420 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1941 



One of the most important uses of Irish moss before prohibition 

 was in the "fining" of beers and ales. The cloudy solution of malt 

 extract in the early stages of beer brewing contains insoluble and 

 undesirable proteins which can be removed by a tedious process of 

 settling or a swift process of "fining." The Irish moss is added to 

 the brew while it is being boiled. The gelatin freed from the sea- 

 weed by boiling unites with the tanin of the hops to form a floccu- 

 lent mass which encloses the suspended particles, the impurities, 

 which are then removed as a scum. With the repeal of prohibition 

 and the reopening of the beer industries, many manufacturers began 

 to use chemical finings to fine their beers. The use of Irish moss is 

 very economical as half a crateful of it is more than enough to 

 clarify 500 barrels of beer. Irish moss may also be used in the 

 fining of coffee, for which purpose it is more economical than eggs. 



Algin, a mucilaginous product obtained from the kelps of the brown 

 seaweed family, as described in more detail in the section on algae as 

 cosmetics, is also extensively used in the food industry. Algin is non- 

 toxic, possesses nutritive value, and is not an allergen. It is used pri- 

 marily in foods as a stabilizer, chiefly in ice cream, where it prevents 

 the formation of large ice crystals without masking the flavor and 

 produces an ice cream that has a smooth, velvety texture of creamy 

 consistency. It facilitates ice cream manufacture since ice creams 

 made with algin whip fast and do not require any "aging" before 

 freezing. It is of similar use in water ices and sherbets. It is used 

 as a suspending agent for the cocoa fibers in chocolate milk, and in 

 milk puddings it acts as a jellying agent. It is used as an emulsifying 

 and stabilizing agent in place of starch and various gums in salad dress- 

 ing. It is also found to be a valuable addition to doughnuts, cakes, 

 icings, buttermilk, cream, and confectioneries, especially marsh- 

 mallows. 



The vegetable stabilizers, agar, algin, and Irish moss, notwithstand- 

 ing their higher price, have been increasingly used in the manufacture 

 of ice cream instead of animal gelatin. Their use has been stimulated 

 by the objection of the orthodox Jews to the use of animal gelatin in 

 the manufacture of ice cream as it is contrary to the ritual of orthodox 

 Jewry to eat an animal product combined with a dairy product. To 

 meet this objection, some manufacturers have completely abandoned 

 the use of animal gelatin as a stabilizer in their products. 



The dulse (Scotch) or dillsk {Irish) , Bhodi/Tnenia palmata, is one of 

 the red seaweeds with which Americans are familiar as it is often found 

 in a rough-dried state in the water-front markets of Boston, New 

 York, and other seaports of the United States. (See pi. 5, fig. 3.) 

 In some places on the west of Ireland, this seaweed forms the chief 

 relish to the Irisliman's potatoes. Its use is not confined to the poor 



