The Practical Distiller by Samuel McHarry (best classic books of all time .txt) 📖

Some likewise hang a small bag of bruised spices in the vessel.

Take Roman wormwood two dozen, gentian-root six pounds; calamus aromatics (or the sweet flag root) two pounds; a pound or two of the galen gale-root; horse radish one bunch; orange peal dried, and juniper berries, each two pounds; seeds or kernels of Seville oranges cleaned and dried, two pounds.

These being cut and bruised, put them into a clean butt, and start your mild brown, or pale beer upon them, so as to fill up the vessel, about the beginning of November, and let it stand till the next season; and make it thus annually.

To a barrel of beer take two bushels of wheat just cracked in the mill, and some of the flour sifted out of it; when your water is scalding hot, put it into your mash-vat, there let it stand till you can see your face in it; then put your malt upon that, and do not stir it; let it stand two hours and an half; then let it run into a tub that has two pounds of hops in it, and a handful of rosemary flowers; and when it is all run, put it into the copper, and boil it two hours; then strain it off, setting it a cooling very thin, and setting it a working very cool; clear it very well before you put it a working; put a little yeast to it; when the yeast begins to fall, put it into your vessel, put in a pint of whole grain, and six eggs, then stop it; Let it stand a year, and then bottle it.

A good table-beer may be made, by mashing again, after the preceding is drawn off; then let it stand two hours, and let that run, and mash again, and stir it as before; be sure to cover your mashing-vat well; mix the first and second running together.

To six gallons of ale, take a quarter of a pound or more of China root, thin sliced, and a quarter of a pound of coriander seeds, bruised—hang these in a tiffany, or coarse linen bag, in the vessel, till it has done working; and let it stand fourteen days before you bottle.

To do this to the advantage of health, put to every quart of ale, or other liquor, 10 or 12 drops of the true spirit of salt, and let them be well mixed together, which they will soon do it by the subtile spirits penetrating into all parts, and have proper effect.

Scrape fine chalk a pound, or as the quantity of liquor requires, more; put it into a thin bag into the ale.

If any liquor be pricked or fading, put to it a little syrup of clay, and let it ferment with a little barm, which will recover it; and when it is well settled, bottle it up, put in a clove or two, with a lump of loaf sugar.

You must have firm corks, boiled in wort, or grounds of beer; fill within an inch of the cork's reach, and beat it in with a mallet; then, with a small brass wire, bind the neck of the bottle, bring up the ends, and twist them over with a pair of pincers.

Take five strike of malt not ground too small; put in some boiling water, to cover the bottom of your mashing-vat before you put in your malt; mash it with more boiling water, putting in your malt at several times, that it may be sure to be all wet alike; cover it with a peck of wheat bran, then let it stand thus mashed four hours, then draw off three gallons of wort, and pour it upon that you have mashed, so let it stand half an hour more, till it runs clear, then draw of all that will run, and take two quarts of it to begin to work up with the barm, which must be about a pint and a half—put in the two quarts of wort at three times to the barm; you need not stir it till you begin to put in the boiled wort.

You will not have enough to fill your vessel at first; wherefore you must pour on more boiling water, immediately after the other has done running, till you have enough to fill a quarter of a hogshead, and then pour on water for a hogshead of beer.

As soon as the ale wort has run off, put a third part into the boiler—when it boils up, take off the scum, which you may put upon the grains for the small beer—when it is skimmed, put in a pound and an half of hops, having first sifted out the seeds, then put in all the wort, and let it boil two hours and an half, afterwards strain into two coolers, and let it stand to cool and settle, then put it to cool a little at a time, to the barm, and two quarts of wort, and beat it well together: every time you put the wort in, be sure you keep the settling out.

Suppose you brew early on Thursday morning, you may tun it at 9 or 10 on Saturday morning.

Do not fill your vessel quite full, but keep about three gallons to put in, when it has worked 24 hours, which will make it work again.

As soon as it hath done working, stop it up, put the drink as cool as you can together; thus it will work well.

Boil two quarts of water, put into it one pound of treacle or molasses, stir them together till they are well mixed; then put six or eight quarts of cold water to it, and about a tea cup full of yeast or barm, put it up in a clean cask or stein, cover it over with a coarse cloth, two or three times double, it will be fit to drink in two or three days.

The second and third time of making, the bottom of the first beer will do instead of yeast.

If you make a large quantity, or intend it for keeping, you must put in a handful of hops and another of malt, for it to feed on, and when done working, stop it up close.

The above is the best and cheapest way of making treacle beer, tho' some people add raisins, bran, wormwood, spices, such fruit, &c. as are in season, but that is just as you fancy.

Indeed many pleasant, cheap, and wholesome drinks may be made from fruits, &c. if they are bruised and boiled in water, before the treacle is added.

The plan of manufacturing domestic wines, mead and small beer, once established and understood in a family, becomes easy—is considered a duty—and the females prepare as regularly for renewing them, as for baking, and doing every other branch of business. Many families amidst plenty of ingredients and means, rarely have a comfortable beverage under their roof—this is attributable to indolence, stupidity and want of knowledge.—A little well timed, planning and system, with little more than usual labour, by the intelligent housewife, will cause comfort and plenty to reign throughout, and prove a fine and salutary example to society. Besides, the pleasure a lady derives from presenting a glass of good wine, in a nice clean glass to her welcome visitants, will always amply compensate for the trouble of manufacturing, and preparing it; but when the more intelligent pass a handsome and well merited compliment on the neatness and quality of her fare—she derives happiness from her industry, and a degree of pleasure approaching to exquisite. She may be esteemed one "who hath used her active faculties for the benefit of her family and society, and not only deserves well of society, but of heaven, for the judicious and liberal exercise of the mind, that god-like intellect, among the finest gifts of the munificent creator of worlds." But of her, who sitteth still and inactive, and doth not exercise those intellectual powers, it may be said "she is of an estrayed soul," and "hath buried her talent." And neither merits the attention of society, or the grateful love of her husband and family—and throws herself on the mercy of her God for forgiveness, for her numerous omissions, in withholding the exercise of her active faculties—presuming the being or individual, who is capable of the neglect of one duty, is capable of neglecting all—and tho' some little appearance may be kept up, yet conviction is eternally in the eye of the great judge—and not to be evaded.

Thus then the laws of society, morality and religion, requiring the active exercise of our person and faculties—offering the finest and most inducing rewards, the words of our language are capable of describing, in the health afforded from exercise; the example, from which society is benefitted; the pleasure derived from the approbation of our neighbors, and a conscientiousness of having performed our duties here, and living by the exercise of a proper system of economy, in a constant state of independence, always in possession of the means of alleviating the condition of the indigent and unfortunate in society—and relieving the wants of our friends—and above all, the hope of eternal happiness in the approbation of heaven hereafter.