A Practical Treatise on Brewing/Pale Ale
PALE ALE.
The best Malt for Pale Ale.
Brilliancy and paleness of colour are the great desiderata with the public, in all high-priced ales. To have the desired paleness, the brewer is obliged to look out for the palest malt, and is often induced to buy such as has not been thoroughly dried on the kiln; or, if a malster himself, to take it off his kiln before the moisture has been thoroughly evaporated. If malt of this description be used in brewing, it will invariably be found to produce more acidity in the worts than when it has been thoroughly dried or well-cured. Indeed, the technical terms of well or ill-cured malt imply as much. To prove this it is only necessary to test the different worts with litmus paper, when running from the mash-tun. It will then be found that the worts running from the uncured malt, will tinge the paper of a brighter red than those running from the thoroughly dried malt; thus proving that there is more acid in the former than in the latter.
There can be no doubt, therefore, that the ale brewed from slack-dried malt (technically so called) will be much more apt to become acid than when brewed from that which is thoroughly dried or cured. Indeed, the double flavour of sweet and sour is often perceptible in the stronger ales, in a very short time, when they have been brewed with slack-dried malt, or with malt which has been allowed to imbibe moisture.
We trust enough has been said upon this subject to induce all brewers to be particularly careful, when selecting their malt, to avoid such as has not been thoroughly dried. After such malt has been chewed in the mouth, and squeezed between the thumb and finger, a rawness in the smell is quite perceptible, which is never the case with that which has been well cured. All such malt ought to be re-dried on a kiln until all moisture is expelled.
Hops for Pale Ale.
When brewing ales intended for long keeping or warm climates, it is perhaps necessary to be very careful in the selection of hops. The best East Kents, or North Clays, are considered as having the most preservative quality, being stronger than others. Many are in the practice of selecting the palest that can be procured, merely on account of their colour.
On the same principle, however, as with regard to malt, we recommend those of a fine straw-colour, as having attained greater maturity before being picked; and also as being better cured or dried upon the kiln.
Pale green hops are subject to the same exceptions as slack-dried malt, and may possibly to a certain extent be equally objectionable. For running beers, meaning those for immediate use, we have always found that fine Sussex or Worcester hops were equally good as the stronger Kents, if not, indeed, preferable to them.
The best Sussex hops, however, are so much improved of late, that they now nearly resemble the Weald of Kent: indeed it would be very difficult to discriminate between them; and we should as readily use the one as the other. Many are in the practice of using only yearling or older hops, or at least the greater proportion of such, in ales for immediate use, having an idea that the ales get sooner bright, and are less bitter. This is a mistake, as we have very often proved. The bitter complained of proceeds from the ale being yeast-bitten, or partially so; but the ale, if sound, will become bright equally as soon with the one as the other.
The increasing attention now beginning to be paid by the planter to the growth of the male or wild hop, and also having them more numerously distributed in the hop-ground, will rapidly increase the productiveness of the female or common hop which the brewers use, and also improve the quality of the plant.