What I shall chiefly touch upon, besides what I
shall speak of Cellaring, will relate to Water, Malt, Hops, and the keeping
Liquors.
The best Water, to speak in general, is River Water, such as is soft, and
has partook of the Air and Sun; for this easily insinuates itself into the
Malt, and extracts its Virtue; whereas the hard Waters astringe and bind
the Parts of the Malt, so that its Virtue is not freely communicated to the
Liquor. It is a Rule with a Friend of mine, that all Water which will mix
with Soap is fit for Brewing, and he will by no means allow of any other;
and I have more than once experienc'd, that where the same Quantity of Malt
has been used to a Barrel of River Water, and the same to a Barrel of
Spring Water, the River Water Brewing has excell'd the other in Strength
above five degrees in twelve Months, as I prov'd by a small Glass-Tube with
a Seal, and was much preferable to the Taste, I must observe too, that the
Malt was not only in Quantity the same for one Barrel as for another, but
was the same in Quality, having been all measur'd from the same Heap; so
also the Hops were the same both in Quality and Quantity, and the Time of
boiling, and both work'd in the same manner, and tunn'd and kept in the
same Cellar.
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