1857 The Bordeaux wine and liquor dealers' guide

96

A TREATISE ON

In some bad sorts of beer isinglass will have no effect. This may be ascertained beforehand, by try– ing some in a long glass tube, or vial, with a little of the finings. These should be well shaken together, and then set aside for a short time, when it will be found that the finings will rise to the top, leaving the central portion of the beer clear, if it be in a proper condition for clarifying; but if, on the contrary, they sink to the bOttom, and the liquor still keeps foul, no quantity of finings, however great, will ever clarify it. This latter defect may be remedied by proceed– ing to fine it after the manner above described, and then adding, af-ter the finings have been well rum– maged up, either 1 spoonful of oil of vitriol, or gum catechu, dissolvedin-fapintofwarmwater, againrum– maging well for a quarter of an hour. Or 1 or 2 oz. of tincture of catechu may be used instead, mixed with a little water. Either of these additions acts chemically on the finings, in the same way as good beer does, precipitating them along_with the foul– ness, and thus brightening the liquor. The addition of a handful of hops, previously boiled for 5 minutes in a little of the beer, and then added to the barrel, and the whole allowed to stand for a few days, before proceeding to clarify it, will generally have the same effect.

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