An Essay on Brewing, with a View of Establishing the Principles of the Art
by [Combrune, Michael]
- Used
- very good
- first
- Condition
- Very good
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: R. and J. Dodsley, 1758. First Edition. Leather bound. Very good. An important work helping to establish the science of brewing, particularly through the use of the thermometer. Combrune was a professional brewer and a proponent of consistency in production. The vignette on the title page depicts an eagle carrying a thermometer over a barley field.
"I know very well, that good beer was made before the Thermometer was known, and still is, by many, who are entirely ignorant of it, as if it had never been invented: but this is always by chance; and they cannot but confess they frequently fail; whereas, did they but properly apply this instrument, they certainly never would (p. 71)." For brewers without access to a thermometer, Combrune provides formulas for combining boiling water with cold water in proportion to achieve an estimated temperature (p. 64).
He also makes a case for beer over wine, "Physicians have given it as their opinion, that strong drinks from Malt are less pernicious than those produced from grapes (p. 134)."
Combrune's book begins with a dictionary of brewing terms, followed by chapters on the classical elements, a section on the thermometer, another on barley, and several on malt.
xvi, 216 pages. Small octavo. The contents leaf is bound in at the rear, as is often seen (the correct position cannot be determined from the catchwords). One corner missing from the first leaf of section one (not affecting text); various old ownership signatures, one dated 1801, and a private library bookplate on the pastedowns and endpapers. The binding is calf, rebacked at an early date but with modern gilt stamping on the spine. A solid copy of a book that is far less common than Combrune's Theory and Practice of Brewing, which was published four years later.
"I know very well, that good beer was made before the Thermometer was known, and still is, by many, who are entirely ignorant of it, as if it had never been invented: but this is always by chance; and they cannot but confess they frequently fail; whereas, did they but properly apply this instrument, they certainly never would (p. 71)." For brewers without access to a thermometer, Combrune provides formulas for combining boiling water with cold water in proportion to achieve an estimated temperature (p. 64).
He also makes a case for beer over wine, "Physicians have given it as their opinion, that strong drinks from Malt are less pernicious than those produced from grapes (p. 134)."
Combrune's book begins with a dictionary of brewing terms, followed by chapters on the classical elements, a section on the thermometer, another on barley, and several on malt.
xvi, 216 pages. Small octavo. The contents leaf is bound in at the rear, as is often seen (the correct position cannot be determined from the catchwords). One corner missing from the first leaf of section one (not affecting text); various old ownership signatures, one dated 1801, and a private library bookplate on the pastedowns and endpapers. The binding is calf, rebacked at an early date but with modern gilt stamping on the spine. A solid copy of a book that is far less common than Combrune's Theory and Practice of Brewing, which was published four years later.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Downtown Brown Books, ABAA (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 306804
- Title
- An Essay on Brewing, with a View of Establishing the Principles of the Art
- Author
- [Combrune, Michael]
- Format/Binding
- Leather bound
- Book Condition
- Used - Very good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- R. and J. Dodsley
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1758
- Keywords
- getman0720
- Bookseller catalogs
- COOKING;
Terms of Sale
Downtown Brown Books, ABAA
All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned within 30 days for a refund. If the item arrives damaged or does not match the description, we'll refund the purchase price plus shipping.
About the Seller
Downtown Brown Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2019
Portland, Oregon
About Downtown Brown Books, ABAA
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Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
- Rebacked
- having had the material covering the spine replaced. ...