338 ALE ADULTERATIONSUGAR THEORIES. 



is drawn from the cask itself, to make the finings, 

 but it may not be so effective. 



In the manufacture of ALE and small beer, Mr. 

 Child must be no longer my oracle. He unre- 

 servedly gives into the habitual adulterations of 

 beer, with sweets, seeds, (lib. coriander is supposed 

 ^qual to a bushel of malt,) and drugs, which neces- 

 sarily produce a spurious, and vastly inferior drink, 

 compared with the genuine product of malt and 

 hops. I will have no COUNTERFEITS in my cellar, 

 nor allow any addition to malt, hops, and liquor, ex- 

 cepting a handful or two of SALT, which seasons all 

 things ; of this, the old rule is a handful to each, 

 and every boiling of worts. Beer, in truth, may be 

 made from sugar, and small beer from treacle ; an 

 excellent beverage no doubt, for a wasting jockey, 

 or a rare article to give a poor labourer a ground 

 sweat. 



I have already alluded to the theories of our che- 

 mists on the potatoe. They infer an equality of 

 power and strength in all essences : as another ex- 

 ample, an equality between the saccharum of sugar, 

 and of malt, assuring you, that in beer making, a 

 certain number of Ibs. of sugar are equal to a bushel 

 of malt, (Child fixes the quantity of sugar at 61bs.) 

 They reckon without their host. The beer of su- 

 gar is an unsubstantial, as well as mawkish, sicken- 

 ing beverage, compared with the beer of malt. The 

 admixture of sugar or treacle deteriorates the qua- 

 lity of beer, however in proportion it may be made 

 to increase the quantity. The gluten of potatoes is 

 infinitely inferior, in substantial quality, to the gluten 



