Take a Quart of French Brandy, or as much of English, that is free from any burnt Tang, or other ill taste, and is full Proof, to this put as much Wheat or Flower as will knead it into a Dough, put it in long pieces into the Bung Hole, as soon as the Beer has done working, or afterwards, and let it gently fall piece by piece to the bottom of the Butt, this will maintain the Drink in a mellow freshness, keep staleness off for some time, and cause it to be the stronger as it grows Aged.
ANOTHER.
Take one Pound of Treacle or Honey, one Pound of the Powder of dryed Oyster-shells or fat Chalk, mix them well and put it into a Butt, as soon as it has done working or some time after, and Bung it well, this will both fine and preserve the Beer in a soft, smooth Condition for a great while.
ANOTHER.
Take a Peck of Egg-shells and dry them in an Oven, break and mix them with two Pound of fat Chalk, and mix them with water wherein four Pounds of coarse Sugar has been boiled, and put it into the Butt as aforesaid.
To fine and preserve Beers and Ales by boiling an Ingredient in the Wort.
This most valuable way I frequently follow both for Ale, Butt-beer and Small Beer, and that is, in each Barrel Copper of Wort, I put in a Pottle, or two Quarts of whole Wheat as soon as I can, that it may soak before it boils, then I strain it thro' a Sieve, when I put the Wort in cooling Tubs, and if it is thought fit the same Wheat may be boiled in a second Copper: Thus there will be extracted a gluey Consistence, which being incorporated with the Wort by boiling, gives it a more thick and ponderous Body, and when in the Cask, soon makes a Sediment or Lee, as the Wort is more or less loaded with the weighty Particles of this fizy Body; but if such Wheat was first parched or baked in an Oven, it would do better, as being rather too raw as it comes from the Ear.
Another Way.
A Woman, who lived at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, and had the best Ale in the Town, once told a Gentleman, she had Drink just done working in the Barrel, and before it was Bung'd would wager it was fine enough to Drink out of a Glass, in which it should maintain a little while a high Froth; and it was true, for the Ivory shavings that she boiled in her Wort, was the Cause of it, which an Acquaintance of mine accidentally had a View of as they lay spread over the Wort in the Copper; so will Hartshorn shavings do the same and better, both of them being great finers and preservers of malt Liquors against staleness and sourness, and are certainly of a very alcalous Nature. Or if they are put into a Cask when you Bung it down, it will be of service for that purpose; but these are dear in Comparison of the whole Wheat, which will in a great measure supply their Place, and after it is used, may be given to a poor Body, or to the Hog.
To stop the Fret in Malt Liquors.