The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight OpenedDigby, Kenelm
History
The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened
Digby, Kenelm
Cooking -- Early works to 1800; Digby, Kenelm, Sir, 1603-1665; Liquors; Wine and wine making -- Early works to 1800
If you would have it sooner ready to drink, you may work it with a little
yeast, when it is almost cold in the Kiver: and Tun it up as soon as it
begins to work, doing afterwards as is said before; but leaving a little
vent to purge by, till it have done working. Or in stead of yeast, you may
take the yolks of four New-laid-eggs, and almost half a pint of fine
Wheat-flower, and some of the Liquor you have made: beat them well
together, then put them to the Liquor in the Cask, and stop it up close,
till you see it needful, to give it a little vent.
Note, that yeast of good Beer, is better then that of Ale.
* * * * *
The first of Septemb. 1663. Mr. Webb came to my House to make some for Me.
He took fourty three Gallons of water, and fourty two pounds of Norfolk
honey. As soon as the water boiled, He put into it a slight handful of
Hops; which after it had boiled a little above a quarter of an hour, he
skimed off; then put in the honey to the boyling water, and presently a
white scum rose, which he skimed off still as it rose; which skiming was
ended in little above a quarter of an hour more. Then he put in his herbs
and spices, which were these: Rose-mary, Thyme, Winter-savory,
Sweet-marjoram, Sweet-bryar-leaves, seven or eight little Parsley-roots:
There was most of the Savoury, and least of the Eglantine, three Ounces of
Ginger, one Ounce and a half of Cinnamon, five Nutmegs (half an Ounce of
Cloves he would have added, but did not,) And these boiled an hour and a
quarter longer; in all from the first beginning to boil, somewhat less then
two hours: Then he presently laded it out of the Copper into Coolers,
letting it run through a Hair-sieve: And set the Coolers shelving (tilted
up) that the Liquor might afterwards run the more quietly out of them.
After the Liquor had stood so about two hours, he poured or laded out of
some of the Coolers very gently, that the dregs might not rise, into other
Coolers. And about a pint of very thick dregs remained last in the bottom
of every Cooler. That which ran out, was very clear: After two hours more
settling, (in a shelving situation,) He poured it out again into other
Coolers; and then very little dregs (or scarce any in some of the Coolers)
did remain. When the Liquor was even almost cold, He took the yolks of
three New-laid-eggs, a spoonful of fine white flower, and about half a pint
of new fresh barm of good strong Beer (you must have care that your barm be
very white and clean, not sullied and foul, as is usual among slovenly
Brewers in London). Beat this very well together, with a little of the
Liquor in a skiming dish, till you see it well incorporated, and that it
beginneth to work. Then put it to a pailful (of about two Gallons and a
half) of the Liquor, and mingle it well therewith. Then leave the skiming
dish reversed floating in the middle of the Liquor, and so the yest will
work up into and under the hollow of the dish, and grow out round about the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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