AGE PROPERTIES COMMON SMALL BEER. 377 



it, if thought necessary, with a SAND-BAG. The 

 VENT-PEG should be left out a few days, until all be 

 quiet, and then driven down. This ale may be drank 

 in six weeks, particularly if brewed in spring ; will 

 be excellent at Michaelmas, and in perfection in the 

 following spring. DRY CELLARING, and not too 

 warm, is the object, whether for wine or beer. 



The above DIRECTIONS, it has been seen, are for 

 brewing ale only, and that of sufficient strength for 

 any ale, even if to be kept several years, in cask or 

 bottled ; but, as I have before hinted, old ales and 

 beers lose much of their salubrious properties by age, 

 acquiring others of a different character, as the deep 

 drinkers of such soon acquire sufficient experience. 

 Three sorts of beer are sometimes made under the 

 same process, namely, BEST ALE, from the first worts, 

 TABLE ALE from the second, and common SMALL 

 BEER afterwards : but the usual and preferable mode 

 is to make ale and small beer ; and when the latter 

 is required to be better than ordinary, a small quan- 

 tity of fresh malt is capped on for that purpose. 



SMALL BEER after the ale. The last ale wort 

 having run off, and a copper of boiling water being 

 ready, pour into the mash-tub fifteen gallons of 

 water, reduced to about 190 degrees of heat, that is 

 to say, at a considerably greater degree of heat than 

 that used for the ale, but not boiling. (Cold water 

 is also used.) It is to be observed, that the goods 

 (grains) being now saturated, will no longer absorb. 

 This mash is to be well stirred, covered as before, 

 and to be left for about one hour. The copper 

 being cleared of the last ale wort, will be ready to 



