I have frequently been asked what is the proper way to manage beer in a publican's cellar, and as it is a matter of considerable importance to both a publican and cellar-man, a few hints from an old brewer may be of some little use to the aforesaid persons.

I may say that these remarks are not intended for old and careful cellarmen, but even they may learn something from them, while to a brewer, doing a country trade especially, I hope they may supply a much-felt want.

As most running, or, as they are called, mild beers, in any neighbourhood are brewed with the same or a very similar water, and especially in country breweries with very similar malts and systems, the same cellar management will do for most of them.

The first consideration in the management of beer is to get the cellar as sweet and clean as possible, and then to use every endeavour to keep it so, and we must remember we are dealing with food-and a very delicate food too-which has the peculiar power of absorbing smells to a much larger extent than most people have any idea of.

The cellar should be kept well whitewashed on the walls and all timbers, and particular attention should be paid to the floor by frequently sweeping and putting down fresh sawdust; but of course where it is possible it is much better to wash and scrub it regularly, and I must particularly impress upon my readers that there should be no communication between the cellar and any drain-pipe which is connected with a sewer, and up which smells can travel if sufficiently trapped, beers being, as I mentioned before, so very liable to acquire flavours unnatural to them.

The cellar should have sufficient light to enable a person to see well, and that no dirt is allowed to collect, and there should be sufficient air-openings which can be closed as required. I have seen many which could not, and in some cases it has been considered that by putting in simple gratings all has been done that is required in the way of ventilation, forgetting that beer is liable to become cloudy and go out of condition with either the slightest change of temperature or thundery weather.

Too much attention can hardly be paid to this question of the cellar temperature, and it has been the source ot my knowledge of great trouble, and makes all the difference between one man making a good living out of a house and another man failing in it.

You should try to keep the cellar about 55° to 57° Fahrenheit. I know, however, that in many cellars this is almost impossible to do both in the depth of winter and in the height of summer, but there is no harm in your trying to keep it as near that temperature as you can, and the nearer to it that you can get, and the more even you keep it in heat, the more uniform will the condition of your beers be.

Your principal aim should be to get your beers always alike, both in quality and condition, as even second-class beers, if kept always alike, will find customers who get accustomed to them, and who would prefer them to a really better beer simply because they were used to the flavour, so that you should see that the one thing to do is always to keep them alike.

Having got as good a cellar as you can, underground, of course, is preferable, the next thing is to do the best you can to please your customers with the beer you get from your brewers.

And while writing of the beers " as you get them," let me impress upon the few who may be inclined that way, that it is false economy to tamper with them by adding anything, either in the shape of sugar or water, as although they might think they could make a few shillings by turning brewers themselves, they are not at any time likely to improve them, and the public will very soon find out if they spoil them, and will take their custom to another house.

I have known cases where publicans have tried to improve the brewers' beer by putting more " body " in it in the shape of raw meat, but I hope and think that so stupid an idea has now died out.

I have also known raisins and rice put in to give it life and condition, but if the publican knows how to get and keep the condition which is natural to all good beers there will be no necessity for any such thing being done, as I imagine it hardly ever happens that the beer arrives at the house flat, the usual state of things being rather the other way, namely, that it is so new that all the publican has to do is to keep the condition it had when it arrived.

The amount of this will vary, to a certain extent, with the time of year, the heat of the weather, and also and by no means the least, whether it has been delivered by a careful man, who, in extreme heat or cold, has covered it up while it has been travelling from the brewery ; and should the beer at any time come to hand out of condition, you should immediately report the fact to the brewer, who will for his own credit see that it is not repeated.

Immediately on delivery all bunged and unfined beers should have the bungs drawn by the drayman, and the beer should be left " bung out " until it has risen or fallen to the heat of the cellar, when it should be fined, but not before. This should happen, according to the time of year, in one or two days, and at the end of that time should the beer not be required to be fined, the bung should be replaced, and knocked in nearly air-tight by the hand.