NOURISHMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1189, 5 September 1867, Page 4

NOURISHMENT.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Hbbaxd. | Ens,-—With your bind permission, I will resume my subject, and without writing a preamble, come at once to the point where I left off. A hair sieve is a very expensive article, and very soon wears out; yet a sieve you must have to strain your beer from the hops; a small round basket will do (such a one bb is ÜBed for baby-linen). Next you will want a mash stirrer This is a stick rati er larger and longer than a brooomstick, with two or three smaller sticks eight or ten inches long put throngh the lower end of it, and sticking out on each side equal at distances. Two or three more sticks-about the size of broomsticks will be handy through the process; they ■ will cost nothing more than the getting if you are in the bush, will be very useful. A wooden or tin bowl with a handle will also bo necessary, a bucket, a tunbowl, or largo funnel, and two or three casks. There with a brass cock and some bungs, and vent pegs (which you can make yourself) I think will complete tho set of brewing tackle. As I have before remarked that several of these utensils will be very serviceable in the preparation of flax, I beg to remark here, that it will in no way. hurt them or unfit them for brewing purposes; the only thing essential is to thoroughly cleanse them before you use them. I write this because I know there ere some persons who will say that (he same vessels ought not to be used for brewing as is used for other purposes; this may do for those who can afford to keep a set expressly for this purpose, but those to whom I write must be content with moderation; you only need to take a little pain 3 in scrubbing and cleansing.the vest's thoroughly, and they will do exceedingly well for all purposes,

Let us now proceed to tho operation of beer making. I reckon this to bo the housewife's work (of course tho husbnna will fetch the wp.ter and propavo the firowood, and so assist in obtaining a drop of good beci). Ton must avoid tho extremes of boat and cold, in frosty weather tho beer chills, and will not work kindly ; and beer mrido in hot weather is apt to have an unpleasant tasto callod " foxoy,'' and nlso soon to turn sour. Ii ; the weatlior is not exactly as yon could wish, you must moat the difficulty ds well as you can, for instanco, if the weather is too warm, you must admit the moro air into tho placo whero you beer is working ; if too cold you must keop tko plaoo warm. 'l'ho day before you intend to brew all tho vessels hhould bo got out, filled with cold water, and, after standing somo hours to soak that you may see thoy do not run out, well scrub thorn, and wipa them dry with a clean dry cloth, and stand them ready for use next day. The masli tub rausi stand on eomething bo as to raise it high enough to draw off conveniently. The tap waist in a small haaket nmdo in shapo Romethios; rosembling ft bottle; you must put this basket inside the tub, fasten n string round tho neck, anil draw it through the hole, and hold it tight, while you fix tho spigot and faucet neouvcly in front. Then fill your coppar and got your firing roady. Next morning rise at four, for remember, ono hour in tho morning is worth two at night, you ino re about so briskly. Tho first thing is to light your copper fire, and whilst that is boiling get somo water into your spare tubs, ready for the next filling. When tho copper boils you empty it into your mash tub, and fill it up Hgain. Of this nexc copper as much should be added aB will make up forty gallons, the rest is for scalding your casks, which you put in soak the day before. Byp the bye, I may mention that if you intend to brew two bushels at a time, to do tho thing properly you will require two kilderkins and two firkins, (a kilderkin is a cask thnt holds eighteen gallons, a firkin 0110 that holds nine.) It is gonorally reckoned, one hushel of malt and one pound of hops to the kilderkin. Tho host way to get your casks clean is by putting in a handful or two of clean gravel-stones, or a pieco of chain, and shaking thom well about; but every now and (lieu it will be necessary to tako the heads out,-rimd give tho casks a thorough scrubbing icaido; in taking the head out, I would advise you to mako somo sort of a mark on one side of the head, and aoother exactly opposite to it on the stare, it will assist you in replacing thom., I mention the casks now, because, genorally at this time you may have an opportunity of doing a littlo to them ; but above all things yon must keep minding the warmth of your liquor. Some people regulate this mattor by a thermometer; but there are two simple rules by which hundreds of bafrols of good beer hare been browed,and willanswewovery purpose. When the steam is gone off, so that you can R.'o your fac« in the water 3 and when you can draw your finger quickly through without scalding it, then is tho proper timo to put in tho malt; which you must thoroughly stir in with the niash-stirror; then lay two sticks across the mash tub, and covcr it .up with sacks or something that will answer the same purpose. Now, tho person who brews, has a good opportunity to tako breakfast. This may seem an unnecessary direction, as it may bs said people aro suro to tako care of themselves in that matter ; granted, but in the process of brewing, there are eertnin times when 1 tho brewer may fco spared a quarter of an hour, withI out hindering tho business. Those opportunities should be takon for getting food, fetching in fuel, cleaning the casks, clearing away litter, and sweeping down tho brow-houso; which a tidy brewer will do several times in the course of tho day. If opportunities are neglected, and the time is taken for these purposes, when .tho brower ought to bo filling or emptying tho copper, or lotting off tho wort, much inconvenience will arise, and the business will be still about when the family ought to bo in bed ; instoad of being finished (as it oaght to bo) by day-liglit. When your copper boils again, having omptied the cold water out of your casks which you left in to soak them, you will half fill them with boiling water, and leave them closely bunged for half an hour or so. Meantime tho copper will hoil up again ; this water you will empty into any of your fparo tubs (not tho underback, that will bo wanted for another purposo) let that be cooling, and put into your copper as much a 9 is necessary to make up 30 gallons. While this is boiling, you will well shako about your easier, empty them and set them to dry either in the sun or against the fire . It will now be nearly three hours niueo you mashed (oj put tho malt iuto the water) at which time you should let off tho wort the underback stands ready to receive it but 3'ou will catch into a bucket the first that ruriß, and thiow up again into the masli-tab, until it comes quite clear, just as you would clear coffee. Into the underback you may now put 2 lbs. of hops, tho wort running upon thom, separate them thoroughly. While the wort is running your hilf copper of water will boil, this you will empty into your spare tubs, together with tho last copper-full, taking caro on every occasion of emptying your copper to havo a very slow pipo to prevent burning it.

Having emptied your coppcr, and wiped your copper dry with a clean coarse cloth, you mu&t as quick as possible, fill it with the wort and hops from the underbade. Now put in your Bpigot socurcly, and throw into tha mash tub the hot water you bare in the other tubs ; in doing this, you will observe how high it reached in your mash tilb before. If, what was first run off, does not quito fill your boiler, add water this timo to fill the mash tub rather higher ; but if your coppor is full, then fill your tub only to tho samo height as beforo. This second mash you will stir in well and cover up as before. (When I speak of a copper full, I don't mean briming full, and roady to run over ; but cs full as you can stir down the hops without fear of splashing over). Tho grains retain a considerable quantity of water; for that reason, as you aro to draw a full copper full off, I recommend you to add hot water from your seeond to tho first boiler full; it is usually calculated, that tho grains will soak up ajbout throo buckets, but as the grains do not always soak up exactly the samo quantity of water, in putting up your second mash, you Bot it to rights by filling your mash tub rather higher or lower than' before, according as your first mark has yielded rather less or moro than a copper full. Jour attention will be divided between your coppcr and your coolers ; see that there is a good fire under tho boiler, and judge if possible how near it is to boiling and if you think you can safely leave it for a few minutes turn to emptying any water that may remain in your tubs and wipe them thoroughly dry for coolers. Beer may be cooled in doors or out, tho latter is far prefer;ib)o when tho weather will permit. Having placed your tubs in a convenient place, lay two sticks across ono of them, and put tho wicker basket or Bievo in readiness for straining off the beer; but while all this is going on don't forget your coppor; for it sometimes boils up suddenly and groat waste is occasioned. When your copper boils if it is not quito full you may draw off a bucket full or as much as will make up tho deficiency. It must now bo kept at a brisk boil with tbelid off for at least an hour and a half, during which time you will break the hops and keep them down. If beer is wanted for long keeping it should boil two hours. We will next get it into tho coolers.—l am, &c., R. 0. 0.