The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight OpenedDigby, Kenelm
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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
The Excellent Scotch Ale is made thus. Heat Spring-water; it must not boil,
but be ready to boil, which you will know by leaping up in bubbles. Then
pour it to the Malt; but by little and little, stirring them strongly
together all the while they are mingling. When all the water is in, it must
be so proportioned that it be very thick. Then cover the vessel well with a
thick Mat made on purpose with a hole for the stick, and that with
Coverlets and Blankets to keep in all the heat. After three or four hours,
let it run out by the stick (putting new heated water upon the Malt, if you
please, for small Ale or Beer) into a Hogshead with the head out. There let
it stand till it begin to blink, and grow long like thin Syrup. If you let
it stay too long, and grow too thick, it will be sowre. Then put it again
into the Caldron, and boil it an hour or an hour and a half. Then put it
into a Woodden-vessel to cool, which will require near forty hours for a
hogshead. Then pour it off gently from the settling. This quantity (of a
hogshead) will require better then a quart of the best Ale-barm, which you
must put to it thus. Put it to about three quarts of wort, and stir it, to
make it work well. When the barm is risen quick scum it off to put to the
rest of the wort by degrees. The remaining Liquor (that is the three
quarts) will have drawn into it all the heavy dregs of the barm, and you
may put it to the Ale of the second running, but not to this. Put the barm,
you have scummed off (which will be at least a quart) to about two gallons
of the wort, and stir it to make that rise and work. Then put two Gallons
more to it. Doing thus at several times, till all be mingled, which will
require a whole day to do. Cover it close, and let it work, till it be at
it's height, and begin to fall, which may require ten or twelve hours, or
more. Watch this well, least it sink too much, for then it will be dead.
Then scum off the thickest part of the barm, and run your Ale into the
hogshead, leaving all the bung open a day or two. Then lay a strong Paper
upon it, to keep the clay from falling in, that you must then lay upon it,
in which you must make a little hole to let it work out. You must have some
of the same Liquor to fill it up, as it works over. When it hath done
working, stop it up very close, and keep it in a very cold Cellar. It will
be fit to broach after a year; and be very clear and sweet and pleasant,
and will continue a year longer drawing; and the last glass full be as pure
and as quick as the first. You begin to broach it high. Let your Cask have
served for Sweet-wine.
TO MAKE ALE DRINK QUICK
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