DIRECTIONS FOR BREWING MALT LIQUORS.  
SHOWING, What Care is to be taken in the Choice of Water, Malt, and Hops: And in what Proportions they are to be Mixed, and how Boiled and Fermented, for Making the best March, or October Beer, Strong Ale, etc.  
In a Method never before Published.  
Useful for all such as are Curious in Malt LIQVORS.  
By a Country Gentleman.  
WITH A satire upon BRANDY, By another Hand.  
LONDON, Printed for J. Nutt, near Stationers-Hall. 1700.   

DIRECTIONS FOR Brewing.  
THEY who are Curious in Malt Drinks, as it is fit every one should be that uses 'em, (unless their Circumstances be such that they must be contented with what they find) generally make out all their first Wort alone into Ale or strong Beer. Ale is the only word used in the North of England for strong Malt Drink: And was likely the only strong Drink our forefathers made of Malt. This was the English Beverage Celebrated by our Poets, who yet could not forbear to blame the foul Thickness of it. One says, 
Men drink it Thick, and piss it Thin,  
Much Faith by St. Eloy, what leaves it within?   
Which seems thus Translated by another, unless good Wits jump.  
— Nil spissius illa,  
Dum bibitur, nil clarius est dum mingitur; ergo  
Constat quod multas faeces in ventre relinquit.  
Indeed before the use of Hops, which began in England about the Year 1540, as I take it, it was hard to Brew Drink, which would be Fine before it was Eagar. All good Ale is now made with some small mixture of Hops, tho' not in so great Quantity as Strong Beer, designed for longer keeping: And is for that purpose usually Brewed in March or October.  
He that will Brew well, must be careful in the Choice of his Water, Malt, and Hops, and in the manner of mixing and fermenting them.  
1. As to Water, Pond-Water and other Standing Waters in fat Grounds, if clear and sweet, make a Stronger Drink with less Malt, than Well, Pump or Conduit Waters: Tho' any of these that are not hungry, and will bear Soap, and lather without breaking, are good. Rain-Water, which lather's the best of any, if saved from Lead, or where it brings no Salt from the Mortar over which it may pass, is good to Brew Ale to be drank new, but is not proper for Drinks to be long kept: It being very apt to change, and unless kept cool and in great Quantities, as in the Leaden Cesterns in Cellars at Amsterdam, will corrupt and putrify the soon of any Water. Thames-Water taken up about Greenwich at Low Water, where it is free from all Brackishness of the Sea, and has in it all the Fat and Sullage from this great City of London, makes very Strong Drink. It will of itself alone, being carried to Sea, ferment wonderfully, and after its due Purgations, and three times stinking (after which it continues sweet) it will be so strong, that Several Sea Commanders have told me it would burn, and has often fuddled their Mariners. Other Commanders have denied this, which I thought I had Reason to impute to their want of Observation. However I conceive Thames-Water is by no means fit to Brew Strong Beer to keep, for that, let the Drink which is Brewed of it be never so clear, it is apt on any considerable and sudden change of Wether, to ferment and grow foul. And I take this for a Rule, That no Malt Drink is truly good, which is not perfectly fine. Upon the whole, the best Liquor to Brew with, is that which is taken from a small clear Rivulet or Brook, undisturbed by Navigation or Fording: And taken up in dry Wether, when no Rain has lately washed the Banks. My first two Brewing were made of such Water; which with all my Care and Experience I could never equal since: Though I have been very curious and sent some Miles for my Water. Possibly much the best Water in England is that at Castleton in Derbyshire, commonly called, The Devil's Arss, etc. Which Owzes from a great Rock, covered over with a shallow Earth and short Grass a top. It is incredible that so much Water should percolate through so vast a Quantity of one Rocky Stone, were it not obvious to any one who goes into Pools Hole, where he will find the Water continually dripping through the Top, and running down the Sides, till it makes a kind of Crystal Rivulet at the Bottom of that Prodigious Rocky Concave. I have seen the Ale made of Castleton-Water as clear in three days after it was Barrelled, as the Spring-Water itself, and impossible to be known by the Eye in a Glass from the finest Canary Wine. Brewer's should be as curious in the Choice of Water for their first Wort, as Cooks are for their Boiling of Yellow Pease. For as some Waters will never Boil them soft; so will they never make good Ale or Strong Beer. However if the best Water be not to be had, but at too great a distance and charge, you may for your Second and Third Words which are quickly spent, and used only for Table Drink, make use of such Water as you have near at hand.  
2. As for your Malt. The North Country Malts from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Cheshire, Lancashire, etc. are the best, especially for Ale, but are generally too slack dried for March or October Beer, which is to be kept at least half a Year before it be Drank. The Goodness of these Northern Malts proceeds partly from the Corn which grows on Grounds more rested than in the Southern Countries, where the Rents are more racked, and the Grounds more worn by continual Sowing; and partly from the making, in which they take more time then in other parts, and dry it leisurely with Pit Coal Charkt, called in some Places Coak, and in others Culm, which is sweet and gives a gentle and certain heat. Whereas in the South East parts, they dry their Malt with Straw, which is hard to keep to a moderate and equal heat. And in the West Countries with Wood, which gives a most ingrateful Tack to such as are not by Custom familiarized to it. Besides, in the North, they do not run out their Barley in Malting to such Lengths as in other parts: And in Grinding they set their Upper Millstone so high, that it breaks off only the Tops of the Clevel, which makes their Drink so fine. And Malt small ground will never make fine Drink.  
There is possibly some Reason for the Observation, that Malt mixed of several kinds makes the best Drink: And that it ought to lie ground in the Sacks three or four days before it is used.  
3. Your Hops must be bright, well scented, well dried, cured and bagged; and generally speaking are best about a Year old. They are a very uncertain Crop, and consequently of a very uncertain Price, sometimes sold at about Six Pence, sometimes at about half a Crown per Pound. And I believe it may be truly said, That better Hops have been sold for Six Pence or under, than ever were sold for Two Shillings per Pound, or upwards. Indeed all Fruits are best when they are cheapest. Those Years that are kindest for the Quality always producing the greatest Quantity. So that it is certainly a wise way, on all accounts, to furnish one self well with Hops well cured in a cheap Year.  
4. In your mixing and fermenting all these three together, That is in Brewing, after you have made a discreet Choice of your materials; You must first consider what sort of Drink you design to Brew, and accordingly proportion your Quantities. If you design your first Wort for strong Ale or March or October Beer; you must proportion five Gallons of Drink to every Bushel of Malt (that is to say avoiding Fractions) Eleven Bushels of Malt to an Hogshead of Ale or Beer. But it must be remembered, that in so great a disproportion of Malt to Drink, as Eight to Five, almost a Third of your Liquor in the first Wort will be absorped by the Malt, never to be returned, and an allowance is to be made of about a Sixth Part to evaporat in Boiling. So that if you expect to clear a Hogshead of Drink, that is fifty four Gallons, from your first Wort, you must put into your Mesch-Tub near Ninety Gallons of Liquor. But for your Second or Third Words, the Goods being wet before, you need put up no more Liquor than you intent to make Drink, except an allowance of about a Tenth part for waist, that not Boiling so long as your first Wort. And you may of your Second Wort make one Hogshead of good middle Beer or Ale, as Strong as the common Alehouse Drink in London. And your Third Wort will make one Hogshead of good Small Beer.  
I propose in this Case the drawing of Three Words because of the great Quantity of Malt to a smaller of Liquor. Otherwise in Ordinary Brewing, where you design not very strong Drink, six or seven Bushels of Malt will make one Hogshead of good strong, and another of small Beer. And in such case, two Moakses will as well take out the strength of your Malt, as three in the other.  
It is certain that in either of these cases your Malt will not be run out as the Common Brewer's uses to be, so that if you take up an handful of the Grains you may blow them out of your hands with your Breath.  
But it is hardly worth any Man's while, who is not indigent, to run it out farther for his own Family; for all the Drink you can after make of it, will be but like the washing of Grains, it will prove poor Stuff. and if not drank presently, it will be apt to stink, unless you mix it with some of the former Words which it will but spoil. Besides, what you leave in your Grains, by the way proposed, is not lost. For if you live in the Country, they will nourish your Cattle and Swine, and if in a Town, the Poor will be gratified by letting them put up some cold Water to run through them, which they will carry away cold in Pails, and boil at home without any trouble or charge to you; so that in effect you really relieve the Poor only with a little of your Cold Water which they themselves draw.  
The Proportion of Hops may be half a Pound to an Hogshead of strong Ale; one Pound to an Hogshead of ordinary strong Beer to be soon Drank out: And two Pounds to an Hogshead of March or October Beer: And for the after Words, which are not to be kept long, what comes from the first Wort will serve well enough to Boyl again with them.  
If you put into your first Wort a greater Proportion of Hops, and Boyl them all the while your Wort Boils, you will make it too bitter: But I conceive it adviseable to double the Proportion, by taking out the first parcel when your Wort has Boiled half the time you design it, and then adding the same Quantity of fresh Hops to continue Boiling till you take your Wort out of the Copper. This will somewhat increase your Charge, but that will be very inconsiderable, if your furnish yourself in a cheap year of Hops.  
By this way you will take out only the fine quick Spirits of the Hops, (which I take to be an useful and wholesome Vegetable) and will have a good Quantity left fit for the use of the Poor, if you give them the last running from your Malt.  
Hitherto of the Qualities and Proportions of your Materials. Now concerning the manner of putting them together.  
After you have put your Liquor in your Copper, strew an handful two or three of Bran or Meal upon it, not so much to strengthen your Liquor, as to make it heat quickly, for simple Water alone will be long ere it Boyl. But you must take your Liquor out of the Copper when it gins to simmer, and not suffer it to Boyl: For though it were granted that the Boiling did no harm to your Liquor, by evaporating the Natural Spirit of the Water (which it likely does) yet 'tis a needless expense of Fuel and Time, first to make it too hot, and after to stay till 'tis cooler again. For you must by no means mix your Malt with Boiling hot Liquor, which will make the Malt clot and cake together, and the most flowery parts of it run whitish, glewy and sizy, like Saddlers Paste, so that it will never mix kindly, and give out its Strength equally to the Liquor.  
I had not dwelled so long on this Head, but that I know many put their Malt first in the Mesch-Fat, and then pour in their Liquor for the first Wort, which is indeed necessary in the Second and Third Words.  
The contrary Practice of putting in your Liquor first, has these Advantages.  
First, You can never otherwise guests when your Liquor is just cool enough to be mingled with your Malt: But in this case, you have a certain Criterion and Rule to judge by, that is, you must let your Liquor remain in your Mesch-Fat till the Vapour from it be so far spent, that you can see your Face in the Liquor: And then pouring your Malt upon it, you have this farther Advantage, that you keep your Liquor longer hot, and it sinks gradually, distributing its strength to your Liquor equally, without matting, and if it does not descend fast enough of itself, you must press it down with your Hands or Rudder, with which you use to stir your Moaks. This must be done by degrees: Always remembering, that you shake your Sacks before you remove them over the sides of your Mesch-Fat, to get out the Flower of your Malt which sticks to them. And after all your Malt is settled, and your Liquor appears above it, you must put up in your Mesch-Fat as much more hot Water out of your Copper, as will make in all Ninety Gallons, for one Hogshead. Then stir it almost without ceasing, till it has been in the Mesch-Fat about two hours from the first putting up your Malt, in which your Servants may help and relieve one another.  
After this pull out your Rudder, and putting a little dry Malt a top, cover it close, and let it stand half an hour undisturbed, that it may run off clear, and the Malt being sunk to the bottom, the Liquor a top will run through it all again, and bring away the strength of it. After this, you must lift up your Tap-staffe, and let out about a Gallon, not into your Tub underneath or Under-back, which is to receive your Wort, but into your long-handle Jet, and put it up back again, stopping your Tap hole: This do two or three times, till you find it runs clear, which it will not do at first, though your Tap-hose be never so well adjusted.  
Throughout the whole Course of your Brewing, you must be very careful to do all you can to promote the Fineness and Clearness of your Drink.  
In the North of England, where much the best Malt-Drink is made, they are so careful of making their Drink Fine, that they let their first Wort stand in their Receivers till it is very clear, all the gross parts being sunk to the Bottom, this they continue to do about Three hours in Summer, and Ten or Twelve hours in Winter, as occasion requires, which they call Blinking, after which, leaving the Sediment behind, they only lad out the Clear Wort into the Copper. Which Custom is peculiar to the North and wholly unpractised in other parts.  
When all is run out into your Receiver or Under-Back, Lade or Pump out your Second Liquor, ordered so as to be just then ready to Boyl, on your Moaks: And putting your first Wort into your Copper again, let it Boyl reasonably fast (which Boiling the Hops put on it will much accelerate) for about one hour and an half, for March or October Beer to be kept long: And one Hour for strong Ale, to be Drank new. I know that a longer Boiling  generally advised. But I shall answer that when I come to show the Reasons why Common Brewers seldom or never make good Malt Drinks. I advise the Wort rather to be Boiled reasonable fast, for the time, then to stand so long to simmer, because common Experience shows it wastes less, and Ferments better, after so long Boiling, than Simmering. And this Observation, grounded on Experience, will not seem strange to Philosophers; who know, that Six hours of a kindly insensible Perspiration shall make a Man lighter in the Morning, than so many hours of ordinary Sweeting.  
Possibly a less Fermentation and greater Evaporation is best for the Blood, and greater Fermentation and less Evaporation is best to prepare other Liquors for a new Fermentation.  
Your first Wort, being thus Boiled, must be Pumped or Laded off into one or more Coolers or Cool-Backs, in which leave the Sullage behind, and let it run off Fine. The more Coolers, and the thinner it stands, and the sooner it Cools (especially in hot Wether) the better: Let it run from your Cool-backs into your Tun very Cool, and set it not there to Work, in Summer, till 'tis as cool as Water. In Winter it must be near Blood Warm, at least the Bowl in which you put your Yeast to set the rest on Working must have a mixture of Wort hot enough to make it all Ferment. When you find it gins to work up thick to a Yeast, mix it again with your Hand Jet, and when it has worked itself a Second time to a Yeast: If you designed it for Ale and speedy Drinking, and hopped it accordingly, then beat in the Yeast every five hours, for two days together, in the Summer time, or more, according as the Wether is; and for three or four days in Winter, covering your Fat close that it fall not in your working Tun.  
When your Yeast gins to work sad, and upon turning the Concave of your Bowl downwards sticks fast to the inside, then, skimming off the Yeast first, cleanse the rest into your Vessel, leaving all your Dregs in the bottom of your Tun, and putting only the clear up: After it has a little Fermented in your Vessel, you will find it in a few days fine, and fit for your Drinking. Though according to the Quantity of your Hops you may proportion it for longer keeping.  
If you Brew in March or October, and have hopped it for long keeping, you must then upon its Second Working to a Yeast (after once beating in) cleanse it into your Vessel with the Yeast in it, filling it still as it works over, and leaving when you stop it up a good thick head of Yeast to keep it.  
In Brewing March and October Beer, it it is advisable to have large Vessels bound with Iron Hoops, containing Two, Three, or Four Hogsheads, according to the Quantity you intent to make, putting all into one Vessel. This sort of Drink keeping, digesting and mellowing, best in the largest Quantities.  
Your Vessels must be Iron hooped, else your March Beer will be in danger to be lost or spoiled: Leaving your Vent Peg always open Palls it, and if it happen to be fastened but Six Hours together in the Summer, a sudden Thunder or Stormy Night may happen next Morning to present you in your Cellar an empty Vessel and a covered Floor.  
It is pretended that March is the best Month for Brewing, and the Water then better than in October: But I always found that the October Beer, having so many cold Months to digest in, proves the better Drink by much; and requires not such watching and tending as the March Beer does, in opening and stopping the Vent hole on every change of Wether.  
Many Country Gentlemen talk of, and magnify their stolen Beer of Five, Ten, or more years old. 'Tis true more Malt and Hops than I propose will keep Drink longer than I use to do: But to small purpose; for that it will not exceed mine in any thing desirable, except such an extraordinary Strength as few Men care for. I always broach mine at about Nine months' end, that is my March Beer at Christmas, and my October Beer at Midsummer, at which times it is generally at the best. But will keep very well in Bottles a year or two more. Stop your Vessel close with Cork, not Clay, and have near the Bunghole a little Vent-hole stopped with a Spile, which never allow to be pulled out, till you Bottle or draw off a great Quantity together. By which means it is kept so close stopped, that it floushes violently out of the Cock for about a Quart, and then stops on a sudden, and Pearls and Smiles in a Glass like any Bottled Beer, though in the Winter time. But if once you pull out the Vent-Peg, to draw a Quantity at once, it will sensibly lose this Briskness; and be sometime before it recovers it.  
I propose no Directions for the Second and Third Words: He that can manage the first well, can never fail in the rest. Your Third Wort, being poured on hot Goods, may be only Cold Water.  
Now that I have given the best Directions for Brewing that readily occur to my Memory. I come to show the Reasons why Common Brewers very seldom or never make good Drink. This I know is generally attributed to their Underboyling their strong Words, which to prevent, some Brewers to their Detriment, and no manner of Advantage to their Drink, have Boiled them three hours, which is thrice as long as needed; and all to no purpose.  
In most (if not all) of the Northern Counties there are few or no Common Brewers. The Innkeepers and Public Ale Houses Brewing what they Retail in their own Houses. And Private Families for themselves. And in all these Counties 'tis as rare to find any ill Malt Liquors, as it is to find good in London, or the adjacent Counties.  
This may serve to show the Mistake of those, who ground their Computation of the Number and Proportion of Inhabitants, between some Southern and Northern Cities and Towns, on the King's Revenue of Excise arising out of them. For that, in the Eastern and Southern Counties, abounding in Common Brewers, almost all the Inhabitants of Cities and great Towns there, and the meaner People of their Neighbourhood, take their Drink of the Common Brewers, clogged with Excise; which few or none of all the Inhabitants of the Northern Towns do.  
In the West of England, They have some Common Brewers, but not in Proportion to the East and South. In most parts of the West, their Malt is so stenched with the Smoke of the Wood, with which 'tis dried, that no Stranger can endure it, though the Inhabitants, who are familiarized to it, can swallow it as the Hollanders do their thick Black Beer Brewed with Buck Wheat.  
In Bristol they have considerable Quantities of Malt by Sea from Wales, some dried with Straw, some with Coak or Culm, much the best way of Drying. Yet have little good Drink made from it, which is generally imputed to the Brackishness of their Water.  
In short, the Reason why Public and Common Brewers seldom or never Brew good Drink is, That they Wet more Malt at once, then 'tis possible they can have Vessels and Servants enough to Work, and set it cool enough to Ferment kindly: And withal, Brew so often, that they cannot sufficiently, between one Brewing and another, cleanse and scald their Brewing Vessels and Barrels, giving them due time to dry, but that they will retain such a Rest as will always Char and Sour their Liquors. And the Mischiefs accrueing by such Neglects are incredible to Persons unexperienced.  
My Brewers have been so cautious in this Particular, that if any Servants of the House, have by accident made use of any long handled Jet, hand Jet, or Pail, with cold Water during the Brewing; they have scalded it a new, and let it dry before they would use it again.  
This Practice of the Common Brewers Wetting such vast Quantities of Malt at once, and Brewing so often, puts me in Mind of the Story of Melibeus the Mantuan Shepherd in Boccalin, who tells the Roman Empire, that whilst he and Menalcas kept Five Hundred Sheep each, as they long did, they made a Crown a Head by the Wool and Lambs, amounting to Five Hundred Crowns Per Annum. But when Menalcas, from Covetuousness doubled his Flock to a Thousand Sheep, expecting to get thereby a Thousand Crowns a Year, he made but Three Hundred Crowns; and when he trebled his Flock, and made them Fifteen Hundred Sheep, he got nothing.  
This is but a Course APPLICATION of a STORY, framed with a great Contexture of Wit and Political Wisdom.   

A satire UPON Brandy.  

FArewel damned Stygian Juice, that dost bewitch,  
From the Court Bawd, down to the Country Bitch;  
Thou Liquid Flame, by whom each fiery Face  
Lives without Meat, and blushes without Grace,  
Sink to thy Native Hell to mend the Fire,  
Or if it please thee to ascend yet higher,  
To the dull Climate go, from whence you came,  
Where Wit and Courage do require your Flame;  
Where they Carouse it in Vesuvian Bowls,  
To crust the Quagmire of their spongy Souls:  
Had Dives for thy scorching Liquor cried,  
Abraham in Mercy had his suit denied;  
Had Bonner known thy force, the Martyr's Blood  
Had hissed in thee, and saved the Nations Wood:  
Essence of Ember, scum of melting flint,  
With all the Native sparkles floating in't;  
Sure the Black-Chymist with his Cloven foot,  
All Aetna's simples in one Lymbeck put,  
And double stilled, nay quintessenced thy Juice,  
To charcoal Mortals for his future use.  
Fireship of Nature, thou dost doubly wound,  
For they that grapple thee, are burnt and drowned:  
As when Heaven pressed th' Auxiliaries of Hell,  
A flaming storm on cursed Sodom fell,  
And when it's single Plagues would not prevail,  
Egypt was scalt with kindled Rain and Hail.  
So Nature's feuds are reconciled in thee,  
Thou two great Judgements in Epitome.  
God's past and future Anger breath in you,  
A Deluge and a Conflagration too.   

View yonder Sot, I do not mean Shr— Sh—  
Grilled all o'er, by thee, from head to foot,  
His greasy Eyelids shoared above their pitch,  
His Face with Carbuncles, and Rubies rich,  
His Scull instead of Brains supplied with Cinder,  
His Nose turns all his Handkerchiefs to Tinder;  
He breathes like a Smith's Forge, and wets the fire  
Not to allay the flame but raise it higher.  
His Stomach don't concoct, but bake his Food,  
His Liver even vitrefies his Blood;  
His trembling hand scarce heaves his Liquor in,  
His Nerves all crackle under's Parchment Skin;  
His Guts from Nature's drudgery are freed,  
And in his Bowels Salamanders breed.  
He's grown too hot to think, too dull to laugh,  
And steps as tho' he walked with Pindars staff.  
The moving Glass-house lightens in his Eyes,  
Sings his , and all his Marrow frys,  
Glows for a while, and then in Ashes dies.  
Thus like a shame Promethius we find,  
Thou stolest a Fire from Hell, to kill mankind.  
But stay, lest I the Saints dire Anger merit,  
By stinting their auxiliary Spirit;  
I am informed, whate'er we wicked think,  
Brandy's reformed, and turned a godly Drink.  
E'er since the Public Faith for Plate did Wimble,  
And Sanctified thy Gill with Hannah's Thimble,  
Thou'st left thy old bad Company of Vermin,  
The swearing Porters, and the drunken Carmen,  
And the new drivers of the Hackney Coaches,  
And now tak'st up with sage discreet debauches;  
Thou freely droppest upon Gold Chains and Fur,  
And Sots of Quality thy Minions are.  
No more shalt thou foment an Alehouse brawl,  
But the more sober Riots of Guild-Hall;  
Where by thy Spirits fallible Direction,  
The Reprobates once pol'd for an Election:  
If this trade hold, what shall we Mortals do,  
The Saints Sequester even our Vices too.  
For since the Art of Whoring's grown precise,  
And Perjury has got demurer Eyes,  
'Tis time, high time to circumcise the Gill,  
And not let Brandy be Philistian still.  
Go then thou Emblem of their torrid Zeal,  
Add flame to flame, and their stiff tempers kneal,  
Till they grow ductile to the Public Weal.  
And since the Godly have espoused thy cause,  
Don't fill their heads with Liberty and Laws,  
Religion, Privileges, Lawless Charters,  
Mind them of Falstaff's Heir-Apparent-Garters,  
And keep their outward man from Ketches quarters.  
One caution more, now we are out of Hearing,  
Many have died with drinking, some with swearing:  
If these two Pests should in conjunction meet,  
The Grass would quickly grow in ev'ry Street:  
Save thou the Nation from that double blow,  
And keep thy fire from Salamanca T. O.   
FINIS.