in brewing, in the manner that bufinefs is carried
on in Bavaria, where the whole procefs, in as far as
Fire is employed in it, is begun and finimed in the
courfe of a day, the facing of time, in heating the
water and boiling the wort, is an object of almoft
as much importance as that of economizing Fuel,
and confequently demanded particular attention.
The means I ufed for the attainment of both
thefe objects will be evident from the following tie-
fcription of the Boiler and its fire-place, which I
caufed to be conftrufted, and which are repre-
fented in all their details in the Plates III, IV, and V,
This Boiler is 1 2 (Bavarian) feet long, i o feet
wide, and only 2 feet deep. The meet copper of
which it is made is uncommonly thin for a Boiler
of fuch large dimenfions, being at a medium lefs
than one-tenth of an Engliih inch in thicknefs. This
Boiler, when fmimed, weighed no more than
674 Ibs, Bavarian weight, equal to 834-^- Ibs. Avoir
dupois, exclufive of 64 Ibs. of copper nails ufed in
riveting the meets of copper together.
The top of the Boiler is furrounded by a ftrong
curb (#,, Fig. 17.) of oak timber, to which it is
attached by flrong copper nails, and over the Boiler
is built a roof, or (landing cover, (fee Fig. 17.)
fimilar in all refpefts to that already defcribed. The
bottom of the Boiler is flat, and.repofes horizon
tally on the top of the thin brick walls by which
the fire-place is divided into flues. (See Fig. 18.)
Thefe flues do not run in the direction of the length
of
I lo Of the Management of Fire,
of the Boiler, but from one lide of it to the
other ; confequently the door of the fire-place is
in the middle of one fide of the Boiler.
The fheets of copper, of which the bottom of
the Boiler was conftructed, run in the direction
of the flues ; and they are juft fo wide that their
feams or joinings (where they are united to each
other by their fides) repofe on the walls of the flues,
except only in the middle flue, which, being about
twice as wide as the others, one feam was necellarily
left unfupported, at leaft a coniiderable part of its
length. The fheets of copper ufed in conitructing
this part of the bottom of the Boiler are rather
thicker and ftronger than the reft : They are juft
o.i 1 8 of an Englifh inch in thicknefs.
The Fire is made under this Boiler in the middle
flue, which, as I have juft obferved, is a little more
than twice as wide as one of the other flues. There
are jfotf flues under the Boiler ; namely, one in the
middle 44 inches wide, above, in the clear, (which
conftitutes the fire-place) and two on each fide
of it, in which the flame circulates ; one 20 inches
wide, and the other 1 9 inches wide.
The fide flues are each 14-1 inches deep ; but as
the walls which feparate them are much thicker
below than above, where the bottom of the Boiler
repofes on them, the width of thefe flues below is
only 13 inches. The walls of thefe flues are mown
by dotted lines in Fig. 17.
The walls which feparate the flues do not run
quite from one fide of the Boiler to the other ; an
opening
and the Economy of Fuel. 1 1 1
opening being left at one end of each of thera
equal to the width of one of the narrow flues for
the paflage of the flame from one flue into another,
without its going from under the Boiler.
The Fire being made (on a circular grate) in the
middle flue (fee Fig. 18.), the flame paffes on in
this flue to its farther end, and then, dividing to
the right and left, comes forward in the two ad
joining iide flues. Having arrived at the wall
which fupports the front of the Boiler, it turns
again to the right and left ; and, entering the two
outlide flues, returns in them to the back of the
Boiler* Here it went out (before the fire-place wzis
altered) at two openings left for that purpoie in the
wall which fupports the back part of the Boiler,
and the two currents of flame uniting, entered a
canal 7 inches wide, and 16 inches high, which
goes all round the outiide of the Boiler. (See
Fig. 20.) Having made the circuit of the Boiler,
it went off by a canal (furnifhed with a damper)
into the chimney.
From this defcription of the fire-place, it appears
that the flame and fmoke generated in the com-
buftion of the Fuel in paffing through thofe dif
ferent flues, made a circuit of above 70 feet, in
contact with the furface of the Boiler, before they
were permitted to efcape into the chimney. This
I thought muft be fufficient to give thefe hot fluids
an opportunity of communicating to the Boiler all
the heat they could part with, notwithftanding the
difficulties which attend their getting rid of it : And
I concluded that the communication of their heat
to
112 Of the Management of
to the Boiler would be much facilitated and expe
dited by the various eddies and whirlpools pro
duced in the flame in confequence of the number of
abrupt turns and changes of direction it was obliged
to make in palling under and round the Boiler.
As the Experiments which have been made with
this Boiler were conducted throughout with the
utmoft care and attention, and as their refults are
both curious and important in ieveral refpects, I
have thought them deferring of being made known
to the Public in all their details.
An Account of three Experiments made at, Mu*
iiichj the loth October, 1796, with the new
Boiler in the Brewery called Neuheufcf, be
longing to HIS MOST SERENE HIGHNESS the
ELECTOR. The weather being fair : The
barometer Handing at 28 Englilh inches, and
Fahrenheit's thermometer at 36,
Dimenflons of the Boiler, in ") Length 1 1 feet 6.02 inches*
Englifh meafure, as found C Width 9 7.723
by actual meafurement. J Depth 2 0.205
Contents of the Boiler, when quite full to the brim, 14,16310$.
Bavarian weight of water, at the temperature of 55, equal
to 17,540 Ibs. Avoirdupois, or 2099 wine"gallons.
The Boiler actually contained of water,")
, , r i r i r tnBavananwctght)
in the beginning of each of the two V IK
following Experiments, j
equal to io,O56lbs. Avoirdupois, or nearly 1204 wine gallons*
The wood ufed in this and the following Experiments was
Pine, which had been moderately feafoned, and the billets were
3 feet 4! inches, Englilh meafure, in length.
FIRST,
and the Economy of Fueh
FIRST EXPERIMENT WITH THE NEW BOILER.
Exferimrnt, No. 29,
Time.
Fire-wood put into
the Fire-place.
Temperature of
the water ia the
Boiler.
Hours. Min.
Number of
Billets.
Quantity
in weight.
In degrees of Fah
renheit's Therm.
Ibs.
ii 31 A.M.
10
50
5
46
15
25
54
12
5
2 5
64
10 P. M.
5
25
67
- 36 -
85
40
4
2 5
~
53
5
2 5
96
I 12
7
25
105
21
10
5
iio
- 4 6 -
JO
50
129
5 8 -
40
5
2 17
46
50
156
2 9
164
34 ~
10
50
*
_ 41 .
__
_ _
^73
49
, _._ rt
_ ~
180
- 58 ~
40
50
185
3 15
12
50
197
26
2O
25
205
3 35 ~
^
the water boiled.
}
4 h - 4 min. Wood confuted, 575 Ibs.
VOL. IL
The
n 4 Of the Management of Fire t
The boiling water being let off, and it being re-
placed immediately with cold water, the Experi
ment was repeated as follows :
Experiment, No. 30,
Time.
Quantity of Fire
wood put into the
Fire-place.
Temperature of
the water in the
Boiler.
Hours. Min.
Number of
Billets.
Quantity
in weight.
tn degrees of Fah
renheit's Therm.
Ibs.
4 41 P. M.
40
5
60
50
4
5
72
5 4
10
50
86
16
10
5
99^
29 ~
10
5
114
42
10
50
126
- S 6 -
40
142
6 10
40
50
157
24
40
5
28
172
40
40
50
-
- 4 2f
.
185^
53
40
50
.
f .
198
7 2
_.
__
205
7 7
the water boiled.
Time
employed
> 2 h. 26 min. Wood confumed, 550 Ibs.
This
and the Economy cf Fuel. 115
This boiling water being let off, the Boiler was
again filled (immediately) with cold water ; and in
this third Experiment the quantity of water was in-
creafed to 11,368 Ibs. Bavarian weight > equal to
14,078 Ibs. Avoirdupois, or 1685 wine gallons.
The refults of this Experiment were as follows :
Experiment i No. 31.
Time.
Quantity of Fire-
wood put into the
Fire-place.
Temperature of
the water in the
Boiler.
Hours. Min.
Number of
Billets.
Quantity in
weight.
In degrees of Fah
renheit's Therm,
Ibs.
8 51 P.M.
80
IOO
65i
9 7
40
5
79*
21
40
5
90
44
40
, 5
107
c *7 i-_i i
40
5
uS
10 14
40
5
130
28
40
5
140
"""" 45
40
5
155
40
5
165
15
40
5
J75
3
40
50
182
45
40
50
200
ii 58 - ,
the water boiled.
employed, [
7 min * Wood confumed, 650 Ibs.
The
lib Of the Management of Fire,
The following Table will fhow the refults of
thefe three Experiments in a clear and fatisfacicry
manner :
|Experiment | Experiment Experiment
No. 29.
No. 30.
No. 31.
8 1 20 Ibs.
8120 lbs.
1 1, 368 lbs.
5
60
*&
4 h. 4 n*u
2h. 26min.
3 h. 7 min*
575 lbs -
*
550 lbs.
650 lbs.
1 2. 54 lbs.
12.28 lbs.
14.59 lbs.
Quantity of water in the
Boiler at the begin
ning of the Experi
ment, in Bavarian
pounds - - - -
Temperature of the wa
ter at the beginning of
the Experiment
Time employed in mak
ing the water boil
Fuel (Pine wood) con-
fumed in making the
water boil, in Bavarian
pounds - -
Precife Refults of the Ex-
pertinents.
Quantity of ice-cold wa
ter which might have
been heated 180 de
grees, or made to boi
with the heat generated
in the combuftion o
i Ib. of the Fuel -
Time in which, accord
ing to the refult of th<
Experiment, ice-col(
water might be mad
to boil at Munich wit]
the given proportio
of Fuel - - -
I was furprifed, when I compared the refults of
thefe Experiments with thofe made in the other
Brewhoufc,
and tie Economy of Fuel. 117
IJrewhoufe, tc find how little in appearance I had
gained by the alterations I had introduced ; on a
more careful examination of the matter, however,
I found that I had gained much more than I at firft
imagined, both in refpect to the Economy of Fuel,
and to that of Time. The amount of thefe adr
vantages will appear from the following compari-
fon of the mean refult of thefe two fets of Experi*
ments ;
precife Refults of the fore
going ExperJ7?ie?its.
Flrft Set.
Jn the Experiment No. 27.
In the Experiment No. 28.
|Time required
Quantity of to make ice-
ice-cold watered water boil,
made to boil'according to
with I Ib. of the refult of the
the Fuel, 'given Experi
ment.
Sum
Means
Second Set.
In the Experiment No. 29.
In the Experiment No. 30.
Ibs.
12. 06
12.70
hrs
4
4
min.
2Q
20
24.77
8
40
12.385
4
2O
12.54
12.28
4
2
59
24.82
7 3P
I2. 4 I
3
45
Sum
Means
The mean refults of thefe two fets of Experi
ments differ very little from each other in appear
ance
1 1 3 Of tie Management of Fire,
ance ; and from this circumftance I {hall prove,
that the new Boiler is better adapted for faving
Fuel than the old.
By comparing the refults of the Experiments
made with the fame Boiler, but with different
quantities of water, we mall conftantly find that the
expenfe of Fuel was lefs in proportion as the quan
tity of water was greater. In the Experiment
No. 23, when 127 Ibs. of water were ufed, the re
fult of the Experiment indicated that no more than
12.74 Ibs. of ice-cold water could be made to boil
with the heat generated in the combuftion of i Ib.
of the Fuel ufed ; but in the Experiment No. 26,
made with the fame Boiler, but when 4 times as
much water was ufed, or 508 Ibs. it appeared
from the refult of the Experiment, that 19.01 Ibs.
of ice-cold water might be made to boil with i Ib.
of the Fuel. ^
Now, in the fir ft fet of the Experiments we
are comparing, as the quantity of water ufed
(12,508 Ibs.) was much greater than that ufed in ^
the fecond fet (8120 Ibs.) it is evident, that if the
conftruftion of the machinery and the Management
of the Fire had been equally perfect in the two cafes,
the Economy of Fuel would have been greateft
where the largeft quantity of water was ufed ;
that is to fay, in the firft fet of Experiments ; but,
as that was 'not the cafe, it is certain that the Boiler
ufed in the fecond fet is better adapted to econo
mize Fuel than that ufed in the firft.
But we need not go fo far to fearch for proofs
of that fact The refult of the Experiment No. 3 1
end the Economy of Fuel* 119
is alone fufficient to put the matter beyond doubt.
In this Experiment, in which the quantity of water
(though ftill confiderably fliort of that ufed in the
former fet of Experiments) was augmented from
8120 Ibs. to 1 1,368 Ibs, the faving of Fuel was fo
much increafed as to fliow in a decifive manner the
fuperiority of the new Boiler.
The Precife Refults
Of this Experiment (No. 31.) were
as follows,
In the Experiments No. 27 and
No. 28, they were, at a medium,
Quantity of
ce-coid water
made to boil
with i Ib. of
the Fuel.
Ibs.
14.59
12.385
Time required
to make ice-
cold water boil,
according to
therefultofthc
Experiment.
hrs. min.
3 37
4. 2O
The difference in the expenfe of Fuel in thefe
Experiments with thefe two Boilers is by no means
inconiiderable ; it amounts to above 14 per cent.
and would have amounted to more, if more time
had been allowed for heating the water in the Ex- -
periment with the new Boiler ; for it is eafy to
fhow (what indeed was clearly indicated by all
the Experiments) that, in cauling liquids to boil,
the quantity of Fuel will be lefs in proportion as
the time employed in that procefs is long ; or,
which is the fame, as the Fire is fmaller : And the
faving of Fuel arifing from any given prolongation
of the procefs, will be the greater as the fire-place
is more perfect, and as the means ufed for confin
ing the heat are more effectual.
Though
120 Of the Management of Fire >
Though the general refults of thefe two fets of
Experiments afforded abundant reafon to conclude
that the alterations I had introduced in arranging
the new Boiler were real improvements ; yet, when
I compared the quantity of Fuel confumed in the
Experiments with this new Boiler, with the much
finaller quantities, in proportion to the quantity of
water, which were employed in fome of my former
Experiments with kitchen Boilers, I was for fome
tirne quite at a lofs to account for this difference.
In all my Experiments with Boilers of different
lizes, from the fmalleft faucepan up to the largefl
kitchen Boilers, I had invariably found that the
larger the quantity of water was which was heated,
the lefsy in proportion, was the quantity of Fuel ne-
ceffary to be employed in that procefs ; and fo en
tirely had that prejudice taken poifeffion of my
mind, that when the ftrongeft reafons for doubt
prefented themfelves, they were overlooked ; and
it was not till I had fearched in vain on every iide
to difcover fome other caufe to which I could attri
bute the unexpected appearance that embarraffed
me. that I was induced, I may fay forced, to
abandon my former opinion, and to be convinced
that what I had too haftily confidered as a general
law, does not in fad obtain but within narrow
limits ; that although, in heating certain qualities
of liquids, there is an advantage in point of the
Economy of Fuel in performing the procefs on a
larger fcale, in preference to a fmaller one ; yet,
when the liquid to be heated amounts to a certain
quantity,
find the Economy of Fuel.
quantity, this advantage ceafes ; and if it exceeds
that quantity, it is attended with an expenfe of
Fuel proportionally greater than when the quan
tity is lefs.
What the fize of a Boiler muft be, in order that
the faving of Fuel may be a maximum, I do not pre
tend to have determined. I think however that
there are fome reafons for fufpeding that it would
not be larger than fome of the kitchen Boilers
ufed in my Experiments. But I recoiled to have
promifed my Reader, that I would not give him
my opinion, without laying before him at the fame
time the grounds of thofe opinions. In the prefent
cafe they are as follows :
In an Experiment of which I have already given
an account (No. 3.) 7-^- Ibs. of water, at the
temperature of 58, were made to boil in a fauce-
pan fitted up in my beft manner, in a clofed fire
place ; and the wood confumed was i lb. This
gives for the precife refult of the Experiment,
6.68 Ibs. of ice-cold water made to boil with i lb.
of the Fuel.
In another Experiment (No. 12.) made with
one of the fmall Boilers belonging to the kitchen
of the Military Academy, fitted up on the fame
principles, 43.63 Ibs. of water, at the temperature
of 60, were made to boil with 3 Ibs. of wood.
This gives 11.93 ^s* ^ ice-cold water made to
boil with i lb. of the Fuel.
Again, in the Experiment No. 20, which was
made with a larger Boiler belonging to the fame
VOL. IL R kitchen,
122 Of the Management of Fire ?
kitchen, and fitted up in the fame manner, 187 Ibs.
of water, (equal to about 28 gallons) at the tem
perature of 55 , were made to boil with the com-
buftion of 8 Ibs, of fire-wood. This gives 20.1 a Ibs.
of ice-cold water made to boil with i Ib. of the
wood ; and farther than this I have not been able
to pufh the Economy of Fuel.
In the Experiment No* 26. a Boiler was ufed,
which had been conftructed with the exprefs view
to fee how far it was poilible to carry the Economy
of Fuel in culinary proceffes 5 and it was fitted up
with the utmoft care, and on the moft approved
principles. As I thought at that time that a large-
iized Boiler was efiential to the economizing of
Fuel, this Boiler was made to contain 106 gallons.
In the Experiment in queftion it actually contained
508 Bavarian pounds of water, (or about 63 gal
lons) at the temperature of 48 ; and to make this
water bpil, 24 Ibs. of wood were confumed. This
gives 1 9.01 Ibs. of ice-cold water made to boil with
I Ib. of Fuel. Hence it appears that the expenfe
of Fuel was greater in this Experiment than in
that laft-mentioned.
Again, in the Experiment No. 31. w r hen no
lefs than 1 1,368 Ibs. or 1685 gallons, of water were
heated and made to boil in the new Brew-houfe
Boiler ; the wood confumed amounted to 650 Ibs.
which (as the temperature of the water at the be
ginning of the Experiment was 65^) gives for the
precife refult of the Experiment, 14.59 Ibs. of ice-
cold water made to boil with the heat generated in
the combuftion of i Ib. of the Fuel
As
&nd the Economy of Fuel.
As the relative quantities of Fuel expended in
the Experiments are inverfely as the numbers ex-
preffing the quantities of ice-cold water, which,
from the refult of each Experiment, it appears
might have been heated 180 degrees, or made to
boil, under the mean preffure of the atmofphere
at the level of the fea, with the heat generated in
the combuftion of i Ib. of the Fuel ; it is evident
that thefe numbers meafure very accurately the
different degrees to which the Economy of Fuel
was carried in the different Experiments. The
Economy of Fuel in heating liquids depending on
the quantity of the liquid, as mown by the foregoing
Experiments, may therefore be expreffed fhortly
in the following manner ;
Quantity of wa
ter heated in the
Experiment, in
Bavarian Ibs.
Degrees to
which the Eco
nomy of the
Fuel was carried
In the Experiment No. 3,
No. 12,
No. 1 6,
No. 26,
No. 31,
Ibs.
7-93
43-^3
187
508
11,368
Ibs.
6.68
JI -93
20. 10
19.01
14-59
Before I take my leave of this fubjecl: I would
juft remark, that the caufe of the appearances ob-
ferved in the Experiments may, I think, be traced
to that property of flame from which it has been
denominated a non-conductor of heat : For if the
different particles of flame give off their heat only
to
124 Of the Management of Fire,
to bodies with which they actually come into con
tact, the quantity of heat given off by it will be,
not as its volume ', (and confequently not as the
quantity of Fuel confumed) but rather as its fur-
face. And as the furface of the flame, when fire*
places are fimilar, is proportionally greater in fmall
than in large fire-places ; the furfaces of fimilar
bodies being as the fquares of their correfponding
fides, while their volumes are as the cubes of thofe
fides ; it is evident that, on that account, lefs heat
in proportion to the quantity generated in the com-
buflion of the Fuel ought to be communicated to
the Boiler, when the fire-place and Boiler are large,
than when the procefs is carried on upon a fmaller
fcale.
There are, however, fever al other circumflances
to be taken into the account in determining the
effects office in the machinery neceffary for boil
ing liquids ; and one of them, which has great in-,
fluence, is the heat abforbed by the mafonry of the
fire-place. This lofs will moft undoubtedly be the
fmaller, as the fire-place is larger ; but to deter
mine the exact point when, the faving on the one
hand being juft counterbalanced by the lofs on the
other, any augmentation or diminution of fize in
the machinery would be attended with a pofitive
lofs of heat, is not eafy to be afcertained. Pro
vided however that proper attention be paid to the
Management of the Fire, and that as much heat as
poffible be generated in the combuftion of the Fuel
(which may always be done in the largeft fire
place
and the Economy of Fuel. 125
place as well, if not better, than in fmaller ones)
as that part of the heat which goes off in the frnoke
is indubitably loft, a thermometer placed in the
chimney would indicate, with a confiderable degree
of precifion, the perfections or imperfections of
the fire-place,
It is well known that the fmoke which rifes from
the chimnies of the clofed fire-places of very large
Boilers is much hotter than that which efcapes from
fmaller fire-places ; and I am fuprifed that this
fact, which has long been known to me, mould
not have led me to fufpect that the wafte of Fuel
was proportionally greater in thefe large fire-places
than in fmaller ones.
Befides the Experiments of which I have given
an account, feveral others were made with the new
Brewhoufe Boiler ; and, among others, four Ex
periments were made on four fucceeding days, in
brewing Beer ; and it was found that confiderably
lefs Fuel was expended in thefe trials, than was
neceffary in brewing the fame quantity of beer in
the other Brewhoufe, in which I firft introduced
my improvements. But though the alteration of
form, diminution of the thicknefs of the metal, &c.
which I had introduced in conftructing the new
Boiler, and alfo in the manner of fitting it up, had
produced a confiderable faving of Fuel, yet it was
not accompanied by a proportional faving of time.
I had flattered myfelf that by making the Boiler
very thin and very Jhallow, I ihould bring its con
tents to boil in a veryjhort time ; but I did not con-
fider
126 Of the Management of Fir*,
fider how much time is neceffary for the combuf.
tion of the Fuel neceffary for heating fo large a
quantity of water ; otherwife my expectations on
this head would have been lefs fanguine. The
quantity of heat generated in any given time being
as the quantity of Fuel confumed, it muft depend in
a great meafure on the fize of the fire-place ; and
when it is required to heat a large quantity of
water, or of any liquid, in a very fhort time, either
the fire-place muft be large, or (what in my opinion
would be flill better) a number of feparate fire
places, two or three, for inftance, muft be made
under the fame Boiler. The Boiler ihould be made
wide and fhallow, in order to admit of a great num
ber of flues, in which the flame and fmoke of the
'different Fires mould be made to circulate fepa-
rately under its bottom.
The combuftion of the Fuel, and confequently
the generation and communication of the heat,
may in the fame fire-place be confiderably accele
rated by increafing the draught (as it is called) of the
Fire ; which may be done by increafing the height
of the chimney, or by enlarging the canal leading
to the chimney, and keeping the damper open,
when that paiTage is too finall; or by fliortening