sufficiently detected, and hope, as it is how declining, it will never
revive again, and for which reason I have in my second Book encouraged all
light fermentations, as the most natural for the Malt Liquor and the human
Body.


_Of forwarding and retarding the fermentation of malt Liquors_.


In case Beer or Ale is backward in working, it is often practised to cast
some Flower out of the Dusting Box, or with the Hand over the Top of the
Drink, which will become a sort of Crust or Cover to help to keep the Cold
out: Others will put in one or two Ounces of powder'd Ginger, which will
so heat the Wort as to bring it forward: Others will take a Gallon Stone
Bottle and fill it with boiling water, which being well Cork'd, is put
into the working Tub, where it will communicate a gradual Heat for some
time and forward the fermentation: Others will reserve some raw Wort,
which they heat and mix with the rest, but then due Care must be taken
that the Pot in which it is heated has no manner of Grease about it lest
it impedes, instead of promoting the working, and for this reason some
nice Brewers will not suffer a Candle too near the Wort, lest it drop into
it. But for retarding and keeping back any Drink that is too much heated
in working, the cold raw Wort, as I have said before, is the most proper
of any thing to check it with, tho' I have known some to put one or more
Pewter Dishes into it for that purpose, or it may be broke into several
other Tubs, where by its shallow lying it will be taken off its Fury.
Others again, to make Drink work that is backward, will take the whites of
two Eggs and beat them up with half a Quartern of good Brandy, and put it
either into the working Vat, or into the Cask, and it will quickly bring
it forward if a warm Cloth is put over the Bung. Others will tye up Bran