THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 347 



or by small cross-pieces of wood. This loose bottom sbculd be kept 

 firmly in its place by a second boop nailed above it. It serves to 

 filtrate tbe -wort, which passes thus strained througb a plug-bole or 

 tap placed between the two bottoms. A still greater improvement 

 comprises the false bottom, and to that a wooden pipe is adapted, 

 down which tbe hot water is poured, and tbus rises upwards througb 

 tbe malt. If tbe plain mash-tub, or that with a simple false bottom, 

 be used, the ground malt must be kept ready by its side, and the 

 copper (whicb, for our quantities, should contain eighteen gallons) 

 ought to be filled with water and brought to a boil. Any sweet 

 water will do ; but the experience of many years proves that the 

 soft fluid of a pond, with a rill running through it, is the best. Pour 

 about six gallons of the boiling water into the tub, then add malt, 

 while an assistant stirs constantly, till the whole be a thick mass ; 

 then add a pail of boiling water, then more malt, and so on, alter- 

 nately, till only one peck of dry malt remain. The water used ought 

 to be about thirteen gallons. Upon this mash sprinkle the remaining 

 quantity of dry malt all over its surface, then cover the tub with a 

 flannel cloth, or sacks, and let it stand two hours. If the false bot- 

 tom, with the improved spout, be employed, let the malt (except the 

 reserved peck) be put dry into the vessel ; then pour twelve or four- 

 teen gallons of water at 175° down the spout, and suffer it to rise 

 gradually into the body of the malt ; stir the upper part till it 

 become completely wet, and lay on the dry malt, and cover with a 

 cloth as before directed. While this process proceeds, fill, and brin* 

 the copper to a boil again, and about a quarter of an hour before the 

 lapse of the two hours, draw off a little of the wort into a bowl ; re- 

 turn this and repeat the drawing till no grains follow, and the wort 

 be clear. Then draw the wort from the mash-tub, at first slowly, and 

 afterwards in a bolder stream, as it is of consequence that it should 

 he char. 



Malt absorbs and retains about three gallons of water to every 

 bushel, therefore the wort obtained will be from seven to nine 

 gallons. When the whole is nearly drained off, close the tap, and 

 pour on so much boiling water as will make up eighteen gallons 

 with the wort already obtained. Let this second mash remain an 

 hour, and partially fill and again heat the copper, unless nine 

 gallons remain in it. It will be always advantageous to have two 

 furnaces, one for the wort and the other for water ; where there are 

 two, the first wort ought to be put into it with a due proportion 

 of the hops, and brought to a boil, as by this means much time 

 will be saved. 



The hops should be rubbed up between the hands, and placed in 

 a small cooler, where it will be advisable to digest them, during the 

 period of the first mash, in as much boiling water as will cover 

 them ; by so doing, the quantity of water they absorb will be spared 

 to the sweet-wort, and no loss of heat will be occasioned. Most 

 persons, however, do not mash the hops. 



4. Mashing roil Table Beek. — If there be two coppers, the 

 boiling will proceed while the grains undergo the third mashing, 

 which will consist of nine gallons of water, at about ICO degrees, 



November. 



