1903 The still-room by C. Roundell

Home-brewed Beer

and a maker of misery for old age. And he could scarce find adequate vent for his impatience of what he rightly considered the everlasting dawdling about with the slops of the tea-tackle, or for his pity for the labourer who, instead of cheerfully and vigor- ously doing a morning's work on the strength of a breakfast of bread, bacon, and beer, has to force his tea-sodden limbs along under the sweat of feebleness, and at night to return to the wretched tea-kettle once more. How different, says Cobbett, is the fate of that man who has made his wife brew beer instead of making tea ! It has been said and often quoted that there is good beer, and better beer, but no bad beer. The present writer's experience is that there is beer so bad that few drinks can rival it for disagreeableness in taste and effects ; stuff which should never be called by the same name as that transparent, brown or amber, vinous fluid, " bright as a sunbeam," free from acidity, flatness and insipidity, which alone is worthy the name of beer. To make good beer requires good materials, care, cleanliness, and method. Given those, failure should be impossible. The water should be good, soft water being usually to be preferred ; the malt fresh and full of flour ; the hops bright, yellowish-green in colour, with a pleasant brisk fragrance, and free from leaves and bits of stem ; and the various tubs, clean. The several temperatures should be taken with a 73 boilers, and other appliances scrupulously