IN THE STORAGE CASKS. 105 



sediment. In connection with the question of stability the 

 reader is referred also to the last chapter. 



The first point to which we must pay attention is that the 

 small samples taken from the storage cellar for examination 

 are average samples, otherwise we can naturally draw no 

 conclusions as to the condition of the bulk from which they 

 were taken. Here, however, we are at once met by great 

 difficulties. Even if one section of the cellar is racked at 

 the same time and in such a manner that all the casks are 

 gradually filled with the same beer, their contents will still 

 vary somewhat ; it is, in fact, not possible to introduce the 

 same amount each time, one cask receiving sometimes too 

 much and sometimes too little ; but since the contents of the 

 fermenting vessels may vary somewhat during the length of 

 time required for filling the casks, it naturally follows that 

 there may also be differences in the cask contents. It is 

 evident, therefore, that samples must be taken from every 

 cask. The question then is whether average samples can be 

 obtained under the conditions prevailing in the brewery, and 

 in what manner they are best collected ; it is self-evident 

 that not every small sample drawn from a large cask can 

 afford exact information with regard to the whole contents 

 of the latter. 



The method made use of was as follows : Some of the 

 bottles mentioned above (each holding about 350 cc.) were 

 filled in the lager cellar, a small cask sampler-tap being used 

 for the purpose, and they were then well corked. Both the 

 bottles and corks were previously sterilised, and the samples 

 of beer were collected with care. As soon as they were taken 

 to the laboratory, they were placed in a dark cupboard, where 

 the temperature was, as a rule, 16-18 C. in the day-time and 

 often only 10 C. at night. 



Experiment I. Seventy-two such samples were taken from 12 casks of 

 export beer which had been stored for seven months, six samples being 

 collected from each cask, two from the lower layer, two from the middle, 



