Just two arrived today. Dolores still isn't aware of the extent of my buying frenzy. Another dozen or so are underway. And no-one, NO-ONE, mention the Institute of Brewing and Distilling book auction to her.Here's a quote from one that arrived today: "Shepherd Neame: A story that's been brewing for 300 years". It's taken from a letter to a publican about his returns to the brewery:
"The waste [returned beer] you sent back is not of our brewery and perfectly valueless to us. Therefore if you think it worth the carriage back, we will send it. If not, we must send it down the gutter. We have also to complain of the manner in which our last casks came home - hoops off and musty - and if the next parcel should come home in the same way, we must charge you the expense of cooperage, etc."Those publicans, eh? What a bunch of crooks.
Ha! Classic! It's nice to see reamings like that happened even back then. Was it the myth about Mild's loss of favour being due to the fact that the old stale beer was being returned to the brewer and there, mixed for resale?
ReplyDeleteNo, it was standard practice through until the 1950s at least - I've got a book that describes the equipment used - to recycle ALL the slops and waste beer into the mild in the pub cellar itself, not the brewery ...
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