8vo. No copy was seen for collation. The copy in the Library of Congress disappeared during the prohibition era.
Schoellhorn, page 266, no. 115.
One Hundred Years of Brewing, page 46.
Jefferson bought his copy from
W. & S. Jones, London, through Mr. Tunnicliffe, on August 3, 1805, price
8/-. It was described by Jefferson in his letter to Tunnicliffe (dated from Washington April 25, 1805) as “
Combrun on brewing. an old publication. much desired.”
On September 17, 1813, Jefferson wrote to Captain Meriwether: “
I lent you some time ago the London & Country brewer and Combrun’s book on the same subject. we are this day beginning, under
the directions of Capt Millar, the business of brewing Malt liquors, and if these books are no longer useful to you I will
thank you for them, as we may perhaps be able to derive some information from them . . .
”
The next day, September 18, Jefferson wrote to N. G. Dufief: “
. . . in the
Aurora of Sep. 7. I see a book advertised as under publication at N. York under the title of ‘
the American brewer & Malster’ which, as teaching the method of malting Indian corn I should be very glad to get. could you procure it for me if published
or when published . . .
”
On September 29 Dufief replied: “. . . The ‘American Brewer & Malster’ n’a point encore paru. Je veille cet ouvrage pour vous l’envoyer aussitôt qu’il sera
Imprimé. J’ai deux ouvrages
on brewing l’un intitulé “
the philosophical principles of the Science of Brewing
, by Richardson & l’autre the Theory & practice of brewing by Combrune . . .”
In a letter to James Barbour, dated from Monticello May 11, 1821, Jefferson wrote: “
. . . I have no reciept for brewing, & I much doubt if the operations of malting & brewing could be successfully performed
from a reciept. if it could, Combrune’s book on the subject would teach the best processes: and perhaps might guide to ultimate
success with the sacrifice of 2. or 3. trials . . .
”
Michael Combrune, fl. 1762, apparently lived in England. The use of the thermometer in brewing was recommended for the first time in the first
edition of this book, 1762.
James Barbour, 1775-1842, Virginia statesman, became Governor of Virginia in 1812. He was a follower of Jefferson in politics.
