II.] BREWING. 25 



used them at ten years old, and should have no fear of 

 using them at twenty. They lose none of their bit- 

 terness ; none of their power of preserving beer ; but 

 they lose the other quality ; and therefore, in the mak- 

 ing of fine ale, or beer, new hops are to be preferred.. 

 As to the quantity of hops, it is clear, from what has 

 been said, that that must, in some degree depend upon 

 their quality ; but, supposing them to be good in qual- 

 ity, a pound of hops to a bushel of malt is about the 

 quantity. A good deal, however, depends upon the 

 length of time that the beer is intended to be kept, and 

 upon the season of the year in which it is brewed. 

 Beer intended to be kept a long while should have the 

 full pound, also beer brewed in warmer weather, 

 though for present use : half the quantity may do un- 

 der an opposite state of circumstances. 



40. The water should be soft by all means. That 

 of brooks, or rivers, is best. That of a pond, fed by 

 a rivulet, or spring, will do very well. Rain-water , 

 if just fallen, may do ; but stale rain-water, or stag- 

 nant pond- water, makes the beer flat and difficult to 

 keep ; and hard water, from wells, is very bad ; it does 

 not get the sweetness out of the malt, nor the bitter- 

 ness out of the hops, like soft water ; and the wort of 

 it does not ferment well, which is a certain proof of 

 its unfitness for the purpose. 



41. There are two descriptions of persons whom I 

 am desirous to see brewing their own beer ; namely, 

 tradesmen, and labourers and journeymen. There 

 must, therefore, be two distinct scales treated of. In 

 the former editions of this work, I spoke of a machine 

 for brewing, and stated the advantages of using it in a 

 family of any considerable consumption of beer ; but, 

 while, from my desire to promote private brewing, 

 I strongly recommended the machine, I stated that, 

 " if any of my readers could point out any method by 

 which we should be more likely to restore the practice 

 of private brewing, and especially to the cottage, I 

 should be greatly obliged to them to communicate it 

 to me." Such communications have been made, and 

 I am very happy to be able, in this new edition of my 



3 



