Food

1860

Improved English Strong Beer

If you have malt use it; if not take 1 peck of barley, (oats will do, but not so good) and put into an oven after the bread is drawn, or into a stove oven: and steam the moisture from them. Grind coarsely (not fine,): and pour into them 3 1-2 gals. water at 170 or 72 degrees. (If
you use malt it does not need quite so much water as it does not
absorb so much as the other. The tub should have a false bottom with many gimblet holes to keep back the grain.) Stir them
well and let it stand three hours and draw off; put in 7 gallons,
more of water at 180 to 82 degrees; stir it well and let it stand
two hours and draw it off. Then put on a gal. or two of cold
water, stir it well and. draw it off; you should have about 5 or 6
gals. Mix 6 lbs. of coarse brown sugar in an equal amount of water; mix with the wort, and boil 1 1-2 to 2 hours with 4 oz. good
hops; you should have 8 gallons when boiled; when cooled
to 80 degs.; put in a tea-cupful of good yeast, and let it work 18
or 20 hours., covered with a sack; use sound iron hooped kegs or
porter bottles, bung or cork tight and in two weeks it will be
good sound beer, nearly equal in strength to London Porter, or
good ale, and will keep, a long time; and for persons of a weak
habit of body, and especially females, 1 glass of this with their
meals is far better than tea or coffee, or all the ardent spirits in
the universe. If more malt is used not exceeding 1-2 a bushel,
the beer of course would have more spirit, but this strength is
sufficient for the use of families or invalids.