Page:A Practical Treatise on Brewing (4th ed.).djvu/72

56 favour of the ladies, on account of the water not retaining its heat in the black teapots so well as in the others, and, consequently, not causing the tea to draw (as it is called) in equal perfection.

Dr. Birkbeck told this story with great glee, calling it the war of the teapots in which he had been engaged.



The late Mr. Richardson, of Hull, was the inventor of an instrument for ascertaining on scientific principles, the real value of malt. Before his time, many rude means had been resorted to for that purpose. Equal quantities, for instance, of wort and water were weighed against each other, but this method was found to be both troublesome and uncertain, and was only practised by very few. Since his time, various instruments have been introduced for the same purpose; but for real utility in practice, it has not as yet been excelled by any; and having only one pound gravity on the stem, fewer mistakes can occur than when there are 10 or 20 lbs. in the same space. These instruments are still manufactured and sold by Mr. Joseph Long, Hydrometer-maker, &c., 20, Little Tower Street, London. For his scientific knowledge, and accuracy in all matters of this kind, we can vouch.