176 BOILING THE WORT. 



419. The sweet wort is then run into the copper, 

 and boiled, and the sooner this is done after it has 

 been drawn off, the better. Sweet wort contains a 

 much larger quantity of vegetable albumen than is 

 necessary to insure the requisite degree of fermenta- 

 tion, and this, if left in it, would be almost sure to 

 cause it to pass into the acetous fermentation. By 

 boiling the wort, a considerable quantity of this albu- 

 men is rendered insoluble, and precipitates in flakes. 

 The wort must, however, not be boiled too long, or 

 the whole of the albumen will be thrown down. 



420. When the wort has been boiled a certain time, 

 a quantity of hops is added ; the hops are not allowed 

 to boil with the wort the whole time, or too much of 

 their rank flavor would be thus extracted, and the 

 long-continued action of heat would drive off some of 

 the fragrant volatile oil which they contain, and the 

 presence of which is essential to the flavor and good- 

 ness of the beer (431). 



421. This part of the operation, as indeed are all 

 which in any way depend on the regulation and 

 management of fermentation, is very delicate, and 

 requires much care ; the boiled wort is very prone to 

 pass into the acetous fermentation ; it must be rapidly 

 cooled, and brought down to the temperature best 

 suited for alcoholic fermentation. 



422. The wort must be cooled to about 60° or 

 thereabouts, and if this is not quickly done the wort 

 begins to decompose ; it acquires a rank and disagree- 

 able flavor, and becomes slightly mouldy ; this, which 



