Strong Beer, or Ale.
Twelve bushels of malt to the hogshead for beer, eight for ale; for either pour the whole quantity of water hot, but not boiling, on at once, and let it infuse three hours close covered; mash it in the first half hour, and let it stand the remainder of the time. Run it on the hops previously infused in water; for strong beer three quarters of a pound to a bushel, if for ale, half a pound. Boil them with the wort two hours from the time it begins to boil. Cool a pailful to add three quarts of yeast to, which will prepare it for putting to the rest when ready next day; but if possible, put together the same night. Turn as usual. Cover the bunghole with paper when the beer has done working; and when it is to be stopped have ready a pound and a half of hops, dried before the fire, put them into the bunghole, and fasten it up.
Let it stand twelve months in casks, and twelve in bottles before it be drank. It will keep, and be very fine, eight or ten years. It should be brewed the beginning of March.
Great care must be taken that bottles are perfectly prepared, and that the corks are of the best sort.
The ale will be ready in three or four months; and if the vent peg be never removed, it will have spirit and strength to the very last. Allow two gallons of water at first for waste.
After the beer or ale is run from the grains, pour a hogshead and a half for the twelve bushels, and a hogshead of water if eight were brewed; mash, and let stand, and then boil, &c. Use some of the hops for this table beer that were boiled for the strong beer.
Excellent Table Beer.
On three bushels of malt pour of hot water the third of the quantity you are to use, which is to be thirty nine gallons. Cover it warm half an hour, then mash, and let it stand two hours and a half more, then set it to drain. When dry, add half the remaining water, mash, and let it stand half an hour, run that into another tub, and pour the rest of the water on the malt, stir it well, and cover it, letting it infuse a full hour. Run that off, and mix all together. A pound and a quarter of hops should be infused in water, as in the former receipt, and be put into the tub for the first running.
Boil the hops with the wort an hour from the time it first boils. Strain off, and cool. If the whole be not cool enough that day to add to the yeast, a pail or two of wort may be prepared, and a quart of yeast put to it over night. Before tunning, all the wort should be added together, and thoroughly mixed with the lade pail. When the wort ceases to work, put a bit of paper on the bunghole for three days, when it may be safely fastened close. In three or four weeks the beer will be fit for drinking.
Note. Servants should be directed to put a cork into every barrel as soon as the cock is taken out, the air causing casks to become musty.