The first shows how keen Jacobsen senior was on finding out more details about brewing in Burton.
1869-03-02
Dear Carl!
Since I conclude from your letter to your mother, which came yesterday, that you choose the "Boring" of returning to Younger; perhaps in the very next days, I would not have written until I knew where you were, but since your loving mother cannot rest until she has sent a letter, which she wrote to you today, and has on her own responsibility decided to send it to Burton, I must also add a few lines in case they meet you in Burton. I would simply remind you that by making the acquaintance of the young brewers' sons in Strasbourg, you got into the Erhards'. Don't you think something similar was possible in Burton, if you stayed there for some time? Even if you could not become a formal apprentice in one of the larger breweries, there could be a lot of information to be gained by constantly living with young people who are employed in the breweries and if you could visit them once in a while you could also see a thing or two. But this can also happen in the autumn, if you only get there then. But dear Carl, you must overcome your indifference to the English language, it is high time!
So, if Jacobsen junior couldn't get an apprenticeship in Burton, he could just hang around the town and get to know brewers' sons. Not sure how successful that was likely to be. It seems like a plan mostly based on hope. And he should get on with improving his English.
The second doesn't have an exact date, just the year. It discusses the difference between fermentation at Younger and at Burton.
1869
Among the points I would like you to note, I remember at the moment: To note the difference in the degree of fermentation in the Fermenting Vessels at Edinburgh and Burton.- You will remember that at Burton no yeast is separated in the fermenting vessels, but first in the Union casks, whereas at the Abbey the yeast is obtained from the Fermenting Tubs and only a little from the Cleansing Squares. In Edinburgh the fermentation is thus interrupted during the development of the yeast. Why? Were the method of knocking the foam and yeast down into the fermenting vessels used elsewhere than at Younger? Were the ale fermenting vessels at Younger provided with high walls with a door with shutters to retain the foam, as in the Porter Breweries, or are they entirely open, as in Burton? Have you any records of the City Brewery at Edinburgh and of the City of London Brewery? - I have none.
Could you not dry a portion of Younger's and send me so that I could make a comparative analysis with my malt?. How concentrated is the solution of double sulphuric lime, with which yeast at Abbey is rinsed? - If it is sold, then take down the address and send me a can or small cask of it.
Is "Finings" - isinglas - used at Younger's or is it the landlord's business? Do you know the procedure with that? For export beer it is used is it not? Do they use the yeast for the addition as fresh and foamy at Younger's as we saw it at Bass's?
Obviously, they would harvest the yeast from the union sets in Burton. Propagating healthy yeast was one of the main reasons for using unions. Younger, on the other hand, where they were clearly using a dropping system, yeast was harvested earlier, before the beer was dropped to the settling square. Though this didn't apply to most of Younger's Pale Ales, which were brewed in their Holyrood brewery. That was fitted out with union sets.
Interesting question about the finings. I happen to know that in the 1970s, Scottish & Newcastle, i.e. Younger, sent out their cask beer unfined. The dad of one of my brother's school friends ran a pub that sold Younger's IPA. Once it was clearing well and he rang up the brewery. They suggested that he try adding finings.
Quite often in the 19th century fining was left to the publican. Gradually, brewers starting fining at racking time. For the simple reason that they didn't trust landlords to do it properly.
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