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18th Century Brewing

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THE LONDON and COUNTRY BREWER 1736

THE PREFACE.

The many Inhabitants of Cities and Towns, as well as Travellers, that have for a long time suffered great Prejudices from unwholsome and unpleasant Beers and Ales, by the badness of Malts, underboiling the Worts, mixing injurious Ingredients, the unskilfulness of the Brewer, and the great Expense that Families have been at in buying them clogg'd with a heavy Excise, has moved me to undertake the writing of this Treatise on Brewing, Wherein I have endeavour'd to set in sight the many advantages of Body and Purse that may arise from a due Knowledge and Management in Brewing Malt Liquors, which are of the greatest Importance, as they are in a considerable degree our Nourishment and the common Diluters of our Food; so that on their goodness depends very much the Health and Longevity of the Body.

This bad Economy in Brewing has brought on such a Disrepute, and made our Malt Liquors in general so odious, that many have been constrain'd, either to be at an Expence for better Drinks than their Pockets could afford, or take up with a Toast and Water to avoid the too justly apprehended ill Consequences of Drinking such Ales and Beers.

Wherefore I have given an Account of Brewing Beers and Ales after several Methods; and also several curious Receipts for feeding, fining and preserving Malt Liquors, that are most of them wholsomer than the Malt itself, and so cheap that none can object against the Charge, which I thought was the ready way to supplant the use of those unwholsome Ingredients that have been made too free with by some ill principled People meerly for their own Profit, tho' at the Expence of the Drinker's Health.

I hope I have adjusted that long wanted Method of giving a due Standard both to the Hop and Wort, which never was yet (as I know of) rightly ascertain'd in Print before, tho' the want of it I am perswaded has been partly the occasion of the scarcity of good Drinks, as is at this time very evident in most Places in the Nation. I have here also divulg'd the Nostrum of the Artist Brewer that he has so long valued himself upon, in making a right Judgment when the Worts are boiled to a true Crisis; a matter of considerable Consequence, because all strong Worts may be boiled too much or too little to the great Loss of the Owner, and without this Knowledge a Brewer must go on by Guess; which is a hazard that every one ought to be free from that can; and therefore I have endeavor'd to explode the old Hour-glass way of Brewing, by reason of the several Uncertainties that attend such Methods and the hazard of spoiling both Malt and Drink; for in short where a Brewing is perform'd by Ladings over of scalding Water, there is no occasion for the Watch or Hour-glass to boil the Wort by, which is best known by the Eye, as I have both in this and my second Book made appear.

I have here observed that necessary Caution, which is perfectly requisite in the Choice of good and the Management of bad Waters; a Matter of high Importance, as the Use of this Vehicle is unavoidable in Brewing, and therefore requires a strict Inspection into its Nature; and this I have been the more particular in, because I am sensible of the great Quantities of unwholsome Waters used not only by Necessity, but by a mistaken Choice.

So also I have confuted the old received Opinion lately published by an Eminent Hand, that long Mashings are the best Methods in Brewing; an Error of dangerous Consequence to all those who brew by Ladings over of the hot Water on the Malt.

The great Difficulty and what has hitherto proved an Impediment and Discouragement to many from Brewing their own Drinks, I think, I have in some measure removed, and made it plainly appear how a Quantity of Malt Liquor may be Brewed in a little Room and in the hottest Weather, without the least Damage by Foxing or other Taint.

The Benefit of Brewing entire Guile small Beer from fresh Malt, and the ill Effects of that made from Goods after strong Beer or Ale; I have here exposed, for the sake of the Health and Pleasure of those that may easily prove their advantage by drinking of the former and refusing the latter.

By the time the following Treatise is read over and thoroughly considered, I doubt not but an ordinary Capacity will be in some degree a better Judge of good and bad Malt Liquors as a Drinker, and have such a Knowledge in Brewing that formerly he was a stranger to; and therefore I am in great Hopes these my Efforts will be one Principal Cause of the reforming our Malt Liquors in most Places; and that more private Families than ever will come into the delightful and profitable Practice of Brewing their own Drinks, and thereby not only save almost half in half of Expence, but enjoy such as has passed thro' its regular Digestions, and is truly pleasant, fine, strong and healthful.

I  Question not but this Book will meet with some Scepticks, who being neither prejudiced against the Introduction of new Improvements, or that their Interests will be hereby eclipsed in time; To such I say I do not write, because I have little hopes to reform a wrong Practice in them by Reason and Argument. But those who are above Prejudice may easily judge of the great Benefits that will accrue by the following Methods, I have here plainly made known, and of those in my Second Book that I have almost finished and hope to publish in a little time, wherein I shall set forth how to Brew without boiling Water or Wort, and several other Ways that will be of considerable Service to the World.

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