_With Needham & Co.'s Patent Portable Family Brewing Machine._ As the attainment of good Malt Liquor greatly depends upon the quality of the materials from which it is produced, it may be useful to give a few general instructions for distinguishing the quality of malt and hops, of which it should be only composed; but considerable practice being requisite to form a ready judgment, it will generally be more safe to buy them of some reputable dealer. MALT.--To judge of the quality of malt, you must chew it, and if _sweet, tender, and mealy, with a brisk full flavour_, it is good; in coloured malt particular care should be taken that it is neither smoky nor burnt.[5] [5] Malt, previous to being ground, should be passed through a screen, or sieved to remove the dust. HOPS should be of a _bright colour, free from green leaves, of a quick pungent smell, and glutinous quality_, which will be discoverable by their adhering together, and by rubbing them in the hands. _New hops are preferable to old, after Christmas._ _To Brew Ale with Table Beer after, from the same malt and hops._--The malt should be pale, sweet, and tender, ground coarse, and the hops of a pale bright colour and glutinous quality. If the ale is for present use, 3/4 of a pound of hops to each bushel of malt will be sufficient, but for store ale use one pound per bushel. [Illustration: brewing equipment] The machine being placed ready for use as described in the plate, figure G,[6] put into it as much cold water as will cover the perforated bottom of the extracting cylinder, and light the fire; then put as much coarse ground malt into the perforated cylinder, (see the plate, figure D,) as will three parts fill it, taking care that none goes into the centre, (which centre should be covered, (_but only_) while putting the malt in, and when mashing the malt,) nor any between the cylinder and boiler.--The malt being put in, pour through the centre as much more cold water as will just cover the malt, then make the fire good, and in one hour after stir the malt well up with a strong mashing stick, for about ten minutes, so that every particle of malt may be divided from the other: let the heat increase to 180 degrees, which you must ascertain by holding the thermometer a minute in the centre part of the machine, and when at 180 degrees of heat, stir the malt again, and after this second stirring, try the heat, and if then at 180 degrees, damp the fire well with some wet ashes to prevent the heat of the mash from increasing, and in 3 hours and a half from the time of lighting the fire, draw off the wort very gently that it may run fine, and put it into one of the coolers, and put all the hops (rubbing them through your hands to break the lumps) on the top of the wort to keep it hot till the time for returning it into the machine for boiling; having drawn off this ale wort, put into the machine through the centre as much more cold water as will cover the grains, brisken the