864. Flavoring Beer

864.    Flavoring Beer. There are several simple and innoxious articles which can be used for this purpose by the private brewer-namely, Spanish liquorice, liquorice root, cardamom and caraway seeds, and dried orange peel powdered; these are very excellent when used judiciously. Honey is also an excellent assistant to beer and ale; about 2 pounds to a quarter (8 bushels) of malt being put into the copper just before the wort is turned out, or long enough to melt and incorporate with the mass. The same plan should be adopted with everything used for this purpose - that is, throwing it in when the wort is at the full boiling point, for then it will not fall to the bottom without mixing. When, however, Spanish liquorice is used, it will be necessary to tie it in a net bag and suspend it. Salt and ground ginger, or salt and any other spice, are excellent for cleansing beer.

865. Porter Brewing for Families

865.    Porter Brewing for Families. To make this beverage, three sorts of malt are required, namely: pale, brown, and blown malt. The peculiar flavor of this liquor is given by the brown and blown malt, and no other material or ingredient whatever is required different from other sorts of beer. The mixture of malt may be composed of half pale or amber, and half brown malt; or, take for a hogshead, 4 bushels of pale or amber malt, 2 of brown, and 14 pounds of patent blown malt, and 6 pounds of the best brown hops. These proportions will make excellent porter, but the following may be used for a second-rate quality :- 21/2 bushels of amber, 11/2 bushels of brown malt, and 4 pounds of hops, with sufficient burnt sugar (see No. 694 (To Make Caramel)) to give the desired color; or it may be brewed with all amber malt, using blown malt, or sugar coloring, instead of the brown malt. The water for mashing must be lower than for beer or ale, and be reduced to 164 or 166 degrees for the first mash, according to the instructions already laid down. All the processes are conducted the same as for beer or ale, with this exception, that blown malt is boiled with the wort in a copper, and the second malt, if boiled separate, should be boiled violently for 2 or 3 hours; and as there is generally but one quality of porter, the two kinds of wort are run together into the tun. 28 gallons of cold water may be run into the tun for table porter, which should be managed as table beer. If the color is not sufficiently high it may be heightened by using a pound of Spanish liquorice with the wort in the boiler, or by the addition of burnt sugar (Caramel, see No. 694.)

866. Hints on Fermentation

866.    Hints on Fermentation. The fermentation of beer or ale is a very important part of the process of brewing. The quantity of extract obtained from the malt depends greatly upon the heat of the water used for mashing, and on the mashing process being properly conducted; but whether that extract be rich or poor, the flavor of the beer or ale, and its ultimate success in the cellar, depends upon the wort being properly and sufficiently fermented in the tun and casks. Fermentation increases the heat and decreases the gravity of the wort, altering altogether its original character by a decomposition of its parts, or a conversion of its saccharine principle into alcohol, which gives to it that vinous pungency for which it is esteemed. If the fermentation is not carried far enough, the abundant sweet principle of the wort will not be sufficiently changed to give it the necessary vinous taste, and it will be sickly and cloying, deficient of strength, and liable to become ropy. "When the fermentation is carried too far in the tun, the vinous flavor is partly lost; and if still lower, the yeast becomes, as it were, fixed in it, from the ale or beer having lost its natural energy to throw it off, and it will have a flat, stale, and disagreeable taste. Fretting (see No. 757 (Sweating In and Fretting In Wine)) then ensues in the cask, and from being deficient of body it soon becomes sour, unless speedily drunk. All beer for keeping should be fermented in the tun to about one-fourth its original gravity, in a temperature of the gyle not exceeding 70 degrees. Lighter beer about one-third; but in no case should it be allowed to reach so far as one-half. In winter, the fermentation of weak beer must not be carried quite so far as in the summer, as more unfermented matter must be left to nourish it in the cask during the cold weather, which will counteract its ripening. Some allowance should also be made for the time the ale or beer is intended to be kept. Strong wort will bear a greater proportionate fermentation than weak wort, and consequently be stronger and more sparkling. Beer of this kind, intended to be kept, should be fermented so low as to ensure transparency and softness, with a proper degree of strength, for it will have time to bring itself round. Still, care must be taken to leave a sufficient quantity of unfermented matter for the supply of the gradual decomposition, the quantity left being proportionate to the time the beer is intended to be kept. Wort of 50 or 60 degrees gravity (see No. 858 (Mashing)) will keep well for 2 or 3 years, if reduced to two-fifths, or at least one-fourth. Ale is not fermented so much as beer, therefore a considerable portion of the saccharine matter still remains in the liquid, apparently unaltered. In conducting this process, both the thermometer and saccharo-meter must be the guide; - the last is indispensable. The results given by these should be carefully noted in a book kept for the purpose, with the heat of the atmosphere at the time the observations are made, which will serve as a guide for any future brewing. As soon as the head forms a brown, thick, yeasty appearance, and is inclined to fall, it must be immediately skimmed off. Particular attention must be paid to this point. It is at all times better to skim it before it begins to drop, than allow it to pass again through the beer, which will give it a rank, disagreeable taste, termed " yeast bitten;" neither will it fine well in the cask. After the head is skimmed off, a portion should then be taken out, tried by the saccharometer, and noted; and if it is not sufficiently fermented it should be roused well up, and skimmed every two hours until the required gravity is nearly attained, when it should be watched with the greatest attention, and cleansed with a little salt and bean-flour, and any other flavoring ingredient may then be added, such as ground ginger, cardamom, caraway seeds, etc., and well mixed with it immediately it is reduced to the desired point.