In beers and ales, the acid prevails in proportion as the malt has been less dried, and heat was wanting in the extracting water. The sweet will be the effect of a balance preserved between the acids and the oils. When, by the means of hotter waters, oils more tenacious are extracted from the grain, whereby the more volatile sulphur is retained, the taste becomes higher in relish, or aromatic. If the heat is still increased, the acids, and the most volatile oils, will in part be dissipated, and in part be so enveloped with stronger oils, as the bitter of the hops appears more distinct. A greater degree of fire will impress the liquor with an austere, rough, or harsh taste; and a heat beyond this so affects the oils of the grain, as to cause the extracts to be nauseous to the palate. Besides these, there may be other causes which produce some variation in taste; as a superior dryness in the hops; an irregularity in the ordering of the heat of the extracts; too great an impetuosity or slowness in the fermentation; the difference of seasons in which the drink is kept; but as these causes affect the liquor, in a low degree, in comparison to the drying and extracting heats of the grain, an enquiry into their consequences is not absolutely material. Beers or ales, formed of pale malt, in which a greater portion of acids is contained, with less tenacious oils, are not only more proper to allay thirst, but in general more aromatic than brown drinks. The oils of these last, being, by the effect of fire, rendered more compact, and more tenacious of the terrestrial parts raised with them, are attended with something of an austere and rank taste. This seems to be the reason why brown beers require more time, after they have been fermented, to come to their perfection. The air, by degrees, softens and attenuates their oils, and, by causing the heterogeneous particles to subside, makes them at last, unless charring heats have been used, pleasing to the palate, whereas they were before austere, rank, and perhaps nauseous. By means of the thermometer, we have endeavoured to fix the different colors of malt, the duration of the principal sorts of drink, and the tendency each has to become transparent. The same instrument cannot probably have the same use, when applied to distinguish the different tastes, as these depend on a variety of causes not easy to be ascertained. Yet something of this nature may be attempted, upon the following principles. As the chief circumstance which produces a variety of tastes in malt liquors, is fire or heat acting on the malt and hops, and the effect of the air, put in motion by the same element, the table here subjoined may point out what tastes are in general occasioned by the combination of these two causes. A TABLE _determining the tastes of Malt Liquors_. Heat of Dryness and Predominant the air. extracting heat. tastes.