heated by exhaust steam, and its contents are used for
flushing down the tun-rooms, for cask-washing, and other purposes.
"The cooling room is a spacious and lofty chamber, some
50 feet in length, with louvred walls. How the wind from over
the sea whistled through those louvres, and how glad we were
to turn our backs on this chilly place !
" Nearly the whole of the floor is covered by an open
cooler, in the centre of which is a fan, driven round by steam-power.
At the east end of the room is fixed a large refrigerator
of the Morton type, cooling wort at the rate of forty barrels
per hour. From this level a few steps lead down into the fermenting
house, no feet in length, which contains a range of fermenting
rooms extending its whole distance. They are well lighted,
most effectively ventilated, and kept beautifully sweet and
clean. The fermenting process conducted in this brewery is
that known to brewers as the cleansing system.
" In the No. 1 room, first entered, we were shown three
copper-lined fermenting vessels, fitted with modern attemper-ators,
and each holding seventy barrels. The tops of these vessels,
as well as those afterwards visited, are reached by a latticed
staging, through which we could see the busy workmen in the
racking and other rooms below.
" The second chamber contains five fermenting squares,
constructed of massive blocks of slate, each vessel holding
about sixty barrels, and weighing many tons. Passing through
a lofty doorway, we came to the No. 3 fermenting room, the
last of the series, which contains five more of these ponderous
slate vessels, lined with copper, two of which hold forty-five
and three sixty barrels.
" Bearing round to the left, we reached the yeast room,
where the barm is stored, either for pitching purposes, or
for sale to the distillers, beyond which is the finings factory,
where we saw heaps of the finest quality of isinglass being
manipulated for fining the beers.
" Ascending some steps, we reached two settling-back
rooms situated over a portion of the cellars, one of which
contains six settling squares, lined with copper, and having
attemperators, and the other, the same number of settling-backs,
constructed of slate; also a capacious vat for finishing stout
and porter.
" Our next visit was to the cellars, which are situated
on the ground level, and have a frontage to the sea of 260
feet. They are four in number, all laid with cement. Together,
these cellars will store upwards of 5, 000 barrels; at the
time of our visit they contained more than half that number
spread out on the floor. In order, however, to make room for
the increasing trade, it has been found necessary to add considerably
to the cellarage accommodation. The space where the old stabling
stood has been utilised for this purpose, and a handsome addition
made to the cellars, with a loading-stage, etc., for waggons,
the floor being arranged at a convenient height for this purpose.
" From the No. 4 cellar, we made our way into the beer-bottling
store, situated in a fine building, over which is the hop
store. Here the famous Prestonpans specially brewed ale, as
well as the twelve-guinea Crown Ale is bottled, the operations
being conducted in the same manner as at other large breweries.
Adjoining is an empty-bottle store, and beyond, the sampling
cellar, where a sample cask of every brew is staged for reference,
etc. Whilst resting, our guide related the following anecdote
of the previous proprietor of the brewery: — ' Laird Fowler
brewed entirely by rule of thumb; it was, therefore, his custom
to test the gravity of the mash by tasting it. On one occasion
he was going his rounds, and, as usual, dipped his finger
in the mash-tub. Calling out to his man, he said, 'Jamie,
put in anither bag o' maut. ' To which Jamie curtly replied,
' There's owre muckle in't a'ready. ' The laird frowned, and
silenced him with the remark, ' The maut's nane o' yours,
Jamie, but mine. ' From this narrative we concluded that the
laird believed in giving good value, and this was probably
the cause of his wonderful success. "
A NEW VENTURE.
Some years ago Messrs Fowler and Company commenced the brewing
of export ale?, and in this they have been most successful.
The trade is yearly increasing.
CHEATING THE GAUGER.
Old Laird Fowler was no prophet, but he always knew when the
gauger was coming, and as sure as he arrived a good dinner
awaited him. While the dinner was being discussed all hands
were called at once to the store rooms. These were speedily
cleared out, the full barrels being all run up into the old
back garden and hid beneath the wide-spreading currant bushes.
So as a rule when the gauger entered the store-rooms he found
nothing but empty barrels, but no sooner was his
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