Sir Thomas Gower makes his pleasant and whole-
som drink of Ale and Honey thus. Take fourty
Gallons of small Ale, and five Gallons of Honey.
When the Ale is ready to Tun, and is still warm,
take out ten Gallons of it✪ Ale with Honey ; which, whiles it is hot,
mingle with it the five Gallons of Honey, stirring it
exceeding well with a clean arm till they be perfectly
incorporated. Then cover it, and let it cool and
stand still. At the same time you begin to dissolve
the honey in this parcel, you take the other of thirty
Gallons also warm, and Tun it up with barm, and
put it into a vessel capable to hold all the whole
quantity of Ale and Honey, and let it work there ;
and because the vessel will be so far from being full,
that the gross foulness of the Ale cannot work over,
make holes in the sides of the Barrel even with the
superficiesoftheLiquorinit, out of which thegross
feculence may purge ; and these holes must be fast
shut, when you put in the rest of the Ale with the
Honey : which you must do, when you see the strong
working of the other is over; and that it works but
gently, which may be aftertwo or threeorfour days,
according to the warmth of the season. You must
warm your solution of honey, when you put it in,
to be as warm as Ale, when you Tun it ; and then it
will set the whole a working a fresh, and casting out
more foulness ; which it would do too violently, if
you put it in at the first of the Tunning it. It is not
amiss that some feculence lie thick upon the Ale,
THE CLOSET OPEO^D 105
and work not all out; for that will keep in the spirits.
After you have dissolved the honey in the Ale, you
must boil it a little to skim it ; but skim it not, till
it have stood a while from the fire to cool ; elseyou
will skim away much of the Honey, which will still
rise as long as it boileth. If you will not make so
great a quantity at a time, do it in less in the same
proportions. He makes it about Michaelmas for
Lent.
When strong Beer groweth too hard, and flat for
want of Spirits, take four or five Gallons of it out
of a Hogshead, and boil five pounds of honey in it,
and skim it, and put it warm into the Beer; andafter
it hath done working, stop it up close. This will
make it quick, pleasant and stronger.
SMALL ALE FOR THE STONE
The Ale, that I used to drink constantly of, was
made in these proportions. Take fourteen Gallons
of Water, and half an Ounce of Hops ; boil them
near an hour together. Then pour it upon a peck of
Malt. HaveacaretheMalt be not too small ground;
for then it will never make clear Ale. Let it soak so
near two hours. Then let it run from the Malt, and
boil it only one walm or two. Let it stand cooling
till it be cool enough to work with barm, which let
be of Beer rather than Ale, about half a pint. ✪ Small Ale for the Stone
After it hath wrought some hours, when you see
it come to it's height, and is near beginning to fall in
working. Tun it into a barrel of eight Gallons ; and
in four or five days it will be fit to broach to drink.
Since I have caused the wort to be boiled a good
half hour ; since again I boil it a good hour, and it
io6 SIR KENELMS DIG BIS
Page 73 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Sir Thomas Gower makes his pleasant and wholesom drink of Ale and Honey thus. Take fourty Gallons of small Ale, and five Gallons of Honey. When the Ale is ready to Tun, and is still warm, take out ten Gallons of it ; which, whiles it is hot, mingle with it the five Gallons of Honey, stirring it exceeding well with a clean arm till they be perfectly incorporated. Then cover it, and let it cool and stand still. At the same time you begin to dissolve the honey in this parcel, you take the other of thirty Gallons also warm, and Tun it up with barm, and put it into a vessel capable to hold all the whole quantity of Ale and Honey, and let it work there ; and because the vessel will be so far from being full, that the gross foulness of the Ale cannot work over, make holes in the sides of the Barrel even with the superficies of the Liquor in it, out of which thegross feculence may purge ; and these holes must be fast shut, when you put in the rest of the Ale with the Honey : which you must do, when you see the strong working of the other is over; and that it works but gently, which may be aftertwo or threeorfour days, according to the warmth of the season. You must warm your solution of honey, when you put it in, to be as warm as Ale, when you Tun it ; and then it will set the whole a working a fresh, and casting out more foulness ; which it would do too violently, if you put it in at the first of the Tunning it. It is not amiss that some feculence lie thick upon the Ale,
and work not all out; for that will keep in the spirits. After you have dissolved the honey in the Ale, you must boil it a little to skim it ; but skim it not, till it have stood a while from the fire to cool ; elseyou will skim away much of the Honey, which will still rise as long as it boileth. If you will not make so great a quantity at a time, do it in less in the same proportions. He makes it about Michaelmas for Lent.
When strong Beer groweth too hard, and flat for want of Spirits, take four or five Gallons of it out of a Hogshead, and boil five pounds of honey in it, and skim it, and put it warm into the Beer; andafter it hath done working, stop it up close. This will make it quick, pleasant and stronger. SMALL ALE FOR THE STONE The Ale, that I used to drink constantly of, was made in these proportions. Take fourteen Gallons of Water, and half an Ounce of Hops ; boil them near an hour together. Then pour it upon a peck of Malt. HaveacaretheMalt be not too small ground; for then it will never make clear Ale. Let it soak so near two hours. Then let it run from the Malt, and boil it only one walm or two. Let it stand cooling till it be cool enough to work with barm, which let be of Beer rather than Ale, about half a pint.
After it hath wrought some hours, when you see it come to it's height, and is near beginning to fall in working. Tun it into a barrel of eight Gallons ; and in four or five days it will be fit to broach to drink. Since I have caused the wort to be boiled a good half hour ; since again I boil it a good hour, and it
Records on this page
Ale with HoneySmall Ale for the Stone