The American Practical Brewer and Tanner Informative Summary

Overview:

This book, written by Joseph Coppinger, a practical brewer, provides a comprehensive overview of brewing and tanning techniques in the early 19th century. The book serves as a guide for both experienced brewers and those who want to learn the art of creating high-quality malt liquors. The book is filled with detailed instructions, practical tips, and historical insights into the brewing process.

Beyond brewing, the book also offers a detailed exploration of a revolutionary tanning technique. Coppinger highlights the French mode of tanning, which significantly reduces the time needed to produce high-quality leather. This innovative method, developed by Mr. Seguine, utilizes a concentrated solution of tannin and a small amount of sulphuric acid, which allows for faster and more efficient tanning.

Key Findings:

The importance of cleanliness in brewing: Coppinger emphasizes the importance of cleanliness throughout the brewing process, from selecting a suitable location for the brewery to maintaining clean cellars and equipment.
A focus on quality over quantity: The book emphasizes producing high-quality beer and leather, with Coppinger promoting techniques that aim for optimal flavor, clarity, and longevity.
Innovative methods: Coppinger champions innovative techniques, including brewing beer without boiling, creating strong beer using only hop extract, and a method for fermenting beer in the same vessel it will be stored in.
The significance of fermentation: Coppinger extensively discusses fermentation, providing insights into the chemical processes involved and highlighting the crucial role of temperature, air, and other factors in achieving optimal results.
The benefits of efficient tanning: Coppinger highlights the revolutionary speed and efficiency of the French method of tanning, emphasizing its impact on the leather industry and the potential for increased profitability.

Learning:

The art of malting: The book provides detailed instructions on the malting process, outlining the crucial stages of steeping, germination, and drying. Coppinger stresses the importance of understanding the natural process of vegetation and using heat to control and preserve the malt.
The science of fermentation: Coppinger dives into the science of fermentation, explaining the chemical processes involved in transforming saccharine matter into alcohol and the role of various factors like temperature, pressure, and the presence of oxygen.
Practical techniques for brewing: The book offers a wide range of brewing recipes for different types of beers, from table beer and single ale to strong beer and porter. Coppinger provides detailed instructions on everything from mashing and boiling to pitching, cleansing, and storing.
Innovations in brewing: Coppinger introduces innovative brewing techniques that are more efficient and economical, like using only hop extract to brew strong beer and a method for fermenting and cleansing in the same vessel.
Efficient tanning techniques: Coppinger meticulously explains the French method of tanning, outlining the steps involved in preparing hides and using a concentrated tannin solution to tan them in a fraction of the usual time.

Historical Context:

This book was written in 1815, a time of significant changes in the United States. The country was still recovering from the War of 1812 and was experiencing rapid industrial growth and urbanization. The brewing industry was emerging as a significant industry, and the demand for beer was increasing. This context helps to understand the relevance of Coppinger’s book, which sought to provide brewers with practical guidance for producing high-quality beer using innovative techniques.

Facts:

Brewing capital in England: The brewing capital in England was estimated at more than fifteen million sterling in the early 19th century.
Annual brewing revenue in England: The gross annual revenue from brewing in England was estimated at seven million five hundred thousand pounds sterling, including hop, malt, and extract duties.
Hop yield: Under proper management, a farmer could reasonably expect to clear one hundred dollars per acre from hop cultivation.
Beer export potential: There was a high demand for good beer in Russia and other parts of Europe and the East and West Indies, offering a lucrative export market for American brewers.
Brewers’ improvements: The brewers of New-York had significantly improved the quality of their malt liquors in the years leading up to the publication of this book.
Malt house size: A malt house annexed to a brewery should not be on a less scale than sixty feet long by twenty-five feet wide.
Malt house flooring: A solid foundation for the lower floor of a malt house should be laid with stones, brick bats, or coarse gravel, and compacted by ramming.
Kiln construction: The most approved covering for malt kilns in England was hair cloth, while tiles and boarded floors were also popular.
Wooden kilns: Wooden kilns are capable of drying malt with any kind of fuel, without imparting bad flavors to the grain, and can safely reach temperatures of 120 degrees.
Malt preservation: Malt intended for brewing should be screened before grinding, and it is best to minimize air exposure when storing malt for extended periods.
Weevil control: Weevils in malt can be effectively removed by placing lobsters in the malt heap, as the smell of the lobsters will drive the weevils away.
Fermentation: Fermentation is a natural process of decomposition, breaking down animal and vegetable substances into their original elements.
Importance of temperature: The rapidity of fermentation is directly related to the temperature, with higher temperatures accelerating the process.
Yest preservation: Yest can be preserved sweet and good in any climate by drying it on canvas frames in a kiln at ninety degrees of heat.
Claret wine production: The vintage for claret wine generally begins in mid-September and ends in October, with the juice being extracted from the grapes by foot-treading.
Wine fortification: Claret wine is fortified with Alicant wine (or Benicarlo wine for inferior growths) and stum to strengthen it for export.
Porter production: Porter is considered a wholesome and pleasant liquor, particularly when bottled, and was in high demand in both England and the West Indies.
Porter malt: Porter malt should be dried on a kiln with beech wood or ash, reaching a high heat to create a snapping sound.
Essentia bina: Essentia bina, a brown sugar coloring used in porter, is more economical and effective than porter malt.
Lime water: Lime water is used to dilute the burnt sugar in essentia bina, and can be made stronger by using slaked lime in a cask.
Cask cleansing: Casks should be cleaned regularly using boiling water, burning, and steaming to remove any musty smells or residue.
Mead production: Mead, a fermented honey drink, can be produced with varying proportions of honey and water and is considered a wholesome and pleasant beverage.
Currant wine: Currant wine can be made by fermenting currant juice with sugar and water, and can be improved by adding brandy.
Tanning: The tanning process involves using a solution of tannin to harden and brace the fibers of animal hides, transforming them into leather.

Statistics:

15 million sterling: Estimated brewing capital in England.
7.5 million pounds sterling: Estimated annual brewing revenue in England.
100 dollars: Estimated profit per acre of hops.
3,000 poles: Estimated number of poles needed per acre of hops.
300 dollars: Price received for one acre of hops in Massachusetts.
80 dollars: Estimated net profit per acre of hops.
60 bushels: Capacity of a typical steep in a malt house.
54 gallons: Average quantity of water needed to steep sixty bushels of American spring barley.
2,000 gallons: Capacity of a large brewing copper.
28 pounds: Estimated weight of carbon extricated from 100 pounds of fermentable matter during fermentation.
41 gallons: Estimated amount of spirit lost during fermentation from 80 quarters of malt.
6 to 7 pounds: Estimated increase in gravity or strength per quarter of malt with each 6 to 7 pounds of carbon fixed.
19 pounds: Estimated amount of fermentable matter attenuated in a barrel of wort with 25 pounds gravity.
35 pounds: Estimated weight of carbon extricated from 100 pounds of fermentable matter during fermentation.
1,680 pounds: Estimated amount of carbon lost during fermentation from 80 quarters of malt.
11 barrels: Estimated amount of spirit lost per 80 quarters of malt due to mismanagement of fermentation.
5 pounds 8 ounces: Estimated amount of lees and yest produced per barrel of wort.
57 pounds: Estimated amount of dry alcohol produced from 100 pounds of raw sugar.
10 gallons: Average quantity of ardent spirit produced from 10 gallons of wash.
75 pounds: Estimated amount of fermentable matter in a quarter of malt.
13 pounds 8 ounces: Estimated real attenuation per barrel of wort.
3 gallons: Estimated amount of spirit per barrel.
10 gallons: Estimated amount of beer produced from 8 bushels of malt.
15 gallons: Estimated amount of Alicant wine added per hogshead of claret wine for fortification.
121 barrels: Quantity of porter cleansed from 280 bushels of malt.
300 pounds: Quantity of hops used to cleanse 121 barrels of porter.
27.5 barrels: Quantity of porter cleansed from 88 bushels of pale malt.
3 pounds: Estimated amount of essentia bina used to convert old hock into brown stout.
120 gallons: Quantity of lime water produced from 30 pounds of lime.
27 barrels: Quantity of strong beer cleansed from 80 bushels of malt.
170 pounds: Quantity of hops used to cleanse 27 barrels of strong beer.
2 pounds: Estimated quantity of beef added per barrel of strong beer.
2,000 gallons: Capacity of a large brewing copper.
15 gallons: Estimated amount of wort used to mix with one gallon of solid yest for pitching.

Terms:

Steep: A container used to soak barley in water during the malting process.
Couch: A heap of germinating barley on the malt house floor.
Kiln: A furnace used to dry malt after germination.
Wort: The sugary liquid produced by mashing malt.
Mash Tun: A vessel used for mixing malt with hot water to extract sugar.
Fermenting Tun: A vessel where wort is fermented with yeast.
Yest: A fungus that converts sugar into alcohol during fermentation.
Attenuation: The process of reducing the gravity and density of wort during fermentation.
Cleansing: The process of removing excess yeast and sediment from fermenting beer.
Heading: A mixture of substances added to beer to create a foam or head.
Fining: A process of clarifying beer using isinglass or other clarifying agents.

Examples:

Hop cultivation: The book describes the best practices for cultivating hops, including the importance of rich soil, proper spacing, and timely harvesting.
Malt house construction: Coppinger outlines the ideal construction for a malt house, emphasizing the importance of a solid foundation, proper flooring, and adequate ventilation.
Brewing strong beer with hop extract: The book provides a recipe for brewing strong beer using only the extract of hops, illustrating an innovative brewing technique.
Fermentation and cleansing in the same vessel: Coppinger advocates for fermenting beer in the same vessel it will be stored in, using a special worker to remove excess yeast during fermentation.
Windsor Ale: The book details a recipe for Windsor Ale, a pale and highly fermented ale popular in London, emphasizing the importance of short boiling and precise pitching temperatures.
Two-penny Amber Beer: Coppinger provides a process for brewing Two-penny Amber Beer, a popular and profitable type of beer in London, emphasizing the importance of multiple mashings and specific gravity control.
London Ale: The book describes the process for brewing London Ale, a delicate and highly esteemed type of ale, highlighting the importance of transparency, pungency, and flavor.
Porter: The book outlines three different methods for brewing porter, a popular dark beer, with each method emphasizing different aspects of the brewing process, like the use of brown malt and specific temperature controls.
French method of tanning: Coppinger provides a detailed explanation of the French method of tanning, outlining the steps involved in preparing hides and utilizing a concentrated solution of tannin to tan leather in a significantly shorter time.
Claret wine preparation: The book describes the process for preparing claret wine for export, including the use of Alicant or Benicarlo wine for fortification and the importance of slow, controlled fermentation.

Conclusion:

“The American Practical Brewer and Tanner” is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history and practice of brewing and tanning in the early 19th century. Coppinger’s guide emphasizes the importance of cleanliness, quality, and innovation, providing practical instructions and insightful observations. The book’s exploration of fermentation and the revolutionary French method of tanning offers a glimpse into the evolving science and technology of the time. Whether you are a home brewer, a professional tanner, or simply curious about the history of these industries, “The American Practical Brewer and Tanner” provides a fascinating look into a time of change and innovation.

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