Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-08-27
ADULrERArIoN OF BEER.
How the Metropolitan Brewers
Make the Fav0rite Beverage.

HOW the metrOpOthtNm brewers
Make the Fayorite Beverage.
The Business Mems Society for the Pro-
motion of Moderation in Drinking some
time ago submitted a series Of twelve
questions relating to the Manufacture Of
beer to the principal brewers supplying
the city of New York. The Executive
Committee of the Association of the Uni
ted Lager Beer Brewers Of New York City
and neighborhood nave forwarded to the
Business Mems Society answers to the
questions, and these are signed by twenty
nine brewers. The first answer acknowl-
edges the use by brewers of corn meal,
corn starch, rice, grape sugar and glucose
as substitutes for barley malt. Matted
corn, potstoe starch, molasses and aloes
are not used. Tho fourth answer gives an
unqualified consent to the proposition that
an agent Of the society be permitted to in
spect tho brewing books, and offer for his
examination the United States revenue
books kept by each brewer. The fifth an
swer states that none Of the brewers use
extracts or essence of hops in place Of
choice hops. In the sixth answer they de-
cline to state the number OF barrels
brewed, as they claim that such statistics
foster unhealthy competition in the trade.
They say, however, that two and a quarter
to two and t~hree-quarter bushels OF malt,
and one and a half to two aud a quarter
pounds Of hops are used IN making
a barrel OF beer. The seventh answer
states that the stock lager is made in win
ter the eighth, that the beer is from three
to five months old when sold, and the
ninth question is answered in the reply to
the eighth. In the tenth answer the
statement is made that few brewers blend
their beer, preferring to sell the Oldest.
All aim to attain an age Of at least three
months before selling it. The reply to
the eleventh question is given in the second
part of the sixth answer. In the twelfth
answer the brewers say they are perfectly
willing to make oath to the correctness Of
their To the above answers the
brewers nave added, at the request Of the
society, a note about the nature of glu-
cose. In it they say: "Having answered
your questions we now make the explana-
ton you desire, which may serve to cor
rect some Misrepresentation about grape
sugar or glucose, and the part it plays in
the manufacture of beer. All grain con- |
tanning starch may be matted, but barley
is preferred for beer on account Of its
~cheapness. The grain is moistened and
thrown into heaps to terminate, which
develops a substance known as diastase,
having the power to convert starch into
sugar necessary for the sustenance of the
young plant. The malster arrests this
termination by heat SO soon as the dias-
tase is sufficiently developed. Thus the
grain is converted into malt, which the
brewer brushes, and adds warm water at
the proper temperature. The diastase in
this infusion (mash) converts the starch
of the malt into glucose. 1t has been
present would CONVEX more than
ten times as much starch as is
contained in its own malt. Knowing
this fact, brewers sometimes add Is to 20
per cent of corn meal, which contains q
large proportion of starch, in lieu of that
much malt. Corn is also prepared for use
by having the hull and chit removed in Or |
der to free it of its fatty oil. Rice, which
contains from rs to so per cent of starch, |
is sometimes used to the amount of from
10 to Is per cent. Grape sugar is made
commercially in this country from the
starch Of Indian corn. The corn, ground
under water, is thoroughly disintegrated, |
and the starch thoroughly separated when
1T Is well washed with water and converted
into glucose by boiling with water contain
ing 8 per cent of acid. The grape sugar is
added to the beer, if added at all, as fol-
lows: The wort (malt teal is drawn off
from the malt mash and pumped into the
kettle, that it may be boiled and the hops
added. In order to obtain the strength Of
the malt the wort has to be taken into the
kettle too weak, making it necessary to
boil it a long time in order, by evapora-
ton, to bring it to the proper gravity. At
this stage some brewers add grape sugar,
strengthening their wort and saw
ing that excessive boiling which might
caramelize the sugar and make the beer too
The brewers say that none Of the
mentioned, except corn meal,
are cheaper thar malt, and that they are
used to give flavor to the beer solely. They
that glucose is largely used in can
dies, syrups, and in the adulteration Of