way that no fluid could be conveyed through it into the still. All the receivers were close vessels communicating with the still by means of a force-pump through the measuring charger already described. In the same manner the spirits' receiver was connected with a vessel termed "the spirits' measurer," through which all spirits were filled and emptied by means of a double-cock, similar to that attached to the wash charger, and by this means the number of gallons taken out of the receiver was accurately recorded. In the spirit measurer was placed a small, close vessel of thin copper, so connected with the filling and emptying-cocks, that at each time of drawing off, about one-eightieth of a gallon was retained. From this sample vessel, as it may be termed, a pipe, terminated by a cock, proceeded through the bottom of the measurer into a metal box secured by a lock. This contrivance enabled the officers at any stated period, to ascertain the average strength at which the distiller had drawn off his spirits, and to make a surcharge, if such were deemed necessary.

. Experiments were lately made at the Excise Distillery, St. Catherine's Dock, London, by Captain Rudkin, to try a safe and meter at the worm-end, in order to do away with the usual survey on the process, and that of the subordinate officers altogether. These proving unsuccessful, he obtained money from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, through Dr. Birkbeck, for further experiments; and the Hope Brewery, a small concern in Brown-street, Spitalfields, was fitted up with a still of 600 gallons for the purpose, and a safe and meter of another description were attached to it. A measurer holding about 20 gallons was fixed in a safe three feet in height by two feet in breadth; the strength of the run from the still was determined by a hydrostatic balance which acted in conjunction with the measurer. It was worked for four or five periods, and made 800 gallons of spirits; but the result not having yet been made public, no conclusion can be drawn respecting the use or value of the machinery. No apparatus, however, can determine with any degree of accuracy, what the mental powers and vigilance of men are enabled to ascertain by the present system of survey, the utility of which has been fully confirmed by the test of time and the ordeal of public opinion. The process of distillation is generally conducted in the following

manner :

The keive or vessel in which the grain is mashed, is thoroughly cleansed by washing and liming, while the underback is prepared in the same way. Lime, when moderately used, has been found by experience to be the best sweetener. The lime is allowed to remain

on the vessels in a wet state, for about two hours before the scalding water is poured in, and afterwards suffered to stand until it is of that heat that a man can go in and wash out the vessels. This process must be done so as to leave no remains of any acid matters whatever, as the least portion thereof would prove highly injurious; and here it may be generally observed, that, without a constant attention to cleanliness, nothing can be effected in any stage of the work. Some distillers with every twenty pounds of lime, mix five pounds of potash, and keep it in a stirring state until an effervescence takes place. This solution is made thin like wash, and applied round the whole vessel, after which it is washed off in the same order in which it was put on. The scalding of the vessels is more particularly to be attended to in April, May, June, and July; but when a sufficient quantity of good water cannot be readily procured, the solution of lime and potash is indispensable. Some use soda with the lime in place of potash, say in a proportion of two ounces of soda to every four pounds of lime; but on account of the superior strength of the potash, it is preferred.

The malt, barley, and oats, or whatever sort of grain the distiller means to use, is ground to a proper consistence and placed in bags near the keive, where it is kept until a sufficiency of water is let into the keive from the coppers, and then the bags are emptied in gradually. The quantity of the grain depends on what kind is to be used; if a mixture be employed, it must be in the proportion of one-seventh of malt to equal parts of oats and barley; this being the general ratio in a distillery working from what is called raw or mixed grain; some consider one-fifth malt, two-fifths bere or barley, and two-fifths of oats or wheat, as the best proportion; others one-seventh malt, onefifth oats, one-half wheat, and the remainder bere or barley. Wheat is considered a dangerous material to use in a large proportion, in consequence of the adhesive quality of the wort. Although these are the general proportions of grain used, yet the distiller is commonly guided by the state of the markets. In all cases the quantity of liquor employed for the first or break-up mash for each barrel of twelve stones of ground grain, varies from forty to fifty-four Irish gallons at the discretion of the distiller:, twenty gallons is the quantity generally used in the second mashing, and fifty in the third. It may sometimes happen that he is deficient in some of the particular kinds of grain, in which case he must supply the difference with whatever sort he has most of on hands, All the grain is not put in at the same time, the malt being commonly put in first, the oats next, and the bere, or barley, last. While the grain is being removed into the keive, the

mixing either by machinery or hand rakes is going on. The temperature of the water is generally from about 144° to 146°, or from 140° to 150°, where water is only employed, which is the case at commencing each period; but the next day when the small worts are used, the heats are from 146° to 148° and 150 at finishing. These heats are regulated by the judgment and experience of the distiller, who manages them according to the description of grain which he uses, and the state in which it may be in, whether new from the mill or a long time ground. In the latter case, and should the grain be only a week or ten days ground, the heats already specified would be sufficient; but if just come from the mill, the heat will of course be lowered a degree or two, say to 140°. Some distillers pay little attention to the state of the grain, and they do not alter the range of the temperatures, but this matter is deserving of due regard, as it must have its influence on the liquor in the keive. The machinery, or rakes continue plying until all the grain is thoroughly mixed, when the remainder of the liquor intended for the mash is let in from the copper, by some in two parts, and by others in three, at a temperature of from 198° to 212°, so as to raise the keive from 148° as the case may be, to 152° at finishing. Every brewing consists of three mashings, one for strong worts, another for weaker; the last is sent to the coppers as small worts to assist in the next brewing. But the number may be said not to be completed until all the extract is taken from the keive, which may extend to a fourth mashing.

As to the quantity of worts drawn off the keive, the whole of the first and second mashing is let into the underback. Caution is to be observed in draining the keive so as to let as little of the gross mucilage in with the worts as possible. The liquor of each of the two mashings is successively pumped into the coolers, if the keive is not large enough to contain the whole worts intended for the back, where it is allowed to remain until it is at a heat of from 669 to 70° or 74°. It is then permitted to run into the back where barm is applied. The gravity at which the worts are intended to be collected or set, is regulated either in the run from the keive, on the coolers, in a wort receiver, or in the back itself, but commonly in either of the two latter vessels. The proportion of yeast is from one to two gallons per cent., this, however, like other matters, must a good deal depend on the quality of the article, as well as on the experience and judgment of the distiller. If working at 50° of gravity, from fifteen to twenty gallons of barm are usually given to one thousand gallons of worts. Where much barm is used, the liquor may be run into the back at a

lower heat, and when little is added the heat is required to be higher; but this depends much on the season of the year: caution, however, should be used in applying the quantity of barm, as too much would injure the flavour of the spirit.

The fermentation commences generally in the course of three or four hours, and if the working appears dull, slow, or stubborn, more barm is introduced; bub is sometimes added with the barm, and sometimes not, until the worts have been undergoing fermentation for twenty-four hours. Bub is made from ground barley and strong worts, and sometimes from strong small worts from the coolers, properly blended and boiled with some hops, in the proportion of one pound to a barrel of worts. The meal of peas, beans, and oats is frequently used in making this article, owing to their fermentive properties. This mixture is let off into a cooler where it remains till it arrives at a temperature of 74°, after which it is allowed to ferment by the addition of some barm in a tun from which it is removed, when in a high state of fermentation, into a back as already stated. If a quantity of bub is not thus used, a greater portion of barm must be applied; the quantity of bub depends on the extent of the worts set, and is added so as to enable the distiller to take advantage of the 5 per cent. increase allowed by law. The finer the grain is ground, the better for getting the whole of the extract; but the finer, the greater should be the precaution observed in working, because it might set as distillers say, or become so thick that the saccharine matter would be blocked up by an extra heat: hence distillers always take care to manage the warmth of the liquor so as to prevent accidents of this nature, by not allowing the heat to run too high, or too low. The temperature of the water for mashing malt only, is from 150° at commencing, to 165° or 170° at finishing; the heat of the first mash being 150°, and gradually raised in the course of the mashing by the addition of more liquor from the coppers until the process is concluded. Malt bears a higher heat than either raw or mixed grain. For beer or ale brewers use higher heats on account of the malt they use being more highly kiln-dried and prepared for the purpose; for distillation it is not necessary to have malt so highly dried. For pale beer, brewers use nearly the same description of malt as distillers. A back may be considered as fit to go to the still when it is fully attenuated or will ferment no more; at this stage it possesses a vinous taste, and if properly fermented, shows no gravity, and is then called wash, it being during the process of fermentation indiscriminately called worts and wash.

Distillers and brewers, though familiar with the change which worts undergo in the process of fermentation, are still ignorant of the various anomalies which occur in the process. It is well known that although two backs have been charged with an equal quantity of worts from the same mashing of the same heat, supplied with equal portions of the same barm and treated in the same manner, yet when the fermentation ceased, one was found to be attenuated to the consistency of water, while the other shewed a gravity of two degrees. This could not be owing to the preparation or previous disposition of the fermented liquor, nor could it be attributed to the yeast. Could it then arise from the admission or exclusion of the external air, heat, or cold, or to any other accidental circumstance? Some might say it was to the want of due proportions of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbonic gas, others to a different cause; but the results have proved that the true reason cannot be satisfactorily given. Backs have been known to go on rapidly in fermentation till near the conclusion, when on a sudden they fell off and left a considerable quantity unattenuated—a consequence which the most experienced could not explain. It has been asserted on respectable authority and confirmed by experience, that light has considerable effect on fermentation, since of two backs, one exposed to the light and the other excluded from it, the former was uniformly found more productive than the latter; to such apparently trifling incidents are many of those irregularities that daily occur to be attributed.

To render fermentation perfect and advantageous, is a very difficult undertaking which requires great experience and close attention, and on the success of this process in conjunction with the skill observed in mashing, the value, flavour, and produce of the spirits depend. Worts of a high gravity are more difficult to ferment than worts of a less density, and there are degrees of inspissation which prevent a tendency to fermentation, besides a fervid heat is the bane of all vinous fermentation, whereas a tepid one, or imperceptible warmth, is its great promoter. A good deal also depends on the state of the weather; hence the distillers begin to work about the end of October, and leave off in May, the colder months being found most congenial to brewing and fermentation.

No fermentation will take place at the freezing point, nor at the temperature of 90°, so that at the intermediate degrees according to quantity, gravity, and other circumstances, are the worts to be sent to the tuns-70° is the highest rage of heat, though much higher has been used in cold situations. Large masses of worts are found, when