A Practical Treatise on Brewing/Appendix/Reports concerning Beer Sent to Calcutta
REPORTS
CONCERNING BEER SENT TO CALCUTTA.
In 1832, I brewed a small gyle of pale beer for the India market. The first worts were boiled one hour, the second one hour and a-half. I beg leave to subjoin the report made upon it in Calcutta.
"Calcutta, 8th August, 1832.—Report on two hogsheads of Black’s pale ale, examined in the custom-house godowns of Messrs. Lyall, Matheson and Co.—Two hogsheads of Black’s pale ale.—This pale ale, of superior quality, is well adapted for the India market, both in colour, body, and flavour.
"Coopers to the Honourable Company."
Watson and Co., and I beg leave, also, to insert a short extract of their letter to me, of date, Calcutta, 9th April, 1833.
"We wrote to you on the 17th of November, to which we refer you.—Your beer is now ripe, and confirms what we then wrote you; it is really most excellent, and, as such, We are disposing of it in small quantities, so as it may be known."
This, at all events, proves that long boiling is not essential to the preservation of beer; and I have come to the conclusion, that long boiling can do no good, but may do harm. Unless, therefore, longer time should be required for strength, one hour’s boiling will sufficiently break the first Worts, and two hours, at the utmost, will do the same by any other wort.
"My Dear Sir,
"In answer to your note, I can only say with regard to your beer supplied me when 'in the Castle Huntly' the quality was highly approved of, not only by your acquaintance, but also the principal tasters in Calcutta, and by every one who drank it.
"I had some of Hodson’s, and Ind and Smith's, but your’s was preferred, not only on board, but in Calcutta, where it brought me Rs. 10 per hogshead more than either of the others. The advice I was recommended to give you was not to imitate the brewing of others, but to adhere strictly to your own plan, when you must succeed.
(Signed)"D. Grassick."
The beer was brewed in Spitalfields.