The Practical Distiller is a lively and informative guide to the methods and problems of distillation, as practised in early 19th Century America. Samuel McHarry's seminal work was written to encourage Americans to stop relying on imported liquors, and make more of their own. This slim volume certainly packs a lot in: how to obtain and keep good yeast, construct and maintain hogsheads, mash rye and other grains, prepare and use malt, distil vegetables and fruit, build, use and maintain a distillery and its equipment, factor in water and weather, create liquors, run a profitable business, raise animals on the waste produce and make fruit wines, mead, cider and several types of beer. The current editor has carefully checked the text and added a glossary of technical and archaic terms to assist the reader.
