undergone a second fermentation, and will reduce its strength by working too hastily out of the casks, and very probably may be the cause of its not being soft and pleasant; however, care should be taken to get your casks perfectly dry, previous to the cleansing into them; in hot weather place them in the cellar, &c. some time before you have occasion to cleanse your beer into them.

Attention should be paid in keeping your casks filled up after cleansing, to enable the yeast to discharge itself from the beer, for by so doing there will be the greater probability of your beer being fine; if the casks are not kept filled up when working, the yeast cannot discharge itself from the beer, which, in change of weather, will be purging and hissing in the casks, and will cause it to be harsh and unpleasant; this is the principal cause why we have so many muddy ales. Attending your beer when working, by filling up the casks, will be found to be of the greatest utility, as you will have no occasion to use any device to fine your beer, which will only attend to adulteration.

Small Beer.

As I said before, small beer is too frequently neglected, because the master or mistress of a family drink but a small quantity of it. I verily believe there would be less good small beer consumed in a family of servants and workmen, than if it were inferior and bad in its quality. It may be thought strange by adding the name of good to small beer, but it must be acknowleged that there is a great disparity in the quality of ales, and why not in small beer; on the one hand, it certainly depends on what length you draw from quantity of malt.

Small beer should be let down into the tun much warmer than ale; and as soon as it shews an inclination to work it should be cleansed; it will then work well in the casks, and will have a quick, lively taste. Small beer, not having a sufficient strength, cannot support a long fermentation in the tun: for if it is worked cold, and left too long in the tun, it will drink flat and unpleasant.

Now, as I said before, there will be no more good small beer consumed in a family, than if it were ever so bad; for when a workman or servant has occasion for a pot of small beer, if bad, he will, perhaps, drink a part of it, and throw the remainder away, and, very likely, carelessly leave the cock dropping, in order to get rid of such a bad commodity the sooner. Now, on the other hand, if the small beer was good, the consumers would take care to leave the cock, &c. secure, well knowing they should not have a better substitute.

Cleanliness in the Cellar.

Care should be taken to keep the cellar clean, (especially those who are situated near the south aspect; or shallow, where the sun has any power,) by scraping the yeast from the bung-holes of the casks; else in warm weather it will smell offensive, and insects will breed therein, which must be injurious to the beer, if the bung-holes are open.

The dropping of the cock, tap tubs, &c. will cause fulsome smells in the cellar, which frequently require to be washed down; for washing and cleaning your cellar often, will keep your beer in a cool state, and will be the means of preventing mild ale from becoming stale.

Put some hops into your ale and small beer casks a few days before you want to tap them for use; even those hops that have already been used in brewing will be found serviceable in fining your beer, and will not cause it to be too bitter, but will prevent your small beer from becoming sour. Notwithstanding their being used in brewing, they will be found by experience to be very serviceable for the purpose before mentioned. Another advantage will arise, they will serve the use of fresh hops, which, when dear, will be found to be a considerable saving.

Another advantage will be found when a length of ale is brewed, and no small beer made, the hops will then be found of greater utility, as they will contain the same quality as the ale they were brewed with; consequently the ale and small beer they are put into will receive a greater advantage therefrom.

This may not seem consistent, as mild ales and small beer seldom have any hops put into the casks; but when a cask of beer is a considerable time at tap, it will certainly want something to feed on; this is one cause why small beer generally turns sour when it is nearly out; now by using the before mentioned hops it will be found to be a considerable remedy to prevent both mild ales and small beer from being hard and unpleasant.

The reader will observe, these hops having performed their duty, they are of no expense, only the trouble of putting them into the casks. The small beer must derive a considerable advantage from those hops when a guile of ale was only brewed from them. Take care to put them into the casks as soon as they are cold, for by being too long exposed to the air they will lose their virtue.

I should not have said so much concerning small beer, but the price of malt is so considerably advanced, to what it was formerly, that small beer is become an expensive article, where there is a numerous family.

If you observe the before mentioned directions you will not have your small beer so unpleasant, particularly when your cask is nearly out.

The most wholesome small beer is made from an intire guile of small, for then you have the whole of the spirit and sweetness of the malt; it will keep better and drink much fresher than if it were to be made from the goods after a length of ale.

If you rack your beer, fail not to put some hops into the casks, wetting them first with some of the same beer, or rather wet the hops with some wort when brewing. If you want to hasten your beer for drinking, put the hops into the casks when they are warm; if your beer is for a long standing, put the hops in your casks when they are cold, giving them a stir to separate them in the beer.

Take care not to be under the necessity of tapping your ale or small beer before it has actually done working, for by so doing you will prevent it from becoming fine: new beer may be classed with new bread; for the newer you draw your beer the more there will be consumed; new beer is not so satisfying as it is when come to a more mature age.

Beware, lest you forget to pay attention to your beer which is at tap; for, "as the eye of the master maketh his horse fat," so the head of a family, now and then giving a look into his cellar, may be the cause of beer drinking more agreeable to his palate, by taking care the vent-holes are kept closely stopped, and the cocks secure.

Do not fail to stoop your cask when the beer is about two parts in three out; this should be done whilst the tap is spending, for then you will not disturb the sediment. By stooping the cask when the beer is about two parts in three out will prevent it from becoming flat and sour; when, on the other hand, it is too frequently to be observed when a person is drawing a pot of beer, the stream is impeded; for the beer, being so nearly out, will not run till it is stooped. Now before this, the cock discharging the beer but slowly, the air is admitted into the cask, which causes the beer to drink flat, and, perhaps, turn sour: therefore this will enforce the necessity of stooping your cask before it be so nearly out.

This is a fault with many publicans, not paying attention to their cellars; even many of those who brew their own beer are neglectful, notwithstanding their own interest and credit is concerned. Tis not uncommon for the vent-peg, and even the bung, to be left out of those casks which are actually on draught.

Publicans, who retail common brewer's beer, and neglect their cellars, have this excuse, if their customers find fault with the beer, by saying "tis such beer as my brewer