To avoid the prejudice which the public have general ly entertained against the introduction of any matters into the beer excepting malt and hops, some porter brewers have of late used a portion of their richest first wort instead of sugar for making the colouring. This is concentrated by boiling it in an iron pan, and is burnt in the same manner as the above. it has some slight advantage over the sugar, as the burning of the farinace ous matter contained in the wort gives it ari agreeable bitter. M. De Roche took out a patent, in 1809, for using the husks of the malt for colouring, by burning them to a coffee colour, and mixing them with the malt at the rate of 31 lb. to a quarter of malt ; or the water may be coloured before brewing, by infusing in it these roasted skins.
We have now gone through the whole process of brewing; and shall conclude this article by giving the proportions of materials, the heats, kc. for brewing three different kinds of beer. The remarks hitherto made are to be considered as generally and chiefly applicable to brewing on a large scale ; but to many of our readers who may be disposed to perform this operation for them selves, some directions may be serviceable. The same principles apply to both public and private brewers ; but, as the one mashes perhaps only one quarter of malt, while the other mashes 100 or 150 quarters in one tun, it follows, that the loss of heat in the mashing must be much less in the former case than the latter. In the proportion of hops, the brewer on a large scale has also the advantage. In this case the liquor (porter in parti cular) is not always intended for keeping any longer than the brewer can obtain a sale for it. Transparency is produced by precipitants, as before mentioned : he gives it colour by colouring, and flavour by mixing mild and stale beer. The private brewer, on the other hand, leaves the beer to fine itself by age, which is always spoken of as its greatest recommendation; and finings are never used but as a remedy. This is, indeed, the grand point on which the difference turns ; it is so great, that were the private brewer, in making beer to be kept, to follow the exact proportions which the other uses in draft beer, his beer could scarcely fail to become sour before it was fine and palatable, from hav ing such a scanty portion of hops.
Afethod of Brewing Porter.
This liquor is seldom brewed by private persons, and we hare not been able to obtain any correct observa tions upon the process in the small way. We have in
deed seen pamphlets which give receipts for porter, containing a number of heterogeneous ingredients, as treacle, liquorice root, Spanish liquorice, cocculus In cus, salt of tartar, ginger, lime, cinnamon, lintseed, Sac.
1\1' But as we are certain, from actual observations, that no such materials are used in any of the large porter brew eries which we have visited, and whose beer is esteem ed as good as any, we do not think it proper to mislead the public by such receipts: What follows on porter, therefore, is to be considered as applicable when not less than 50 quarters of malt are used.
The liquor for the first mash should be heated in the copper to 150°, in the proportion of two barrels to each quarter of malt, which is to be an equal mixture of pale, amber, and brown malts. These are mashed about three fourths of an hour ; the liquor is then allowed to stand on the goods an hour. The top of the mash tun is next opened, W let off the liquor as quick as possible ; and the top is to be left open till the next liquor is brought into the tun, that the goods may drain. During this the second liquor has been heating, and may, at two hours and three quarters, or three hours from the beginning, have acquired the heat of 160" ; the quantity being one barrel to a quarter of malt. Mash this half or three quarters of an hour ; let it stand one hour ; and then let it be run off in the course of half an hour more. At about five and one-half hours from the beginning, the third mash should be made at 180° ; the quantity being one barrel to the quarter. Mash this half an hour ; let it stand one hour ; and tap as before.
A fourth liquor is seldom mashed ; but if it is, it may be cold or blood-warm, as it is of no use but to make the sour beer for finings; and it is of little con sequence how it is done. Some brewers use it for the first liquor of the next brewing; but this is not per haps a good plan, as it often becomes foxed, and then it taints the whole brewing.
These worts are to be boiled with from 12 to 14 lb. of hops to the quarter of malt, if the liquor is intended for keeping eight or twelve months ; but, in the ordina ry run of porter not intended for keeping, 5 lb may be sufficient. The first wort should be boiled one hour, the second two hours, and the third four hours.