Brewing. The art of brewing is simply and easily understood, cleanliness and attention being the principal points to be considered. It consists of five operations, namely: mashing, boiling, cooling, fermenting, and cleaning. The first process is simply to obtain an infusion of the malt. In the second, this infusion of malt is further impregnated with the flavor of the hops in the boiling, which is requisite for the preservation of the beer. In the third, this decoction or infusion is cooled down to the necessary heat for fermentation, which is excited with yeast, and which fills it with carbonic gas, giving to the liquor that pungent taste for which it is esteemed. After this it is fined, or cleansed, to render it fit for drinking.

857. Brewing Utensils

857.    Brewing Utensils. These utensils in a small way (say for a hogshead, or 54 gallons of beer), will consist of a copper capable of containing about 70 gallons; and if the brick edge at the top is made sloping, and covered with lead, it will prevent any waste of the wort in the boiling. A mash tub, with a false bottom about 3 inches above the other bottom, bored full of small holes, to prevent the malt stopping up the hole of the faucet. In many cases, for the sake of economy, an old worn-out birch-broom is cleaned and fastened before the hole of the faucet; and others again have two pieces of wood nailed together, and bored full of holes, which is fitted to the side of the tub, so as to cover the hole of the faucet. Any one of these contrivances is to prevent the malt or grains from flowing out with the wort, which would spoil its transparency. The tub must be sufficiently large to hold 10 or 12 bushels of malt, with plenty of room for mashing or stirring. An underback, to receive the wort from the mash tub. An oar, or rudder, to stir up the malt in the mash tub. Two or three coolers. These should be broad and flat, that the wort may cool quickly; for if the wort is too long cooling, it is likely to become sour in the coolers. These should also be raised a little at one end, that the wort may be run off at the lower end without being disturbed or shaken, and also that the sediment which falls down may not be again mixed with the wort. A fermenting tun. The mash-tub, when emptied of the grains, will also serve for this purpose. Casks, and oak stands for the casks and tubs to be placed on. The whole of these articles should be of a suitable size with the copper, which the cooper will always regulate, or in proportion to the quantity intended to be brewed.

858. Mashing

858.    Mashing. The purpose of mashing is to convert as much of the flour of the malt as possible into sugar, so that the extract drawn from it may contain the greatest amount of saccharine matter which it is capable of giving. To accomplish this perfectly will depend upon many contingencies - the heat of the water used in mashing, its quality, whether hard or soft, the most perfect mixing of the malt with the water, and the time of their remaining together. High-dried malt does not produce so much saccharine matter as pale malt. On the proper temperature of the liquor used will depend the goodness, flavor, and clearness of the extract drawn. "When too high, or near the boiling point, the flour of the malt will be set, forming a kind of paste or starch, and the extract obtained will be little better than water. The surface of the grains after the mashing process is concluded will be covered with specks of white meal. The same appearance also shows itself when unmalted corn has been mixed with the malt. If the temperature be too low, the wort will be poor and devoid of strength, because the heat of the water is not sufficient to convert the flour of the malt into sugar, or to extract the saccharine matter from it. For pale malt the heat of the water must be higher than for brown, and so much the lower in proportion as the malt is browner. Thus, for the pale malt, the heat of the water for the first mash should be 178° Fahr.; for the second, 182°. Pale and amber mixed, or pale malt approaching to amber, 172° for the first mash; second, 178°. All amber, the first 170°; second, 176°. For very brown, or brown malt, such as is used for porter, 154° for the first; second, 164°. When hard water is used, the heat in each case should be about 2° less. An equal portion of pale, amber, and brown, or half pale and half brown - first heat, 160°; second, 166°. The time for the standing of the mash is from an hour and a half to two hours. In the summer months the mash should not stand so long by a quarter of an hour as it does in the winter. Heat the water in the copper to the required degree by Fahrenheit's thermometer. In taking the heat in the copper, if it is too hot, add cold liquor to bring it to the desired degree; but be careful to stir the hot and cold well together and mix it intimately, because the cold water, being heavier than the hot, sinks to the bottom. The heat of the water being now reduced to the proper degree in the tun, the malt must be stirred in gradually. It is best for one person to throw it in whilst another mixes it well and thoroughly by means of the oar, so that there may be no lumps or clots of malt left in it. The remainder of the water should be added by degrees, as the mash becomes too stiff to stir, until the whole is used. Reserve about 1/2 bushel of the malt to throw over the top when the mashing is finished. Cover the top of the tun with malt-sacks or cloths, to keep in the heat, and let it stand the. required time. Turn the tap partially, to allow the wort to run out slowly, and draw off some in a pail or bucket. As the first running will not be clear, it must be put gently back into the tun; and if the second running is not sufficiently clear, turn the tap again, and let it remain a few minutes before drawing it off; then turn the tap partially as before, and draw it off into the underback, which must be placed underneath to receive it. As the wort runs out more slowly, the tap must be turned more fully, until the whole is nearly run out, and the bed of the grains looks dry; then turn the tap, to prevent any more running off. "While the mash is standing, the copper should be again filled with water, and heated to the required degree for the second mash; this should be ready by the time the first wort is drawn off; then, with a bowl or ladle, pour over the top of the grains, as gently as possible, about half as much water as for the first; cover the mash-tun, let it remain about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, and draw it off as before, pouring back the first running until it is fine. The wort from the first mashing is always the best and richest in saccharine or sweet matter. The proportion of wort to be obtained from each bushel of malt depends entirely on the proposed strength of the liquor required. To ale or beer of a superior kind the produce only of the first mashing should be used. For ordinary or usual drinking ale, take the produce of the first and second mashings, mix them well, and ascertain the gravity by a saccharometer. This is an instrument used by brewers for ascertaining the strength of wort; it is similar in principle to the hydrometer, but its scale denotes the pounds per barrel m excess of the weight of a barrel of water. The barrel or 36 gallons of water weighs 360 pounds; and, in examining a quantity of wort, if the saccharometer marks 60, it means that a barrel (36 gallons) of the wort would weigh 60 pounds more than a barrel of water, or 420 pounds. It is a sort of specific gravity, in which 360 is the unit instead of 1000; from which it can be seen that a saccharometer gravity of 420, as compared with 360, would be the same as 11662/3 true specific gravity as compared with 1000. Some brewers express the strength of their wort by the whole weight of a barrel, others use only the excess of weight; thus, in the example above, some would call it wort of 420 pounds, others would say 60 pounds; either way is plain; the figures showing which plan is adopted. The usual limit for ale or beer is from 50 to 60 pounds, and for a very strong ale from 90 to 120 pounds per barrel. That made at the first gravity will be a brisk, lively and sparkling drink; but the last will be more heavy and glutinous, and can only be imperfectly fermented.