Page:A Practical Treatise on Brewing (4th ed.).djvu/57

Rh having fallen a little during the night, was again rising, presenting a bluish-white appearance, which always denotes unsoundness; the gas was smotheringly pungent, and the beer had a very unusual styptic subacid flavour.

Calculating from the temperature gained (see chapter on Yeast) it should have been attenuated down to 7 lbs. It was only, however, at 14 lbs. The author concluded that the process had been improperly interfered with, and stated his opinion to the parties concerned. He was, however, assured that nothing had been done but by himself, and that every previous process had gone on in the same way. When the beer was cleansed, the tuns were again examined, when it was found they were lined with sheet copper, and soldered at the joints with tin. There was also a brass cock for cleansing the beer: so that two or three metals were in contact with the worts. On tasting the different beers in store, they had all a styptic, subacid flavour, such as had been perceived in the gyle-tun, which had, indeed, been the great cause of complaint. By some oversight the beer was not tested chemically for copper or tin, which doubtless would have been discovered in the beer.

A new wooden gyle-tun being recommended, it was immediately procured and placed as directed. In this tun no further difficulty occurred, the