BEEF. 



of the nuts used. The quality of the oil de- 

 pends upon the care with which it is made, 

 and upon the purity of the vessels in which it 

 is preserved. It should be twice drawn off 

 during the first three months, without disturb- 

 ing the dregs, and the third time at the end of 

 six mouths. It arrives at perfection only when 

 it becomes limpid, several months after its ex- 

 traction. It improves by age, lasts unimpaired 

 for tea years, and may be preserved longer 

 than any other oil. 



The manner of making beech nut oil most 

 commonly pursued in the districts of the United 

 \vhere the tree abounds, is somewhat 

 diilrieiit from that described in Michaux's 

 Si/l-u. Instead of resorting to the rather te- 

 diou> pr.x-fss of gathering the nuts and press- 

 ing them through screw-presses, the farmers 

 turn out their hogs immediately after the first 

 frost, who secrete the oil under their skin. In a 

 favourable year they become perfect masses of 

 blubber. I s they be fed, sometime before 

 killing, on Indian corn, the bacon has little 

 solid consistency, becomes liquid upon the 

 slighest application of heat, and keeps that 

 state, resembling in this respect the lard 

 > fed upon acorn mast. The nuts are 

 only plentiful about every third or fourth year, 

 and every farmer keeps a number of half- 

 swinf in the intervening period to take 

 of the happy event. 



BEEF (Fr. bcenf), is used either fresh or 

 salu-il. Beef is also sometimes used for the 

 name of an ox, bull, or cow, considered as fit 

 for food. Formerly it was usual for most 

 families, at least in England, to supply them- 

 selv-N with a stock of salt beef in October or 

 November, which served for their consumption 

 until the ensuing summer; but in consequence 

 of the universal establishment of markets 

 where fresh beef may be at all times obtained, 

 the practice is now nearly relinquished, and 

 the quantity of salted beef made use of as 

 compared with fresh beef is quite inconsider- 

 able. Large quantities of salted beef are, 

 however, prepared at Cork and other places 

 for exportation to the East and West Indies. 

 During the war large supplies were also re- 

 quired for victualling the navy. The vessels 

 I in the coasting trade, and in short 

 s, use only fresh provisions. The Eng- 

 lish have at all times been great consumers of 

 beef; and at this moment more beef is used in 

 London, as compared with the population, than 

 anywhere else in Europe. 



BEELD, or BIELD (Sax. behiman; Icel. 

 boele, a dwelling). A term provincially applied 

 m the north of England to any thing which 

 affords shelter, such as a clump or screen of 

 trees planted for the protection of live-stock. 



BEER (Welsh, bir , Germ, bier; Sax. heap ; 

 Goth, bar, barley). A liquor made from malt 

 and hops, which is distinguished from ale 

 either by being older or. smaller. It may be 

 prepared from any of the farinaceous grains, 

 out barley is most commonly employed. 



Beer is, properly speaking, the wine of bar- 

 ley. The meals of any of these grains being 

 extracted by a sufficient quantity of water, and 

 remaining at rest in a degree of heat requisite 

 for this fermentation, are changed into a vinous 



BEER. 



liquor. But as these matters render the water 

 mucilaginous, fermentation proceeds slowly 

 and imperfectly. On the other hand, if the 

 quantity of farinaceous matter be so dimi- 

 nished that its extract or decoction may have 

 a convenient degree of fluidity, this liquor will 

 be impregnated with so small a quantity of 

 fermentable matter, that the beer or wine of 

 the grain will be weak, and have little taste. 

 These inconveniences are therefore remedied 

 by preliminary operations which the grain is 

 made to undergo. These preparations consist 

 in steeping it in cold water, that it may soak 

 and swell to a certain degree ; and in laying it 

 in a heap with a suitable degree of heat, by 

 means of which, and of the imbibed moisture, 

 a germination begins, which is to be stopped 

 by a quick drying, as soon as the bud shows 

 itself. To accelerate this drying, and to prevent 

 the farther vegetation of the grain, which would 

 impair its saccharine qualities, the grain is 

 slightly roasted, by means of a kiln, or making 

 it pass down an inclined canal sufficiently 

 heated. This germination, and this slight 

 roasting, change considerably the nature of the 

 mucilaginous fermentable matter of the grain, 

 and it becomes the malt of commerce. This 

 malt is then ground; and all its substance, 

 which is fermentable and soluble in water, is 

 extricated by means of hot water. This ex- 

 tract or infusion is evaporated by boiling in 

 cauldrons ; and some plant of an agreeable 

 bitterness, such as hops, is added to heighten 

 the taste of the beer, and to render it capable 

 of being longer preserved. Lastly, this liquor 

 is put into casks, and fermented, assisted by 

 the addition of barm. 



Beer is nutritious from the sugar and muci- 

 lage it contains, exhilarating from the spirit, 

 and strengthening and narcotic from the hops. 

 Mr. Brande obtained the following quantities 

 of alcohol from 100 parts of different beers : 

 Burton ale, between 8 and 9 ; Edinburgh ale, 

 6 to 7 ; Dorchester ale, 5 to 6. The average 

 of strong ale being between 6 and 7 ; browu 

 stout, 6 to 7; London porter about 4 (average) ; 

 London brewers' small beer between 1 and 2. 

 (See BREWING.) " The distinction between 

 ale and beer, or porter, has been," says Mr 

 M'Culloch, "ably elucidated by Dr. Thomas 

 Thomson in his valuable article on brewing in 

 the supplement to the Encyc. Brit" 



" Both ale and beer are in Great Britain ob- 

 tained by fermentation from the malt of barley 

 but they differ from each other in several par 

 ticulars. Ale is light-coloured, brisk, and 

 sweetish, or at least free from bitter; while 

 beer is dark-coloured, bitter, and much less 

 brisk. What is called porter in England is a 

 species of beer ; and the term porter,' at pre- 

 sent signifies what was formerly called strong 

 beer. The original difference between ale and 

 beer was owing to the malt from which they 

 were prepared ; ale malt was dried at a very 

 low heat, and consequently was of a pale co- 

 lour , while beer or porter malt was dried at a 

 higiier temperature, and had of consequencr 

 acquired a brown colour. This incipient 

 charring had developed a peculiar and agree- 

 able bitter taste, which was communicated to 

 the beer ilong with the dark colour. This bit 



IM 



