A Practical Treatise on Brewing

by William Black (fl. 1835)

A

PRACTICAL TREATISE

ON

BREWING,

BASED

ON CHEMICAL AND ECONOMICAL PRINCIPLES;

WITH

FORMULÆ FOR PUBLIC BREWERS,

AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR

Private Families.

BY WILLIAM BLACK,

PRACTICAL BREWER.

FOURTH EDITION.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR

LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1849.

London
Spottiswoodes and Shaw,
New-street-square

Dedication of the Third Edition.

TO

THOMAS GRAHAM, ESQ.,

PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY IN THE LONDON UNIVERSITY,

F. R. S., &c. &c.,

This Work is Dedicated,

AS A TESTIMONY OF

HIGH RESPECT FOR HIS PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES,

AND ESTEEM FOR HIS PRIVATE WORTH,

BY

HIS OBLIGED AND FAITHFUL FRIEND,

THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE

TO THE THIRD EDITION.

---

The success of two Editions of the Treatise on Brewing, has encouraged the Author to offer to the Public a Third Edition, carefully revised and corrected. A considerable quantity of important matter has also been added, which has had the benefit of being revised by Professor Graham, of the London University, whose eminence in the science of Chemistry is universally acknowledged. In no instance does the Author refer to the opinions of others: all the information which he communicates being derived entirely from his own practical experience, in all parts of the United Kingdom.

CONTENTS.

---

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

1

BREWING ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

7

WATER ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

7

As commonly met with in springs ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

8

Stagnant ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

9

Running ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

11

BARLEY

Different qualities described ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

12

Specific gravity ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

13

Temperatures at which germination is destroyed ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

13

Component parts of, and malt ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

15

Best for malting ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

16

MALTING.

Time allowed for wetting ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

17

How to work on floors ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

18

Drying ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

20

Best mode of drying ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

21

MALT.

How to select ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

22

Shipped malts ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

23

How to judge of quality ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

25

MALT—(continued)

Grinding ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

26

When necessary to be re-dried ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

27

Brown or blown malts ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

28

Roasted ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

29

ELECTRICITY.

Injurious effects of electro-chemical action on fermentation ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

30

Paper read to the British Association ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

31

Cases in point No.1 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

39

2 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

40

3 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

42

4 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

43

5 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

45

Letter to the Author ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

48

BREWERY.

Site of ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

49

Coppers, size of ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

50

Mash-tun, ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

51

Underback, ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

51

Coolers, size of and construction of ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

52

Fermenting tuns, ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

53

Of metals, such as are generally used ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

54

Saccharometer ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

56

MASHING.

Further remarks on ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

59

Best temperature for ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

59

No time to be lost ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

62

Use of hot or cold Water in last mashings ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

64

TAPS.

Produce of, according to barrels turned on the malt ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

66

BOILING.

Charring the worts by high pressure ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

71

Long or short boiling ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

71

COOLING.

On the tendency of worts to get tainted in the coolers: its causes and preventives ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

72

LENGTHS AND GRAVITIES.

How to calculate ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

78

RAW OR RETURN WORTS.

How best to be taken ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

81

REFRIGERATORS.

How to be considered ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

83

TUN ROOMS.

Regulators for gyle-tuns ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

85

Best description of, as recommended by the Author ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

85

YEAST.

Best mode of preserving ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

88

Best quantities to be used in Brewing ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

89

M. Turpin’s theory ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

92

Professor Liebeg’s refutation ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

93

Whether frequent changes of yeast are necessary or not in the brewery ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

95

Letter to the Author, by Mr. Baker ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

97

Ditto by Messrs. Nash ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

98

Ditto by Messrs. Holt ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

98

FERMENTATION.

Causes of Unsoundness ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

99

Litmus paper an useful test ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

101

Best temperatures for ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

102

Supposed cause of using over-high temperatures ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

102

Regular fermentation described ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

103

Irregular ditto ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

106

Inert     ditto ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

107

Boiling  ditto ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

108

Close   ditto ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

109

Long and short     ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

110

Skimming ditto ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

112

FERMENTATION—(continued)

Fretting ditto ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

113

Yeast-bitten ditto ditto ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

114

Acetous fermentation described ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

115

Distillers’ Wash ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

117

Further remarks ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

118

Best Malt for Pale Ale ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

120

Hops for Pale Ale ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

121

Summer Brewing ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

123

Winter Brewing ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

127

Best Mode of Promoting Fermentation when languid from cold ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

129

STOCK BEER.

Best season for Brewing ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

130

Slack dried or moist Malt hurtful ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

133

Want of Success from Locality ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

133

Drugs ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

136

Heading ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

138

Mixing or Marrying Beers ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

139

Storing and Keeping ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

141

On the Want of Uniformity in the Quality of Beer ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

144

Causes of Beer not keeping ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

147

FININGS.

Mode of Preparing ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

154

How to be used ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

155

Ropiness in Beer ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

157

Hop Dreg in Worts beneficial ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

158

Grey Beer ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

159

New Casks, how to Season ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

161

Musty Casks, How to Clean ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

163

General Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

164

APPENDIX.

Preliminary Remarks ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

162

FORMULÆ.

For a party gyle ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

175

Fermentation of the Best Ale ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

182

Second Ale ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

184

Further remarks on Boiling ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

187

One Copper Two Boilings ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

189

One Copper One Boiling ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

194

Ale of twenty-six pounds’ Gravity ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

194

Eight Bushels for Private Families ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

198

Saccharometer ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

207

Diastase ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

208

Spontaneous Fermentation ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

215

Reports concerning Beer sent to Calcutta ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

217

Observations on electricity ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

219

Atmospheric Electricity ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

232

Bavarian Beer ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

236

Caping on for Small Beer ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

244

Of the Colour of London Porter ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

246

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

248