Influencing enemies and making people

Being described as "having anger management issues" genuinely shocked me. But disconnection from reality is nothing new. I'm still surprised by the fat, old bastard I see waddling out of the shower every morning.

A twisted, crazy man spouting green bile from a subterranean lair? No. No. That's not me. Is it? You'd let me know if that's what I'd become. Wouldn't you? Probably not. I wouldn't, if one of my mates went mental.

You'll never guess what I've been doing today. You really won't. I couldn't have guessed it in the days when I had no children and the night was my ox cart.

I've mentioned "War! 1.2". The original, holy as St Peter, manuscript was regularly punctuated by "!!!!!! LOOK IN SEVENTY ROLLING YEARS !!!!". That told me my research was far from done.

"Seventy Rolling Years" is a remarkable book. The author worked in the brewing industry from 1888 to 1958. The last half at Whitbread.

(See Andrew. I can write one complete, sensible paragraph.)

Reading "Seventy Rolling Years". That's what I was doing that you never would have guessed if I didn't say. In case I was being too subtle. The Carlisle State Scheme, in particular. Nevile was part of that.

Beer on the rates. Every workingman's dream.

I work.




"War! 1.2" will be delayed for a while. Especially if I go to London in June. BP WW I. That's all I have to say. I won't have to squint at my crappy old photos no more.

Brewing in Prague in the 1830's

You guessed it. I'm still working my way through David Booth's "The Art of Brewing" The section on continental brewing really is fascinating. It's taught me loads. Assuming it's accurate, of course.

Today it's the turn of Prague. I remember reading years ago in a piece by, I think, Michael Jackson, that the dark beer of Prague had been top-fermented until the 1890's. Don't know how true that is. But it's no surprise that 60 years earlier, a decade before the first Pilsener was brewed, that Prague beer was top-fermented. What did come as more of a surprise was that they employed a decoction mash. I'd always assumed that was something else Groll The first brewer at Pilsner Urquell) brought with him from Bavaria. Assumptions. What dangerous things they are. I should have learned by now never to assume anything.

The lagering in ice cellars. That was a surprise, too. Prague beer was made by a strange hybrid of top- and bottom-fermentation brewing techniques. A bit like Alt, I suppose. Yet another oddity I'm sure someone will try to recreate sometime.

"METHOD OF BREWING AT PRAGUE, IN BOHEMIA.

The city of Prague has been famed for its breweries from time immemorial. These constitute the chief support of a great proportion of its inhabitants; and the beer, next to that of Bavaria, is accounted to be the best in Germany. The mode of brewing is very similar to that which is practised at Munich, except in the fermentation, which is of the opposite kind. The Brewers in the city draw one hundred gallons of beer from the quarter of malt, while those of the suburbs make ten to twelve gallons more; and, notwithstanding, the beer of the latter has a more agreeable taste than that of the former. The mash-tun and the copper are each square, or nearly so, like those at Munich; and the following is the general mode of manipulation : —

The liquor being first boiled in the copper, a certain quantity is let down into the mash-tun, where it stands until it is cooled down to 115 degrees. Others think it sufficiently low at 117 or even at' 122 degrees; and some add cold water, to accelerate the cooling. When judged at the proper heat, 14.2 quarters of ground malt are put into the tun; and immediately the mashing commences, which is continued nearly an hour. During the mashing, as much boiling liquor is turned on from the copper as raises the heat of the mash to 138 degrees with some brewers, and from 142 to 147 degrees with others.

Instantly after mashing, the copper, being emptied, is filled, with goods from the mash-tun; of which, it being so small as to contain only about one half, the remainder is allowed to stand in the tun. As soon as the goods in the copper begin to boil, they are returned upon the mash-tun, and well mixed, raising the tun to the heat of 153 or 154 degrees.

After this second mash, they proceed, in the same way, to fill the copper again with goods ; which when brought to the boiling heat, are also turned over upon the goods in the tun to be again mashed, which third mashing leaves the goods in the tun at the heat of 165 degrees. The copper is now charged with goods for the last time, allowed to boil for a quarter of an hour, and turned on and mashed as before. The heat of the tun is now 176 degrees.

The goods are now allowed to stand an hour; and the copper is charged with liquor, part of which is used in washing casks and other utensils. The tap-tree (which passes through the false, and plugs a hole in the real, bottom) is then loosened, and the wort is allowed to run, what we should call full cock, into the under-back, for the purpose of getting out any goods that may have found their way between the bottoms. After the worts begin to run pure, the tap is again shut, and the thick worts that have been drawn off are carried to the copper, and added to a portion of liquor which the copper had been allowed to retain. When this mixture has boiled for a quarter of an hour, it is turned upon the goods still standing in the mash-tun; but, in doing so, great care is taken that the goods be not stirred, lest they should be rendered turbid. By this new addition, the heat at the fluid surface of the mash-tun, for the under part is not disturbed, is increased to 183 degrees.

A small quantity of worts, about two-thirds of a barrel, the remnant of the runnings above mentioned, stands in the under-back. This is now put into the emptied copper, along with 35 pounds of good hops. When these hops have boiled, in this small portion of worts, for three quarters of an hour, half of them are taken out, and set aside for the second copper of worts; the remaining half being left for the first: for the copper is so small, that it cannot boil more than half of the worts standing in the mash-tun.

The worts are now drained from the tun ; and the first and second copper being boiled, each an hour, are taken to the coolers. When the second copper is cast, liquor is again heated, and turned, boiling, over the goods, without mashing. After draining from the mash-tun, this sparge is boiled, along with the hops of the two preceding worts, for an hour and a half, and then cast into a separate cooler. Another sparge is sometimes put on the goods, which is made into vinegar.

After being cooled down to 68 degrees (in some breweries only to 72), all the three worts are mixed together in a large gyle-tun, with 24 pounds of good yeast. Immediately after the addition of the yeast, the whole, being thoroughly roused, is drawn off into separate casks, each containing about 48 gallons, in which the wort ferments, and throws out yeast from the bung-holes. This tumultuary fermentation continues three or four days; and in three or four days more it becomes bright, and fitted for removal to the store-cellars of the retailers.

The beer-vaults of Prague, of which every publican Las one, are of the very best kind. The floor of each is covered with a deep mass of ice, which never melts; and upon this mass the beer is placed, when received from the brewer. After it has lain from four to six weeks on its icy bed, it is fit for drinking, and is served out to the customers in that chilly state."
"The Art of Brewing", by David Booth, 1834, Part III pages 31-33.

There's loads more of this stuff in case you think I'm nearly done. Hope. That would probably have been a more accurate verb to use than think.

"Numbers!" - the winner

After a massive total of four entries, there's a winner for my "Numbers!" competition.

Andrew Elliott has won the free copy of "Numbers!" with his entry:

". . . . beer gravities and how they shifted over the course of time, including continental beer as well as beer from the Isles . . "

That's close enough. "Numbers!" is my Mega Gravity Table in printed form. Details of more than 7,500 beers from across time and around the globe. It's not the wordiest book I've ever written. In fact, it only contains a handful of complete sentences. As you should have guessed from the title, it's really just a load of numbers.

This is one book that probably won't be for sale. I can't think of more than half a dozen people who could possibly have a use for it. I still haven't quite got the hang of self-promotion, have I? It's a book every serious beer-lover must own. That's better.

If you're clever, you could buy yourself a copy of the limited edition of "Numbers!" today. I'll say no more. But I'll be dead impressed if anyone manages it.

Spontaneous fermentation in the UK

Bet you can tell what I've been reading this week. That's right, "The Art of Brewing" by David Booth. Fascinating little book, it really is.

If you thought that spontaneous fermentation was just a Belgian thing, think again. It occurred in Britain as well. Though the vast majority of beer was produced using top-fermentation, spontaneous fermentation was practised by private brewers in some counties.

"The Spontaneous fermentation is never employed, except for strong Ale. Weak worts would probably run into acidity before the vinous fermentation could take place. In this country, the strongest wort (that of the first mash) is well boiled with a very large proportion of hops, which are judged necessary for the preservation of beer that is to be so long kept. When sufficiently boiled (which is judged by its breaking pure, as described at p. 40, Part II.), the wort is turned boiling-hot into the casks, without separating it very nicely from the hops. The casks that we saw were butts, standing on end, and containing about three barrels each; and the bung-hole in the top was, in the first instance, either left open, or slightly covered, at pleasure. In about forty-eight hours, less or more according to circumstances that are indeterminate, a froth is seen to issue at the bung-hole; and this working, which never carries a head of yeast, continues during eight or ten days, when it gradually subsides, leaving the surface of the liquor covered with a white crust. At this period, the beer will usually be found, owing to the diminution of heat, to have shrunk into less space, and to have left six or eight inches of a vacuity in the cask. The cask ought properly to be filled up; but for want of spare beer this is often neglected: and it is said that the liquor keeps equally well, being defended from the atmospheric air by its crust. For the first three months, the ale, though pure, is not reckoned fit for drinking. It has a rank bitter flavour, which our informant ascribed to the seeds of the hops which lay steeped in the cask: but in five or six months that flavour goes off; and it becomes fit for drinking, though it is usually kept untapped for a twelvemonth." (Source: "The Art of Brewing", by David Booth, 1834, Part III page 14.)

Any adventurous home brewer fancy taking a shot at that? I thought not. I know I wouldn't. All that time you'd need to invest for something that could (probably would) turn out undrinkable.

Books, piping hot books!

A post about books. My books. I had to make it look a bit exciting.

The ISBN number for "Numbers!" arrived this morning. What an efficient bunch they are at the Dutch ISBN office.

I've just sent off the print order. I would use the cover as an illustration, but that would give the game away. For the competition that's gripped you so much there have only been two guesses so far. I know, I'll shout

FIRST CORRECT GUESS OF THE THEME OF "nUMBERS!" WINS A COPY.

Numbered and signed.

"Numbers!" is 284 pages of fun, fun, fun. Fun, fun. Fun.

OK, maybe not "fun" in the conventional enjoyment sense. About a third of the way between fun and tedium. Is there a word for that? Sorry, I got that the wrong way around. A third of the way between tedium and fun. That's what I meant. Tediun. That'll do. 284 pages of tediun. Too good for mere commerce.

The captivating "Brown Beer", however, is available to buy. Not that I would have noticed, seeing how few copies I've shifted. "It's dead good." Andrew said that when I offered him a bag of salt and vinegar crisps. I think it was his opinion of "Brown Beer". "Did you mean Brown Beer, Andrew?" . . . "Yeah". See. Officially "dead good".




In case you're waiting, thinking, "Will that bastard put out a better edition in two weeks?" The answer is "No" "NO" "NO!". I'm far too busy with "War! 1.2" Editing, I noticed it was like a string vest. Full of holes. I need to torture my eyes looking at low-resolution photos of Barclay Perkins WW I logs. That's a whole load of fudium for me.

Buy "Brown Beer" now. Before I put the price up.

Method of brewing at Brussels (1830's)

Just for a bit of variety (and because I'm having arsing issues) today I'm posting another extract from David Booth's "The Art of Brewing". This time the continental town in focus is Brussels. As you must already have realised from the title.

You must be as excited as I am to find such an early account of lambic brewing. And in English, too, so I don't have to piss around translating it. I'll let you be the judge of it accuracy. The bit where pharo is called a strong beer has me wondering.


[The following passage is taken from "The Art of Brewing", by David Booth, 1834, Part IV pages 44-45.]

"The following is the present mode by which they brew their favourite beverage :—

The construction of the interior of a brewhouse in Brussels is very similar to what it is in England. There are two coppers; and the mash-tun has a false bottom, with a trunk which leads the liquor underneath it.

Four quarters of malted barley, and four quarters of raw wheat pretty finely ground, mixed up with a portion of wheat-chaff, are put into the mash-tun; and from those materials (which fill up two-thirds of the content of the tun) are made 19 barrels of strong beer.

The goods, having been completely wetted with cold water, are mashed with about 18 barrels of hot liquor. The mash is very stiff; and the heat, when finished, is 122 degrees. It then stands an hour and a half to infuse; when the cock of the mash-tun is opened, and what runs into the under-back is immediately pumped up into the wort-copper, and mixed up with 56 pounds of very fine hops. It is to be observed, that the wort runs from the mash-tun very turbid, and with difficulty; so that, to get it off with as little delay as possible, they make use of wicker baskets, about three feet deep, and eighteen inches square, which are dipped in the goods, and the worts which filter into them are laded out with brass bowls.

A second mash is then made with ten barrels of hot liquor; and, the mashing being finished, the heat is 144 degrees. This mash is allowed to stand an hour; when the same means of extricating the worts from the grains are found necessary.

Three mashes now follow in succession for the strong beer; but the quantity of hot liquor in each is so small as only to rise to the surface of the goods. The heats of these mashes increase regularly, from 134 to 173 degrees, taken in the tun immediately after mashing.

By the pumping up of all these worts the wort-copper is completely filled. The moment when it began to boil, two large handfulls of unslacked lime were thrown into it, and the boiling continued for eighteen hours. The worts are cast upon the coolers, and cooled down to the lowest possible degree—in winter, almost to the freezing-point. The whole of the worts are then turned into a large tun, where they remain for two days, without the least sign of fermentation; after which, they are drawn off into casks to undergo the spontaneous fermentation described in Chapter 4, Part III.

At the end of the first year, the beer is still foul; at the end of two years, it is clear; and it is still brighter the longer it is kept. The bottoms of the casks that had stood full for two years had very little grounds, and those of a much darker colour than the beer.

The strong beer is called Pharo, chiefly when brewed in the winter season; and Lambic, when it is brewed in summer. The Pharo is kept longest. Both seem to be very strong, but the Lambic is the milder-tasted."

Here's the section on spontaneous fermentation mentioned above:

"The Brewers of Brussels (whose method of brewing will be afterwards more particularly described) also trust to a spontaneous fermentation. Their strong-ale worts, after being cooled as low as is consistent with fluidity, are bunged up into casks of the size of a barrel, and stored in a room, exposed to all the variation of temperature, during twenty-four months of probation. A small vent-hole is bored in each cask, out of which a little froth issues for the first fortnight. These holes are pegged up at the end of about three months ; loosely at first, but closely soon after, when no air or froth is seen to issue. Long boiling is reckoned inimical to this as well as to the other species of fermentation."
"The Art of Brewing", by David Booth, 1834, Part III page 15.

I may continue on my continental theme. Or just as quickly forget about it again. I make no promises.

War! 1.2

Been getting on well with my current project. "War!" Or "War! 1.2".

I've a book called "War!" already done. Produced during my unexpected (and unpaid) week off work before christmas. A compilation of my writings on WW I, WW II and other wars.

What I'll call "War! 1.2" is the 1914-1920 chapter of The Book. Mess underestimates its disorder. And I noticed a few holes. More detail. You can't have too much detail. It's supposed to volume VI of my Mini Book Series. Aaah! There are another 11 chapters.

The text of "War! 1.2" is getting there. But I still doubt I'll have it ready for a May release. Details of Barclay Perkins and Courage beers have to be added. Kristen has to get the recipes finished.

That's why I've put together volume VII of my Mini Book Series. "Numbers!". I've just finished the front and back covers. It'll be printed next week.

In keeping with tradition, time for a competition. First to guess the theme of "Numbers!" wins one of the ten signed and numbered copies.

Berliner Weisse 1830's style

It's seems like an eternity ago that I last wrote about Berliner Weisse. In fact, it was just last summer. How time flies. Before you know it, it'll be christmas again.

"The Art of Brewing" by David Booth (published 1834) is an unusual book. British technical brewing books of the period rarely make any much of foreign beer. Partly, no doubt, because of the lack of contact with continental brewers. The superiority of British brewing technology meant there was little to learn, too.

But Booth dedicated a whole section of his book to continental brewing methods. He describes how they brewed in a variety of European cities: Brussels, Munich, Vienna, Augsburg and, of course, Berlin.

You'll notice that there's no mention of lactic acid bacteria, nor even sourness. The system of delivering the beer in casks to pubs where the fermentation was completed and the beer bottled, is very similar to that employed by Gose breweries in the Leipzig area.

[The following passage is taken from "The Art of Brewing", by David Booth, 1834, chapter IV pages 41-43.]


METHOD OP BREWING WHITE BEER AT BERLIN.

This White Beer, so called on account of its pale colour, is made from a mixture of five parts of malted wheat with one part of malted barley. There is no false bottom in the mash- tun, and the copper is very small in proportion.

Nearly nine barrels of liquor (8.8), heated in the copper to 95 degrees of Fahrenheit, are turned into the mash-tun, and mashed, during half an hour, with 3.83 quarters of malted wheat and 0.76 quarters of malted barley, both ground fine. While the mashing is going on, 5.6 barrels of liquor are brought to the boiling-point in the copper, and immediately added to the goods, the mashing of which is continued a quarter of an hour longer. The heat of the mash is now 126 degrees.

After an hour allowed for infusion, two barrels of the worts are taken from the top of the mash and put into the copper, where they are mixed with fifteen pounds of fine hops, and boiled a quarter of an hour. This boiling is interrupted by the introduction of four barrels more of worts, taken also from the top of the mash. There have been now six barrels of worts altogether put into the copper; and these, along with the hops, as soon as they are raised to 75 degrees of Reaumur (201 of Fahrenheit), are, with the exception of a barrel left to keep the bottom of the copper from burning, turned back into the mash-tun, where, after being mashed a few minutes, they are left to stand half an hour for infusion. Heat of the tun, after mashing, 153 degrees.

Other six barrels of the worts, taken from the top of the mash, are carried to the copper, and heated to 205 degrees, when the whole of what is in the copper as well as in the mash-tun, grains included, is turned into another vessel called the tap-tun. This tun has a false bottom, which is covered with a layer of straw, over which the goods are deposited, the heat being 167 degrees; but no mashing takes place in the tap-tun.

In about a quarter of an hour the cock of the tap-tun is opened, but in so small a degree that the worts can scarcely be said to run, it occupying commonly seven hours before the whole are drained off. The motive for this slow progress is, to have the worts as clear as possible, and, indeed, they are almost quite bright A sparge of six barrels of boiling liquor is added to the beer, and the whole is pumped directly from the under-back into the coolers, from whence, at 72 degrees, it is let down into a fermenting-tun. There it is mixed up with a gallon of good solid yeast, and in two hours the fermentation becomes apparent. From eight to ten hours after, when the head has risen about four inches, this fermenting wort is cleansed into small casks, and immediately carried out to the publicans, in whose custody it passes through the other stages of its fermentation. The consequence is, that the Brewer has never any yeast of his own, but is obliged to purchase it from the publicans; and it is his practice to buy from the customers of another Brewer, so as he may have a change of yeast, which is accounted more favourable to the production of a perfect fermentation.

From the quantities of malt before-mentioned, the Brewer has been able to send out eighteen and a half barrels of beer. The fermentation is finished in the publican's cellar in three days; the cask is bunged up on the fifth day; the beer is bottled on the ninth, and drunk on the fourteenth or fifteenth day. It may, however, be kept in bottles six months or more, without deterioration. It seldom requires finings, and has a very agreeable taste.

The wheat-malt is necessary for the production of the requisite flavour, as much as for colour. Wheat is seldom, if ever, malted in this country ; and we have never seen the operation performed. The acrospire and the roots come out at the same time ; and it is the care of the maltster to keep the former as short as possible. It is said to be necessary to allow the wheat-malt to clot together on the floor, otherwise the separated grains would cease to grow. The completion of the process is judged of by crushing the malt.

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1950 Whitbread Best Ale

Before we go any further, I'd like to observe that use of the word "best" in the name of this beer must be ironic. It's an austerity beer that typifies the touch years immediately after WW II.

I'm still coming to terms with how quickly beers changed during most of the 20th century. The immutable nature of Tetley's Mild misled me. A, rather silly on reflection, assumption I made when first casting my nets in the archives, was that the post WW I logs weren't worth fishing out. How wrong I was.

Brewers struggled in those difficult times. Raw materials, energy and money were scarce. Taxes were high. Food was still rationed. Many pubs had been damaged or destroyed by bombing. Brewery buildings had been unmaintained. Times really were tough.

Just setting the context for this particular beer. One that was drunk by thousands. Tens of thousands. Probably more than that. It was Whitbread's biggest seller. With Whitbread, I always get the feeling that they were doing their best. Trying to brew good beer. Barclay Perkins should rather hang their heads in shame. All that maize and rice.

I'll pass you over to Kristen now . . . .

Just one last thing. I drank a version of this beer back in the 1970's. Only keg, but I drank it because Mild was already a novelty in London. It was in some shitty pub close to Chrisp Street market in the East End.

Now it really is Kristen's turn.


Whitbread 1950 Best Ale





Its Mild month...again...hooray!!!! We covered quite a bit of the older milds, pre-war, interwar, etc. I thought that I would show you how different the same beer can be in the same year. You'll notice that this beer was done by Ron a few months ago. You'll also notice that that log entry was from December, this is from June. Although the theme is quite similar, the way to get there is quite different. When I look over the log for this beer it really seems like they were trying to make the most amount of beer the cheapest way possible. Looks like a 'Fire Sale' to me. Which I'll get to now...

Grist:
Whoa mama! Look at this trainwreck. Count them, FOUR, different pale malts. One could argue for their use with regards to complexity. Bullocks I say. What it looks like is they were cleaning the cupboards. Little of this, little of that, etc etc. So when I brewed this I made sure and use 4 different English pale malts, one being a mild malt. Get creative if you like. Just make sure and stay away from pils and 6-row for this recipe. In a pinch, American two-row will work fine. That is beside the point as the amounts of crystal and dark sugars are approximately the same.

When you look at the sugars you'll see the ubiquitous No 3 invert sugar. We've talked before about this bad boy and its lack of use nearly anywhere I've seen. Again, you can mimic this character quite easily. If you combine the pounds of all of the sugars in this recipe you can replace about 10-20% of it with treacle and the rest use Golden Syrup or the like. This log actually has a good bit of info in it as you can see with them divulging where the sugar goes (e.g., which gyle/copper). Its very interesting to see that more of the sugar goes in the second copper than the first in that the majority of the time brewers are happy to let the 2nd, or even 3rd, copper have a very low gravity. Check it out: Copper No 1 = 4cwt Hay, 4cwt Mort No. 3 and Copper No 2 = 2cwt Hay, 8cwt Mort No 3.

Hops:
Not entirely horrible but not great either. Most of the references for middle Kent hops I've seen refer specifically to Fuggle, being the most widely grown in mid-Kent, so we'll stick with these. This is the first log that I've seen where the beer isn't brewed for more than an hour. Let alone is it boiled for only an hour, the second copper is boiled for only 45 minutes. Inasmuch, I would highly doubt that Whitbread would go to the trouble of such a short boil and add hops more than once....so they all go in at the begining.

Mash:
From the amount crystal and sugar you'll notice they make up about 11-12% of the grist. This is not entire huge but it isn't small either. Adding to that the fact that this beer is mashed at such a low temperature (145-6F) one could expect that this beer would be quite thing. This really isn't the case at all. Look at the lousy attenuation of this beer. Beers that start so low usually finish much drier, ESPECIALLY when mashed so low. The simple explanation is the unfermentable sugars the crystal and invert sugars leave behind.

Tasting notes:
Mostly bready with hints of dark fruits and rich caramel. A touch of caramel sweetness supports pear drops and Scottish toffees. Very easy to drink pale mild [Er, it's actually a Dark Mild - about 100 EBC. The No.3 invert sugar and Hay "M" would have been the source of the colour. RP.] without a lot of elbows. The perfect pint to drink with a fist of Scotch.

Gin and its adulterations

I know, I know. This is supposed to be a beer blog. But there is a reason why I'm suddenly writing about gin. Several reasons, in fact.

Ideas. Something I'm rarely short of. Sometimes they even develop as far as plans. One plan I've been kicking around for several years is to write about Amsterdam's jenever culture. Not liking to do things by halves, it would not just list the city's jenever bars but describe jenever, its varieties, its history, its producers.

Why has this plan never come to fruition? You have to ask? Because I'm too effing busy already. But there is someone just as passionate as me about quality jenever: Mike. The solution is obvious. Mike will write about jenever for me. After all, he was a professional journalist "Jenever!" could well be volume 12 of my Mini Book Series.

Reason number two. Recent conversations about jenever. With Gary Gillman, one of my regular readers, and his nephew Alan. They've just got me thinking about jenever.

The last reason is more straightforward. This passage about gin came directly after one about beer. As I've said so often before: I'm easily distracted.


[The following passage is taken from "Food and its adulterations" by Arthur Hill Hassall, published 1855, pages 634-635.]


GIN, AND ITS ADULTERATIONS.

Gin was made originally in Holland, in the distilleries of Schiedam, and hence that which is brought to this country is termed Hollands Gin. At one time, when the duty was low, it used to be largely imported, but owing to the high rate of duty levied upon it for some years past, which was, until 1840, £1 2s. 10d. per imperial gallon, and since that period has remained at 15s,— but little now reaches this country.

In Holland it is made solely from unmalted rye and barley-malt, rectified with juniper berries. In Britain, gin is for the most part obtained from a mixture of malt and barley, molasses and corn being sometimes employed, particularly when there is a scarcity of grain, and it is usually flavoured not only with juniper berries, but with certain other substances, most of which are aromatics, and amongst which are the following: coriander, cardamom, and caraway seeds, grains of paradise, angelica root, calamus root, crushed almond cake, liquorice powder, and orange-peel. These ingredients, variously combined, form what are known in the trade as "gin-flavouring."

In Dr. Muspratt's "Chemistry, Theoretical, Practical, and Analytical," the following receipts from the note-book of an extensive distilling rectifier are given.

"For a Fine Gin, take

960 gallons of spirit, hydrometer proof.
96 lbs. German juniper berries
6 lbs. coriander seeds.
4 lbs. grains of paradise.
4 lbs. angelica root.
2 lbs. orris root.
2 lbs. calamus root.
2 lbs. orange peel.

Eighty or ninety pounds of liquorice powder are occasionally added to impart colour and sweetness.

Plain or London Gin is made as follows : —

700 gallons of the second rectification.
70 lbs. German juniper berries.
70 lbs. coriander seeds.
3.25 lbs. almond cake.
1.5 lbs. angelica root.
6 lbs. liquorice powder.

For the manufacture of West Country Gin, the annexed is the process given in Dr. Muspratt's work: — Introduce into the still 700 gallons of the second rectification, and flavour with —

14 lbs. German juniper berries,
1.5 lbs. calamus root, cut, and
8 lbs. sulphuric acid.

This gin is much used in Cornwall, and particularly in the western counties of England ; it is also used in making British Hollands, and in that case is mixed with about five per cent, of fine gin, reduced to twenty-two under-proof with liquor. Our own examination of this variety of gin, usually called Plymouth Gin, tends to show that it is little else than a moderately pure rectified spirit, unsweetened, containing fusel oil, and flavoured with a little juniper and acetic ether.

For Geneva, charge of still being 930 gallons of second rectification the proportions are —

84 lbs. juniper berries.
112 lbs. coriander seeds.
6 lbs. cassia buds.
4 lbs. angelica root.
6 lbs. calamus root.
6 lbs. almond cake.
0.5 lb. cardamoms.

Plain Geneva.— For 950 gallons of spirit of second rectification, take

84 lbs. juniper berries.
84 lbs. coriander seeds.
2 lbs. almond cake.
2 lbs. orris root.
2 lbs. calamus.

Another prescription for making Geneva, and one which is much esteemed a the following : — Add to 950 gallons —

14 lbs. grey salts, and
4 lbs. white salts.

The rectification to be conducted with the usual care.

At the second operation, add —

168 lbs. juniper berries.
74 lbs. coriander seeds.
12 lbs. almond cake.
8 lbs. grains of paradise.
8 lbs. angelica root.
1 lb. cardamoms.
2 lbs. calamus."

Acid

Acid. In particular, acid in beer. It's another area where there's been a great deal of speculation and precious few facts. I'd like to add a few of the latter.

Many contemporary sources tell us of the tartness of Porter and other aged beers in the 19th century. But was this sourness caused by lactic or acetic acid? You may remember my posts last week based on "Food and its adulterations" (by Arthur Hill Hassall, published 1855). The author remarked upon the sourness of Porter and said that it came from lactic acid, the quantity of acetic acid present being negligible.

Here's confirmation of that from a slightly later date, around 1900. My source this time is "A hand-book of industrial organic chemistry adapted for the use of manufacturers, chemists, and all interested in the utilization of organic materials in the industrial arts" by Samuel Philip Sadtler, 1908, page 197. They don't give books snappy titles like that any more. Just as well.

In every case but one (Scotch export, bitter) the acetic acid content is far lower than the lactic acid content. As might have been expected, Dublin XXX Stout has the greatest lactic acid content.



To be fair, when these analyses were perfromed long ageing was out of fashion. I suspect that, had they been done half a century earlier, the level of acidity in the British beers would have been higher.

Beer in 1890's Canada

I'm straying a bit off-theme today. I usually limit myself to Europe. If I didn't, things would get just too crazy. But I couldn't resist these analyses of beer on sale in Canada.

Why were these analyses made? To check for adulteration. The book covers a variety of other products such as milk and butter. The beer came out very well. Only one of the 76 samples showed signs of adulteration. The other foods had a much poorer showing.

Anyway, here are the numbers.

Bottled beers analysed in Canada in the 1890's
Year	Brewer	country	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1897	A. Keith & Son, Nova Scotia Brewery	Canada	Keith's Ale	Ale	1052	1005	6.12	90.33%
1897	A. Keith & Son, Nova Scotia Brewery	Canada	XXX Porter	Porter	1062	1009.1	6.97	85.39%
1897	Beauport Brewery, P.Q.	Canada	Beer	Lager?	1061	1008	6.95	86.89%
1897	Blackwood Bros., Winnipeg	Canada	Porter	Porter	1065	1010.4	7.15	84.00%
1897	Blackwood Bros., Winnipeg	Canada	Ale	Ale	1061	1008.4	6.89	86.23%
1897	Boswell Bros., Quebec	Canada	Porter	Porter	1059	1010.6	6.34	82.06%
1897	Boswell Bros., Quebec	Canada	Ale	Ale	1056	1006.2	6.51	88.91%
1897	Carling, London, Ontario	Canada	Pale Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	1053	1010.5	5.59	80.34%
1897	Copland Brewing Co., Toronto	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1060	1012.4	6.18	79.26%
1897	Copland Brewing Co., Toronto	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1059	1007	6.78	88.07%
1897	Copland Brewing Co., Toronto	Canada	Extra Stout	Stout	1060	1006	7.12	90.03%
1897	Cosgrave & Co., Toronto	Canada	Porter	Porter	1054	1010.1	5.74	81.33%
1897	Coté & Lanyot, Quebec	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1060	1008.5	6.77	85.88%
1897	Dawes & Co., Lachine, P.Q.	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1057	1002.1	7.27	96.34%
1897	Dawes & Co., Lachine, P.Q.	Canada	Pale Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	1045	1014.5	3.95	67.78%
1897	Dawes & Co., Lachine, P.Q.	Canada	Best Stout	Stout	1062	1013.3	6.33	78.48%
1897	Devlin & Steel, Stratford	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1058	1017.6	5.17	69.39%
1897	E.L. Dewry, Winnipeg	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1043	1010.8	4.11	74.59%
1897	E.L. Dewry, Winnipeg	Canada	Porter	Porter	1066	1014.2	6.79	78.55%
1897	Eaton Bros., Owen Sound	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1055	1006	6.47	89.17%
1897	Eaton Bros., Owen Sound	Canada	XXX Porter	Porter	1049	1011.8	4.89	76.11%
1897	Ecker	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1048	1012.9	4.50	72.90%
1897	Geo Sleeman, Guelph, Ont.	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1049	1015.3	4.35	68.71%
1897	Geo Sleeman, Guelph, Ont.	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1052	1006.8	5.88	86.87%
1897	Geo Sleeman, Guelph, Ont.	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1044	1014.3	3.84	67.50%
1897	Geo Sleeman, Guelph, Ont.	Canada	Sparkling Ale	Ale	1053	1010.9	5.45	79.32%
1897	Grant Lottridge Brewing Co., Hamilton, Ontario	Canada	Dublin Stout XX Porter	Stout	1057	1006.9	6.56	87.89%
1897	H.A. Ekers, Montreal	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1042	1014.7	3.50	64.83%
1897	H.F. Brading, Ottawa	Canada	Brown Stout	Stout	1066	1010.1	7.38	84.79%
1897	Halifax Brewing Co. Ltd.	Canada	Light Ale	Ale	1058	1002.5	7.28	95.67%
1897	Halifax Brewing Co. Ltd.	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1048	1008.6	5.17	82.19%
1897	Halifax Brewing Co. Ltd.	Canada	XX Porter	Porter	1064	1010.3	7.03	83.91%
1897	J. McCarthy, Sons & Co., Prescott, Ontario	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1061	1009.5	6.78	84.50%
1897	J. Ready, Fairville, N.B.	Canada	Ale	Ale	1060	1006.8	6.91	88.57%
1897	J. Ready, Fairville, N.B.	Canada	Porter	Porter	1066	1019.8	6.03	70.09%
1897	J. Ready, Fairville, N.B.	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1051	1009.8	5.30	80.59%
1897	J.H.R. Molson Bros., Montreal	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1043	1016.3	3.41	61.83%
1897	J.H.R. Molson Bros., Montreal	Canada	Pale Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	1051	1007.4	5.71	85.52%
1897	L. Kuntz, Waterloo, Ontario	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1045	1008.8	4.67	80.31%
1897	Labatt, London, Ontario	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1056	1016.2	5.19	71.17%
1897	Labatt, London, Ontario	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1050	1014	4.64	71.89%
1897	Labatt, London, Ontario	Canada	XXX Porter	Porter	1065	1014	6.62	78.36%
1897	Labatt, London, Ontario	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1051	1008	5.55	84.16%
1897	Labatt, Prescott, Ontario	Canada	Porter	Porter	1053	1006.7	5.99	87.24%
1897	McDonagh & Shea, Winnipeg	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1043	1008.7	4.50	79.91%
1897	McDonagh & Shea, Winnipeg	Canada	Ale	Ale	1029	1001	3.68	96.58%
1897	O'Keefe Brewery Co., Toronto	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1043	1008.8	4.38	79.29%
1897	Ottawa Brewing & Malting Co.	Canada	Sparkling Ale	Ale	1058	1008	6.53	86.18%
1897	Ottawa Brewing & Malting Co.	Canada	XXX Porter	Porter	1061	1014.6	6.07	76.14%
1897	Proteau & Carignan, Quebec	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1052	1009.5	5.57	81.80%
1897	R. Davies, Dominion Brewery, Toronto	Canada	Export Ale	Ale	1059	1005	7.12	91.55%
1897	Reinhardt & Co., Toronto	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1053	1012	5.30	77.23%
1897	Reinhardt & Co., Toronto	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1050	1014.4	4.56	70.97%
1897	S. Jones, St. John, N.B.	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1056	1007.8	6.36	86.17%
1897	S. Jones, St. John, N.B.	Canada	Brown Stout	Stout	1057	1019	4.85	66.37%
1897	Toronto Brewing & Malting Co.	Canada	Amber Ale	Amber Ale	1058	1004	7.13	93.13%
1897	Toronto Brewing & Malting Co.	Canada	Extra Stout	Stout	1064	1011	6.96	82.87%
1897	W. Dow & Co., Montreal	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1066	1008	7.67	87.95%
1897	W. Dow & Co., Montreal	Canada	Porter	Porter	1074	1014.9	7.71	79.81%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Guinness's Stout	Stout	1072	1013.3	7.66	81.48%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Stout	Stout	1070	1015.8	7.02	77.30%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Extra Stout	Stout	1071	1014.7	7.35	79.27%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Extra Stout	Stout	1067	1014	6.87	78.98%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Extra Stout	Stout	1068	1014.7	6.90	78.22%
1897	Bass & Co., Burton	UK	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1060	1004.1	7.41	93.21%
1897	Bass & Co., Burton	UK	Ale	Ale	1054	1007.1	6.16	86.90%
1897	Bass & Co., Burton	UK	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1063	1005.6	7.52	91.08%
1897	Bass & Co., Burton	UK	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1059	1005.4	7.03	90.83%
1897	Pabst Brewing Co, New York	USA	Pabst Lager	Lager	1053	1013	5.17	75.38%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1049	1016.1	4.28	67.28%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1051	1014.3	4.81	72.18%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1056	1014	5.42	74.87%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1050	1011.4	4.95	76.97%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1050	1014.2	4.63	71.54%
1897	Schliz Brewing Co., Milwaukee (says "Achliz" in the original)	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1048	1016.9	4.02	64.79%
Source:
"Report, returns and statistics of the inland revenues of the Dominion of Canada", By Canada. Dept. of Inland Revenue, 1898, pages 34-49

You've doubtless noticed the interesting combination of beers Canadian brewers were making: Ale, IPA, Porter, Stout and Lager Beer. One beer, an Ale brewed by McDonagh & Shea of Winnipeg, has a shockingly low OG of just under 1030. That's very unusual for this period.

The end of the table does have a few relevant entries: beers from Bass, Guinness and McEwan. I was taken aback to see samples of Guinness below 1070. I thought it was always 1074.

So many Pabst entries was a shock. I hadn't expected it to have been so widely available in Canada so early. Life's full of surprises.