1830 Brewery Book...cool stuff!

I'm reading the Brewery Book from 1830. There's several recipes in the book (Devonshire White Ale, and one below which seems like real ginger ale:


Take five pounds of molasses, half a pint of yeast, and a spoonful of powdered ginger; put these ingredients into your vessel, and pour on them two gallons of scalding hot, soft, and clear water; then shake them well together, till fermentation takes place, and then add thirteen gallons of the same water cold, to fill up your cask; let the liquor ferment about twelve hours; then bottle it off with a raisin or two in each bottle, and you will have an excellent and cheap table drink, fit for use in about a fortnight [14 days].

That sounds really cool. I like the idea of a raisin in each bottle. That is a cool novelty, at least for me. I've heard of peppers in bottles though. Are you going to soak the raisin's in vodka to sanitize them?

damnyankee said:

Take five pounds of molasses, half a pint of yeast, and a spoonful of powdered ginger; put these ingredients into your vessel, and pour on them two gallons of scalding hot, soft, and clear water;

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I hope that the scolding hot water isnt poured into a glass carboy, that could have disastrous results.

eibbor said:

That sounds really cool. I like the idea of a raisin in each bottle. That is a cool novelty, at least for me. I've heard of peppers in bottles though. Are you going to soak the raisin's in vodka to sanitize them?



I hope that the scolding hot water isnt poured into a glass carboy, that could have disastrous results.

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Remember in those days, glass was not perfected; even window glass was put together in 12 over 12 (12 small squares of glass in the upper pane over 12 small squares of glass in the lower pane), 8 over 8, or 6 over 6 patterns. 4 over 4 pattern didn't occur until around the Civil War. Wooden casks were used; usually oak.

As for the recipe, I'm going to pare that down. Heck, it might not be drinkable for all I know. As for the raisins, I'm just going to drop them right in the bottle as is.

DY