Page:A Practical Treatise on Brewing (4th ed.).djvu/136

120

Brilliancy and paleness of colour are the great desiderata with the public, in all high-priced ales. To have the desired paleness, the brewer is obliged to look out for the palest malt, and is often induced to buy such as has not been thoroughly dried on the kiln; or, if a malster himself, to take it off his kiln before the moisture has been thoroughly evaporated. If malt of this description be used in brewing, it will invariably be found to produce more acidity in the worts than when it has been thoroughly dried or well-cured. Indeed, the technical terms of well or ill-cured malt imply as much. To prove this it is only necessary to test the different worts with litmus paper, when running from the mash-tun. It will then be found that the worts running from the uncured malt, will tinge the paper of a brighter red than those running from the thoroughly dried malt; thus proving that there is more acid in the former than in the latter.

There can be no doubt, therefore, that the ale brewed from slack-dried malt (technically so called) will be much more apt to become acid than when brewed from that which is thoroughly dried or cured. Indeed, the double flavour of sweet and