New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-04
THE BREWERS UP IN ARMS.
A HEARING ON THE PURE BEER BILLS
AT ALBANY
MOST OF THE BREWERS AND THEIR ENPERrs
ASSERT THAT 4 MIXTURE or RICE WITH
BARLEY IMPROVES BEER-VIEWs

OF THE OTHER SIDE
Albany Feb. 9 (Special)-One of the most I'M
portant bills before the Legislature is that OF
Senator Coggeshall to regulate the manufacture
and sale Of beer, ale and porter. 1t came from
an entirely reputable source. having been drawn
,p hy George Clinton. of Buffalo. a grandson or
DE Witt Clinton and one OF the best-known law
vers in the State Such an extensive supervision
of a colossal business has rarely been proposed
I'm 4 legislative measure 1t was made evident
at a hearing to-day that many brewers viii OPP
pose It.
The foundation for the legislation cOntem-
plated In the bill is laid in the first section which
SAYS that "for the purposes of this act, fer
rnented liquors known beer. ale or porter in
the manufacture of which pure barley malt. pure
hons or pure extract OF hops. pure yeast and
pure water are used, and nothing else is used'
and which contain nothing else of any kind, name
or nature whatever. and which have been brewed
for at least three months, shall be designated
by the word standard. and all such fermented
liquors in the manufacture Of which any 0ther
substance or thing of any kind, name or nature
whatever shall be used. which shall contain
any other substance or thing Of any KIND name
or nature whatever, or which shan not nave
been brewed at least three months. shall be
designated by the name inferior" The bill also
directs that all beer shall be branded or labelled
on the keg or bottle as standard or inferior
4 hearing was given on this and several SINH
lar measures this afternoon by the Senate Com
,,ittoe on Public Health and the Assembly Elk
else Committee The Senate Chamber was
crowded with spectators. Many Of them were
bop-growors from the counties Of Central New
York. who desire the bin passed in order to
bring about a larger use of hops. \ delegation
Of maltsters was present to favor the BILL
The first to be heard in opposition 70 the
measure was G. Thoman Of the NeW-AorK
State Brewers and Maltsters' Association. lie
said that his association was in favor of any
bin which would prohibit the adulteration OF
beer and he believed shat all honest brewers
were in favor of such measure. On every &C.
casion when complaint had been made or mop
substitutes his association had made prompt IN
vestigation and generally found the complaint
unfounded. He called attention TO the fact that
the State Board Of Health had examined i'o
SAMPLES Of beer and found no foreign or dele
tcrious substances
Speaking particularly Of the bill under con-
sheraton. ne said that all proposed legislation
was upon the assumption that no other cereal
than barley could produce proper malt lie pro-
posed 10 show that rice and barley malt made
better beer than pure barley malt. and said that
there were chemists present who would submit
these facts. He said that the brewers desired
legislation. but wanted 1t to so further and
make some similar provision for beer brewed IN
other States and brought into New-iork
Professor Max Schwartz. Of the Brewers
ACADEMY undertook 10 demonstrate TO the com
,,ittee that beer brewed from tWO-thirdS barley
malt and one third rice was superior To the Deer
made from pure barley malt. In regard 90 mop
substitutes he said that was out of the question
as there was no possible substitute for hops. In
regard to The provision for storing beer for three
months before use, he declared that there was no
expert who could 10y any means determine the
age Of beer. Such storage would not improve the
beer as fourteen or fifteen days was all that was
necessary. Beer was stored simply to clarity it
and permit foreign substances to settle.
Dr. F. Wyant. Of New-York. explained the
chemical composition of beer. He said that beer
made of pure barley malt was too bitter for the
taste OF most people. and in order to give the
beer a little sWeeter taste ii had been lound
necessary to add little rice He explained in
scientific detail the operation Of fermentation
and the entire process Of making beer In re-
gard t. long storage. he said that modern science
had produced a filter which separated the sus-
pended substances which in former times ii had
required long storage TO separate. He had never
known Of a successful substitute for hops.
Henry Il. Hathaway. Of Rochester, believed
that there could be absolute standard Of the
not always be obtained from different breWings
Of the same compositions. He said the cheapest
materials ior the MAKING ol Deer were Iiie ia; :,
ural materials-hOps and barley. Rye. which II
had been found necessary 10 use cost nNe times
more than barley. The branding OF beer as
"standard" or "nfcrior' would work great dis
aster IL would be Impossible to carry out the
provisions. AS TO the age limit. he said if this
bill were passed il would close up every brewery
In the State for five months, none Of them
could store the beer for the period required. The
natural age OF beer, ne said two and one
half months, and after that time il began TO
deteriorate. II the breweries were closed up by
this bill, the very beer which the authors Of
the bill trying to suppress would be
brought in from other States and forced upon
the market.
H. r. Obcrman. eX-president Of the Brewers
and Maltsters' Association, said that it was
since the rejection Of the pure barley malt
beer and the substitution of rye that Ameri-
cans had become beer-drinkers. If this bill
passed few Of them would drink the beer made
under its provisions.
William H. Zeltner, Of the Henry Zeltner
Brewing Company Of Newly ork, was the first
10 favor the bill. His company, he said, made
beer only from pure hops and barley, and he
declared that. despite the statements Of those
who had spoken against the bin, he still believed
that glucose and other substitutes were used in
was the only clariner OF beer. He had no OBJ
jectiCn 10 the manufacture of beer from substi-
tutes IL the people only knew what they were
John Coleman OF the United Trades Council.
Of Buffalo, at whose instieation a pure beer bill
was introduced. said the fact that the brewers
opposed the bill was evidence that ii not
in their interests. but in the interest Of the
working people, who demanded pure beer. All
the workingman wanted was that when he
bought a glass OF beer he should know whether
II was standard or inferior.
G. H. Clark. representing the New-York Hop
Growers Association, said il had been stated
that one pound Of hops used for each bar
rel Of beer, which would represent 100000 bales
Of hops. That was greatly in excess Of the
crop grown in the country II this were so.
somebody must be using something else than
hops.
Mr. Thoman answered this BY saying that a
great amount Of hops had been stored, and also
a great amount of hop extract saved from years
when hops were cheaper
George Clinton proposed amendments, which