The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-21
ROSIN IN BEER KEGS.
Why 1t Is Used By Brewers as an
Inside Coating of Kegs and XatS.

If you should happen TO get smack of rosin
In your glass OF beer. as II is quite likely you
may at this time OF The year, don't imagine that
the brewers are substituting pine shavings for
malt and hops 10 make the beer from.
Some brewers, says the New York Sun. are
guilty enough, perhaps, as it is. with their sub
stitutons of corn. rice and glucose for malt,
but they do that SIMPLY because you insist upon
having light-cOlored beer. The reason why you
may defect a rosiu flavor now is that this is the
season when the brewers pitch their kegs.
1t may interest you to know that the beer
you drink never comes into contact with wood.
either IN the kegs in which il is delivered or in
the great watts IN which IL is fefmented. II 1t
did the wood would sour and spoil the beer
The watts are protected on the inside with re-
peated coatings of shellac varnIsh, renewed
whenever 1t is necessary. This used to be an
exceedingly dangerous operation before the
general Introduction of incandescent electric
lights for an open light was liable TO set fire TO
the fumes OF The alcohol used IN the YaTnISh
aud reduce disastrous explosions In which
men were MANNED or killed.
The pitching Of The kegs is all interesting
process. When keg Is empty and The Oung
and vent plugs are out stick IA lighted candle
INTO the bung and look into the venthOle. You
Will think you are looking into glass barrel.
Every Part OF the inside gliStenS The keg has
a complete coat OF rOsin. After a years use
this gets many minute cracks in IL and needs
TO be renewed, and The SpTngtime is the
brewers favorite time for doing Jhis before
the great summer trade begins. The drivers
do not enjoy pitching time. for they have to do
the Work, helping the brewery coOperS AS
they bring back their loads OF empty kegs
slXths, quarters and half barrels-these are
ranked up next TO the washhOuse, where a big
kettle OF boiling ToSin Is ready for use.
Before the new rosIn is put in the old coating
IS to be melted out. A curious machine with
TWO arms Is tile FIST OF The devices that comes
into use.
The kegs are hung on this, with an arm of
fire thrust into the VenthOlc. Presently a
stream OF boiling TOSin comes from the open
tap. keg Is taken of, tipped over barrel
where the waste Eosln Is poured out and PASSED
TO a cooper. He sounds the head, discardS the
keg If II is defective, but If not GIIves plug Of
wood home IN the vent and passes the keg
on. One man now pokes lonE-haudled funnel
into the taphOle and another pOurS ladleful OF
boiling TOSin into the keg from The kettle.
cooper seiZes the keg, drives another
wooden plug home into the top hole, and gives
the key some curious twirlS which spreads the
rOSin over every part of its interior. Then he
knocks both plugs out and losses the key upon
a set of rollers going slowly around by steam
power. Here the surplus r0sin runs out and
the keg rolls until the rosln which remains
coOls and SETS.
The kegs are now rolled into the washhouse,
ranged up on end. the rOSn burned out of
the vent and tap holes. a new plug put in the
vent. ald the kegs filled with water. The
water is meant 10 soak out the rOsin taste. AS
fast as these operations are finished man
with a paint pot and brush follows along the
line and put a dab OF paint on the front of each
key II the kegs were marked with white at
the last pitching time he uses RED, or white II it
was red before.
This Is also the one time in the year when the
brewer finds out just how many kegs he has
and consequently The number lost during the
year. Five thousand kegs year is small
number for big brewery 10 lose. and some OF
the biggest ones. especially those which send a
great deal of beer out of town, lose five times
MANY.