FOUL AND ROPY BEER COLOURING. 345 



chalk. If any thing of this kind can be effectual, it is 

 probably the salt of tartar joined with an infusion of 

 hops, the drink to remain undisturbed several months, 

 then to be drawn off the lees into a fresh cask. 



A tradesman in my neighbourhood, a particularly 

 curious and skilful private brewer, of many years' 

 experience, informs me that he has tried, without 

 success, most of the old methods of recovering sour 

 and turbid beer, and that he prefers taking the op- 

 portunity of brewing, when he starts his pricked 

 beer upon the grains in the mash, after the small 

 beer, running it off directly ; it will then run clear of 

 the acidity and foulness, which are left behind in 

 the grains, He afterwards puts into it the boiled 

 and used hops, and perhaps a few fresh, casking all 

 together. His beer is kept in butts placed upright, 

 and he finds that two bushels of malt absorb ten 

 gallons of water. 



For FOUL and VAPID drink -three quarters of a 

 pound of BEAN FLOUR (as above) with one pound of 

 RAISINS, stoned and chopped, the whole made into 

 balls with the beer, and put into the cask, which 

 must be bunged, but a vent-hole left, as a fermenta- 

 tion will arise, and perhaps continue twenty-four 

 hours. For ROPY beer, two handsful of bean flour, 

 with one handful of salt, are recommended as suffi- 

 cient for a butt. After all, it will be easily conceiv- 

 ed, by the reflecting reader, that PREVENTION, com- 

 pared with the best of these ancient nostrums, is as 

 strong beer to pump-water. Elderberry juice was 

 formerly much used in the country, to heighten the 

 colour, and give a peculiar flavour to old beer. 



Q5 * 



