318 BEER, ITS NATURE AND PROPERTIES. 



fermenting a solution and decoction of the saccha- 

 rine matter, or sugar of malt, and impregnating it 

 with the essential oil and bitter quality of the hop, 

 in order to restrict the beer to the requisite vinous 

 fermentation, and prevent its advance to the acetous 

 or acid. That the saccharine matter of the malt 

 may be extracted clear of the farinaceous, the tem- 

 perature or heat of the water must not be too high, 

 or even at a scalding heat ; otherwise a due fermen- 

 tation will be prevented, and the beer rendered 

 thick and unwholesome. Beers that are dense, mu- 

 cilaginous, and muddy, from being unskilfully brew- 

 ed, and imperfectly fermented, sit heavily, and are 

 indigestible by weak stomachs, in which they in- 

 duce the acid fermentation and its consequences. 

 On this account, the beer of common brewers, as 

 being more carefully and thoroughly fermented 

 than the ordinary home-brewed, has generally the 

 advantage with respect to lightness and facility of 

 digestion. These few remarks on the important 

 subject of fermentation, are intended as prefatory to 

 an account of the following NOVEL, or revived PLAN 

 of brewing, in which, indeed, time and labour may 

 be saved, but I apprehend not advantageously ; the 

 experiment, however, may be easily made. 



It is recommended to remove the beer, hops and 

 all, immediately from the copper, and, as I under- 

 stand, hot as it may be, to the casks, which are left 

 open to produce the spontaneous fermentation, no 

 yeast being used. This, it is said, will begin in 

 four or five days, when the beer shall have become 

 quite cokl ; the hops will then rise and work out of 



