INDUSTRIES 



purposes. This water has been obtained by 

 sinking an artesian well through some 600 ft. 

 of solid chalk to the lower greensand. 



Most of the barley for the malt is grown and 

 purchased in the neighbourhood, which is a great 

 advantage to the farmers attending the Dorchester 

 markets. 



The Dorchester beer is brewed as follows : — 

 The barley is taken to one of the various making- 

 houses and is there malted, screened, cleaned, 

 and bushelled ; after that at the brewery the 

 malt is crushed and conveyed to a twin grist 

 hopper by a Jacob's ladder. When required for 

 mashing, the ground malt and water is passed 

 through a Steel's masher, whereby the malt is 

 saturated at a mixing heat of 150 deg. or there- 

 abouts according to the lightness or heaviness of 

 the beer required to be brewed. The general 

 proportions are about one and a half to two 

 barrels of water to a quarter of malt, finishing 

 with a little more water of a higher temperature. 



From the Steel's mashing machine the mixture, 

 in its saturated condition, falls into the mash 

 tun, when the revolving rakes are set going until 

 the 'goods' rise to the proper heats, the object of 

 the operator being to prevent coagulation or 

 setting of the ' goods ' ; hence the rakes are kept 

 going until the goods are seen to touch the line 

 of saccharification. The operation lasts from five 

 to six hours, and about two hours after the 



mashing process is completed the draining of 

 the wort from the goods (or grain) takes place. 

 The draining is accomplished, slowly at first, by 

 several cocks placed in the bottom of the mash 

 tun, and the wort is carried to the coppers 

 through main pipes constructed of copper and 

 lined with tin. The object of boiling the wort 

 is not only to break it up, but to eliminate a 

 large quantity of albumen, which from its 

 changeable nature is best out of the beer. It is 

 at this stage that the hops are added, which not 

 only give flavour to the beer but impart to it a 

 keeping quality. It is then cooled in open 

 coolers and refrigerators ; after this follows 

 fermentation. The skimming system as prac- 

 tised in London and elsewhere is the method of 

 fermentation which has been in use since the 

 Dorchester brewery was founded. Finally the 

 liquor is conveyed to slate racking or settling 

 tanks, from which it is racked into the casks. '* 



According to the census of 1901, 293 malt- 

 sters and brewers carry on their trade in Dorset, 

 and besides these there is a large staff of clerks, 

 travellers, and managers who are employed by 

 the different brewers. Tiiere are various other 

 breweries in the county besides that at Dorches- 

 ter, one being at Bridport ; Dorset ale indeed 

 seems to have regained the proud position it 

 occupied in the eighteenth century, whilst Dor- 

 chester is still famous for ' health and beer.' ^' 



CIDER 



There is no doubt that even in the Middle 

 Ages cider was made in Dorset as in Sussex, to 

 meet local requirements, but unfortunately 

 specific notices are hard to come by. However, 

 as early as 1291 cider [cisera) is referred to in 

 an enrolled account of the abbey of Shaftesbury.' 

 In the Inquisitlones Nonarum of 1340 the tithes 

 of cider are probably included under the stereo- 

 typed form ' other small tithes,' and only excep- 

 tionally, as in the case of the parish of Bea- 

 minster,^ is cider mentioned by name. By 

 the reign of Edward IV we also hear of cider 

 being brought into Poole from abroad. A 

 vessel (batalla) named the Mavye of ' Reyle,' 

 Wrenche Herbert master, brought in amongst 

 its cargo I pipe of 'sidre,' valued at 35. 4</., and 

 Stephen Cressyn, a foreigner, paid thereon \d. in 

 customs duty and 2d. in subsidy.' Again at the 

 beginning of the next century, the Barharay 

 of 'Reverjobles,' entered Poole Haven under the 

 command of her master,Thomas Viron. Amongst 

 the cargo, besides great store of apples, pears, 



'" From local information. 



'' Clarke, A Tour through the South of Engl. (1793). 



' Pipe R. 19 Edw. I; Cf. V.C.H. Sussex, ii, 263. 



' Now. Inq. (Rec. Com.), 5 Ii5. 



' K.R. Cust. Accts. bdle. 1 19, No. 20. 



nuts, and other fruits of the earth, were 3 

 ' poncheons de pery,' containing i cask [dolium), 

 valued at icj. On this consignment of liquor 

 the foreign merchant, James Seron, paid i^d. in 

 customs duty and bd. as his share of the subsidy.^ 

 After disembarking her cargo she loaded up with 

 English goods and returned home, but reappeared ' 

 at Poole two months after with more apples and 

 nuts, but instead of perry brought a hogshead of 

 dry wine [vini non dukii\ a barrel of verjuice 

 (^erg\ and two butts of Runnay or Roumey 

 wine,^ which contained i cask and I hogshead of 

 dry wine. 



An orchard of cider apples has long formed part 

 of every Dorset farm, but the cider made in the 

 county has been almost exclusively manufac- 

 tured for home consumption. The process was 

 frequently superintended by a travelling brewer, 

 who was an authority on the proper flavouring 

 and clearing of the liquor. The Vale of Black- 

 moor has always been the pre-eminent cider- 

 producing district in the county. In 1788 apples 



' Ibid. 19-20 Hen. VII, bdle. 120, No. 10. 



' Ibid. 



' Possibly the Romaney wine mentioned by Mr. 

 Andri Simon, Hist, of Wine Trade in Engl, i, 2 1 3, 2 i S, 

 282, &c. 



369 



47 



