question, will persist in this erroneous mode of working; trusting that their beer will be all consumed before any of the anticipated bad effects can take place. Such brewers obviously look more to their own profits than to the health of the con

sumers.

Some remarks on Spontaneous Fermentation will be found in the APPENDIX.

PALE ALE.

The best Malt for Pale Ale.

BRILLIANCY and paleness of colour are the great desiderata with the public, in all high-priced ales. To have the desired paleness, the brewer is obliged to look out for the palest malt, and is often induced to buy such as has not been thoroughly dried on the kiln; or, if a maltster himself, to take it off his kiln before the moisture has been thoroughly evaporated. If malt of this description be used in brewing, it will invariably be found to produce more acidity in the worts than when it has been thoroughly dried or well-cured. Indeed, the tech

nical terms of well or ill-cured malt imply as much. Το prove this it is only necessary to test the different worts with litmus paper, when running from

the mash-tun. It will then be found that the worts running from the uncured malt, will tinge the paper of a brighter red than those running from the thoroughly dried malt; thus proving that there is more acid in the former than in the latter.

There can be no doubt, therefore, that the ale brewed from slack-dried malt (technically so called) will be much more apt to become acid than when brewed from that which is thoroughly dried or cured. Indeed, the double flavour of sweet and sour is often perceptible in the stronger ales, in a very short time, when they have been brewed with slack-dried malt, or with malt which has been allowed to imbibe moisture.

We trust enough has been said upon this subject to induce all brewers to be particularly careful, when selecting their malt, to avoid such as has not been thoroughly dried. After such malt has been chewed in the mouth, and squeezed between the thumb and finger, a rawness in the smell is quite perceptible, which is never the case with that which has been well cured. All such malt ought to be re-dried on

a kiln until all moisture is expelled.

Hops for Pale Ale.

When brewing ales intended for long keeping or warm climates, it is perhaps necessary to be very careful in the selection of hops. The best East Kents, or North Clays, are considered as having the

most preservative quality, being stronger than others. Many are in the practice of selecting the palest that can be procured, merely on account of their colour.

On the same principle, however, as with regard to malt, we recommend those of a fine straw-colour, as having attained greater maturity before being picked; and also as being better cured or dried upon the kiln.

Pale green hops are subject to the same exceptions as slack-dried malt, and may possibly to a certain extent be equally objectionable. For running beers, meaning those for immediate use, we have always found that fine Sussex or Worcester hops were equally good as the stronger Kents, if not, indeed, preferable to them.

The best Sussex hops, however, are so much improved of late, that they now nearly resemble the Weald of Kent: indeed it would be very difficult to discriminate between them; and we should as readily use the one as the other. Many are in the practice of using only yearling or older hops, or at least the greater proportion of such, in ales for immediate use, having an idea that the ales get sooner bright, and are less bitter. This is a mistake, as we have very often proved. The bitter complained of proceeds from the ale being yeastbitten, or partially so; but the ale, if sound, will become bright equally as soon with the one as the other.

The increasing attention now beginning to be paid by the planter, to the growth of the male or wild hop, and also having them more numerously distributed in the hop-ground, will rapidly increase the productiveness of the female or common hop which the brewers use, and also improve the quality of the plant.

SUMMER BREWING.

BREWING in summer has always been considered a very uncertain process: and both brewers and distillers find it impossible to carry on their operations during that season so successfully as in winter. The generally received opinion is, that the state of the atmosphere in summer, prevents fermentation from going on so successfully as in winter.

This, however, we do not admit. If the fermenting tuns be properly placed, and the worts are as sound when fermentation begins as they are in winter, along with sound yeast, the fermentation, with a properly regulated temperature, will go on equally well. The worts, however, owing to the state of the atmosphere, are more liable to get tainted during the process of brewing in summer, than they are in winter; and as already stated, the

least additional acidity in the worts will always produce irregular fermentations. It is, therefore, the difficulty of preserving worts in summer, so as to go sound into the gyle-tun, on which the uncertainty in fermentation during that season depends; and not the interference of the atmosphere with the process of fermentation.

Art, by means of fans, refrigerators and regulators, has now enabled us to overcome, in a great measure, the difficulties formerly experienced. Even now, however, with the assistance of all these new inventions, summer brewing is found to be very uncertain and precarious; and no one thinks of brewing more than may be absolutely necessary for immediate draught. The more speedily the whole process can be carried through at this season, the greater probability of success. The taps or worts should never be allowed to remain in the underback, but should immediately be run into the copper for the purpose of gaining heat.

It has been already stated that the whole extract, of any value, must be made in the first mash, and that all we can afterwards do, is to wash out the saccharine remaining in the malt after the saccharisation has been thoroughly formed in the first mashing. There can be no use, therefore, in allowing the liquor to remain long on the goods in the after mashes. We should, consequently, proceed as rapidly as possible. To accomplish this,