[From nobody Mon Jul 18 15:50:44 2011
Return-path: OxladeMac@aol.com
From: OxladeMac@aol.com
Full-name: OxladeMac
Message-ID: <a82b196d.2463c080@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 7 May 1999 00:05:20 EDT
Subject: Re: hist-brewing: Historical "non-sanitization"--any experience?
To: bjm10@cornell.edu
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In a message dated 5/5/99 3:45:05 PM Central Daylight Time, bjm10@cornell.edu 
writes:

<< From a purely theoretical standpoint, I'm wondering.  Has anyone on the 
 list had experience with the cleaning-but-not-sanitizing by modern 
 standards that may have been done historically?
 
 I would presume that this would have a greater chance of being safe due 
 to the much larger volumes involved in brewing, but I'm only being 
 theoretical on that point.
 
 Likewise, I've not come across explicit cleaning instructions in the
 sources I've looked at.  Has anyone come across descriptions or
 instructions for cleaning in 18th, 17th, 16th, or earlier sources?  I was
 wondering what their methods and materials were, although I could do some
 speculation:  Soda ash, lime, lye soap, brushes, scrubbing, water...  >>


I apologize in advance for anyone I may offend.  I know that some of you have 
already posted on this subject.

Gervase Markham (1615) described sanitizing via scalding water.  The 
following excerpt is taken from _The_English_Housewife_:

...and the beer well risen, with your hand stir it about and so let it stand 
an hour after, and then, beating it and the barm exceedingly well together, 
tun it up into the hogsheads being clean washed and scalded, and so let it 
purge...

Markham clearly directs the brewer to wash and "scald" the hogsheads.

In Another post PBLoomis@aol.com said:
<>

Hogsheads weren't 500 gallons - they were much less.  My memory is that it 
depended on wether it was ale or beer - both of which had different volumes 
for a hogshead - Something like 36 and 42 respectively.  Don't quote me on 
those numbers - my memory is REALLY foggy.  A full hogshead would be quite 
heavy, but not unmanageable (with the use of ramps, hoists, ect...)

How does one dry such a vessel - you don't!  After you wash and scald the 
inside you fill it with beer!

As for my experience actually using these techniques - I have not done so.  I 
use glass carboys, therefore I use bleach instead of scalding water.  (Glass 
doesn't take kindly to rapid changes in temperature!!)  I do, however, boil 
some of my brewing implements (wort chiller and some metal fittings come to 
mind).  It's often the only way to effectively sanitize some things.

Hope this helps.

Happy brewing
Ox
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