ON THE PKESENCE OF FUSEL OIL IN BEER. 2<>7 



considerably. Therefore are we to account for the dextrin by high 

 mashing heats ? or would it not more likely be owing to the fact 

 that large quantities of sugar are used in the brewing process ? If 

 this be so, why does the brewer use sugar, and if so what kind of 

 sugar 1 



The object of the brewer in using sugar may be considered under 

 two heads ; firstly, his object is to reduce the proportion of the 

 albumenoid matter in the wort ; and secondly, to effect a saving 

 in the price of malt, in other words, to use as little malt as 

 possible, because barley is not grown here and has therefore to be 

 imported ; while sugar grows well as every body knows. 



In the ordinary brewing process the reduction of albumenoids 

 is mainly effected by the boiling of the wort after mashing ; but 

 it is also further considerably effected by the tannin of the hops, 

 and by the employment of natural or else artificial waters, 

 containing suitable saline bodies principally sulphate of lime, which 

 renders some of the albumenoids insoluble. 



Notwithstanding these various methods of reducing the 

 albumenoids it is generally found by most brewers that a further 

 reduction is necessary beyond what is attainable by these means. 

 Now the addition of sugar effects this by the simple process of 

 diluting the albumenous wort with a substance which is non- 

 albumenous, but yet fermentable. These albumenous bodies, from 

 a sanitary or dietetic point of view would prove of advantage to 

 the beer consumer, inasmuch as these are flesh and tissue formers, 

 being in fact the proteid matter from the grain. The reason why 

 stout would be given to the invalid or the convalescent would be 

 precisely on account of these albumenoids, which are studiously 

 eliminated in the manufacture of Sydney beer. From the brewer's 

 point of view, he would say they were decidedly objectionable, 

 since they would prove food for the yeast cell, and for false or 

 adventitious ferments. And still these albumenoids are essential 

 for the healthy growth of the yeast, so that it is important that 

 the brewer has a sufficient quantity in his worts for the yeast to 

 live upon, as otherwise the S. cerevisice would starve and die. 

 The main object of the brewer is to conduct his fermentation 

 without the introduction of the false ferments so-called — the lactic, 

 acetic, and butyric ferments. A beer so made and afterwards 

 kept from their contamination, would keep sound for an indefinite 

 length of time. 



Now, as to the why and wherefore of the use of sugar. The 

 beer betrays its origin by its taste, albeit the demand may be for 

 sweet ales, or sweet ' running ales ' as they are somtimes termed, 

 the sweetness may not be due to cane sugar : certainly not, since 

 the sugar has undergone a change. If sugar crystals are used in 

 brewing Sydney beer, and there is internal evidence from the beer 



