Take the best large scurvy-grass tops and leaves, in May, June, or July, bruise them well in a stone mortar, then put them in a well-glazed earthen vessel, and sprinkle them over with some powder of crystal of tartar, then smear them with virgin honey, and being covered close, let it stand twenty-four hours; then set water over a gentle fire, putting to every gallon three pints of honey, and when the scum rises, take it off, and let it cool; then put the stamped scurvy grass into a barrel, and pour the liquor to it, setting the vessel conveniently end-ways, with a tap at the bottom. When it has been infused twenty-four hours, draw off the liquor, strongly press the juice and moisture out of the herb into the barrel or vessel, and put the liquor up again; then put a little new yeast to it, and suffer it to ferment three days, covering the place of the bung or vent with a piece of bread spread over with mustard seed, downward, in a cool place, and let it continue till it is fine and drinks brisk; then draw off the finest part, leaving only the dregs behind: afterwards add more herbs, and ferment it with whites of eggs, flour, and fixed nitre, verjuice, or the juice of green grapes, if they are to be had; to which add six pounds of the syrup of mustard, all mixed and well beaten together, to refine it down, and it will drink brisk, but is not very pleasant; being here inserted among artificial wines rather for the sake of health than for the delightfulness of its taste.
236. CHEAP AND WHOLESOME CLARET.
Take a quart of fine draft Devonshire cider, and an equal quantity of good port. Mix them, and shake them. Bottle them, and let them stand for a month. The best judge will not be able to distinguish them from good Bordeaux.
237. DRY WINE.
Those who like a dry wine, should put into the vat, at the commencement of the vinous fermentation, an ounce or two of calcined gypsum, in fine powder.
MANAGEMENT OF BRITISH WINES.
238. To guard against unripe Fruit.
If the season proves bad, so that some fruits are not sufficiently ripe, immediately after the vinous fermentation, and the must of such fruit is put into the cask, it is to be rolled two or three times a day, for a week or two. A spirituous fermentation will soon commence, the bung of the cask must then be taken out, and the hole covered with a bit of light wood or canvas, and as any scum arises, it should be taken away. When the scum disappears, fill up the cask, and bung it up. But a vent-hole must be left open for a week.
239. To keep and manage Wines.
Wines will diminish, therefore the cask must be kept filled up with some of the same wine, or some other that is as good or better.