Page:A Practical Treatise on Brewing (4th ed.).djvu/100

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REFRIGERATORS.

The more simply refrigerators can be constructed the better: they ought also to be made of one metal only, and that unconnected with other metals. We thus run less risk of any electro-chemical agency, which should always be guarded against, as much as possible, in every department of the brewery. Even with the best constructed refrigerators, it will be found that when the worts are sent through them at high temperatures, they will appear of a greyish or whey colour when running into the square. This always denotes unsoundness to a certain extent, or that some change has taken place in the nature of the worts, which will be found prejudicial in as far as regards a regular fermentation. However desirable, therefore, refrigerators may be for saving time, we are inclined to think that fans or blowers are by much the safer instruments for cooling worts.

Worts when kept in a constant state of agitation in the coolers, are much less liable to become tainted than when allowed to remain stationary: fans or blowers keep them constantly in agitation, and when a proper quantity of hop-dreg is passed over into the coolers along with the worts, little danger need be apprehended.

Many brewers make it an invariable rule, both in summer and winter, to commence brewing at a very early hour in the morning. A little reflection, however, will convince them that in hot weather, it