1872 Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks (Mixellany)

Ale and Beer Cellar. 97 beer is flat, a raisin or a little rice or sugar in the bottle will set the carbonic acid free. In tapping beer, use a wooden mallet to drive the tap in, have the vent-peg loose while tapping, and remember to tilt the cask while running. The beer cellar should not be too cold, or too exposed to draughts of hot air, but kept, as clean and airy as possible, regulating the temperature by air-shutters. As soon as the stock is laid in and fermentation ceases, knock in all the vent-pegs lightly, and keep the casks as secure from agitation as possible. A beer cellar under a roadway always suffers more or less from the vibration of passing vehicles, &c. To Restore a Barrel of Stale, or Sour Beer. —Put Jib. good hops, and 21bs. sound chalk in the bung- hole ; stop it close, and in a few days it will draw off perfectly fresh ; or a small teaspoonful of car- bonate of soda may be mixed with every quart that is drunk. Many hang a linen bag in the cask, filled with burnt oyster-shells, pounded. To Turn Porter into Stout —Insert 4 gallons of molasses into a butt of porter, with 1 quart of finings, in a week draw off; tapping first in the middle of the butt. To give Beer a Good Flavour. —Place 2 or 3 sea- H