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More Information...
Publisher: William R. Loftus, 1856.
Hard Cover, 192 pages, 4.50 x 7.25.
Item #1431
 The full title of this 150-year-old gem is:
The Brewer: A Familiar Treatise on the Art of Brewing, With Directions for the Selection of Malt and Hops, &c., &c.: Instructions for Making Cider and British Wines: Also, a Description of the New and Improved Brewing Sacchareometer and Slide Rule, with Full Instructions for Their Use.
Whew, that's a mouthful. But what a great early brewing manual. All the basics are covered for the practical brewer, including the proper selection of ingredients. The author, William R. Loftus, warns his readers against the temptation of using any of the adulterants that had become so common in London breweries by this time. "Some of these ingredients are so inimical to animal life, that a few grains are sufficient to produce death, and when imbibed cannot fail to produce excruciating head-aches, nausea, and distressing sickness." There is great insight here into the rules-of-thumb and remedies of the typical London beermaker of the 1850s. To protect against spoilage in open vats, for example, the author advises, "A pint or two of olive oil, poured on the surface about the middle of April, will prove a useful shield to exclude the oxygen, and prevent decline." This copy rates as Fair to Good, which is quite often the best rating we can give a book of this period. It shows its 150 years of age. Exterior exhibits general wear -- rounded corners, rubbing here and there, and a bit of fraying at spine ends and corners. But the gilt title is still fairly strong and bright. Inside, pages are browned, with occasional wrinkles and small stains. Pages 3-4 and 5-6 have a 1-inch closed tear at bottom. Page 171-172 has a closed 3-inch tear. Each of these flaws sounds worse than it is. All is intact, and the spine is remarkably strong and tight.
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