How was it done in the 18th century?

Before the use of modern equipment, ingredients and sanitizers, what methods were used by brewers in the early days to brew a consistent and good product? What equipment, procedures and ingredients were used and in what way would their methods have differed from ours?

Anyone here still do it the old way? What kind of results do you get? Thanks.

They didn't brew a consitent product.

Look up the definition of a english mild ale. Beer was made, and it went through it's cycle of souring and staling. The young beers that were still tasty were called "milds". The others were referred pejoratively as "poo-juice".

OK, I made up that last part, but seriously look up mild ale. Cheers!

If you've got some time, you can peruse this guys blog postings. A lot on old brewing technique, maybe too much.
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/

Magic. That’s why women did it.

Seriously, the 18th century was pre-Pastuer so modern brewing hadn’t been invented yet. It was steeped in myth and superstition. You know, trial and error, what we now call the “scientific method.”

Through the millennia they figured out what worked. And more importantly, what didn’t . They probably drank a lot of sour beer, too.

Haven’t you ever brewed without thermometers and hydrometers? I’m sure they would have killed for oxi-clean and star-san, but it’s still optional.

LONDON AND COUNTRY BREWER
1736

here's the book:
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8900/pg8900.html

what is different ? i dont think many people use fire now to clean a stinky carboy.

2stupid said:

LONDON AND COUNTRY BREWER
1736

here's the book:
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8900/pg8900.html

what is different ? i dont think many people use fire now to clean a stinky carboy.

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Tremendous resource, Sir :rockin:

found another bookmark. this one is a bit wordy, like the title, but has lots of good info. from mid 1800's

The theory and practice of brewing illustrated: containing the chemistry, history, and right application of all brewing ingredients and products ... also, many new practical observations on brewing London and Dublin porter, East India pale ale, export stout, &c. &c

William Littell Tizard›


http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?id=NDUNAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PR2

2stupid said:

LONDON AND COUNTRY BREWER
1736

here's the book:
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8900/pg8900.html

Click to expand...

Fabulous!

I love it!

There is another sinister Practice said to be frequently used by ill Persons to supply the full quantity of Malt, and that is Coriander Seeds ... but how wretchedly ignorant are those that make use of it, not knowing the way first to cure and prepare it for this and other mixtures, without which it is a dangerous thing, and will cause Sickness in the Drinkers of it.

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So, for all you Deceitful Brewers who do make use of ill-prepared seed of Coriander in pernicious brews, subsequently doing harm to the Precious Humors of the Human Bodies that do ingest it expecting salubious and meritorious effects, this caveat: ur doin it rong. (quoth old timey beer snob).

To make stale Beer drink new.

Take the Herb Horehound stamp it and strain it, then put a Spoonful of the juice (which is an extream good Pectoral) to a pitcher-full of Beer, let it stand covered about two Hours and drink it.

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Horehound, ladies and gentlemen. Makes your dirty-foot-tasting beer taste like horehound-plus-dirty-foot.

http://librivox.org/cottage-economy-by-william-cobbett/

This work is from the early 1800's, give the first few chapters a listen, it gives specific instructions about how to brew. Parti-gyle is the method of the times.
I get a kick out of his rant about how beer is better than tea. There is also a rant about how malted barley is taxed at a premium over raw barley.

The audio is public domain, and the reader is excellent.

Steve

A few of us have been recreating porters from the 18th and 19th century using period brown malt.

http://perfectpint.blogspot.com/2012/05/making-diastatic-brown-malt-again.html