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Publisher: Knight & Lacey, 1824.
Hard Cover, 204 pages, 4.00 x 6.25.
Item #1455
The full, marathon-length title of this 183-year-old book is: The Art of Brewing on Scientific Principles, Adapted to the Use of Brewers, Private Families, &c. &c. With the Value and Importance of the Saccharometer. The Whole System Ale, Table-beer & Porter Brewing; and the Names and Proportions of the Various Ingredients used by Porter Brewers (but Prohibited by the Excise) made Public. To Which is Added, Directions for Making Cider, Perry, Home-Made Wines, &c. Together with an Abstract of the New Brewing Act." That's a mouthful. What a great early book, published in London in 1824. The book was inspired by passage of an act of Parliament regulating the prices of beer in England, which the author predicted would bring radical changes to the brewing industry. With passage of the new act, explains the author, "The system of monopoly, and the well digested plan which the large brewers have acted upon, will soon receive their death-blow; and it is absurd to hear a number of men complaining of the dreadful loss of capital, they must sustain by the change, when a short reflection must tell them, that their wealth has been acquired by making the hard working mechanic pay from 30 to 35 per cent more for an article, than it is worth; in order that they might revel in luxury and splendor, and portion off their descendants among the aristocracy of the country.
"By the operation of this bill, however, they will be obliged to reduce the price of their beer, or close their establishments; and then a poor man may procure his beverage at a fair price. Beyond doubt, another good effect will be produced by the bill; the trade being thrown open, fresh breweries will be established throughout the kingdom, and scope offered for the employment of capital, at present almost useless.
"When we consider that speculators are not always rich men, and that in this case, they will have to compete with the old established brewers, possessed of great property and great interest, it is of much importance that they should understand how to employ their capital, whatever the amount may be, to their greatest advantage. That is to say, they must know what quantity and quality of materials ought to be purchased, how to use them properly, and how to procure the greatest and best produce." Hence, this book to the rescue. The "chief topics" covered, as itemized in the preface, are: • The theory of ale brewing in general
• Plan for keeping a brewing journal
• Malt and hops
• Quantity and quality of waters adapate for various sorts of ale
• Mashing and boiling -- Disadvantages of the latter
• Principles and phenomena of the fermentative process
• Cool and slow fermentation
• Heat and the thermometer
• The saccharometer, and its vast utility
• Density and attenuation
• Gravity and spirituosity
• Ales of particular flavour and quality, Burton, Windsor, &c.
• Composition of the grist
• Table beer -- an improved sort recommended
• Porter -- general remarks
• Different method of making the brown malt
• Quality of the hops
• Composition of the grist
• Peculiar method of conducting the fermentative process -- nature and proporstion of the different ingredients used by porter brewers, but prohibited by the Excise.
• Essentia Bina, or colouring matter 
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