Page:A Practical Treatise on Brewing (4th ed.).djvu/163

Rh brewer, which, in order to get rid of, must afterwards be mixed or married with other beer, thereby deteriorating its quality, even were it otherwise previously good.

When beer of the above description is exported or sent to a distance, it also must be returned upon the brewer, or ruinous discounts given to the purchasers to prevail upon them to retain and get quit of it how they best can, which is very often done. The causes of error being thus explained, the remedy is obvious; nor can the irregularities cease until their causes be removed.

During the last year (1845), it was very generally remarked by brewers that the beer did not keep so well, or in other words, got sour much sooner than usual. Various causes were assigned for this: some thought it proceeded from inferiority in the malt, owing to the barley not being so good as in former seasons; others ascribed it to the wetness of the season, and by many it was attributed to electrical influence, &c. Perhaps the whole of these causes might more or less have tended to produce the evil complained of. There may, however, be another cause, which very probably has done as much harm as all the others put together.