| Let us speak of the quality of the materials of which | | | | of branches amongst them. The hop is the husk, or |
| beer is made; that is to say, the malt, hops, and | | | | seed-pod, of the hop-vine, as the cone is that of the |
| water. Malt varies very much in quality, as, indeed, it | | | | fir tree ; and the seeds themselves are deposited, |
| must, with the quality of the barley. When good it is | | | | like those of the fir, round a little soft stalk, |
| full of flour, and in biting a grain, you find it easy to | | | | enveloped by the several folds of this pod, or cone. |
| bite, and see the shell thin and filled up well with flour. | | | | If, in the gathering, leaves of the vine or bits of the |
| If it is hard to bite and steely, the malt is bad. There | | | | branches are mixed with the hops, these not only |
| is pale malt and brown malt; but the difference in the | | | | help to make up the weight, but they give a bad |
| two arises merely from the different degrees of | | | | taste to the beer; and, indeed, if there is too many, |
| heat employed in the drying. The main thing to | | | | they spoil the beer. Great attention is, therefore, |
| attend to, is, the quantity of flour. If the barley was | | | | necessary in this respect. |
| bad; thin, or steely, whether from unripeness or | | | | There are, too, numerous sorts of hops, varying in |
| disease, or any other cause, it will not malt so well; | | | | size, form, and quality. However, when they are in a |
| that is to say, it will not send out its roots in due | | | | state to be used in brewing, the marks of goodness |
| time; and a part of it will still be barley. As to using | | | | are, an absence of brown color (for that indicates |
| barley in the making of beer, I have given it a full and | | | | perished hops); a color between green and yellow; a |
| fair trial twice over; and, I would recommend it to no | | | | great quantity of the yellow farina; seeds not too |
| one. The barley produces strength, though nothing | | | | large nor too hard; a clammy feel when rubbed |
| like the malt; but, the beer is flat, even though you | | | | between the fingers ; and a lively pleasant smell. As |
| use half malt and half barley; and, flat beer lies heavy | | | | to the age of hops, they retain for twenty years, |
| on the stomach, and, of course, besides the bad | | | | probably, their power of preserving beer but not of |
| taste, is unwholesome. | | | | giving it a pleasant flavor. They lose none of their |
| With regard to Hops, the quality is very various. | | | | bitterness; none of their power of preserving beer; |
| There are two things to be considered in hops: the | | | | but, they lose the other quality; and, therefore, in the |
| power of preserving bear, and that of giving it a | | | | making of fine ale or bear, new hops are to be |
| pleasant flavor. Hops may be strong, and yet not | | | | preferred. |
| good. They should be bright, have no leaves or bits | | | | |
