but such as fall within the observation of everyone; and the candid maltster will acknowledge, that from the samecause, though differently produced, similar effects may, and sometimesdo, happen in the malt house, in the preparation of that modernarticle of luxury, by which we are enabled to make malt wine; andthese instances are sufficient to prove fermentation to be a lowdegree of combustion, and to both simplify and explain the justness ofthis doctrine. The malting of corn is the first stage of vegetation, low combustion, and fermentation. 

From observation and reasoning on what passes before our eyes, wediscover the low species of fermentation, in which the malting of cornconsists, to be a low degree of combustion, which, for want of dueattention, may break out into actual flame. We were always acquaintedwith the _effect_: now reasoning on the subject brings us to aknowledge of the cause. 

To any one well acquainted with the nature of fermentation, it must bemanifest, that the malt distillers have paid more attention, and madegreater progress in the improvement of the process than any other classof men interested in the success, though far from having arrived attheir _ne plus ultra_. 

The introduction of raw or unmalted corn; the close compactness oftheir working tun, or fermenting backs; the order and progressivesuccession with which they conduct the process; and the pains theynecessarily take to arrive at a perfect attenuation, by a longprotracted fermentation, with the early conviction of a rewardproportioned to their diligence, and the success attending their bestendeavours, when not frustrated by intervening causes, must be strongerinducements with them to delight in this instructive process ofnature's formation, than with the brewer, who has not these immediatetests to encourage his labours, which the others daily derive fromdistillation, and which so quickly and uniformly terminates theirhazards and success. The principal object in their view being a highand deliberate attenuation, with a full vinosity, without any furtherregard to the quality or flavour of their mash, as the combination ofthese qualities alone produces the required strength, in the cleanestmanner. 

The brewer's cares are many, and of longer duration: he is the vintagerof our northern climates: his porter or ale should be an agreeable maltwine, suited to the palate of the district or neighbourhood he livesin, or, ultimately, to the taste of his customers. The time he hasallotted himself for attenuation was first founded in error, derivedfrom ignorance of the subject, and slavishly continued by thatinvincible tyrant, custom. Hurry marks the progress of his fermentation, which can only be corrected by his speedy mode of _cleansing_, and theconsequent but necessary perishing of a part. He must begin with moreaccuracy at the mash tun than the malt distiller, as it is there hemust not only regulate the strength, but, partially, the flavour andtransparency of his malt wine. His object does not end with the maltdistiller's, nor, like his, concentre in one focal point, the solutionof the whole of the farina of the plant or grain employed, regardlessof milkiness or transparency; he must carefully take the heats of hisliquor, so as to solve and combine the qualities he has in view; which, if he misses in the first mash, is partly irremediable in the succeedingones. His cares do not end here; independent of the minutiæ offermentation and cleansing, he has the flavour, fining, and bringingforward of his _malt wines_, nearly as much as the strength, to considerand employ his attention. 

It will scarcely be supposed that I would make these observationsmerely with a view of drawing this comparison, though even it mightthrow some light on the subject, without an attempt at supplying thedefects pointed out, and remedying the evils represented. 

When the carbonic acid gas, or fixed air, so often mentioned in thesepapers may be rendered subservient to part of the improvements I havein view, and which is the constant, abundant, and uniform result of lowcombustion, or vinous fermentation, in proportion of thirty-five poundsweight to every hundred of saccharine or fermentable matter, fermentedin a due proportion of liquor, or water; from the decomposition ofwhich last, and the absorption of its oxygen, it is principallyobtained. 

We have previously seen that one hundred pounds of fermentable matterconsists of eight pounds of hydrogen, twenty-eight of carbon, andsixty-four pounds of oxygen; we have also seen that about thirty-fivepounds of carbon is extricated and detached from this quantity offermentable matter, properly diluted in water during fermentation;allowing the usual quantity of spirit at the same time to be formed bythe process of this superfluous carbon, (as it now appears) must comeprincipally from that decomposition of the water of dilution, and notfrom saccharine matter employed, which contains altogether buttwenty-eight pounds of carbon, the whole of which must necessarily goto the formation of the fifty-seven pounds of dry alcohol produced. 

But not to descend too deeply into particulars that might lead intodiscussions not absolutely necessary in this place, let us take theproduce of ten gallons of ardent spirit, at one to ten over proof. Wehere find that much more carbon has been generated, and given to theatmosphere, than went to the composition of this quantity of spirit, independent of the large quantity of alcohol dissolved in, and carriedoff by it, in its flight as before observed. 

Allowing the average quantity of fermentable matter in a quarter ofmalt, barley, or other grain, to be only seventy-five pounds, then fourquarters will be equal to three hundred subtile pounds of raw sugar; oreighty quarters of the one will be equal to six thousand pounds of theother, or three tuns weight of unadulterated molasses. 

If we estimate the superfluous carbonic acid gas of this quantity ofmaterials at only twenty-eight pounds per hundred, that will be sixteenhundred and eighty pounds dissipated during the fermentation, which isa loss, on every brewing of this quantity of materials, of upwards offorty-one gallons of spirit, of the strength of one to ten. 

What is computed here in spirit, may easily be applied to wine, porter, beer, ale, sweets, &c. In barrels allowing three gallons and threequarts of spirit per barrel to the former, and four gallons per barrelto the latter, which gives eleven barrels and three quarters of theone, and ten barrels and a quarter of the other, lost on each brewingof eighty quarters of malt, or the average of that quantity of othermaterials, by the mismanagement of the fermentation in one point only. 

It must appear evident to every person capable of investigating thiscalculation, that every six or seven pounds of carbon, fixed upon eachquarter of malt, or other materials, there will be an augmentation ofgravity or strength on this number of quarters, of ten or twelvebarrels each brewing; that is, every six or seven pounds of thisfugitive carbon that we arrest and fix in the fermenting fluid, as acomponent part of the subsequent produce, by presenting the requisiteportion of oxygen and hydrogen, for the purpose within the sphere ofeach others attraction, we increase our strength in the before-mentioned_ratio_. It is of little moment whether this redundant gas comes fromthe water of dilution or from the fermentable matter, as under, if wecan by any means turn it to account. 

We have presumed the average quantity of fermentable matter atseventy-five pounds per quarter; this must be evidently on the bestgoods; this will give us a length of three barrels per quarter of maltof eight bushels, of twenty-five pounds per barrel, specific gravity. Suppose the apparent attenuation of these goods to be nineteen pounds, the transparent gravity will be six pounds per barrel, viz. 

 Gravity of the worts in the cooler just before letting down into the guile-tun, per barrel, 25 lb. Apparent attenuation per barrel, 19 lb. Transparent gravity per barrel, 6 --- 25 lb. 

 Or take it as it really is, viz. Specific gravity per barrel, 25 lb. Real attenuation per barrel, 13 lb. 8 oz. Yest and lees, 5 8 -------- 19 lb. Gravity per barrel, when transparent, 6 --- 25 lb. 

It may be said that nineteen pounds is the real attenuation, and theyest and lees produced is part thereof, as the fluid, or beer, in astate of transparency is but six pounds per barrel specific gravity, and it may, in some degree, be allowed to be so, as there is really somuch gravity lost during the process of fermentation. If we multiplythirteen pounds eight ounces, which I have called the real attenuation, by four, we shall find the result to be fifty-four pounds, which isnineteen pounds more of superfluous gas upon four barrels of worts, oftwenty-five pounds gravity each, than is extricated from an equivalentquantity of saccharine matter; that is, from one hundred pounds of rawsugar or one hundred and twelve pounds of molasses, and theirrespective waters of dilution, when the yest and lees do not exceedfive pounds eight ounces per barrel. This may be truly called ananalysis of the fermentable matter, giving the component partstolerably exact; though much depends on the management of thefermentation, and the subsequent cleansing. By this analysis itappears, that the mucilage of malt, or grain, gives out more gas thanthe mucilage of sugar; and leaves a doubt on the mind whether toadjudge the superfluous gas to the fermentable matter, or to the waterof dilution, or partly to both; but so it is, that these are theproducts, whatever source we derive them from, and there is no denyingfacts. The yest first added is not brought into this account. 

There is a great similarity of appearance between the two species oflow combustion, fermentation and respiration. Fermentation, likerespiration, is the spontaneous effort of involuntary motion todecomposition; and in the fermenting mass, as in the animal system, itraises the temperature of both above that of the surroundingatmosphere: that is, it is the cause of heat and involuntary motion, both in the fermenting mass and in the animal system; and, like slowcombustion, consumes both, and resolves them into their firstprinciples, from which tendency the latter is constantly withheld bythe ingesta, fuel, or food, thrown in. I am well aware I must not carrythis reasoning any further. 

Deep investigation may be thought not to be the object of our research;but we must always have two things in view in inquiries of this nature;indeed, in every pursuit of useful knowledge, where, like the present, it is connected with the first principles, to pursue the winding pathof nature, through all her meanderings, up to the ultimate source ofthese elements, which are the instruments of her operations; and whenwe are favoured with a knowledge of these, either as the reward oflaboured assiduity and attention, or the result of chance, to copy theoriginal as close as we can. 

I know I shall be justly accused with tautology. I must plead guilty tothe charge, not having leisure to apply the pruning hook of correction. The misfortune is, that new doctrines must appear in a new dress, bywhich they wear the garb of novelty, though, with respect to firstprinciples, there is nothing new under the sun; yet the application ofthese principles might have remained in oblivion for ever if not calledinto action. The man who in an age calls them into action, andbeneficially applies them for the good of that community of which he isa member, may be virtually, though not literally, called the discovererof a principle. The man that projects, and the man that executes avoyage of discovery, have superior claims to the man at the mast headwho first cries out land. The new turn that the discoveries of modernphilosophers has given to natural philosophy, requiring a change ofnames as well as system; unusual words are unavoidably introduced toexpress new terms of science, which gives a different character andfashion to the whole, that I should have great pleasure in avoiding, were it possible, which it obviously is not, finding it easier to glidedown the stream than oppose its torrent. 

Notwithstanding that I have calculated upon nineteen pounds only oftwenty-five pounds per barrel of fermentable matter being attenuated, and have even in that quantity included five pounds eight ounces oflees and yest, (the least quantity produced, ) such calculation must notbe admitted to preclude the practicability of attenuating almost everyparticle of fermentable matter, and replacing it with an equivalentparticle of spirit, if that spirit which is now carried off by theavolation of the fixed air, is, agreeably to my proposal, eitherarrested in its flight, or filtered, after its escape from the guiletun and cleansing vat, by the proper apparatus. 

Having in a former part of these papers observed, that attenuation maybe carried too far, it may be necessary for me to reconcile theseseemingly opposite positions, which should be understood in this way:When the quantity of fermentable matter, suspended in a barrel ofworts, intended for beer, or ale, is from five to ten pounds more thantwenty-five pounds per barrel, every particle of it may be safelyattenuated, as the quantity of spirit generated will be sufficient topreserve the beer, or ale, for any requisite length of time, providedit has been properly hopped, &c. , or in lieu thereof, received certainother additions to improve its vinosity, strength, and keeping; whenthe quantity of fermentable matter in worts is from five to fifteenpounds per barrel less than twenty-five pounds, the height of theattenuation ought to be limited on keeping beer and ale; the spiritgenerated being insufficient to preserve so much fermented fluid in adrinkable state for any length of time, with the usual additions only, even during the summer heats of our own climate; and if so, it istotally unfit for either exportation to warm latitudes, or for keepingat home. 

For the right understanding of these observations, we should considerthat the unattenuated fermentable matter is perpetually furnishing agradual supply of fixed air and spirit, by means of the imperceptiblefermentation always going on in vinous liquors. 

Weak beers and ales fret and spoil very soon in warm weather, whichproceeds from the development and avolation of their fixed air; strongbeers and ales have their limits under the same influence of heat, time, change of the atmosphere, &c. , and owe their preservation to twothings, viz. To a due proportion of fermentable matter unattenuated, orthe quantity of spirit they contain; as under these circumstances theyare either preserved by the spirit already formed, or that continuallysupplied by the spontaneous decomposition of the fermentable matterthey contain, slowly developing and yielding a fresh supply of air andspirit; hence beer and ales, not too highly attenuated, derive strengthand spirituosity from age, when properly stored or cellared, and dulysecured from the changes of the atmosphere. 

These observations are applicable to sweets, or made wines, and tothose which are the produce of the grape, the progress of fermentationand attenuation being (or ought to be) interrupted in them by rackingoff, which is similar to cleansing in beers and ales: and in Madeiras, and other dry wines, the incipient acidity is corrected and restrained, by proper additions introduced in the early part of the process, andwith others of similar effect when the wines are making up, either foruse or exportation. 

We may gather from these observations, that worts attenuated for beeror ale, to the decomposition of all their fermentable matter, that is, attenuated so high, or so low, that their specific gravity is reducedto the standard of common water, and from that to the degree of levityspirit is known to give to water, in the proportion to the quantityadded, and left to the preservation of the spirit formed, they havelittle or no auxiliary assistance from their original products, alreadyexhausted by the highest or completest attenuation obtainable; animportant circumstance, always to be attended to, particularly by thosewho affect an unnecessarily high attenuation!

The intelligent brewer may, by the assistance of these observations, form a most accurate rule for the regulation of his future conduct inthe management of fermentation, according as his beer or ale is tobe weak or strong, or for present use or long keeping; for theaccomplishment of which, the use of the hydrometer and thermometerclaim his peculiar attention, and will undoubtedly answer hisexpectations, when joined to the certainty he is now at, of knowingwhen he is, or is not, to expect the development of fixed air andadditional spirit, by which he can govern himself accordingly. 

These observations lead to a removal of the difficulties that lay inthe way, and, at the same time, suggest a mode of applying the present, or of constructing a future _hydrometer_, for ascertaining the strengthor the quantity of the vinous spirit in beer, wine, ale, and otherfermented fluids, which has long been a desirable object. 

The distiller, having none of these niceties to attend to, is governedby the ultimate extent of the attenuation the worts, or wash, is foundcapable of, and which is both assisted and protracted by its superiordensity, in its progress from specific gravity to specific levity, ifsuch an expression is admissible. 

Fermentation, begun in a fluid more or less saturated with saccharineor fermentable matter, the process is finished sooner or later, andusually in proportion to the degree of saturation, and the beingconducted with more or less vigour under a well regulated temperature;for the more a fluid abounds with this matter, the grosser and denserit must necessarily be, and the longer will the attenuation beprotracted; the longer it is protracted, in air-tight vessels, and in ahealthy and vigourous state of decomposition, the more spiritous andstrong will that wash turn out, and the greater the produce of spiritin distillation; hence, it is both protracted and assisted by itsdensity. 

A languid may be truly called an unhealthy decomposition, it beingproductive of diseases common to misconducted fermentation, acidity, putridity, and lack of spirits, with a tendency to precipitate and burnupon the bottom of the still; hence, all the decompositions areconfounded together, as in spontaneous fermentation. 

The formation of acidity during the process, is not of that injury tothe distiller that it is to the brewer, nor is this recent acidityvinegar, as has been supposed by some chemists, but the incipient stateof combination of resolving elements, whose particles are in thatjuxtaposition best suited to absorb developing hydrogen in a nascentstate, and intimately to combine with it into vinous spirit, theapproximation to which is promoted by time and incumbent pressure:these positions shall be explained as I proceed. 

The reason that putridity is so rarely discovered in excitedfermentation, is, that it is usually counteracted by the previouslyevolved acidity, and corrected, but not saturated or neutralized; for, were that the case, the putrid could not immediately succeed theacetous process in the same fluid, nor exist together, as they areknown to do in declining beer, vinegar, &c. 

The reason that acidity is not more frequently observed and attended tothan it is, is because of its being sheathed or covered by theunattenuated sweets, or fermentable matter of the wash that remainsundecomposed. 

On the other hand, when acidity is very prevalent, it may be mistakenfor unattenuated fermentable matter, acidity increasing the density andspecific gravity of the fluid. 

Putridity, from the avolation of its products, promotes levity, andthat in proportion as its increase surpasses that of the general acid;and it is not until the action of the acetous becomes languid, that theputrid process gains the ascendency, when it is then difficult toovercome. 

Although these observations may show how the hydrometer, or its use, inunexperienced hands may be baffled, they both distinguish and explainthe value of its application; they do more--they elucidate the doctrineof fermentation, and illustrate the goodness of Providence, who hasmade nothing in vain, but provided nature with its own resources forconducting every operation in the great plan of the universe withuniform and unerring security. 

In the decomposition of fermentable matter, either by combustion orfermentation, (which I have defined to be synonimous, ) a portion ofinflammable air, or hydrogen, is first evolved; secondly, anotherportion of inflammable air, united with pure air, or oxygen gas, evolves under the form of fixed air; this is the constant and uniformphenomena of these decompositions, and are progressively going on fromthe beginning to the end of the fermentation, while there is anyfermentable matter to attenuate. A due portion of oxygen uniting in anascent state with a correspondent portion of inflammable or hydrogen, and fixed air, forms the spiritous particles dispersed through thefermenting fluid, which create vinosity, and constitute it wine, beer, or wash. 

During which, so great is the avolation of fixed air, (as we haveseen, ) that much of the ethereal part of the new formed, or, rather, the scarcely-formed spirit, is carried off with it in a gaseous state. This is much assisted by the agency of the atmosphere, which is thesolvent and receptacle of ethereal products, whose affinity for themmust be as great as it is perfect and immediate--which demonstrates thenecessity of having air-tight vats. When we consider the composition ofthe atmosphere, and that it owes its formation and existence to thiscause, and, thereby becomes the menstruum of all created matter, we maybe better able to understand the composition and formation of vinousspirits, and, by closely copying the original, more successfullyimitate nature. We have seen that the principal phenomena in fermentingfluids is a brisk intestine motion of their parts, excited in alldirections with a loss of transparency, or a muddiness, a hissingnoise, the generating of gentle heat, and an exhalation of gas. Thisheat, we must now observe, is always very sensible before theextrication of any gas. We have adverted to the similarity existingbetween respiration and fermentation, which is remarkably so in theequality of heat produced in both in a healthy state of either, andwhich seldom exceeds ninety-six degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer;but there are instances of their being much higher in both, withoutproducing much injury to either. Instances of this could be adduced athome, without referring to warmer climates of the East and West Indies, where the temperature of the atmosphere is so much higher than with us;and that the temperature of the fermenting fluid, when at its height, always exceeds that of the surrounding atmosphere in these latitudes, which makes the similarity still stronger between these two decomposingprocesses. This is a general and just remark; but, in order to regulateit by practical facts, we must name the medium standard of heat, whichrarely exceeds eighty-five degrees with the brewers; this is the mediumof seventy-four and ninety-six degrees; but the medium heat is notunfrequently up to ninety-six degrees in the distiller's fermentingbacks of Great Britain. Much depends on the degree of temperature thefermentation is pitched at: here, nothing is spoken of but thecleansing heat with the brewers, and the medium heat with thedistillers. 

For the maintenance of combustion, the free access of air beingnecessary, an objection may be raised to air-tight vats, as unfit tocarry on this process in, to the exclusion of external air; whichobjection may seem to gather force from the compression it occasions ofthe fixed air on the decomposing fluid, which is allowed to extinguishactive combustion. I must acknowledge these are formidable objectionsto my definition of low combustion, but I by no means find themunanswerable. 

The aptitude of new hay, malt, and other vegetable matters, tospontaneous combustion, when impacted together by incumbent pressure, and a certain degree of moisture, should be recollected; and that thistendency is not destroyed by excluding the admission of external air, but by quickly cooling and dividing the impacted hay. 

The great quantity of oxygen, or vital air, both in the water ofdilution, and in the fermentable matter, with which the fluid is moreor less saturated, should be also recollected, which is abouteighty-five parts in the former, and sixty-four parts of one hundred inthe latter. 

Though, in an unelastic or fixed state, it is one of the properties ofcombustion to disengage and render it elastic, great part of which, during the low combustion which it supports, and in which heat isvisible or perceptible, and light in an invisible state developed, three parts of this oxygen, with about one third of its weight ofcarbon, is converted into an elastic state, under the form of fixedair, that separates from the decomposing mass; a circumstance attendingalso on the combustion of coal and other combustible substances duringtheir decomposition by that process, which supported in them by theexternal air of the atmosphere, where heat and light are both visiblefrom the intensity and velocity of the combustion; and wholly invisiblein the former, not from exclusion of external air, but from the lengthof time elapsed in low combustion; the one being performedinstantaneously, and the other taking several days from itsdecomposition. Although fixed air is known to extinguish a lightedcandle, and destroy animal life, that is, to be equally unfit for thecombustion of inflammable bodies, or the support of animal respiration, it is also known to be as successfully employed as atmospheric air, oreven dephlogisticated air, to melt glass, &c. , when applied to theclear flame of a wax candle, by passing a current of it through ablow-pipe, to direct that flame on the glass to be melted. [4]

 [4] Count Rumford on the Economy of Fuel. 

This will not be so much to be wondered at, when we consider that theproportion of vital air in fixed air is as twenty-seven to nine, and inatmospheric air, the proportion of azotic gas or phlogisticated air, tovital air, is as seventy-three to twenty-seven; therefore, the formercontains three fourths of vital air, and the latter little better thanone fourth; but the fixed air is in a combined, and the phlogisticatedair in an uncombined state. Among the processes made use of by naturefor the decomposition of vegetable and animal substances, fermentation, or low combustion, is a principle one. Air, in a fixed or unelasticstate, may be as necessary here as air in an elastic state is known tobe in the active combustion of inflammable bodies. Chemists andphilosophers are no strangers to two sorts of combustion, one inexternal air, and the other in close vessels. 

But this is not the combustion alluded to in fermentation, where allthe requisites for complete decomposition is to be found independent ofcontact with the atmosphere; here one part is oxygenated at the expenseof the other, and the other disoxygenated in favour of it. 

Nor does the solution, or decomposition of metals by acids, thecombustion of inflammable and vital air for the production of water, stand in need of external heat or fire, any more than the lowcombustion in which fermentation consists for the production of spirit, beer, or wine, than that generated by the self-operation of its owntemperature; similar to this is the self-animating principle or powerwith which nature has endowed the animal body of generating its ownheat by respiration. 

In fermentation, the caloric, or matter of heat, which is plentifullydisengaged by the condensation of oxygen, is prevented from breakingout into flame with the condensing hydrogen, from the presence ofaffinities in the fermenting mass, ready to absorb and fix them intovinous spirit, ale, beer, &c. , with the other component element, carbon; by which they are too instantaneously taken up and fixed, toamount to more than bare ebullition, and pass at once from an incipientstate of elasticity, to a fixed and non-elastic one, while theredundant heat, which would otherwise appear, is taken up and carriedoff by the abundant formation of carbonic acid gas, which requires sogreat a quantity of caloric to render it permanently elastic, as notonly keeps this sort of combustion under ignition, but much below thedegree of heat at which the accumulating vinous spirit could be raisedto the evaporable or distilling point, though capable, as alreadyobserved, of detaching a considerable portion of it with the volatilegas, and of the water of solution, or the water of composition recentlyformed from the present attractions in its most volatile and incipientstate of formation; both which we have seen ascend with the fixed airextricated, partly in a combined, and partly in an uncombined state. 

One part of hydrogen is sufficient to saturate and fix above five ofcarbon, and they require nearly sixteen parts of oxygen to completetheir formation into alcohol, while the water of dilution undergoes aproportionate decomposition and recomposition, to assist theresolutions and combinations, and support the admirable equilibriumpreserved by nature. 

At the same time that the extreme levity of the hydrogen gas accountsfor the great quantity of heat which it holds in combination, and thehigh temperature requisite to effect its decomposition, and that suchis its capacity for heat, that though combined with oxygen and water, it still possesses the property of absorbing a great deal more. It isthis property that renders aqueous vapour lighter than atmospheric airin which it ascends; yet we have just now demonstrated the resolutionand combination of hydrogen gas, and oxygen gas, both extricated fromthe fermentable matter and the water of dilution, and their formationinto spirit, &c. , at a temperature not many degrees above that of theincumbent atmosphere, and no higher than that excited by respiration inthe animal system. 

In which we have shown the vegetable oxyde, (saccharine matter, ) whenreduced by the admixture of water, to form the worts or wash, to be acarbonated hydrogenous fluid, containing the elements of wine, beer, ale, spirit, &c. , and the mode of producing them under circumstancesconducive to their formation; these are motion, heat, pressure, andmutual attraction, called into existence by a species of lowcombustion, or fermentation, somewhat similar to respiration. In whichthe materials, the products, and the liberation of caloric areultimately the same, whether the operation is attended by visible firefrom the velocity of action, or weak incalescence from the slowprogression of its motion; in which the component elements arecontinually assuming a gasseous form, and as constantly losing it bythe force of mutual attraction for each other. No sooner is theequilibrium broken, in one instance, by their gasseous appearance, thanit is restored by their condensation, and the heat liberated by thelatter taken up by the former, by which the equilibrium is preserved;in this consists the increase of temperature above that of thesurrounding atmosphere, accompanied by the discharge of fixed air; tofix, and advantageously apply which, shall be the next consideration;and, by an accurate imitation of the modification employed by nature, to render the fermenting fluid so much the stronger by such fixation. To accomplish which, we must advert to what has been delivered in thepreceding pages, particularly to the proportions in which theequilibrium preserved by nature consists, and exactly to her manner ofcombining them in sugar, malt, and other saccharine matter, her mode ofbreaking this equilibrium, or decomposing them by fermentation, andrecombining them into wine, beer, &c. , and by the same processrestoring the equilibrium. 

It cannot be doubted, but that, in the investigation of the acetousprocess of fermentation with the attenuation we do the vinous, theywill mutually reflect light on each other; in which it will come outthat wine, beer, ale, vinegar, spirit, &c. , are not the only commercialpreparation to which the doctrine of fermentation, or low combustion, may be advantageously applied, but also to others, that are perhapsequally important and productive. 

The cleansing being at the meridian, or greatest temperature of theheat of the fermenting fluid, and the object of that cleansing being toreduce the heat, and thereby allay the violence of the fermentation, bywhich an immediate decomposition takes place, the lighter impuritiesbuoyed up to the top of the fluid flows off with the yest, while theheavier dregs descend to the bottom, and the fermentation graduallydeclines as the cleansing draws to a conclusion, and the fermentingfluid forms a turbid heterogeneous mass, very perceptibly approachingtowards a transparent homogeneous fluid in its progress to a drinkablestate. 

In laying out a brewery, the air should have free access to the coolerson all sides, under and over; cleansing vessels should be similarlysituated, and, if avoidable, the coolers should not lay immediatelyover them, to raise their temperature, which should not be many degreesabove that of the atmosphere, at temperate, which is fifty-two degrees;but the descent from the cleansing heat (seventy-five to eighty-five)should be progressive, that is, not sudden. A sudden chill wouldprecipitate the grosser, and diffuse the lighter dregs throughout thefermenting fluid, which should be thrown off from the surface incleansing; this would retard the fining, and empoverish the beer orale; while the mode recommended will be found to promote transparency, and give strength and body, that is, fullness and spirituosity. Ingeneral, the cleansing commences too soon for the strength and qualityof the goods, particularly for porter, since the introduction of agreater proportion of pale malt than formerly used; a more perfectfermentation is now requisite to keep up the genuine distinction inthat flavour of porter from ordinary beers and ales, which, since thechange of _lengths_, has much declined, though the only characteristicquality that gives it merit over other malt liquors--an object thatdeserves consideration in this great commercial branch of trade, andsource of national wealth, where the loss of distinction will be theloss of trade. The rough, astringent, thirst-creating smack is theproduce of the brown malt, and a well conducted fermentation. Theporter now brewed can no more bear the sudden chill of a coolingatmosphere in the barrel cleansing, without too immediate acondensation and separation of its parts, than it is able to sustainthe quick changes of a warm atmosphere, without an immediate tendencyto acidity. As things now are, either extreme can only be avoided by amore attentive advertence to the mode of _cleansing_, so as to preventa predominant tendency to either by adopting the means proposed, orsuch other, on the same principles, as are equally likely to preservethe quality, increase the strength, promote transparency, and avoidacidity. I know it may be urged by the most able brewers, that a highand rapid fermentation in the cleansing is a principal cause of thatflavour for which porter is distinguished; that this kind of fermentationleads to a more perfect attenuation; and some of them may, with greattruth, add, a perfect attenuation is the genuine mode of early bringingbeer forward. This I most readily grant; it is the doctrine I wish toinculcate. The greater gravity of keeping beers, preserves them in a_mild state_, while their spirituosity prevents acidity. The flavour ofthe colouring matter now in use, nor the change it induces, is not, byany means, adapted to preserve the genuine flavour of porter, orcompensate for that made in the change of malt; a change I by no meanscondemn, with respect to the malt; but however advantageous to thelength, we must not altogether give up flavour, while we may equally aswell, and indeed much better, preserve both by a due admixture of eachsort of malt, and with suitable additions and proper correctives in theprocess or preparation of porter, both salubrious; as by the subsequentmixture of stale and mild beer, before sending out, or, afterwards, bydrawing them from different casks into the same pot, when on draught, to suit the palate of each respective customer. 

I hope it is by this time understood, that my views are to raise the_Process of Brewing_ above the vulgar error that tyrant custom hasentailed on it, and by the free exercise of the brewer's abilities, both in a scientific and tradesman-like manner, so as advantageously topreserve flavour and quality, with almost any proportions of every sortof malt he may occasionally be obliged to use. 

The world is continually exclaiming that _experience_ is better than_theory_. This is very true; for example, he who has had a very longexperience, may, in general, perform operations with tolerableexactness; but this he undeviatingly does by certain stated means, without any deeper intelligence of the process. I would, with Mr. _Chaptal_, compare such a man to a blind person who is acquainted withthe road, and can pass along it with ease, and perhaps even with theconfidence and assurance of a man who sees perfectly well, but is atthe same time incapable of avoiding accidental obstacles, of shorteninghis way, or taking the most direct course, and alike incapable oflaying down any rules which he can communicate to others. This is thestate of the artist of mere experience, however long the duration ofhis practice may have been, as the simple performer of operations. 

Brewing, fermenting, distilling, &c. , are branches of commercialchemistry, that generally challenge the attention and secure theprotection of those governments that constitute them sources of revenueand trade. Chemistry is as much the basis of the arts and manufactures, as mathematics is the fundamental principle of mechanics. In theprocess of brewing porter, ale, threepenny, &c. , to be subsequentlytreated of, the practical minutia of fermentation and attenuation shallbe circumstantially laid down in each, so as to account for, anddistinguish the variety of flavour, &c. , assignable to each _causeeffected_ by the different modes of treatment. 

_Hops, the best method of cultivating and raising them. _

A rich, deep soil, rather inclining to moisture, is, on the whole, thebest adapted for the cultivation of hops; but it is observable that anysoil (stiff clay only excepted) will suit the growing of hops whenproperly prepared; and in many parts of Great Britain they use thebog-land, which is fit for little else. The ground on which hops are tobe planted should be made rich with that kind of manure best suited tothe soil, and rendered fine and mellow by being ploughed deep, andharrowed several times. The hills should be at the distance of six oreight feet apart from each other, according to the richness of theground. On lands that are rich, the vines will run the most; the hillsmust therefore be the further apart. 

At the first opening of the spring, when the frosts are over, andvegetation begins, sets, or small pieces of the roots of hops, must beobtained from hops that are esteemed the best. [5] Cut off from the mainstalk or root, six inches in length, branches or suckers, most healthy, and of the last year's growth, if possible to be procured; if not, theyshould be wrapped in a cloth, kept in a moist place, excluded from theair. A hole should then be made large and deep, and filled with richmellow earth. The sprouts should be set in this earth with the budupwards, and the ground pressed close about them. If the buds havebegun to open, the uppermost must be left just out of the ground, otherwise cover it with the earth an inch. Two or three sets to a poleis sufficient, and three poles to a hill will be found most productive;place one of the poles towards the north, the other two at equaldistances, about two feet apart. The sets are to be placed in the samemanner as the poles, that they may the easier climb. The length of thepoles may be from fourteen to eighteen feet, according as the soil isrich or poor. The poles should be placed so as to incline to eachother, meet at their tops, and there be tied. This is contrary to theEuropean method, but will be found best in America. In this way theywill strengthen and support each other, and form so great a defenceagainst the violent gusts of wind, to which our climate is frequentlysubject in the months of July and August, as to prevent their beingblown down. They will, likewise, form a three-sided pyramid, which willhave the greatest possible advantage from the sun. It is suggested byexperience, that hops which grow near the ground are the best. Too longpoles, therefore, are not good, and care should be taken that the vinesdo not run beyond the poles, twisting off their tops will prevent it. The best kinds of wood for poles are alder, ash, birch, elm, chestnut, and cedar, their durability is directly the reverse of the order inwhich they stand; charring, or burning the end put into the ground, will preserve them. Hops should not be poled till the spring of thesecond year, and then not till they have been dressed. All that isnecessary for the first year, is to keep the hops free from weeds, andthe ground light and mellow by hoeing and ploughing often, if the yardbe large enough to admit of it. The vines, when run to the length offour or five feet, should be twisted together, to prevent their bearingthe first year, for that would injure them. In the months of March orApril, of the second year, the hills must be opened, and all thesprouts or suckers cut off, within one inch of the old root, but thatmust be left entire with the roots that run down;[6] then cover thehills with fine earth and manure. The hops must be kept free from weedsand the ground mellow by hoeing often through the season, and hills ofearth gradually raised around the vines during the summer. The vinesmust be assisted in running on the poles with woolen yarn, sufferingthem to run with the sun. By the last of August, or the first ofSeptember, the hops will be ripe, and fit to gather. This may be easilyknown by their colour changing, and having a fragrant smell; their seedgrows brown and hard. As soon as ripe, they must be gathered withoutdelay, for a storm or frost will injure them materially. The mostexpeditious method of picking hops, is to cut the vines three feet fromthe ground, pull up the poles and lay them on crotches, horizontally, at a height that may be conveniently reached, put under them a bin ofequal length, and four may stand on each side to pick at the same time. Fair weather should always be chosen to gather hops and they shouldnever be gathered when dew or moisture is on them, as it subjects themto mould. They should be dried as soon as possible after they aregathered; if not immediately, they must be spread on a floor to preventtheir changing colour. The best mode of drying them is with a fire ofcharcoal and kiln, covered with hair cloth in the manner of amalt-kiln. [7] The fire should be steady and equal, and the hops gentlystirred from time to time. Great attention is necessary in this part ofthe business, that the hops be uniformly and sufficiently dried; if toomuch dried they will look brown, and, of course, be materially injuredin their quality, and proportionably reduced in their price. If toolittle dried, they will lose their natural colour and flavour. Theyshould be on the hair cloth about six inches thick after it had beenmoderately warmed, then a steady fire kept up till the hops are nearlydry, lest the moisture or sweat the fire has raised should fall backand change their colour. After the hops have been in this situationseven, eight, or nine hours, and have got through sweating, and whenstruck with a stick will leap up; then throw them into a heap, mix themwell, and spread them again, and let them remain till they are allequally dry. While they are in a sweat, it will be best not to movethem for fear of burning, slacken the fire, when the hops are to beturned, and increase it afterwards. Hops are sufficiently dried, whentheir inner stalks break short, and their leaves become crisp, and falloff easily. They will crackle a little when their seed is bursting, andthen they should be removed from the kiln. Hops that are dried in thesun lose their rich flavour, and, if under cover, they are apt toferment and change with the weather, and lose their strength; moderatefire preserves the colour and flavour of the hops, by evaporating thewater, and retaining the oil of the hop. After the hops are taken fromthe kiln, they should be laid in a heap, to acquire a little moistureto fit them for bagging. It would be well to exclude them from air bycovering them with blankets. Three or four days will be sufficient forthem to be in that state. When the hops are so moist that they may bepressed together without breaking, they are fit for bagging. Bags madeof coarse linen cloth, eleven feet in length, and seven incircumference, which hold about two hundred pounds weight, are mostcommonly used in Europe: but any size that best suits may be made useof. To bag hops, a hole is made through the floor of a loft, largeenough for a man to pass through with ease. The bag must be fastened toa hoop, larger than the hole, that the floor may serve to support thebag; for the convenience of handling the bags, some hops should be tiedup in each corner of the bag, to serve as handles. The hops should begradually thrown into the bag, and trod down continually, till the bagis filled. The mouth of the bag must then be sown up, and the hops arethen fit for market. The closer and harder hops are packed, the longerand better they will keep; but they should be kept dry. In most partsof Great Britain where hops are cultivated, they estimate the charge ofcultivating one acre of hops at forty-two dollars, for manuring andtilling, exclusive of poles and rent of land; poles they estimate atsixteen dollars per annum, but in this country they would not amount tohalf that sum; one acre is computed to require three thousand poles, which will last from eight to twelve years, according to the quality ofthe wood used. The English growers of hops think they have a veryindifferent crop if the produce of one acre does not amount to onehundred and thirty-three dollars, but, much more frequently, it amountsto two hundred dollars, and sometimes so high as four hundred dollarsper acre. In this country, experiments have been equally flattering. Agentleman in Massachusetts, in the summer of 1791, raised hops, fromone acre of ground that sold for three hundred dollars; it is allowed, that land in this state is equally favourable to the growth of hops. Upon a low estimate, we may fairly compute the nett profit of one acreof hops to be eighty dollars, over and above poles, manure, and labour;and in a good year a great deal more might be expected. There is onecircumstance further we think has weight, and ought to be mentioned: inthe English estimate the expense put down is what they can hire thelabour done for by those who make it their business to perform thedifferent parts of the cultivation. A great saving may, therefore, bemade by our farmers in the article of labour, for much of it may beperformed by women and children. Added to this, we have anotheradvantage of no small moment in this country: the hop harvest will comebetween our two great harvests, the small grain and Indian corn, without interfering with either but in England the case is otherwise:the small grain and hop harvest come in together, and create a greatscarcity of hands, it being then the most busy season of the year. Itis found, by experience, that the soil and climate of the easternstates are more favourable to the growth of hops than Great Britain;they not being so subject to moist, foggy weather of long continuance, which is most injurious to hops; and the southern and middle states arestill more favourable to the growth of hops than the eastern states, inpoint of flavour and strength. The State of New-York unites someadvantages from either extreme of the union. The cultivators of land inthis state have every inducement, which policy or interest can offer, to enter with spirit into the cultivation of hops; as we shall therebybe able to supply our own demand, which is now every year increasing, instead of sending to our neighbours for every bag we consume; acircumstance the more unaccountable, as hops, are on all hands, allowedto be one of the most profitable crops that can be raised; the culturerequires but little land, the labour may be performed at intervals, soas not to interfere with other business of the farm, and be generallyperformed by women and children. There is hardly a farmer in this statebut may, with ease, raise from one quarter of an acre, to as much asthree or four acres, the advantage of which would, in a few years, bemost sensibly felt both by the individual concerned, and the state atlarge. In the city of New-York there are, at present, a number of largeand respectable breweries, and new ones, from time to time, mayreasonably be expected to be added to their number. All theseestablishments are now supplied with hops from Massachusetts andConnecticut; these considerations should certainly stimulate a fewspirited cultivators to lead the way, and raise hops; their laudableexample would soon be followed by others; so that in a few years weshould have prime hops of our own in abundance, for home consumption orexportation. This subject will, I hope, appear sufficiently importantto recommend itself; to say more is therefore unnecessary. 

 [5] Of the different kinds of hops, the long white is the most esteemed; it yields the greatest quantity, and is the most beautiful. The beauty of hops consists of their being of a pale bright green color. Care should be taken to obtain all of one sort; but if different sorts are used, they must be kept separate in the field, for there is a material difference in their time of ripening; and if mixed in the field, will occasion extra trouble at the time of gathering them in. 

 [6] Hops must be dressed every year, as soon as the frost will permit; on this being well done depends, in a great measure, the success of the crop. It is thought by many to be the best method to manure the hop yard in the fall, and cover the hills entirely with the manure, asserting, with other advantages, that this prevents the frost from injuring plants during the winter. Hops had better be gathered before they are full ripe than remain till they are over ripe, for then they will lose their seed by the wind, or on being handled. The seed is the strongest part of the hop, and when they get too ripe will lose their green colour, which is very necessary to preserve as the most valuable part of the [remainder of text is illegible]

 [7] Kilns covered with the splinters of walnut, or ash, will answer the purpose, and come cheaper than hair cloth. 

_Barley Cultivation. _

However unconnected this subject may appear with a treatise on brewing, I cannot help thinking that, in this country, it is much moreintimately connected with it than one would, at a first view, inclineto suppose, and for the following reasons; first, Because the propercultivation of barley is not generally known, save in the easternstates, and but very little raised in any of the others; secondly, Without good barley it is impossible to make good malt, consequently, good beer--and it must be acknowledged, that a great proportion of thebarley that is raised, even in the eastern states, is but veryimperfectly suited to the purposes of the brewery, being what is termedwinter barley, and generally a poor, thin, lank grain, by no meansqualified to make good malt. This is so well known in England, that itis very rarely met with in the barley markets, and seldom, or ever, purchased by a brewer. The summer, or spring barley, always getting thepreference, being the largest bodied grain, and, of course, the bestsuited to the purposes of making prime malt, the want of which, isfrequently severely felt by the brewers of this country, from theimpossibility they often find themselves in of procuring good barley, being obliged to use such as they can get, which, for the most part, isvery ill suited to their purpose. It will be, then, their interest togive every encouragement to the farmer to raise spring barley inpreference to the winter, to procure the best seed, of thatdescription, that he can find, to clean it well, to steep it in well orspring water for twelve hours, stirring it frequently from the bottomof the tub or vessel all around; and previous to each stirring, all thefloating grains, seed weeds, &c. , should be carefully skimmed off: thusnothing will remain for seed but sound and perfect grain. The firstwater should be drawn off at the end of six hours, and immediatelyreplaced by fresh; this again drawn off at the end of six hours more;it should be sown, broad cast, the following day, being firstpreviously mixed with a sufficient quantity of wood ashes to dry it asmuch as will be necessary for the purpose of sowing. Thus managed, ifthe ground be in proper tilth, and fitly prepared, this grain will makeits appearance the fifth or sixth day after sowing; whereas, if theseed be sown dry, it will probably be three weeks or more before itcomes up, particularly if the season be dry. I cannot more forciblyrecommend this practice than by giving a brief sketch of an experimentmade in England, and taken from the Bath and West of England Society'sreports. A farmer selected four acres of the same field, treated andprepared it for seeding exactly in the same way, he then divided itinto two equal parts; he sowed one part with dry seed, in the commonway, the other with steeped seed, as here recommended, and theconsequence was, that the latter produced a double crop, although theseed in both cases was the same, save the difference of treatment. Thesuperior quality and condition of the crop seemed to keep pace with theincreased quantity. The beginning or middle of March, if the weather bedry, is the best time to sow spring or summer barley. This mode ofpreparing seed wheat, is highly recommended as an assured preservativeagainst the smut, fly, &c. , insuring a sound good crop of grain. Barleyshould be always cut in dry weather, yet not suffered to be too ripebefore cutting; stacking it in the field for a few weeks beforeremoving it to the barn, helps and prepares it for malting, by sweatingand drying it. Barley, immediately brought to the malt house from thefield, rarely makes good malt, as a great proportion of it becomesstaggy, and will not grow. Those who can corroborate the truth of theseremarks, and sufficiently appreciate them, will readily justify andexcuse this seeming departure from the original plan of this littlework. 

_Table Beer. _

There is no production of the brewery more important to society thangood table beer, whether it be considered as a diluent to animal food, or a diet drink in fever cases, even of the most malignant kind, where, to my knowledge, it has been preferred to all others, and that with thegreatest success, sanctioned by the advice of some of the most eminentphysicians. This justifies my recommending it, and giving severalprocesses for making this useful liquor. 

_Small Beer for Shipping. _

 12 Bushels of Pale Malt. 12 Bushels of Amber Malt. -- 24 -- 14 lb. Of Hops. 

 Cleansed 24 Barrels. 

Let your malt be fine ground; first liquor 172; mash one hour, standone hour, run down smartly; beat of second mash 180; mash one hour, stand two hours, boil two hours; making your length sufficiently longto give one barrel of beer to each bushel of malt. Pitch your tun at 70degrees, giving one gallon of solid yest; cleanse within twenty-fourhours. The fresher this beer is sent out the better: being very thin inbody and low priced, it cannot be expected to last long. 

_Keeping Table Beer. _

 PROCESS. 

 Commenced brewing at six in the morning, heat of the air 60 degrees, per Fahrenheit's Thermometer. 

 48 Bushels of Pale Malt. 16 Bushels of Amber Malt. -- 64 -- 72 lb. Of Hops. 

 Cleansed 45 Barrels of Table Beer. 

10 lb. Liquorice ball, which was previously melted down in boilingwater, by frequent stirring, to a liquid, and then put in with the hopswhen added to the worts. Ran the necessary quantity of boiling waterinto the mash tun for the first mash, and when cooled down to 168, commenced mashing, which continued three quarters of an hour, stood onehour, ran down briskly; mashed a second time at 180, for half an hour;stood half an hour; mixed both worts, boiled one hour and a half ashard as possible, throwing into the copper, before boiling, half apound of ground ginger, with half a pound of ground mustard; pitchedthese worts at 70 degrees, giving 3 gallons of solid yest; remained inthe tun 36 hours, and was headed over, before cleansing, with fourpounds of flour and one pound of salt mixed together. This kind of beerwill have attenuated sufficiently in from 30 to 36 hours. 

_Small Beer of the best kind, how brewed, which, in a good cellar, will keep as long as can be reasonably wanted. _

 MATERIALS. 

 15 bushels of Pale Malt. 7 lb. Hops. 

 Cleansed 10 1/2 Barrels Beer, heat of the air 50 by Fahrenheit's Thermometer. 

Boiled the first copper; drew the fire; then ran ten inches of boilinghot water into the keeve; added two inches of cold water, mixed bothwell together, which made up at 168; then put in the malt gradually, mashing all the time, for about half an hour; the mash being thin, didnot require a longer operation. Before mashing, rubbed the 7 pounds ofhops in a tub, sprinkling over them, when rubbed, about one quarter ofa pound of white salt, then poured on boiling water in sufficientquantity to saturate them well, after which they were close covered;the keeve having stood two hours, the tap was set, and ran down twelveinches. Did not boil the second copper, but raised its heat to 184, mashed a second time, and stood one hour, ran down as before, andcompleted the length in the underbank, cleared the copper, had itrinced out, got up the worts, put in the hops, extract and all, made upthe fire, and boiled one hour and a half as hard as possible, previously adding to them four pounds of brown sugar that had beendissolved in a bucket with hot water, also half a pound of groundmustard; this beer remained on the coolers about eight hours, pitchedit next morning at 72 degrees, adding only one gallon of solid yest, ran slowly into the tun which made up at 61 degrees; came on gradually, remained in the tun 31 hours, and raised to 66, affording but twodegrees of attenuation. Notwithstanding this beer worked well in thecasks, yet moderately, was frequently filled at close intervals, andwas glass fine the fifth day. The sugar was added to assist the colouras well as the strength, the mustard to give flavour. 

_Another Method. _

To brew small beer somewhat stronger, take 30 bushels of pale malt, (have it ground fine, ) 10 pound of hops, steep them as in the precedingprocess. Turn out of your copper 16 barrels of beer, give your firstliquor at 165, your second at 175, mash, run down, stand, and boil asbefore. But before you commence brewing, take five pounds of brownsugar, put it into a metal pot with some water, set it on the fire, keep it constantly stirring till it begins to smell strong, then takeit off the fire, and add to it, gradually, three gallons of water, atthe temperature of blood heat, stirring the water and the sugar welltogether, till the whole be perfectly blended; this prepared liquorshould be added to the worts in the copper before boiling. Thefermentation, &c. , to be conducted as before, save only the pitching, yest, to be increased by half a gallon, which half gallon is not to beadded to the worts until twelve hours after the first gallon. Attenuation should proceed until the heat rises four degrees above thepitching heat, which should be the same as in the preceding process. Inboth instances, the tuns should be covered during the period offermentation, but taken off for the purpose of rousing beforecleansing; these covers should be put on again, in order to prevent thedispersion or waste of the gasses, which is always a loss ofspirituosity. 

_A good sound keeping Table Beer may be Brewed from wheaten Bran andShorts, and, in many situations, when Malt cannot be procured, would befound an excellent substitute. This process is well worth the attentionof housekeepers. _

 PROCESS AS FOLLOWS:

 40 Bushels of Shorts. 20 Bushels of Bran. 

 16 lb. Of Hops will give 25 Barrels of Small Beer. 

Boil your first copper, run into your mash tun as much boiling wateras, when reduced with cold, will bring it to the temperature of 1. 0, then commence your mashing operation, putting in two bushels of shorts, and one bushel of bran at a time; when these are well mixed with thewater, put in more, mash again, and so continue to do till all is in;it will take from half an hour to three quarters to mash this quantityproperly; let your mash stand two hours, run down as in the precedingprocesses, and give your second liquor 165; mash a second time, standone hour, boil your first wort one hour very hard with half your hops, which should have been steeped, rubbed, and salted, as before directed;boil your second wort one hour and a half in the same way, putting onthe remainder of your hops, with one pound of ground mustard, and fivepounds of brown sugar, reduced, by boiling, to a colouring matter, asalready directed in the previous process; make up your two boilings inyour tun at the heat of 65, giving three gallons of solid yest; letyour attenuation proceed ten degrees, or to 75, then cleanse, andcontinue to fill your casks in the usual way. It has been found thatbeer brewed from these materials has stood the summer heats much betterthan beer brewed from malt alone; this may be accounted for by theextract of malt possessing a much larger proportion of saccharinematter than that obtainable from bran and shorts. In families, thisbeer may be brewed in the proportion of one or two barrels at a time;and in the country, where brewer's yest may not be procurable, leaven, diluted with blood-warm water, may be substituted for brewer's yest, and will answer, but not so well; neither will attenuation go so high, as fermentation with leaven, when applied to liquids, is generallylanguid and slow. 

_Single Ale and Table Beer. _

 100 Bushels of Malt. 60 lb. Of Hops. 

 Heat of the air 50 degrees. 

 Cleansed or tunned 30 Barrels of Single Ale; with 16 Barrels of Table Beer after. 

First, or mashing liquor, 168, run your whole quantity of boilingliquor into your mash tun, and when it cools down to the above point of168, begin to run in your malt gradually from your malt bin; thisquantity will require four or five hands to mash it well, which willgenerally take three quarters of an hour; when sufficiently mashed, cover your tun, let it stand two hours; run down this first mashsmartly by two cocks within the hour; let your hops be rubbed, steeped, and salted, as before directed; added to these worts, as they began toboil, three gallons of the essentia bina or liquid colouring, with onepound and a half of ground mustard, and one pound of liquorice rootfinely powdered, boiled the whole two hours as hard as possible, therebeing a second copper for this operation, there was liquor prepared forthe small beer and run on the keeve at the heat of 185; mashed well asecond time, and stood two hours; by this time the first wort was letrun into the hop back, and so on the cooler. After which, ran down thesmall beer, got it into the small copper, adding about six hand bucketsof the hops that had been boiled on the single ale; these answered topreserve the beer, with one pound of ground mustard to assist flavour, and two gallons of the essentia bina to give colour; boiled the smallbeer one hour smartly. The strong worts were let into the tun in threeportions, there being three coolers; the first division, at 65, had twogallons and a half of yest given to it; the second, at 66, the samequantity of yest; the third, at 65, was let down without yest, when allwere in the tun made up at 64; in thirteen hours the tun had a handsomeappearance of work; came on regularly, and attenuated to 76, havinggained 12 degrees within sixty hours, then cleansed and filled thecasks every three hours for the first eight fillings. Thus managed, this single ale was fit to send out the fifth day after brewing. Whenthis ale is racking off the butts, to be sent out, would recommendputting two ounces of ground rice into each barrel which will createbriskness, and much improve the beer. Ran the small beer into the hopback of the strong beer, and so on the coolers, thereby giving it achance to lick up all the strong ale it met with in its progress to thetun, which it entered at 65 with three gallons of yest, and wascleansed within thirty-six hours. The quantity of beer here mentionedwould be much improved by the addition of six or seven pounds of brownsugar or molasses; but if good table beer is wanted, it can be onlyobtained from whole grists of malt, and is well worth the difference ofexpense to those who can afford it, and appreciate quality. 

_Strong Beer. _

 Brewed, November, 1810, the following materials. Heat of the air 50 degrees. 

 40 Bushels of Pale Malt. 20 Bushels of Amber Malt. -- 60 -- 40 lb. Of Hops, the best quality. 

 Cleansed 20 Barrels of Beer. 

Rubbed, salted, and steeped the hops, as already directed, in a closevessel, ran a sufficient quantity of boiling water on the mash tun forthe first mash, which was suffered to cool down to 165; mashed well fornearly one hour, stood two hours; ran down smartly, boiled the firstwort one hour very hard, with about half the hops; mashed a second timeat about 185: took about half an hour in the operation, ran downsmartly after two hours' standing, got up this second mash smartly intothe copper, taking the necessary precaution of rincing the copper outclean, for the reception of the second wort, which was boiled two hoursvery hard, with the remainder of the hops; these two worts were runtogether on the same cooler; after standing a few hours, were run on asecond cooler, and there suffered to remain till they came down to 65;were then let into the tun, with two gallons of solid yest, by a largeplug hole in a few minutes so as to have scarcely suffered anydiminution of their heat; in twelve hours after, there was added twogallons more of yest, roused the tun a second time, came on gradually, and attenuated within 56 hours ten degrees, and so was cleansed at theheat of 75, this beer was filled every two hours, for the firsttwenty-four, and in a few days more became transparently fine; thisbeer should have added to it, before sending out, four ounces ofsteeped hops, and two ounces of ground rice to each barrel; the fivepounds of hops wanted for this operation is previously put to steep ina clean tub with some of the beer. This beer, if thus brewed with goodmaterials, and treated as directed, will be found to give satisfaction. During the winter half year, the fermenting tun should be alwayscovered; in summer, only partially so; the less strong beer isattempted to be brewed in that season the better, as it will not keep, necessity alone should compel the brewer to work, in this country, during the summer months; and then at small beer only. 

_Table Beer, English method of brewing it. _

 Take 8 bushels of Malt, and 6 lb. Of Hops. 

 This quantity of materials should deliver four barrels of beer. 

 First liquor 161; mash the first time one hour. 

 Second liquor 170; mash the second time half an hour. 

 Third liquor 152; mash the third time twenty minutes. 

Boil the three runnings together for two hours in a close coveredcopper; three pints of good solid yest will be sufficient to pitch thisquantity, mixing it, before adding, with about one gallon of the wort, then add this to the rest; a low attenuation for this kind of beer willnot answer, the specific gravity being too light, the fermentationrarely exceeding 30 hours in the tun. It being generally wanted forimmediate use; it is pitched high, and worked quick. It is furtherimportant to bung it down close as soon as it has done working. Thiskind of beer may be securely and advantageously administered to feverpatients, instead of other drink: I have known it to be attended withthe happiest consequences. 

_Unboiled beer, how Brewed. _

The following process, I confess, I never myself tried, but, from themanner it was spoken of by the party giving it, I would stronglyrecommend a trial of it on a small scale, at first, until itsadvantages and superiority was well ascertained over the old and longestablished mode of boiling wort. Mash your full complement of malt, orrather one third more, and that in the usual way, (suppose you arebrewing strong beer, ) and while your mash stands, let your copper haveas much cold water run into it as will save it from burning; rouse yourfire, salt and rub your hops, as recommended in previous processes; lettheir quantity be increased one third more than if brewed in theordinary way; and when got into your copper, cover close, and let thesehops simmer for two hours, _but not boil_; then run down your firstwort in sufficient quantity as, when added to the water and the extractof the hops, will give you the length you contemplate; you will observethe malt is increased to meet the quantity of water in the copper; butthis cannot be considered a loss, as the second mash will answer forsingle ale, or good table beer; the hops in the same way. When you havegot your intended complement of strong wort in your copper, rouse itwell, cover close, and let your copper stand two hours more, keeping upa moderate fire just enough to make it simmer _but not boil_; duringthis time your second mash may be going on with water from your secondcopper; this, as already stated, will make single ale, or good tablebeer; if the latter, it may be boiled in the usual way, but not longerthan half an hour, on account of the increased quantity of hops; whichhops should be all retained in the copper after the first worts are runoff, by means of a strainer placed at the mouth of the cock hole; onehour strong boiling will be sufficient for the succeeding wort, ifsingle ale be wanted; the remainder of the process for both worts isthe same as already directed for such quality of drinks. It was furtherstated to me that unboiled beer will appear very turbid and unpromisingfor some time after it is brewed, and will take three months at leastto come round; but that after that period it will improve rapidly, andbecome transparently fine; when second worts are found too weak, theymay be assisted with good Muscovado sugar, of which eight pounds isconsidered equivalent to one bushel of malt. In fact, pleasant beermight be made from sugar alone, without any malt. 

_Strong Beer, of an excellent quality and flavour, brewed from theextract of the Hop only, rejecting the substance. _

This extract was obtained by the hot infusion, in a close coveredwooden vessel set to infuse the evening before brewing; in this processone third more hops should be allowed; these hops need not be wasted, as they will answer well for table beer, or single ale, brewedaccording to the preceding processes; but, in either case, one hour'sstrong boiling will answer for single ale, half an hour for table beerwill be sufficient, on account of the increased quantity of hops. 

When you have got up your first wort in your copper, that you intend topreserve with extract, boil the first half hour without it, and onehour with it, very hard in both instances. It should have beenmentioned that, in preparing your first, or mashing liquor, two poundsof rice is to be added to your water in the copper before boiling, supposing the length of your brewing 20 barrels, or in that proportion. 

Strong beer brewed with the extract alone, as here recommended, hasturned out remarkably well, and if the hops are good, will be foundmore delicately flavoured than other beer; supposing the malt alikegood. Pitching, cleansing, and filling, to be conducted as alreadyrecommended in preceding processes, with the tun close covered duringthe fermentation. 

_Table Beer. _

Table beer, of a superior quality, may be brewed in the followingmanner, a process well worth the attention of the brewer, the gentlemanand the farmer, whereby the beer is altogether prevented from workingout of the cask, and the fermentation conducted without any apparentadmission of the external air. I have made the scale for one barrel, inorder to make it more generally useful to the community at large;however, the same proportions will answer for a greater or lessquantity, only proportioning the materials and utensils. Take one peckof good malt ground, one pound of hops, put them in twenty gallons ofwater, and boil them for half an hour, then run them into a hair clothbag, or sieve, so as to keep back the hops and malt from the wort, which, when cooled down to 65 degrees by Fahrenheit's thermometer, addto them 2 gallons of molasses, with one pint, or a little less, of goodyest, mix these with your wort, and put the whole into a clean barrel, and fill it up with cold water to within four inches of the bung hole, (this space is requisite to leave room for fermentation, ) bung downtight, and if brewed for family use, would recommend putting in thecock at the same time, as it will prevent the necessity of disturbingthe cask afterwards; in one fortnight this beer might be drawn, andwill be found to improve to the last. 

_Fermenting and Cleansing in the same Vessel. _

The following recommendation to brewers is well worth their attention, that is, to ferment their strong, or what they call their stock beer, in the vat they propose to keep it in, until fit to turn out; thispractice will be found advantageous to the flavour and preservingquality of such beer, as close fermentation has a decided preferenceover what is termed open. One or more workers may be placed in the sideof such vat, a few inches above the surface of the enclosed liquor;thus the head as it rises will have the opportunity of running off;such fermentation should further be conducted coolly and slowly, thepitching heat, in this case, should not exceed 60 degrees ofFahrenheit, and the yest one third in quantity less than if applied inopen vessels, but the yest should be mixed with a double quantity ofthe wort at 65, in a separate vessel before pitching. When vats arewanting, the operation may be conducted in hogsheads or butts, allowinga tin or wooden worker to each cask. In brewing small quantities ofstrong beer, this contrivance supersedes the necessity of fermentingtuns, or troughs, no small saving of expense, whilst it makes the beermore spiritous and preserving. The annexed plate shows the form andapplication of the worker, whether of tin or wood. 

[Illustration:

A The cask in which the worker is placed. 

B The spout of the worker, which takes off the yest. 

C The plug at the angle of the worker to admit the pipe of a tundish, in order to fill the cask as it works. ]

_Another Method of fermenting Strong Beer that might be expected toproduce a pure and excellent liquor. _

Mash, run down, and boil in the usual way, suffer your worts, afterdrawing your fire, to remain on your copper two hours, doors and hatchopen. If in winter, the deeper your worts lie on the cooler the better;when they have come down to the proper heat of pitching, give your yestto them on the cooler, mixing it gently with the whole guile, and whenproperly headed with yest, which will probably happen withintwenty-four hours, run off your worts gently into barrels, leaving yourtop and bottom yest on the cooler undisturbed, till all the cooler iscleared; but previous to running your worts into the barrels, put halfa pint of good solid yest into each, and when full, clap your tinworkers into the bung holes, and so let it finish its fermentation forabout a week longer, filling the casks occasionally as they work. Whendone working, bung down or vat them; if you wish to add any kind offlavouring substance to this beer, the best time to do it is atcommencing the second fermentation, experience teaching that allfermented liquors should have such substances added to them during, orat the commencement of their fermentation, which is preferable toadding these substances in the boil; I mean spices, and delicateflavouring substances. 

_Process of Brewing Windsor Ale on a small scale. _

Windsor ale is a very pale, light, agreeable ale, as fine as wine, andunquestionably the best fermented of any malt liquor sent to the Londonmarket. 

Length drawn, three barrels per quarter of eight bushels, the maltpale, with two pounds of hops of the first quality; heat of the firstliquor 182, two barrels of which is generally allowed to each quarterof malt, for the first mash; one barrel per quarter for the second; thesame quantity for the third is as little liquor as can be dispensedwith in three mashings; for short liquor and stiff mashes are essentialto this quality of ale, in order to leave as little as possible in thecopper for evaporation on account of the short boiling. Mash quick, rundown quick, get your wort as fine as possible into your underbank; letyour first mash stand two hours, your second one hour and threequarters. Give your second mashing liquor at 190; if you mash a thirdtime, give your liquor at 175; stand half an hour; these worts shouldbe pitched from 52 to 60, but not higher. The mode of doing so is alsodifferent from the generality of other malt liquor; your yest should befresh, smooth, and solid. Begin yesting this ale a few barrels at atime, and when that has caught, add the remainder gradually, in about48 hours, or from that to 60. This guile of ale will assume a closehead of yest, which should be carefully skimmed off as fast as it formsafter the first skimming: by this is not meant the first or worty headformed soon after the yest has taken, but the close yesty head alreadymentioned, which usually takes the time stated, say from 48 to 60hours, when no more yest rises, and the guile remains quite flat; youwill find the heat you pitched at, say 56, 58, or 60 degrees will bythis time have increased to 80, or even more, and the specific gravityof the wort diminished from 26 or 27 pound per barrel, to six or sevenpound per barrel; this attenuation will give it all the pungency andspirituosity it stands in need of. At this time your cleansingoperation commences; after which it will work but little in the casks. It should be filled regularly every two or three hours, aftercleansing, for the first twenty-four. After it has done working, youshould immediately start it into an air-tight vat, with about one poundof hops well rubbed to every three barrels of ale in your brewing; ifyou use spent hops, such as has been boiled on the first mash, you mayuse a greater quantity, say half a pound more to each three barrels ofbeer, taking the precaution that they are become quite cool. This ale, thus treated, will be found glass fine in the course of a fortnight, and fit to be racked off into hogsheads or barrels. It will improve byage both in flavour and quality. But it should not be boiled more thanfifteen minutes. 

_Reading Beer, how made. _

Reading beer is made in a town of that name about thirty miles distantfrom London; the quality of its beer is much spoken of, the mode ofbrewing it is stated to be as follows:

 Scale of Brewing, suppose 22 Barrels. 

 80 Bushels of Pale Malt. 98 lb. Of Hops. 3 lb. Of Grains of Paradise, pounded or ground. 5 lb. Of Coriander Seed, do. 14 lb. Of the best brown Sugar. 

Your malt should be some days ground, and if exposed on an open loft, after grinding, so much the better. Boil your first copper, run on yourmash tun till you have your complement, then occasionally rouse yourwater with your mashing oars, or dashers, till you get it down to 175:put your malt in slowly, for fear of setting; keep mashing all thetime, which should be continued full one hour, stand two hours, runyour worts, when you set tap, as fine as you can get them into yourunderbank; this you will effect by drawing off successively five or sixbuckets of the first run, and throwing them over your grains in themash tun; when you perceive they come off glass fine, lay by yourbucket. Give your second mashing liquor at 178 degrees, mash threequarters of an hour, stand one hour. Give your third liquor at 158, mash half an hour, stand one hour; boil your first copper of worts, which should take the half of your three runs, one hour as hard as youcan; your second, two hours in the same way; run the two boilings intoone cooler, and pitch at 64, giving one gallon of solid smooth yest;skim off the yest, as in the case of Windsor ale, until the attenuationrises to 80 degrees, which will have advanced it, from the pitchingheat of 64, sixteen degrees. Before you commence the operation ofcleansing, mix one quarter of a pound of bay salt, with half a peck ofmalted bean flour, scatter this mixture over the surface of your tun, rouse well, cleanse, and fill in the usual way. 

_Two-penny Amber Beer, as brewed in London. _

This beer is in great demand, and large quantities of it consumed, andis supposed more profitable to the brewer than any other species ofmalt liquor, it being generally brewed, drank, and paid for within thefortnight. 

 PROCESS. 

 200 Bushels of Pale Malt. 112 lb. Of Hops. 20 lb. Of Liquorice Ball 30 lb. Of Molasses, 4 lb. Of Grains of Paradise, ground. 

 Cleansed 81 Barrels. 

Heat of first mashing liquor 169; mash one hour, stand two hours, rundown smartly; specific gravity of this wort 26 pound per barrel; secondmash 170, mash half an hour, stand one hour, run down as before;specific gravity of this wort 11 pound and a half per barrel; thirdmash 160, mash twenty minutes, stand half an hour; gravity six poundper barrel; divide these three runnings into two boilings; boil thefirst copper for three quarters of an hour, the second one hour, inboth cases as hard as possible; the hops and other ingredients shouldbe put in at the first boil, and so retained in the copper by means ofa strainer; pitch these worts at 64 degrees, giving two gallons ofsolid yest at first, with two gallons more in twelve hours after:remained in the tun about 60 hours, or until its attenuation reached 80degrees; used over the surface of the tun, before cleansing, four poundof ground ginger, half a pound of bay salt, and about half a peck ofwheaten flour, mixed all together, and scattered over the surface ofthe tun; roused well, and cleansed 81 barrels. This quality of beer, when brewed from good materials, and managed as directed, makes awholesome and a pleasant beverage; but, to do it justice, should havemore time allowed it for coming to perfection. 

_London Ale, how brewed. _

Ale is, of all other malt liquor, the most delicate, and will bear lesstampering with. It will therefore require your nicest care throughevery part of the process. Transparency, pungency, and flavour, arequalities that highly recommend this liquor, and should be particularlyaimed at by the brewer. Hard water is, by some, supposed to be morefavourable for making this kind of ale than soft. 

 Heat of the air 60 degrees. 

 200 Bushels of Pale Malt 206 lb. Of Hops. 4 lb. Of Grains of Paradise, pounded or ground. 4 lb. Of Coriander Seed, do. 1 lb. Of Orange Powder, do. 

 Cleansed 65 Barrels of Beer. 

First mash 173, mashed one hour, stood one hour, ran down smartly;specific gravity of this wort 32 pounds per barrel; the heat appearsmore favourable for obtaining the whole sweet of the mash than thepreceding one by six pounds per barrel, an object well worth theattention of the brewer; second mash 172, specific gravity of this wort22 pounds per barrel; mashing, standing, &c. , the same as in thepreceding process; boiled the first wort one hour; the second wort twohours, very hard in both instances; pitched the tun at 62 degreesgiving two gallons of yest at first, and two gallons twelve hoursafter. 

Remained in the tun about 80 hours, or until it attenuated to 74, ortwelve degrees over the heat it was pitched at; used over the surfaceof the tun, at cleansing, four pound of ground ginger, half a pound ofbay salt, with half a peck of wheat flour well mixed, roused the tunwell. 

You should observe, in working amber beer, to cleanse with the sweetson, but in ale you should work it low in order to get the sweets off. This ale should be carefully filled as it works and closely attended tountil done working; then put into each cask, if of a large size, twohandfuls of spent hops, that have been previously cooled, and but ashort time boiled; then bung down, and it will be fit to send out. 

_Windsor Ale, brewed on a large Scale. _

This ale has experienced so great a demand in London and its vicinityfor a few years back, as materially to affect the London pale beerbrewery; it is a liquor better calculated for winter than the summerseason. The London brewers have been induced to brew on the sameprinciple, and in many instances they exceed the original. Here followsthe London process for brewing this kind of beer, which, I apprehend, will be well worth the American brewers' imitation, as good ale is aspecies of malt liquor rarely met with in this country. 

 200 Bushels of Pale Malt. 224 lb. Of Hops. 40 lb of Honey. 4 lb. Of Coriander Seed, ground. 2 lb. Of the Grains of Paradise, ground. 

 65 Barrels Cleansed. 

Procure your hops of the best quality, rub them in one or more largetubs, pour cold water on them in sufficient quantity to wet them allover, and so let them infuse till the next day, which should be the dayon which you brew. When your first copper has just boiled, run asufficient quantity of water into your mash tun for your first mash;and when this has cooled down to 176 degrees, run in your malt slowly, and mash well for one hour and a quarter; after which, let your mashtun stand two hours, run down smartly and fine; keep your mash tunclose covered from the time you have done mashing till you begin to settap; give your second mashing liquor at 186, mash one hour, stand onehour, run down as before; give your third liquor for the last mash at160, mash one hour, stand one hour run down as before; divide thesethree worts into two parts, boil your first copper one hour, putting inyour ingredients with your hops, save the 40 pounds of honey, whichshould be reserved to be put into the copper a few minutes beforestriking off; rouse your copper well at the time of putting in thehoney, and continue the same till run off, otherwise, it will pitch tothe bottom of the copper, and likely be the cause of burning; yoursecond worts should boil two hours on the same hops and ingredients, which should be retained in the copper by a strainer, pitch your tun at62 degrees, giving two gallons of good yest at first, and two gallonsmore in twelve hours after; let your fermenting heat rise to 80degrees; thus your attenuation will have gained 18 degrees, which willprobably cause your guile to remain in the tun from 60 to 80 hours. Usesalt and bean meal flour as directed in the preceding process, and inthe same proportion, before cleansing; fill, &c. , as already directed. 

_Welsh Ale, how brewed. _

This it a luscious and richly flavoured ale, much liked, but very heady. 

 PROCESS. 

 72 Bushels of Pale Malt. 70 lb. Of Hops. 20 lb. Of best brown Sugar. 2 lb. Of Grains of Paradise, ground. 

Heat of the first mashing liquor 175, mash one hour and a half, puttingin your malt very gradually, and mash uncommonly well, and let it standtwo hours; second liquor at 190, mash one hour, and stand two more; rundown as before, boil these two runs together for one hour and a half, putting in your hops, &c. , save the sugar, which is to be put in but afew minutes before striking off, at which time the rousing of thecopper should commence, and so continue until the worts are nearly runoff. Small beer may be brewed, in the usual way, after both theseworts, in which case, cold water will answer full as well as hot; pitchyour strong worts at 62, with a small proportion of good yest, and letyour fermenting heat rise to 80; thus your attenuation will proceed 18degrees; cleanse with salt and bean flour as already directed, but insuitable proportion in point of quantity to your malt, fill in theusual way, and when nearly done working, use fine ale to top with, before you bung down, putting into each barrel one large handful ofscalded hops, that have been previously cooled down. 

_Wirtemberg Ale. _

 BREWED AS FOLLOWS:

 128 Bushels of Pale Malt. 32 Bushels of Amber Malt. --- 160 Bushels of Malt. --- 188 lb. Of Hops. 28 lb. Of Honey. 20 lb. Of Sugar. 4 lb. Of Hartshorn Shavings. 4 lb. Of Coriander Seed, ground. 1 lb. Of Caraway Seed, ground. 

 Cleansed 50 Barrels of Ale. 

Give your first mashing liquor at 172, mash for one hour and a half, stand two hours, run down fine, but smartly. 

Second mashing liquor 180, mash one hour, stand two hours, run down asbefore; get up your two worts; put in, with your hops, the otheringredients, save the honey and sugar, which is to be put into yourcopper but a few minutes before striking off, rousing your copper whileany wort remains in it. This ale should be boiled hard for one hour anda half; pitch your tun at 62, raise your fermenting heat to 80, whichwill generally rise in the course of 70 hours. Give of good solid yestfour gallons, two gallons at first, and two gallons more in twelvehours after, rouse your tun each time. 

_Hock. _

This is a beer that has within a few years had a great run, particularly in Germany. 

 PROCESS AS FOLLOWS:

 112 Bushels of Pale Malt. 48 Bushels of Amber Malt. --- 160 Bushels. --- 206 lb. Of Hops. 4 lb. Of Cocculus Indicus Berry, ground. 2 lb. Of Fabia Amora, or Bitter Bean. 20 lb. Of Brown Sugar, of good quality. 

 Cleansed 54 Barrels. 

First liquor 176, mash one hour and a quarter, stand one hour and ahalf; second liquor 182, mash one hour, stand two hours; when bothworts are in the copper, add your hops and other ingredients, exceptthe sugar, which is to be put in as already directed a little timebefore striking off, boil two hours and a quarter as hard as you can. Pitch your tun at 64, giving four gallons of solid yest at once, andcleanse the second day, or in forty-eight hours; fill as alreadydirected, and put into each barrel one handful of fresh steeped hopsbefore bunging down. 

_Scurvy Grass Ale. _

This species of ale is considered a great sweetener of the blood, hasbeen much approved of, and is strongly recommended as a wholesome andpleasant medicine. 

 PROCESS AS FOLLOWS:

 40 Bushels of Pale Malt. 25 lb. Of Hops. 10 lb. Of Molasses. 2 lb. Of Alexandrian Senna. 5 Bushels of Garden Scurvy Grass. 

 Cleansed 14 Barrels of Ale. 

Your malt should be fine ground; give your first liquor at 170, mashone hour, stand one hour; heat of your second liquor 172, mash threequarters of an hour, stand one hour; give your third mashing liquor at160, mash twenty minutes, stand half an hour; these three worts shouldbe run into your copper together, and boil together for one hourgently, for one quarter of an hour more as hard as you can; all youringredients to be put in with your hops, except the molasses, whichshould only be put in a few minutes before striking off; from the timeyou put in your molasses, keep stirring your copper until its contentsis nearly off. About the middle of your fermentation, procure one poundof horse-radish, wash it well, dry it with a cloth, after which sliceit thin, and throw it into your tun, rousing immediately after; whendone, replace your tun cover, pitch your worts at 66 degrees, withabout two gallons of solid yest; cleanse the third day, with the sweetson. This ale is drank both hot and cold. 

_Dorchester Ale. _

This quality of ale is by many esteemed the best in England, when thematerials are good, and the management judicious. 

 54 Bushels of the best Pale Malt. 50 lb. Of the best Hops. 1 lb. Of Ginger. 1/4 of a lb. Of Cinnamon, pounded. 

 Cleansed 14 Barrels, reserving enough for filling. 

Boil your copper, temper your liquor in the same to 185, and whenready, run it on your keeve a little at a time, putting in the malt andthe water gradually together, mashing at the same time; when the wholeof your malt is thus got in, continue the operation of mashing half anhour, cap with dry malt, and let your mash stand one hour and a half. Second liquor 190, mash three quarters of an hour, stand two hours; inboth mashes get your worts as fine as you can into your underbank; ruband salt, before mashing, 30 pounds of your hops; infuse them inboiling water before mashing, and let the vessel containing them beclose covered. The other twenty pounds of hops should have been rubbedthe evening before brewing, but not salted, put into another closevessel, covered with boiling water, and there suffered to digest for12 hours: at the time of putting the hops in your copper, the extract, in both cases, is to be added; but the first 30 pounds of hops insubstance _only_ to be added; these, with the two extracts will besufficient for the brewing; the remaining 20 pounds of hops will answerfor single ale, or table beer, but should be used on the same day. Yourworts being now in the copper, with the hops and extract, boil hard forone hour; after which, draw your fire, open your copper and ash-pitdoors, and so let it stand one hour, then strike off gently on yourcooler; when your worts are cooled down to 55, prepare your puncheons, suppose four, containing four barrels each; see that they are dry, sweet, and clean; take three pints of solid yest for each puncheon, towhich you should add three quarts of the wort at 65, mix and blend thewort and yest together, putting this proportion to each cask, containingfour barrels, then fill up with the wort, at the heat of 55, alreadymentioned; put in your tin workers, one into each puncheon, and when youperceive it begins to work freely, which probably will not be till thethird or fourth day, begin to fill up your casks, and so continue doingfrom time to time, till they have done working. (The tin worker isdescribed in page 139. ) This mode of brewing appears to be peculiarlyadapted for shipping to warm climates; the fermentation being slowlyand coolly conducted: it is also well calculated for bottling. 

Table beer may be made, after this strong, of good quality, with coldwater, if not over drawn; 10 pound of the steeped hops will besufficient to preserve this beer; one hour's boiling will be enough;ferment as already directed, and add six pounds of sugar just beforestriking off, rousing, as already directed, while any remains in thecopper. 

_Porter. _

In England, is a liquor of modern date, which has nearly superseded theuse of brown stout, and very much encroached on the consumption ofother malt liquors, till it has become the staple commodity of theEnglish brewery, and of such consequence to the government, in point ofrevenue, that it may be fairly said to produce more than all the rest. Porter, when well brewed, and of a proper age, is considered awholesome and pleasant liquor, particularly when drank out of thebottle; a free use is made of it in the East and West Indies, wherephysicians frequently recommend the use of it in preference to Madeirawine: the following three processes are given under the denomination ofNo. I. , II. , and III. , the first and second of which I knew to be thepractice of two eminent houses in the trade. The third I cannot sofully answer for. An essential object to attend to, in order to ensurecomplete success to the porter process, is the preparation of the malt. Directions for that purpose will be found at the end of these processes. 

_Porter Process. _

No. I. 

 MATERIALS. 

 186 Bushels of Pale Malt. 94 Bushels of Brown Malt. --- 280 Bushels of Malt. --- 300 lb. Of Hops. 10 lb. Of Gentian Root, sliced. 10 lb. Of Calamus. 10 lb. Of the essence of Gentian. 

 Cleansed 121 barrels. The hops, with the other ingredients, to be put in with the first boil, and retained in the copper by wire strainers, or otherwise, for the succeeding worts. 

First mashing liquor 165, mash one hour, stand one hour, run downsmartly; second mash 170, mash one hour, stand one hour, run down asbefore; third mash 180, mash half an hour, stand half an hour, run downsmartly; divide these three runs into two boilings, boil your firstcopper as hard as you can for half an hour, the second for three hoursas hard as possible; pitch your first wort at 65 degrees, with 10gallons of smooth yest; pitch your second at 70 degrees, with sixgallons, both runs to mix in the same tun, as soon as the head of yourtun begins to fall and close, which will possibly happen from thirty toforty hours, at which time it is expected the fermenting heat will riseto 80, but in no case should it be suffered to exceed it; two pecks ofbean meal flour, with two pounds of bay salt mixed together, should beevenly scattered over the surface of the tun, before cleansing, andthen well roused. After cleansing, this drink should be filled everytwo hours, for the first twelve fillings, after which, twice a day willbe sufficient; and, in about a week after cleansing, porter so brewed, and treated as here directed, will be glass fine, and in a week moremay be vatted. As porter is generally sent out in iron-bound hogsheadsof seventy gallons each, there should, at the time of going out, bethree half pints of finings, with as much heading mixed through thefinings at will go on a two shilling piece; this fining and headingshould be well stirred in the hogshead by means of a fining brush usedfor the purpose, with a long iron handle; treated thus, porter willfall fine in a few days. The faster draught porter is drawn off thecask the better it will drink; for when too long, it is apt to getflat, and sour. 

_Porter Process. _

No. II. 

 160 Bushels of Pale Malt. 120 Bushels of Brown Malt. --- 280 --- 350 lb. Of Hops. 

 Cleansed 121 Barrels of Porter. 

Heat of the first mashing liquor one hundred and seventy-two, mash onehour, stand one hour, run down smartly; second mashing liquor onehundred and eighty, mash one hour, stand two hours, run down as before;third mash one hundred and sixty-four, mash half an hour, stand half anhour, run down smartly; boil the extract of the first, with half theextract of the second mash; boil as hard as you can for one hour and aquarter, then strike off, retaining your hops in the copper for yoursecond boil, which includes half your second wort, and the whole ofyour third; these should be boiled for four hours as hard as you canmake them; pitch your first wort at seventy, or so high that, when inthe tun, it will make up at sixty-four, to which give six gallons ofsmooth yest; pitch your second wort at sixty-five, giving seven gallonsmore of yest; when all your worts are in your tun, it should make up atsixty-four. Thus managed, it will be fit to cleanse in thirty-six orforty hours; the closing and falling in of the head will direct theperiod of performing this operation; fill, &c. , as in the foregoingprocess. 

_Porter Process. _

No. III. 

 88 Bushels of Pale Malt. 102 lb. Of Hops. 12 Gallons of Essentia Bina, or sugar colouring. 

 Cleansed twenty-seven and a half Barrels of Porter. 

First mashing liquor one hundred and sixty, mash one hour, stand onehour; second mashing liquor one hundred and seventy, mash one hour, stand one hour and three quarters; third mashing liquor one hundred andseventy-five, mash half an hour, stand one hour; divide these threeruns into two equal parts, boil the first one hour, the second twohours and a half, as hard as you can in both instances; pitch yourfirst wort at sixty, giving two gallons of solid yest; your second atsixty-five, giving the same complement of yest; let your fermentingheat rise to eighty, then cleanse, first topping your tun with twopounds of bean meal flour, and half a pound of bay salt pounded andmixed with the flour; fill fine, and head your porter casks, as alreadydirected to do with hogsheads; let your finings and heading be in thatproportion with lesser casks. 

_Porter Malt. _

This species of malt should be made from strong, well-bodied barley, the process exactly the same as for pale malt, until it is about halfdried on the kiln; you then change your fuel under the kiln from coakor coal to ash or beech wood, which should be split into small handybillets, and a fierce, strong fire kept up, so as to complete thedrying and colouring in three hours, during which time it should befrequently turned; when the colour is found sufficiently high, it maybe thrown off; the workmen should be provided with wooden shoes, toprotect their feet from the uncommon heat of the kiln in this last partof the process, which requires the grain to snap again from theexcessive heat of the kiln. For the better performing this part of theprocess, I would recommend a wire kiln to be placed adjoining the tiledone, from which it may be cast on the wire; this would be a better andmore certain mode of conveying the porter flavour to the malt, than ifthe drying was finished on the tiled kiln. Where a wire kiln wasthought too dear, a tiled one might be made to answer. 

_Porter Colouring. _

In modern language, is termed _essentia bina_. This is made from brownsugar, and is now generally substituted by the London brewers for portermalt, as more economical, and full as well calculated to answer all thepurposes of flavour and colouring. Muscovado, or raw sugar, with limewater, are the usual ingredients of this colouring matter. Another kind, of inferior quality, is prepared from molasses, boiled until it isconsiderably darker, bitter, and of a thicker consistence; and whenjudiciously made, at the close of the boiling, it is set on fire andsuffered to burn five or six minutes, then it is extinguished, andcautiously diluted with water to the original consistence of treacle. The burning or setting on fire gives it the greater part of its flavour, which is an agreeable bitterness, and burns out the unassimilating oil. Muscovado, or raw sugar, when treated in a similar manner, and dilutedto the same consistence before it sets, obtains a bitterness that morenearly strikes the porter flavour on the palate; it is of a deep darkcolour, between black and red. To prepare it to advantage, take threepounds, or three hundred weight of Muscovado sugar, for every twopounds, or two hundred pounds, of essentia bina intended to be made, putit into an iron boiler set in brick work, so that the flue for conveyingthe smoke of the fire into the chimney, rises but about two thirds ofthe height of the boiler in its passage to the chimney. The boilershould have a socket or pivot in the centre of its bottom to receive thespindle of wrought iron, with a crank in it, above the brim of theboiler, the upper end of which turns on a corresponding pivot in an ironbar fixed across several feet above the boiler, with a transverse ironarm to reach from the crank for some feet over the boiler for a man tostand, and turn it with its scraper of iron also, which works on thebottom of the boiler to keep the sugar from burning on the bottom beforethe upper part melts; this arm may be placed in a wooden handle at theend, and held by the man, lest it become too hot for his hand. Put onegallon of pure water into the boiler with every hundred weight of sugarto be employed, that is, one pint to every fourteen pounds weight ofsugar, then add the sugar, light the fire, and keep it stirring until itboils, regulating the fire so as not to suffer it to boil over; as itbegins to lessen in quantity, dip the end of the poker into it, to seeif it candies as it cools, and grows proportionably bitter to itsconsistence; mark the height of the sugar in the boiler when it is allmelted, to assist in judging of its decrease; when the specimen takenout candies, or sets hard pretty quickly, put out the fire under theboiler, and set the vapour or smoke arising from the boiler on fire, which will communicate to the boiling sugar, and let it burn for ten ortwelve minutes, then extinguish it with a cover ready provided for thepurpose, and faced with sheet iron, to be let down on the mouth of theboiler with a chain or rope, so as exactly to close the boiler. 

As soon as it is extinguished, cautiously add _strong lime water_ by alittle at a time, working the iron stirrer well all the time the wateris adding, so as to mix and dilute it all alike to the consistence oftreacle; before it sets in the boiler, which it would do, as the heatdeclined, in a manner that would give a great deal of trouble to diluteit after, and be imperfectly done then, it is easy to conceive this kindof work requires to be done in an open place, or out-house, to preventaccidents from fire. If the _essentia bina_ is neither burned too littlenor too much, it is a rich, high-flavoured, grateful bitter, thatpreserves and gives an inimitable flavour and good face to porter; tobe added in proportion as the nature and composition of the grist isvaried with a greater or less proportion of pale malt. _To convert oldhock into brown stout_, it will take three pounds of _essentia bina_ ofmiddling or ordinary kind, and but two pounds of the best made fromMuscovado raw sugar as directed, it should weigh ten pounds to thegallon. The _essentia bina_ should be mixed with some finings, androused into the tun soon after the yesty head gathers pretty strong, inorder to undergo the decomposing power of fermentation, part of it beingprone to float on the surface of the beer under the form of a flyinglee. When employed in the usual way of colour, with this precaution, thecolouring and preserving parts unite with the beer, and the gross charryparts precipitate with the lees, and other feculencies in the tun, previous to cleansing, adding a firm and keeping quality to the beer. Lime water for diluting the burnt sugar, in the proportion of _essentiabina_: thirty pounds of lime will make one puncheon, or one hundred andtwenty gallons of lime water: put fresh lime from the kiln, previouslyslaked into coarse powder, into an airtight cask, gradually add thewater, stirring up the lime to expose a fresh surface to the solventpowers of the water, which will rarely dissolve more than one ounce troyweight in the gallon, or retain so much when kept ever so closelyexcluded from the external air. If Roche lime was first grossly pounded, and slaked in the cask, the lime water might be made still stronger; thereason for directing the water to be slowly and cautiously added at thefirst, is for the more conveniently mixing the lime with the water, which otherwise would not be properly wet. Do not fill the vessel withina few gallons of the bung-hole, that it may be rolled over and over witheffect, fifteen or twenty different times before left to settle, inorder to have the water fully saturated with the lime; when settled itshould be perfectly clear. It is important, as well at necessary tostate, that when the lime water is about to be added to the _essentiabina_ in the kettle, it should be hot, otherwise there would be dangerof cracking the cast iron, of which the kettle is composed, as well ascausing a partial explosion and waste of the sugar when coming incontact with the cold medium of the lime water; this precaution shouldbe carefully attended to. 

_Strong Beer. _

Process for brewing strong beer, alleged to be the practice inSwitzerland, by which it is asserted that an excellent and preservingbeer will be produced. I would recommend a small experiment to be madeat first, in order to establish its character and success on a moreextended scale. At a first view, there appears to be one seriousobjection to this process, and that is, that it requires but a smallquantity of oily or fatty matter to destroy the fermentation of anyguile of beer. In answer, it may perhaps be truly said, that theprecaution of skimming off the fatty matter, as it rises on the surfaceof this beer while in the copper, as well as the time allowed it thereto settle, also, its straining through the hops before getting on thecooler, gives another chance to deposite this matter in the hops, ifany should remain in the copper after the skimming off. 

 PROCESS AS FOLLOWS:

 60 Bushels of Pale Barley Malt. 20 Bushels of Pale Wheat Malt. --- 80 Bushels. --- 170 lb. Of the best Hops, to be rubbed, salted, and steeped in one or more close vessels before mashing, or the evening before brewing, still better. 54 lb. Of lean Beef to be put into the copper with the worts, this will average two pounds to the barrel. 7 lb. Of Rice, also, to be put in with the Beef. 1 lb. Of ground Mustard to be put in with the Hops. 

 Cleansed 27 Barrels. 

These worts are to be boiled one hour without the hops, in order toafford the greater facility of skimming the fat off the surface. Afterthey have boiled the first half hour, the fire is damped, the boil leftto subside, and the copper to be then carefully skimmed. (This pointsout the necessity of an open copper for this operation. ) After which, the fire is started again, and the worts made to boil another half hour, and skimmed a second time in the same way; after which the hops andmustard are added with three gallons of the _essentia bina_, and thenboiled for one hour and a half, as hard as the copper will allow withoutboiling over or wasting; the fire is then drawn, ash-pit and copperdoors left open, the copper covered, and suffered to stand two hours, then struck off on the hop back. The temperature of the external air atthe time you brew this quality of beer should not be higher than fiftydegrees. Your first, or mashing liquor, should boil, then run your wholecomplement into your mash tun, which when cooled down to one hundred andsixty-five, begin putting in your malt, one sack at a time, and mash forone hour and a quarter, stand one hour, run down as fine as you can, yetsmartly; second mash one hundred and eighty-five, need not boil, butwhen brought to that heat in your copper, begin mashing, and mash wellfor three quarters of an hour, stand two hours; boil, skim, and hop, asalready directed. It is to be understood that the produce of these twomashes are to be boiled together, forming a clear length, when cleansed, of twenty-seven barrels; pitch your worts at sixty, previously mixing ina tub, fifteen gallons of your wort at seventy, with one gallon of solidyest, some time before pitching, which will give it time to catch beforeadding to the remainder of the wort. Twelve hours after another gallonof pure yest is to be added, and the tun well roused, then covered; theattenuation suffered to proceed to eighty degrees, _but not higher_. This mode of pitching worts might be successfully applied to otherqualities of beer and ale, and will be found a safe and good process. 

_Filtering Operation. _

(With a Plate. )

[Illustration

A The fountain. B B The cocks. C The trunk communicating with the space between the two bottoms. D The filtering tub. E The false bottom. F The spout for carrying off the ascending liquor. G The receiver of the filtered liquor by ascent. H The receiver of the filtered liquor by descent. ]

This simple operation, if my view of its effects on malt liquors, aswell as other fermented liquors, be correct, will do more towards theirimprovement and preservation, than any thing hitherto attempted to betried on them, after their fermentation has been completed; and forthis plain reason, that it will at once disengage them from allfermentable matter, and render them transparently fine and preserving;thus immediately fitting them for the bottle, or putting up into tightcasks, for home consumption or exportation, which will soon recover thebeer or ale so treated from the flatness that will necessarily beinduced by a long exposure to the air during the continuance of theoperation; further to remedy which, I would recommend putting into eachbarrel, before the cask is filled with this beer, half a pound ofground rice, then fill, bung down tight, and in a short time brisknessand activity will be restored to the liquor, whether intended for draftor bottle. This mode might, with equal success, be applied to everykind of fermented liquor, particularly to cider, wine, and perry, alsoto river and rain water. There are two modes of filtration, one bydescent, the other by ascent; the latter operation seems to be the mostperfect, though not the most economical or expeditious. 

The preparation of the filtering medium is as follows. Your filteringvessel should be in proportion to the scale of work you intendoperating on. The vessel containing the filter, should have the formsomewhat of an inverted cone, in proportion wider at top than atbottom; over the bottom of this vessel should be placed a false one, about three or four inches distant from the other; this upper bottomshould be perforated with holes, rather large bored, at the angles ofevery square inch of its surface; your fake bottom being laid, providetwo pieces of clean thick blanketing the full size of the vessel, laythese pieces one over the other, over them a stratum six inches deep, of rather coarsely pounded charcoal; this should be previously wettedwith some of the beer or ale, till brought to the consistence of coarsemortar; over this lay another stratum of fine clean pit sand, and soon, stratum super stratum, of sand and charcoal, till you have reachedwithin six inches of the top; the cover of this vessel, which is alsoperforated with holes somewhat smaller than those of the bottom, is letdown in the vessel to within one inch of the filtering medium, and inthat position is well secured by buttons, or otherwise. When you filterby descent, you run your liquor over this cover, which, by means of theholes, will be distributed evenly over the upper surface of the filter;and so you continue running on your liquor as fast as you see theoperation will take it. 

When you wish to filter by ascent, you introduce the liquor to befiltered between the two bottoms. As the fountain which supplies thisliquor is higher than the filtering vessel, it will naturally force itsway through the false bottom, filtering medium, &c. , until it runs offpure at spout F into the receiver G. Those persons who live on thebanks, or in the vicinity of our great rivers, such as the Missouri, Ohio, Mississippi, &c. , may purify their drinking water in this way, with great advantage to their health, and consequent increase ofcomfort to themselves and families. It is also well adapted to the useof those who navigate these waters, particularly such as proceed insteam-boats, where convenient room can be always found for such usefuland salutary purposes, and to them I strongly recommend its use. It mayalso be advantageously applied to filtering rain water, which, to someconstitutions, may be more congenial than either spring or river water. 

_Returned Beer, to make the most of, and double its value. _

Suppose, for example, you have one hundred and fifty barrels of thisbeer, (or in that proportion, adjust your mixing ingredientsaccordingly, ) put the whole into one vat that it will fill; then takehalf a barrel of colouring, twenty-eight pounds cream of tartar, twenty-eight pounds of ground alum, one pound of salt of steel, otherwise called green copperas, with two barrels of strong finings;mix these ingredients well together, put them into your vat, and rousewell; after which, let the vat remain open for three days; then shutdown the scuttle close, and sand it over; in one fortnight it will befit for use; your own good sense will then direct its application. 

_To bring several sorts of Beer which have been mixed to one uniformtaste. _

EXAMPLE. 

Suppose you have one hundred barrels of this description in your vat;take six pounds of porter extract, six pounds of orange peel, ground, one pound of heading, composed of half a pound of alum, with half apound of green copperas mixed, six pounds of Indian bark; mix theseingredients with one butt of finings, rouse your vat well, let itremain open three days, then close down your vat, and sand it over; itwill be fit in one fortnight to use. 

_Finings, the best method of preparing them. _

A very important object indeed, is finings in the management of porterand brown beers, and sometimes the paler kinds need their agency beforethey will become transparently fine: without this quality no beer canbe acceptable to the consumer, and should be always a particular aim ofthe brewers to obtain. Take five pounds of isinglass, beat each piecein succession on a stone or iron weight, until you find you canconveniently shred it into small pieces, and so treat every piece untilyou have got through the whole; thus shredded, steep it in sour porteror strong beer that is very fine, then set the beer and the isinglasson the fire, and there let it remain till you raise the heat to onehundred and ninety, but no higher, keeping it, while on the fire, constantly stirring; then have your hogshead of clear beer ready, strain your dissolved isinglass through a hair sieve into it, which youmust take care to mix well; thus assimilated it will be fit for use intwelve hours. 

It is worth remarking, that at the time of sending out porter or brownbeer to your customers is the time to put in both your fining andheading, the jolting it then gets in the carriage will assist itsfining more effectually, after it has rested a few days in thecustomer's cellar. 

_Heading. _

Is variously composed, and differently prepared; what is hererecommended will be found safe and effectual. Porter, or brown stout, when intended for draught, should never be sent out in the cask withoutfining and heading; the usual practice is to put your heading into yourfining, and so both into the cask just before filling up and bungingdown. The proportion for one hogshead of sixty-three gallons is threehalf pints of fining, with as much heading put into the fining as youcan take up upon a cent piece; the heading here recommended is composedof equal parts of sal martus (or green copperas) and alum, both finelypowdered and mixed in equal parts, so as to be intimately blended witheach other before using. The advantages derivable from heading aremerely apparent, giving a close frothy head to the beer in the quart ormug it is drawn in; supporting the vulgar prejudice, that such beer isbetter and stronger than that where no such appearance manifestsitself. 

_Bottling Beer. _

This is a branch of trade, that, under proper management, might be madevery productive and profitable, whereas, in the manner it is nowgenerally conducted, proves a losing one, occasioned by the greatbreakage of bottles, arising from the impure state of the beer at thetime of putting into bottle. In consequence of this bad management, Ihave known a person, extensive in the trade, to lose on an average fromtwo to three dozen bottles, as well as beer, on every hogshead he putup which happened to lie over till summer, or was bottled in thatseason; this loss was too heavy to expect much profit from a businessso conducted; to obviate both these consequences, I would recommendbeer, ale, and porter, intended for the bottle, to be carefullyfiltered through charcoal and sand, as directed in the operation offiltering; being thus purified from all its feculencies and fermentablematter, it will be in the best possible state for taking the bottle, inthat mild and gentle way that will not endanger the loss of one or theother. It will further have the good effect of recovering the beer orale, thus filtered, from the flatness that will necessarily be inducedby that operation, giving the liquor all the briskness and activitythat can be wished for. If beer, porter, or ale, be intended forexportation to a warmer climate than our own, the operation will befound particularly suited to it. Choose your corks of the best quality, and steep them in pure strong spirit from the evening before you beginyour bottling operation; this precaution is essentially necessary toall beer intended to be shipped, or sent off to a warmer climate thanour own, such as the East and West Indies, South America, &c. In moretemperate climes, the simple precaution of filtering alone will befound to answer every necessary purpose, without steeping the corks inspirits. But suppose you bottle for home consumption, in that case youwill naturally wish to have your beer, ale, and porter, get up in thebottle in as short a space of time as possible, in that case you shouldpack away your bottles in dry straw in summer, in sawdust in winter, asyour object at that season will naturally be rather to accelerate thanretard fermentation; here you should carefully watch its progress fromday to day, by drawing a bottle from the centre of the heap, as nearlyas you can get at it; place this bottle between you and the light, andif you perceive a chain of small bubbles in the neck of the bottle, immediately under the cork, you may conclude your beer is up in thebottle, then draw a few more bottles, and if the same appearancecontinues in them also, it is time to draw all your bottles from theheap they were originally packed in, and set them on their bottoms in asquare frame ten inches deep, size optional; fill up this frame withthe bottles of porter, or ale, so drawn in a ripe state, then get oneor more bushels of bay salt, and scatter it as evenly as you can overthe bottles, until the space between their necks is nearly half filled;then another course of bottles may be sunk between these, with theirnecks down through the salt, so as to form an upper tier; thus treated, not a single bottle will be found to break from the force offermentation, and the salt will answer for a fresh supply of bottles, as often as you may find it necessary to draw, or send them out, thisquantity will answer your purpose for years, if you only keep it dry;another advantage, and no small one, derivable from a bottlingoperation conducted in this way, will be, that a loft will be foundmore convenient for the purpose than a ground floor, as less damp, andmore likely to preserve the salt dry, which a more moist atmospherewould naturally dissolve. The practice here recommended may, with equalsuccess, be applied to cider and perry. 

_Brewing Coppers, the best method of setting them. _

This article, at a first view, may not appear to have much connexionwith brewing, but, when attentively considered, it has a very materialone, as also with economy, by saving nearly one half the fuel. It is awell-known fact in brewing, that the quicker and stronger the operationof boiling is performed, the better such beer will preserve, and thesooner it will become fine; although this opinion is combated by many, experience has proved it in my practice. I will suppose the copper youare about to set to contain two thousand gallons, the diameter of itsbottom, five feet; let your fire blocks, if possible, be of soapstone, one for each side, and one for the end, of sufficient thickness andlength, and full twelve inches deep, to the top of your sleepers; threecourses of brick, sloped off from the top of the fire stone, with theusual quantity of mortar, and plastered over, will afford sufficientelevation for the fire to act on the bottom of the copper, leaving aspace of about eighteen or twenty inches from the bottom to the top ofthe sleepers; the breadth of the fireplace need not exceed twenty-sixinches. When the copper is about to be placed on the blocks, byswinging, or otherwise, three feet of the bottom of the copper shouldbe on one side from the centre of the furnace, and but two feet on theother; I would have but one flue or entrance for the fire to round thiscopper, which flue should be placed on the three feet side, twenty-fourinches long at the mouth; distance of the brick work from the copper, six inches, to narrow to five at the closing; the first closing to bethree feet high on the side of the copper; the second closing, to betwo feet above that, leaving twenty-one inches clear flue, allowingthree inches for the thickness of the brick and mortar; the throat ofthe first flue, leading into the second; twenty-four inches distance ofupper flue from the copper, five inches closing into four and a halfinches at top. A short distance above the top of your copper should beplaced an iron register to regulate the fire, so contrived as to behandily worked backward and forward by the brewer, or the man tendingthe fire, as circumstances may direct. The furnace door should be intwo parts, one to hang on each side of the frame, and so lap over asmall round hole, with a sliding shut to it, should be fixed in one ofthese doors, to admit the iron slicer to stir the fire. The clear ofthe furnace frame need not exceed sixteen inches high, by eighteeninches wide. A copper so set and proportioned, by being kept closecovered at top, might be expected to boil cold water in one hour andfifteen minutes, perhaps in one hour, and that with a great saving offuel compared with the same sized copper set in the ordinary way. 

_Pumps, the best and most economical construction, also the mosteffectual, and least liable to fail or get out of order; how besttreated in cold weather to prevent freezing, or when frozen to removethe inconvenience. _

Freezing often retards the brewer's operations, and gives himconsiderable trouble and delay. To obviate these inconveniences, Iwould recommend having the rod of wood, instead of iron, so long as towork in a brass chamber, two feet above the lower box; if the pump belong, the rod may be made with joints of iron, and keys properly made, so as to have it in two, three, or four pieces, capable of being takenasunder; suppose the diameter of your chamber to be six inches, I wouldhave the diameter of the rod five inches, which, being so much lighterthan the column of water it displaces, will make the strokecomparatively light and easy to the horse, and not near so great astrain on the pump, delivering as much water or wort, it is expected, as will be found necessary for all the purposes of a brewery. Butshould it so happen, that any deficiency is found in the quantity ofwater and wort so delivered, it is only necessary to reduce thediameter of the wooden rod, from one quarter to half an inch more, andthis will proportionably augment the quantity of water and wortdelivered at each stroke. The water pumps, which in winter are exposedto the effects of the external air, should have a casing round them ofboards from the level of the ground to half their height above it, which casing should be stuffed with dry hay, straw, or shavings, andwell rammed; this casing should be water-tight round the pump, at thetop, and a cock placed over it on one side of the pump, to let off thestanding water; then stuff the mouth of the pump with hay or straw, andso treated the remaining water in the pump will never freeze in thecoldest winter. 

But where these precautions have not been taken, and the charge in yourpump becomes frozen, and you wish to clear it, get one quart of baysalt, throw it into your pump, stop the mouth of it at the top, and inthe course of a few hours the salt will have dissolved the ice in yourpump, and you may go to work; this is much more effectual and lesstroublesome than using hot water, which must be repeated in greatquantities before it will produce its effect. 

_Cleansing Casks. _

Trifling and simple as this operation may appear, it is still one thatis highly important to the brewer, and requires minute and constantattention. Burning and steaming casks seems to be two most effectualmodes of accomplishing this important object. If your casks have beenlong in use, and thereby contracted any musty or bad smell, the bestway is to open them; wash them well out with boiling water; set them todry, and then fire them, after which, they may be washed out again withhot water, and, when dry, headed for use; every cask after emptying, that is not perfectly sweet, should be treated in this way, particularly when intended for stock or keeping beer. New casks thathave never been used, are best prepared by steaming them, and a smallboiler, containing from sixty to one hundred gallons will be bestsuited to this purpose. If you have tin pipes communicating from onecask to another, you can steam four or five at a time, and the workgoes on expeditiously. Fresh emptied small beer, and single-ale casks, can be sufficiently cleansed by chaining them; after which, rincingthem out with hot water will be found a sufficient cleansing for suchcasks, as they are generally but a short time on draught. The operationof chaining casks is performed by putting into them, with boilingwater, a small iron chain, two or three yards long, and then tossingyour cask several times round and round so as to get the chain to rub, and act upon every part of the inside head, &c. , this will take off theyest, &c. The smoother and evener all brewers' casks are made on theirinside the better, as they are thereby the more easily cleaned. Everybrewer should be particular in recommending to his customers carefullyto cork up every cask as drawn off--by this simple precaution they willbe preserved sweet for months, while the neglect of it will cause themto get foul in a short time, to the great increase of trouble andexpense to the brewer before he can sufficiently purify them. It isalso a necessary precaution to keep casks, when brought home, from theaction of the sun and weather, by placing them under proper sheds;where casks are supposed to occupy one fifth of the brewer's activecapital, they should at all times be carefully looked after. 

_The following processes are given principally for the use of gentlemenfarmers, housekeepers, and others, who may occasionally wish, as well asfind their account, in brewing their Mead or Metheglin. _

THE PROCESS. 

For every pipe of mead allow one hundred and sixty-eight pounds ofhoney. On a small scale, take ten gallons of water, two gallons ofhoney, with a handful of raced ginger, and two lemons, cut them inslices, and put them, with the honey and ginger, into the water, boilfor half an hour, carefully skimming all the time; use a strongferment, and attenuate high, not under seventy-eight; in the boilingadd two ounces of hops to the above ten gallons of water and twogallons of honey. In about three weeks, or one month, after cleansingand working off, this mead will be fit to bottle. This liquor, whenthus made, is wholesome and pleasant, and little, if any, inferior tothe best white wines. It is particularly grateful in summer, when drankmixed with water. 

_Ginger Wine. _

Take sixteen quarts of water, boil it, add one pound of bruised ginger, infuse it in the water for forty-eight hours, placed in a cask in somewarm situation; after which time strain off this liquor, add to iteight pounds of lump sugar, seven quarts of brandy, the juice of twelvelemons, and the rinds of as many Seville oranges; cut them, steep thefruit, and the rinds of the oranges, for twelve hours in the brandy, strain your brandy, add it to your other ingredients, bung up yourcask, and in three or four weeks it will be fine; if it should not, alittle dissolved isinglass will soon make it so. 

_Currant Wine. _

Take five gallons of currant juice, and put it into a ten gallon cask, with twenty pounds of Havanna, or lump sugar, fill the cask with water, let it ferment, with the bung out, for some days; as it wastes fill upwith water; when done working, bung down; and in two or three monthsafter it will be fit for use: two quarts of French brandy added, afterthe fermentation ceases, would improve the liquor, and communicate toit a preserving quality. Wine may be made from strawberries, raspberries, and cherries in the same way. 

_Yest, how prepared, so as to preserve sweet and good in anyclimate. _

This operation, I apprehend, however simple it may appear, will havevery important consequences, whether we consider it as a medicine (andin putrid fevers there is, perhaps, no better known) or a ferment. Itwill be well worth the attention of the physician, the brewer, thedistiller, the merchant, and the housekeeper, whether resident in thetemperate, or in the torrid zone. 

Mr. Felton Mathew, merchant in London, obtained a patent for theabove-mentioned object, which may be found in the Repertory of Arts, vol. V. Page 73. Mr. Mathew used a press with a lever, the bottom madewith stout deal or oak timber, fit for the purpose, raised with strongfeet a convenient distance from the ground, so as to admit the beer torun off into whatever is prepared to receive it; into the back of it islet a strong piece of timber, or any other fit material, to secure oneend of the lever, the top of which should work on an iron bolt or pin;when the lever is thus prepared, get your yest into hair-cloth bags, or, if not conveniently had, into coarse canvas bags; when filled, tiethem securely at the mouth, and place one bag at a time in a trough ofa proper size with a false bottom full of holes, on this bottom shouldbe placed an oblong perforated shape, about the form of a brick mould;in this oblong shape or box, without either bottom or top, is placedthe bag containing the yest, on which the press is let down, andgradually forced, as the beer exudes, or gradually runs off; when nomore liquid runs from the shape, the press is taken off, and the bagopened, its contents taken out, which will crumble to pieces; in thisstate it should be thinly spread on canvass, previously stretched inframes, which will permit the heated air of the kiln to pass through itin all directions, and thus gradually finish the process to perfectdryness, which will be completely effected by ninety degrees of heat:at the commencement of the drying, it would be proper to pass the edgeof a board over each frame, in order to reduce the lumps of yest, andthereby make them as small as possible. When completely dry, put itinto tight casks or bottles so as to exclude air and moisture: thussecured, it will preserve good as long as wanted in any climate, and befound a valuable article of domestic economy, as well as medicine. Whento be used, the necessary quantity should be dissolved in a little warmwater, at the temperature of from eighty to ninety degrees of heat, with the addition of a proportionate quantity of sugar; the addition ofsugar is only recommended when used to raise bread, but not when givenas medicine; in the opinions of several intelligent men, this isconsidered the simplest and most effectual method of preserving yest, and, as such, is hereby strongly recommended. 

_To make a substitute for Brewer's Yest. _

Take six pounds of ground malt, and three gallons of boiling water, mash them together well, cover the mixture, and let it stand threehours, then draw off the liquor, and put two pounds of brown sugar toeach gallon, stirring it well till the sugar is dissolved, then put itin a cask just large enough to contain it, covering the bung hole withbrown paper; keep this cask in a temperature of ninety-eight degrees. Prepare the same quantity of malt and boiling water as before, butwithout sugar, then mix all together, and add one quart of yest; letyour cask stand open for forty-eight hours, and it will be fit for use. The quart of yest should not be added to these two extracts at a higherheat than eighty degrees. 

_Another method to make twenty-six gallons of the substitute. _

Put twenty-six ounces of hops to as many gallons of water, boil it fortwo hours, or until you reduce the liquor to sixteen gallons; add maltand sugar in the proportion before mentioned, and mash your malt at theheat of one hundred and ninety degrees; let it stand two hours and ahalf, then strain it off, and add to the malt ten gallons more of waterat the same degree of heat, and mash a second time; let it stand twohours, then strain it off as before; when your first mash is bloodheat, or ninety-eight, put to it one gallon of the precedingsubstitute, mix it well, and let it stand ten hours; then take theproduce of the second mash, and add it, at ninety-eight, to the rest, mix it well, and let it stand six hours, it will be then fit for use inthe same manner, and for the same purposes as brewer's yest is applied;the advantages alleged in favour of this method are, that it will keepsweet and good longer than brewer's yest, and in any reason ortemperature be fit for use. 

_Brewer's Yest. _

May be generated in the following way: Take one pound of leaven, madewith wheaten flour, such as the French generally use to raise theirbread, dilute the pound of leaven with water or wort, the latter tochoose at ninety degrees of heat, add it to your wort at the heat ofsixty-five, supposing your barrel to be filled with wort at this heat;then add your leaven, diluted as mentioned, until your cask be full; toeffect which, with less waste and more certainty, it may be better toput into your barrel the diluted leaven first, then fill up with wortat the temperature mentioned; after a day or two the beer will begin towork out yest, and will serve as a ferment for another brewing; thus, after three or four brewings, your yest will become so improved that itwill be nearly equal to any brewer's yest, and the experiment incertain situations is well worth trying, when a proper ferment iswanted and cannot be otherwise procured. 

_Process for making and preparing Claret Wine for shipping; withoutwhich preparation such wines are considered unfit for exportation, being in its natural state about the strength of our common Cider. _

Claret wine, before the French revolution, was the staple article ofexport from the great commercial City of Bordeaux, to every part ofEurope. And, it may be presumed, will soon again reassume its wantedimportance. The vintage generally begins, for making this sort of wine, about the middle or latter end of September, and is generally finishedin all the month of October. The mode by which the juice is expressedfrom the grape, is by the workmen trampling them with their bare feet ina large reservoir or cooler, (not the cleanest operation in the world, )which has an inclination to the point where the spout or spouts areplaced for taking off the expressed juice, which is conveyed to largeopen vats, that are thus filled with this juice to within ten or twelveinches of the upper edge; this space is left to make room for thefermentation, which spontaneously takes place in this liquor. After thefirst fermentation is over, and the wine begins to purify itself, whichis ascertained by means of a small cock placed in the side of the vat, and takes place generally by the middle of February, or beginning ofMarch, in the following year; it is then racked off into hogsheads, carefully cleansed, and a match of sulphur burned in each cask beforefilling; when thus racked off, it is bunged up, and immediately boughtup by brokers for the Bordeaux merchants, and here it is made to undergothe second or finishing fermentation, in the following manner: It may beproper here to remark, that claret wine is generally divided into threegrowths, first, second, and third; the first growths, namely, Latour, Lafeet, and Chateaux Margo, are uniformly rented for a term of years, ata given price, to English merchants, through whom, or their agents_only_ is there a possibility of procuring any portion of this wine. Thesecond growths are shipped to the different markets of Europe, North andSouth America; and the third growth principally to Holland and Hamburgh. In order to strengthen the natural body of claret wine, and to render itcapable of bearing the transition of the sea, the first and secondgrowths are allowed from ten to fifteen gallons of good Alicant wine toevery hogshead, with one quart of stum. [8] The casks are then filled upand bunged down. They are then ranged three tier high from one end ofthe cellar to the other, each tier about eighteen inches, with twostanchions of stout pine plank, firmly placed between the heads of eachhogshead, from one end of the cellar to the other, until they havereached, and are supported by, the end walls of the building. Thisprecaution is necessary to guard against the force of fermentation, which is often so strong as to burst out the heads of the hogsheads, notwithstanding the precautions taken to secure them in the situationduring the summer heats. The wine cooper, who has the charge of thesewines, regularly visits them twice a day, morning and evening, in orderto see the condition of the casks, and when he finds the fermentationtoo strong, he gives vent, and thus prevents the bursting of the casks. The third, or inferior growth, is exactly treated in same way, with thesingle exception of having Benicarlo wine substituted for Alicant inpreparing them for their second fermentation, as cheaper and bettersuited to their quality; both these wines are of Spanish growth, andbrought to Bordeaux by the canal of Languedoc: they are naturally of amuch stronger body than native claret. Thus mixed and fermented, theclaret becomes fortified, and rendered capable of bearing the transitionof seas and climates. About the latter end of September, or beginning ofOctober, the fermentation of these wines begins to slacken, and theygradually become fine; in this state they are racked off into freshhogsheads carefully cleansed, and a match of sulphur burned in eachbefore filling. After this operation, they are suffered to remainundisturbed (save that they are occasionally ullaged, ) till about to beshipped, when they are racked off a second time, and fined down with thewhite of ten eggs to each hogshead; these whites are well beat uptogether with a small handful of white salt; after this fining, whenrested, the hogsheads are filled up again with pure wine, and thencarefully bunged down with wooden bungs, surrounded with clean linen toprevent leaking; in this state the wines are immediately shipped. Hereit may be proper to state, that the lees that remain on the differenthogsheads that have been racked off, are collected and put into pipes ofone hundred and forty, or one hundred and fifty gallons each, and thislee wine, as it is termed, is fined down again with a proportionatenumber of eggs and salt. After which, it is generally shipped off asthird growth, or used at table mixed with water. If at any timehereafter the method herein given of making and preparing claret winefor shipping, as practised in Bordeaux and its neighbourhood, shouldbe applied to the red wines of this country, particularly those ofKaskaskias; it may be proper here to give a description of the mode inwhich these wines are racked, which will be found simple, effectual, andexpeditious; I mean for the lower or ground tiers. The upper, or moreelevated ones, rack themselves, without coercion of any kind. When youare about to rack a hogshead of wine upon the ground tier, you placeyour empty hogshead close to the full one, in which you then put yourbrass racking cock; on the nozzle of which cock you tie on a leatherhose, which is generally from three to four feet long; on the otherend of this hose is a brass pipe, the size of the tap hole, with aprojecting shoulder towards the hose to facilitate knocking in this pipeinto the empty hogshead, which is then removed a sufficient distancefrom the full hogshead in order to stretch the hose, now communicatingwith both. The cock is then turned, and the wine soon finds its level inthe empty hogshead; then a large sized bellows, with an angular nozzle, and sharp iron feet towards the handle, which feet are forced down intothe hoops of the cask on which it rests, in order to keep this bellowsstationary, whilst the nozzle is hammered in tight at the bung hole ofthe racking hogshead; the bellows is then worked by one man, and inabout five minutes the racking of the hogshead is completed. Thepressure of the air introduced into the hogshead, by the bellows, actsso forcibly on the surface of the liquor, that it requires but a fewminutes to finish the operation; when the cock is stopped, the hosetaken off, and a new operation commences. This mode may possibly, insome cases, be advantageously applied to racking off beer, ale, andcider. 

 [8] Stum is a certain quantity of white wine, strongly impregnated with sulphur. The mode of preparing it is as follows: A hogshead half filled with good white wine, or what is termed in French _vin de grave_; from fifteen to twenty long matches of sulphur are successively burned to this hogshead, with the bunghole closed. After this operation, the white wine becomes so impregnated with sulphur, that it has acquired all its taste and flavour, and is thus used as a ferment. 

_Brewing Company. _

It is obvious to very slight observation, that the day is not distantwhen the brewing trade in this country will, as in England, become anobject of great national importance, highly deserving the protectionand encouragement of our general government, by freeing its producefrom all duty, and thereby affording further inducements to thespeculating and enterprising capitalists of this country to embarktheir funds in a trade that, above all others, is the best calculatedto make them a sure and profitable return. In addition to the pleasingconsideration that they are thereby combating and putting down thegreatest immorality our country is chargeable with, namely, the toogreat use of ardent spirits, substituting in their place a wholesomeand invigorating beverage. The person, therefore, whoever he may be, who contributes his money, or his talents, to this useful and moralpurpose, deserves to rank high among the best friends of his country. 

Under these impressions it is that I beg leave to recommend to myfellow citizens the immediate establishment of a brewing company, witha capital of from thirty to forty thousand dollars, to be subscribedfor in shares the most likely to be made up. With either of these sumsa handsome beginning could be made, and the profits would in a fewyears encourage and justify enlargement to any prudent extent thatcould be reasonably wished for or required. In proof of the correctnessof this opinion, I will beg leave to state a fact that has happened inmy own time. When the mercantile house of Beamish & Crawford, of Cork, erected a porter brewery in that city, about twenty-five years ago, that establishment was the first of the kind in that town, and thenstood alone, and notwithstanding that many large and rich ones in thesame business have since been added, the original company have soprogressed in fame and fortune, as to be now considered one of thefirst-rate breweries in Europe; and by the improved quality of theirporter have, in a great degree, excluded the English from the WestIndia market, their porter getting the preference there, as well as inBristol and Liverpool, to which places large quantities are annuallysent by that company. How much stronger inducements have we to formsimilar establishments in this country, where our excise on breweryproduce bears no sort of proportion with that paid in England, and doesnot here exceed five per cent. On brewery sales. This being a war tax, it may be presumed it will not continue long. Our capacity to raisebarley and hops, in as high perfection as in any part of Europe, isacknowledged; all then that is wanting is encouragement; afford this toour farmers, and they will soon convince you that no assertion isbetter founded. If so, the sooner a company of this description isformed the better for those who may be concerned; and for this plainreason, that notwithstanding the enormous excise chargeable on the rawmaterials and produce of the brewery in England, large fortunes havebeen, and are daily accumulating in that country by the judiciousexercise of the brewing trade, as will appear by the followingstatement of the quantity of porter alone (beside other malt liquors)brewed by the twelve first breweries in London, in one year, ending 5thof July, 1810. 

 _Barrels of Porter. _ Barclay, Perkins & Co. 235, 053 Read, Mecar & Co. 211, 009 Trueman & Hanbury. 144, 990 Felix, Calvert & Co. 133, 493 Whitebread & Co. 110, 939 Amery, Meux & Co. 93, 660 Combe & Co. 85, 150 Brown & Perry. 84, 475 Godwin, Skinner & Co. 74, 223 Elliot & Co. 57, 851 Taylor. 54, 510 Cloyer & Co. 41, 590 --------- Total quantity of Barrels of Porter, 1, 326, 943

 * * * * *

NOTICE. 

The author informs those persons who may feel disposed to engage inthe brewing and malting trades, that he can furnish them with groundplans, and sections of elevation, both of breweries and malt houses, on different scales, whether intended to be erected together, orseparately, as will be found to unite, economy, convenience, andeffect, joined to a considerable saving to those who are notthemselves judges of such erections, or how they should be disposed. An experience of twenty-five years in both businesses, accompanied bya diligent and attentive practice, justifies these assertions. 

His terms will be found reasonable, and all letters (post paid)addressed to Joseph Coppinger, 193 Duane-street, New-York, willreceive attention. 

A few copies of this work may be had by applying as above; but anynumber may be had at 45 John-street. 

TANNING. 

The following is the French mode of tanning all kinds of leather in ashort time, highly important to the manufacturers of leather in thiscountry, as it points out a secure and profitable mode of turning theircapital twelve or thirteen times in a year, instead of once. 

_Washing Hides. _

The best method of washing hides is to stretch them in a frame, andplace them, thus stretched, in running water. If running water cannotbe conveniently had, still water can be made to answer by frequentstirrings and agitations; the remainder of the operation of cleansingis performed as in the common way. 

_On taking off the Hair. _

Begin by shaking some lime in a pit, to which put a great quantity ofwater, then stir this water well, that it may become saturated with thelime, then place your hides in the pit perpendicularly; for thispurpose, several wooden poles should be fixed across the pit; to thesepoles the hides are to be fastened with strings at proper distances, each hide being first cut in two; whilst the hides were thus placed inthe lime water, the lime itself, which had deposited on the bottom ofthe pit, was frequently stirred up to increase the strength of thewater, and to make it more operative; the hair thus treated, will, inabout eight days, come off the hide with great ease. A shorter and abetter method may effect this purpose in two days; that is, to plungethe hides, after being washed and cleaned, into a solution of tan, which (having been already used) contains no longer any of the tanningprinciple, mixed with a five hundredth, or even a thousandth part ofthe oil of vitriol, commonly called sulphuric acid; this operation notonly takes off the hair, but raises and swells the hide; as, in the oldway, is generally effected by barley sourings. However, furtherswelling and raising is necessary, and the hides should again beplunged in another quantity of spent tan-water mixed with the onethousandth part of the oil of vitriol, and thus steeped a second time;their swelling and raising will be completed in about forty-eighthours; after this operation the hides will acquire a yellow colour, even to the interior part of their substance. To determine if theswelling and raising be sufficiently completed, let one of the cornersof the hide be cut, and if it is in a proper state there will notappear any white streak in the middle, but the hide throughout itswhole substance will have acquired a yellow colour, andsemi-transparent appearance. Mr. S---- is of opinion, that swelling andraising hides is not necessary, and that the hides tanned without thisoperation are less permeable to water. On tanning on the new principle, as practised by Mr. S----, he places several rows of casks on stillingssufficiently elevated above the ground to place a can or tub underthem; these casks were filled with fresh finely ground tan, then acertain quantity of water was poured into the first of them, whichwater, as it ran through the tan, exhausted and carried off the solublepart, and as fast as it ran into the vessels below, was taken away andpoured on the second cask, and so on successively until the solutionwas sufficiently saturated, and thus it may have been brought to ten ortwelve degrees of the arometer for salts. In order to exhaust the tanof the first cask, Mr. S---- continued pouring water on the first caskuntil it ran off clear; at which time the tan was deprived of itssoluble part; these liquors, as it may be easily conceived, werecarefully kept for future operations; large wooden vats are consideredthe best sort of vessels for holding this solution, as well as formaking and preparing it; hogsheads, on a small scale, may be made toanswer. It is particularly in the use of this solution that Mr. S----'smethod consists; the quickness with which the solution acts is trulyastonishing, and when we see it, there is cause of surprise in thinkingwhy it was not found out before. As soon as the hides are taken out ofthe water, impregnated with sulphuric acid, Mr. S---- puts them into aweak solution of tan, in which he leaves them for the space of one ortwo hours; he afterwards plunges them into other solutions of tan, moreor less charged with the tanning principle, in proportion to theirstrength, so that in the experiments at which we were present, someheavy hides were tanned in six or eight days, others in twenty andtwenty-five days. In placing the hides in the solutions, someprecautions are necessary; the hides should be suspended on a wheel, orin a frame where they should be stretched, and placed one inch apart, so as to admit the solution freely about them; Mr. S---- recommendscutting off the head and the neck of the hide, and a slip down eachside, in which slip the feet and belly part are to be comprehended; andthe circumstance which determines Mr. S---- to cut the hide in thismanner is, that the feet, and the parts that are near the belly, aremore spongy and more easily penetrated by the tan; and as they produceleather of an inferior quality they may be more advantageously tannedseparately, than put promiscuously into the solutions of tan with therest. The remaining part of the hide is to be divided into two or moreparts or pieces, so as to be easily placed in the vats or casks. 

_Drying the Hides. _

The hides, when taken out of the solution of tan, must be dried withthe usual precautions, that is to say, so slowly, that the skin doesnot shrink on the flesh side. With respect to thinner hides, for theupper leather of shoes, Mr. S---- begins by washing and taking off theflesh in the manner already described, or, as is done in the common wayfor strong soal leather; he then takes off the hair by means of clearlime-water; he does not make them undergo the operation of swelling, but puts them immediately into weak solutions of tan, the strength ofwhich he gradually increases, but without ever bringing it to thedegree of contraction, which he gives it when it is to be used intanning thick leather; two, three, or four days, are enough for tanningthe thinner kind of leather. Leather which is not sufficientlyimpregnated with the tanning principle, is generally known by a whitespeck or streak, which is observable in the middle of its substance. Wecan affirm that those hides which were tanned in our presence, in a fewdays, were completely tanned, as the above mentioned white streak wasnot perceivable; we may also add, that Mr. S----'s method has theadvantage of affording the opportunity of observing and examining, fromtime to time, the progress of the operation; for this purpose nothingmore is necessary but to take a slip off the hide out of the vat, andcut off a corner of it, the white streak already spoken of will appearmore or less thick, until the tanning is completed; it has beengenerally supposed, that the tan in the tanpits had no other effectupon the leather than that of hardening and bracing the fibres of theskin, which has been relaxed by the preliminary of tanning. Mr. S----, however, examined the operation more closely, and discovered that thereexisted in the tan a principle which was soluble in water, by which thetanning was brought about. That this principle afterwards became fixedin the leather in consequence of a particular combination between thesaid principle and the skin; and this combination produced a substancethat was not soluble in water; all this has been demonstrated by Mr. S----, in the most evident manner. It is well known that if leather, which has not been tanned, is boiled in water, it is in a short timealmost entirely dissolved therein. This solution, by beingconcentrated, produces a jelly, or size, which, by farther evaporation, and being dried in the air, becomes what is called glue. Mr. S----having, in the course of his experiments, examined the effects of asolution of tan upon a solution of glue, observed that they were hardlymixed together before a white felamentous precipitate took place, owingto a combination of the glue with the tanning principle contained inthe solution of tan. This precipitate is insoluble in water, either hotor cold, and acquires colour by being exposed to the light. Theforegoing experiment furnishes a true explanation of the process oftanning; for it will easily be conceived that the solution of tan actsupon the hides (from which glue is produced) in the same manner as itacts upon glue; this is what really happens in common tanpits, and Mr. S----'s new method, in which the solution of tan gradually penetratesthe hides, and as it penetrates combines with it, producing a gradualchange of colour that is very observable, till at last the colour ofthe hide is changed throughout, and it acquires a compact texture andmarbled appearance, like that of a nutmeg: by this it plainly appears, that a precipitation also takes place in the action of tanning, although the hide is not dissolved, but merely swelled so as to enablethe solution to penetrate it more easily. The property which animaljelly, or glue, possesses, of being precipitated by a solution of thetanning principle, furnishes a means of discovering what substances maybe useful in tanning: nothing more is necessary than to make a solutionor infusion of the vegetable substance supposed proper for thatpurpose, and that upon being mixed with a solution of glue, will showby the greater or less quantity of precipitate produced, whatprobability there is that such substance might be advantageouslyemployed in tanning. 

_Another Remark. _

Lime-water also offers an excellent means of discovering suchsubstances. If lime-water be added to a solution of tan, the mixtureinstantly produces a copious precipitate; and if a sufficient quantityof lime-water be added to neutralize the whole of the tanningprinciple, then the supernatant liquor, although still possessingcolour, will not form any precipitate with glue; I mean in solution. Inlike manner the liquor separated from a precipitation, caused by themixture of a solution of tan with one of glue, will not produce anyprecipitate with lime-water, if, during the precipitation, the tanningprinciple has been completely neutralized. This shows evidently thatDoctor M'Bride's method of exhausting the tan by means of lime-water isdefective, and that by so doing a loss of the tanning principle takesplace, in proportion to the quantity of it contained or combined withthe lime dissolved in the lime-water. 

_Another Remark. _

As in summer the solution of tan is disposed to run into the vinousfermentation, and, of course, from that into the acetous, and have itsprincipal changed, no more of the solution of tan should be prepared inthe summer season than is wanted for immediate use. In winter, thisprecaution in not necessary, as in that season it will keep, and may bethen prepared for exportation to any part of Europe and thus convertedinto a profitable article of commerce. 

_A table showing the time different hides took to be completed, inthe operations of preparing and tanning. _

Ten ox hides, taken the 17th of August, were completely tanned by the6th of September, in all, twenty days. 

Washing the hides, 2 days. Taking off the hair, 5 do. Raising or swelling, 5 do. Second washing, 2 do. Tanning, (properly so called, ) 6 do. --------- 20 days. 

Ten ox hides, taken the 19th of July, were tanned the 9th of August, making twenty-one days. 

Washing, 2 days. Taking off the hair, 10 do. Swelling, 1 do. Tanning, 8 do. --------- 21 days. 

One ox hide, taken the 3d of September, was tanned the 2d of October, making twenty-nine days. 

Washing, 1 day. Taking off the hair and swelling, 3 do. Tanning, 25 do. --------- 29 days. 

Another ox hide, taken the 5th of September, was tanned the 3d ofOctober, making twenty-eight days. 

Washing, 1 day. Taking off the hair and swelling, 2 do. Tanning, 25 do. --------- 28 days. 

N. B. The tanning solutions made use of to these hides was less strong, and of a cooler temperature than usual, by which the time employed inthe tanning operation was prolonged. 

_Calf Skins. _

Sixteen very thick calf skins, taken the 18th of July, were tanned bythe 31st of the same month. 

Washing, 1 day. Taking off the hair, 8 do. Tanning, 4 do. --------- 13 days. ---------

Six calf skins, taken the 19th of July, were tanned the 2d of August, making fourteen days. 

Washing, 2 days. Taking off the hair, 9 do. Tanning, 3 do. --------- 14 days. ---------

Six dried calf skins, began the 14th of August, were tanned the 28thof August. 

Washing, 2 days. Taking off the hair and swelling, 11 do. Tanning, 1 do. --------- 14 days. ---------

Six calf skins, began the 20th of August, were finished the 10th ofSeptember. 

Taking off the hair and washing, 20 days. Tanning, (properly so called, ) 1 do. --------- 21 days. ---------

Three calf skins were brought from another tan-yard, the operation oftanning had been begun upon them, they having been thirteen days inthe tanpit, in which it was intended they should have remained elevenmonths, (which was the usual time allowed such skins in the old way oftanning;) two of these skins were tanned in twenty-four hours, thethird was tanned in forty-eight hours. 

Six other calf skins took thirteen days. 

Washing and taking off the hair, 6 days. Tanning, 7 do. --------- 13 days. ---------

_Three salted Cow Hides_, Began the 14th of August, were finished the 12th of September. 

Washing and taking off the hair, 20 days. Tanning, 9 do. --------- 29 days. ---------

_One fresh Horse Hide_, Began the 30th of August, was finished the 13th of September. 

Washing, 1 day. Taking off the hair, 6 do. Tanning, 7 do. --------- 14 days. ---------

_Another fresh Horse Hide_, Began the 4th of September, was finished the 19th of September. 

Washing, 1 day. Taking off the hair, 7 do. Tanning, 7 do. --------- 15 days. ---------

_Two dried Sheep Skins_, Began the 14th of August, were finished the 12th of September. 

Washing and taking off the wool, 25 days. Tanning, 4 do. --------- 29 days. ---------

_Three Goat Skins_, Began the 16th of August, were finished the 10th of September. 

Washing and taking off the hair, 23 days. Tanning, 2 do. --------- 25 days. ---------

_Five Goat Skins_, Began the 19th of August, were finished the 10th of September. 

Washing and taking off the hair, 20 days. Tanning, 2 do. --------- 22 days. ---------

THE END