Some of the more elaborate points are posted separately. The book has many more recipes and tips, if interested let me know I can forward the index (the book itself is only available in individual tiff files).
5 How to defend fresh water a long time from putrefaction.
This is performed by the addition of some small proportion of the oyle of Sulphur with it, incorporation them both togither, whereof I have long since made a sufficient triall. Some commende the oile of Vitriol to the same end: and seeing my penne hath so unaduisedtly slipt into an Element of so great necessitie, I will make the Sea-men a little beholding unto me at their first watering, which being spent, I must leave them to their brackish waters againe, unlesse by the helpe of some distillatorie vessell (wherin as also in divers others of the same kind and qualitie, I have found maister Sergeant Gowthowfe, the most exquisite and painfull practizer and performer of our times) they can make separation of the freshe part thereof on Ship-boord. [...]
9 How to brew good and wholsom Beere without anie Hoppes at all.
Since my profession is this booke is in some sort to Sanotomize both Art and nature, withuot any regard of rpivate mens profits, whom it may either escentially, or accidentially touch: I am bolde therefore withouth caving any leave to do good, to renue or rather to confirm & ratifie and ancient opinion & practice, which long since in the great dearth and scarcity of hops many Brewers of this land, have bin forced to put in use for y better supportation of their weark & declining estates. But because they failed in proportion (without the which there can be nothing co'plete or absolute) they suffered a good conceit to die in the birth. And no marvel then if wormwood not withsta'nding it be a simple so highly co'mended of all the ancie't & new Herbarists for his great & singluar effects in physick, be in a maner utterly abandoned of all the brewers of our time (except a few y' can make a difference between 5.s. and 5.li. charge when hops are sold for 50.s. the hundred, seeing as yet not any one of them hath so darkly wrought upon his simple as cover & hide the taste therof, from y' wel mouthed Ale-conners of our co'mon wealth, Which weaknes of theirs because it consisteth wholly in the want of a due proportion between the mault & other beercorn in respect of wormwood, I have thought good to set down a sufficient direction, for such as are wise and willing to doe good both to themselves and to their Countrie, whereby they may easily even in one dayes practize attaine to the full perfection thereof supposing [... 3 columns meer...]
25 A speedie or present drinke which travailers may make for themselves (ex tempore) when they are distressed for want of good Beer or Ale at their Inne.
Take a quart of good water put thereto five or six spoonfuls of good Aqua co'posita, which is strong of the Annis seedes, & one ounce of Sugar with a branch of Rosemarie, brew them a pretie while out of one pot into another, and then is your drinke prepared. Or if you leave out Sugar it will be pleasing inough. I have bene crediblie informed, that diverse gentlemen of good credit when they travell abrode, and cannot like the taste or relith of their drinke, that they use no other then the aforesaide composition, and finde the same both to refresh and coole them verie well, neither are they troubled with the rawnes of colde water, by reason that it hath received some correction from the Aqua Composita, and that the Annis Seedes doe give a delicate taste unto it. It were not amisse for all Sea-men to carrie some store of Aqua Vitae with them, that when their Wine, Sider, Perrie, and Beere are spent, they may transmute their water into the said drinke.
62 To helpe beere that beginneth to soure ir is dead.
Some put a handfull or two of ground malt into a barrell of beere, and stir the same and the beere wel together and so make it worke afresh and become good again. Some do burie sower beere 24. houres in the earth, and thereby recover it. Others adde new strong beere to the old, and so the dead beere is forced sometimes to work againe to a new head. Some fetch it againe with chalke or lime, and some with oyster-shels, and some throw a handfull of salt into a barrell of dead beere. A Ladie in this lande hath alwaies used to put in a handful of ote-meale into every barrell of beere, when it was first laide into her seller, whereby hir drink did alwaies carrie with it a quicke and lively taste. It is also very good to tilt your beere when the vessel is little more then halfe drawn off, for so you shall draw your beere good even to the latter end. [p.59]
65 To make ale or beere to become stale in a short time.
Bottle ale, or bottle beere, being buried somewhat deepe in the ground, in a coole or shadie place, becommeth stale enough to be drunk in 48. hours space, as I have been assured by an honest and sober Courtier. [p.60]
69 How to prevent drunkennesse.
Drinke first a good large draught of Sallet Oyle, for that will floate upon the Wine which you shall drinke, and suppresse the spirites from ascending into the braine. Also what quantitie soever of newe milke you drinke first, you may well drinke thrise as much wine after, without daunger of being drunke. But how sicke you shall bee with this prevention, I will not heere determine, neither would I have set downe this experiment, but only for the helpe of such modest drinkers as sometimes in companie are drawne, or rather forced to pledge in full bottles such quaffing co'panions as they would be loth to offend, and wil require reason at their hands as they terme it. [p.62]
77. How to keepe Claret wine, or any other wine good, many yeares together.
At every vintage you must drawe off almost a fourth part out of the hogshead, and the rowle it upon his Lee, and after fyll it up with the best newe wine of the same kind, that you can get, Your caske must be bound with iron bandes or hoopes, and alwaies kept full and tight. I have heard that an Essex knight useth this practise, and hath Wine of nine or ten leaves (as they terme it) which is so many yeares olde.
97 How to put severall liquors or Wines in one Glasse, without mixing.
Take a Beere glasse of six of eight inches in height, and being of one equall bignesse, from the bottom to the toppe, then powre therein some faire water an inch or two in height, upon the which lay a round trencher that is almost equall in compasse with the Glasse. Then out of a long spowted Glasse or pot, poure gently some milke uppon the Trencher, and after that some Rochell or Connyacke white wine, and then some Gascoigne Claret wine, and after Sacke, and so you shall have each liqour or wine to flote upon the other without mingling togither, because the fall thereof is broken by means of the gentle pouring upon the trencher. Some holde opinion that the same may also bee perfourmed with a round tofte. But I thinke that you must have a speciall care herein, that the heaviest liquor do lie in the bottome, and that you proceed from lighter to lighter, so as the lightest or most aereous or fierie bee placed uppermost, for each thing desires to bee in his naturall place.
The Jewell House of Art and Nature, conteining diverse rare and profitable Inventions, together with sundry new experimentes in the Art of Husbandry, Distillation, and Moulding. By Hugh Platte. London: Peter Short, 1597.
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