CASKS MALT MASH-TUB COPPER. 369 



called foxing in the other utensils, will be communi- 

 cated to the beer, and render it disagreeable to the 

 palate and stomach, or even totally useless. NEW 

 CASKS will require some time for cleansing and sea- 

 soning, and, perhaps, dependent on the nature of the 

 wood, some will always communicate to the beer a 

 slight taste of wood, on their first using. If the 

 malt be new, after grinding it should be exposed to 

 the air, on A DRY FLOOR, two days previously to its 

 being used; if old, half the time may suffice. Brown 

 malt requires a longer, perhaps double the time. 

 MALT should be only crushed or broken, not reduced 

 to flour by the mill, which renders the beer turbid. 



To speak in this place particularly of the MASH- 

 TUB it is usually, and indeed most conveniently, 

 made with a SPIGOT externally, near the bottom, to 

 run off the worts into the tubs ; or, in some parts of 

 the country, they make a hole in the centre of the 

 bottom, thrusting through a STAFF, fitting the hole, 

 from which to let out the worts, the staff being of 

 sufficient length above the tub, in order to being 

 laid hold of and managed. The thing, however, being 

 troublesome, is now very seldom used. The wooden 

 grating has superseded the old basket, to keep back 

 grains and refuse, and to run the worts off fine. The 

 entire false bottom is consequently disused. The 

 COPPER being filled, and every necessary prepara- 

 tion made, over night, let the brewer commence his 

 operations EARLY IN THE MORNING, that his worts 

 may be cooled in good time, and if possible set to 

 work in the afternoon. 



The FERMENTATION may continue two days, ac- 

 u 



