Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-15
THE BEER COMBINE.
IT'S PROBABLE EFFECTS UPON PRICES AND
QUALITY.
How Some Brands Are Gotten Up From Corn and
Yeast With Flavor Of Hops-An In
tsrsstirg Expose By a Wheel
ing Nan.

The consolidation of the twenty-five
Chicago breweries under one manage
ment, with a capital of S2O,O0O,0 900,
created considerable interest among
Wheeling brewers and saloonists. Very
little Chicago beer has ever been sold in
Wheeling, but the action taken there
has none the less interest here on that
account, the principal concern being in
the consolidation and increase In the
price OF the product, as proba bly, fore
shadowing what may result in other
cities, especially in those towns where
the big English brewery syndicate has
obtained foothold. A gentleman who,
for obvious reasons did not care TO be
quoted, said yesterday:
1.-The Chicago consolidation will prob
ably force brewers in other cities into
taking like action. The effects Will
probably be far-reaching. They will
increase the price of beer in Chicago,
which will be hard on the local saloon
lists, and they will cut the price upon
shipments 10 outside towns, which Will
be hard on local brewers over wide
area. The consolidation will be good
thing for those In 1t, but bad thing Tor
about everyone else, from consumers TO
outside brewers in a large number OF
cities and towns. The combine will cut
down operating expenses, salaries, etc,
thus diminishing the cost OF production,
and will be in position TO put
beer into many towns at prices
which local brewers cannot meet. The
Chicago beer is poor, but its cheapness
will obtain for il wide sale, crowding
aside better beer. Chicago beer has
been selling at 81 per barrel. decent
drink can't be made for the money.
The cost Of brewing thirty-siX gallons
of pure beer at the low price asked for
malt nowadays would be not less than
$500. Best grades OF malt are worth
- cents per buShel and the poorer
grades from 30 to 60 cents. Many brew
els now ask for the poorest quality.
Naturally the supply of the higher grades
is limited. Until recently large amounts
of barley were imported from northern
Canada, which undoubtedly raises the
finest quality of that cereal. This i'm
portation has lately diminished TO a
wonderful degree. To brew pure malt
beer it should consist of from 90 To %
per cent. of good malt, the rest
of the material being the hops
To-day there are but two or
three brewerieS in the city OF Chicago
that use over 30 per cent OF malt, and
this of the rankest quality. The other
81 per cent is corn or corn griSt. This is
from the variety known as white" corn
and is pounded INTO particles which are
separated from the shell. This shell is
then ground into grist and sold TO the
breweries. The stuff costs 81 per hun
dred pounds. The brewers are now put
ting on the market distilled grist,
weakened with water and little Smat-
tering of malt and hops to keep up APP
pearanceS. IL is not tit to put into
ones stomach This beer, OF course,
does not compare with Wheeling beer,
which is as good as any made in this
country. 1t is pity that the unscru-
pulous manufacturers who turn loose
upon the public flood of vile stuff
squeezed from corn slop and given foam
by the use of yeast, cannot be shut up,
or az least exposed. Good beer is good,
but lots of the stuff solo under fancy
labels is rank.