II.] BREWING. 27 



mash-tub, for the wort to run into when drawn from 

 the grains. FOURTH, a tun-tub, that will contain 

 thirty gallons, to put the ale into to work, the mash- 

 tub, as we shall see, serving as a tun-tub for the small 

 beer. Besides these, a couple of coolers, shallow tubs, 

 which may be the heads of wine buts, or some such 

 things, about a foot deep ; or if you have four it may 

 be as well, in order to effect the cooling more quickly. 

 43. You begin by filling the copper with water, and 

 next by making the water boil. You then put into the 

 mashing-tub water sufficient to stir and separate the 

 malt in. But now let me say more particularly what 

 this mashing-tub is. It is, you know, to contain sixty 

 gallons. It is to be a little broader at top than at "bot- 

 tom, and not quite so deep as it is wide across the 

 bottom. Into the middle of the bottom there is a 

 hole about two inches over, to draw 'the wort off 

 through. In this hole goes a stick, a foot or two 

 longer than the tub is high. This stick is to be about 

 two inches through, and tapered for about eight inches 

 upwards at the end that goes into the hole, which at 

 last it fills up closely as a cork. Upon the hole, be- 

 fore any thing else be put into the tub, you lay a little 

 bundle of fine birch, (heath or straw may do,) about 

 half the bulk of a birch broom, and well tied at both 

 ends. This being laid over the hole (to keep back the 

 grains as the wort goes out,) you put the tapered end 

 of the stick down through into the hole, and thus cork 

 the hole up. You must then have something of 

 weight sufficient to keep the birch steady at the bot- 

 tom of the tub, with a hole through it to slip down the 

 stick ; otherwise when the stick is raised it will be apt 

 to raise the birch with it, and when you are stirring 

 the mash you would move it from its place. The 

 best thing for this purpose will be a leaden collar for 

 the stick, with the hole in the collar plenty large 

 enough, and it should weigh three or four pounds. 

 The thing they use in some farm-houses is the iron box 

 of a wheel. Any thing will do that will slide down 

 the stick, and lie with weight enough on the birch 

 to keep it from moving. Now, then, you are ready 



