Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/400

366&#93; ■66] YEA and advisable to form the pasty )'east into circular, flat vessels, re- seiubling tea-saucers, and in that state to dry the whole mass, either in the open air under shade, or in the moderate warmth of a baker's oven. Mr. Fklton Mathew's mode of separating beer from yeast, and preserving the latter (for which he obtained a {jatent, in Pebruary, 1796), in many respefts corre- sponds with that just described : the principal difterence is, that he directs the bags to be placed in troughs perforated with holes, to prevent the former from bursting 3 and then to submit them to the aftion of a lever, aided by in- cumbent weights. When the beer is thus expressed, the yeast remain- ing in tJie bags, will crumble into coarse powder : this must be spread tin canvas, hair-cloth, or similar porous material, and gradually dried in a mnk-kiln, or in any room or stove, where a regular temperature of from 80 to pO degrees is main- tained } and, lastly, as soon as it becomes perfectly dry, the barm must be packed in bottles or casks, from which the iir is completely excluded. Another mode of preserving yeast, consists in throwing a n-ithy, or the young shoots of willows twisted together, into the vessel "where the yeast is working ; and suspending them in a warm room, till the ne.xt opportunity of brew- ing arrives. We conceive, how- ever, the following expedient to be preferable, both in point of clean- liness and economy ; it being suc- cessfully praftised by some careful house- wives • — l^ake a clean wood- en bowl, of such size as may be most convenient } spread a regular coating of yeast around its inner YEA surface ; and, as often as this dries, repeat the process, till a thick cake be formed: the vessel must be kept in a dry place. When any barm is wanted, a small piece may be cut out ; and, after dissolving it in warm water, the solution will answer all the purposes of fresh yeast, whether designed for baking, or for brewing. The following process being ad- vantageously employed in Germa- ny, for preserving barm, so as to be fit for all domestic uses, after a considerable time, we have inserted it for the benefit of our country- readers : When the yeast is takea from new beer, it must be put into a clean linen bag, and be laid in a vessel half full of dry, sifted wood- ashes : the whole is then to be co- vered to the thickness of three or four inches with similar ashes, and be pressed together. In this situa- tion, the barm should remain for a day, or longer, if it be necessary j when the ashes will absorb all the moisture, and the yeast acquire the consistence of a thick paste. It must now be formed into small lumps, or balls ; dried in a mode- rate heat J and- kept in bags, in aa air}-, dry place : when any barm is wanted, a few of such balls may be dissolved in warm water ; or, which is preferable, in beer ; and. they will answer every purpose erf" fer- mentation. Beside its utility in baking and brewing, late experiments have fully proved, that yeast is of sin- gular efficacy in putrid fevers, pu- trid sore throats, and similar ma- lignant complaints : for the first discovery of this important fa6t, we are indebted to the Rev. Edmund Caetwright. The dose of barm^ according to his experience, and that of other pra6tiUoners, is two