But very little work has bean done on American beers; they seem to have shared with other dietary articles the general indifference of the American public to the composition of their food and drink.

A very extensive series of analyses was made in the State of New York in 1885, under the authority of the State Board of Health, by Dr. F. E. Englehardt, and outside of this I have been able to find very few published analyses of American beers.

Dr. Englehardt's analyses were made upon a very large number of samples, 476 in all, which were collected from all over the State, and were intended to furnish a good average representation of the beer retailed in the State. The samples included various kinds of malt liquor porters, ales, and a weak beer sold under the name of weiss beer. Unfortunately no arrangement of the analyses was made with a view to showing the composition of various kinds, as the examination was made principally with reference to the adulteration, so all varieties are tabulated together. The following averages I have had compiled from his table by the Statistical Division of this Department, only excepting a few samples which he has indicated as being imported:

Average composition of American malt liquors, as shown by analyses made for New York State Board of Health by F. E. Englehardt, Ph. D.

Kind.

Specific gravity.

Alcohol by weight.

Extract.

Ash.

Phosphoric acid.

Per cent.

Per cent.

Per cent.

Per cent.

Lager, 172 samples .......

1.016

3.754

5.864

. 289

.0904

Ale, 199 samples ......

1.013

4. 622

5.423

.307

.0832

Porter, 70 samples .......___

1.015

4.462

6.003

.345

.0942

Weiss, 28 samples ... .

1.006

1.732

2.356

.189

.0491

The maximum and minimum content of alcohol, extract, and ash in the same samples is as follows :

Kind.

Maximum.

Minimum.

Alcohol by weight.

Extract.

Ash.

Alcohol by weight.

Extract.

Ash.

Per cent.

Per cent.

Per cent.

Per cent.

Per cent.

Per cent.

Lager......

7. 061

9.647

.412

.677

3.655

.172

Ale.......

8.994

9 501

.552

2.410

2.703

.197

Porter .....

6.695

11.783

.557

1.671

2.843

.170

Weiss.....

3.179

4.143

.468

. 755

1.277

.069

These analyses show great lack of uniformity of composition in the different varieties of malt liquor, but it should be remembered that the samples were collected with a view to ascertaining the extent of adulteration, and many samples were found to be sophisticated in one way or another. Especially in the case of the content of ash the average of these samples does not give the average composition of American beers, for many of these ashes were found to consist principally of salt.

Following is the average of nineteen analyses made by the same chemist for the New York Board of Health in 1882 :

Specific gravity.................

1. 0162

Alcohol by weight

2.78

Extractive matter

6. 047

Sugar

1.521

Free acid calculated as lactic___

.189

Ash.............................

.305

Phosphoric acid

.105

The following analyses of four samples of beer sold in Indianapolis, Ind., were made by Mr. J. N. Hurty :1

Specific gravity.

Extract.

Sugar.

Dextrin.

Albuminoids.

Bitter matter.

Acidity calculated as acetic.

Alcohol.

Milwaukee.....

1.0174

7.312

1.895

3.880

.037

1.530

.159

5 350

Lieber's........

1. 0229

5.988

3.126

2.644

.016

.202

.281

9.990

Maus's .........

1.0180

6.330

4.060

2.060

.006

.118

.309

5. 384

Schmidt's......

1. 0172

5.816

3.440

2.283

.014

.074

.080

4.640

Average...

1. 0189

6.361

3.110

2.719

.018

.481

.207

6.341

The analyst does not state whether the percentage of alcohol is by weight or volume, but on account of its being so high, presumably it is the latter.

1Analyst, Vol. 7, p. 22.

Analyses made in 1873 of New York beers for the "Moderation Society" by Professor

Doremus.1

Specific gravity.

Alcohol.

Extractive matter.

Water.

Non-nitrogenized.

Albuminoids.

Ash.

Lactic acid.

Phosphoric acid.

Sugar.

Adulterations or deleterious matter.

Pr. ct.

Pr. ct.

Per ct.

Per ct.

Per ct.

Per ct.

Per ct.

Per cent.

Per cent.

1.0280

4.00

8. 5215

87. 40

7. 1605

0. 8750

0. 2970

0.1890

0.1300

2. 2105

None.

1.0315

2.00

8. 4580

89.50

7. 0695

0.8750

0.3425

0.1710

0.1610

2. 2034

None.

1.0175

4.60

6. 5570

88.80

5.4080

0. 7000

0. 3680

0. 0810

0.1775

1.2285

None.

1.0275

2.80

8.3410

88.80

7.3530

0. 6125

0. 2675

0.1080

0. 0575

2. 7826

None.

1.0330

3.40

86.60

8. 9035

0. 6300

0. 3740

0.0900

0. 1200

3. 0250

None.

1.0210

4.60

6. 8280

88.50

5.7170

0.6375

0. 3385

0.1350

0.1875

2. 6472

None.

1. 0250

2.50

6. 9740

90.40

5.8565

0. 6650

0. 2905

0.1620

0, 0875

0. 9726

None

1. 0180

2.80

6. 8600

90.30

5. 6705

0. 6375

0. 4620

0.1625

0.0625

1.0338

None.

Phos. acid.

Maltose.

Dextrose.

Dextrine.

1.0150

3.10

5.1840

91.60

4. 0960

1.6120

0, 2500

0. 2250

0. 1000

0. 5470

0. 5090

2. 6260

None.

1. 0125

5.20

5. 4660

89.20

4.1940

0. 7870

0. 2590

0. 2250

0. 1000

0. 3120

1.1220

2.3010

None.

1.0155

4.30

6. 0400

89.60

4. 6870

0. 8400

0.2410

0. 2700

0.1120

0. 2040

1.0580

2. 6980

None.

1.0120

5.20

5. 0740

89.60

3. 7620

0. 7700

0. 2720

0 2700

0.1170

0.7510

0. 3910

1.9670

None.

1.0150

4.60

6.4960

88.80

5. 6680

0. 4550

0.2100

0. 1620

0. 0850

0. 6890

0.8450

3. 5760

None.

1.0150

4.60

6.3 680

89.20

4. 7000

0. 8570

0. 2950

0. 3150

0.1200

0.0950

0. 2060

2. 3750

None.

Analyses made by Professor Englehardt for same society.

Specific gravity.

Alcohol.

Extractive or solid matter.

Water.

Maltose sugar.

Dextrine.

Albuminoids.

Lactic acid.

Phosphoric acid.

Adulterations or deleterious matter.

Per cent.

Per cent.

1. 0145

4.25

5.750

90.00

1.420

2.745

0.599

0.153

0.302

0.093

None.

1. 0150

3.70

5.670

90.60

1. 426

2.680

0.677

0.174

0.279

0.107

None.

1. 0156

3.70

5.770

90.50

1.590

2.510

0. 706

0.150

0.309

0.107

None.

1.0134

4.25

5.350

90.30

1. 285

2.563

0.319

0.212

0.319

0.318

None.

1.0197

3.50

6.470

89.90

1.434

3.159

0.869

0.150

0.321

0.076

None.

1.0187

3.70

6.462

89. 70

1.563

3.303

0.760

0.202

0.311

0.078

None.

1.0120

4.10

4.297

90.60

0.913

2.037

0. 624

0.150

0.321

0 076

None.

1. 0175

4.30

6.586

89.00

1.435

3.141

0.657

0.123

0. 337

0.097

None.

1.0174

4.20

6.380

89.40

1.448

3.004

0.810

0.212

0.339

0.098

None.

1.0162

4.25

6.209

89.50

1.485

3.033

0.700

0 212

0.352

0.098

None.

The tables furnished above constitute about all the analyses of American beer I have been able to find in the literature I have access to. Probably more have been published in the trade journals.