Editing William Murdoch (section)

===British isinglass===
In 1795 Murdoch developed a replacement for [[isinglass]], a precipitate made from [[sturgeon]] used in the clarifying of beer to remove impurities, which had to be imported from Russia at great expense. Murdoch's replacement was made from dried [[Cod]] and was much cheaper than the 25 [[shilling]]s a [[Pound (mass)|pound]] which isinglass cost. This cost saving was so attractive that the Committee of London Brewers paid £2000 for the right to use his invention.

Murdoch's isinglass replacement was so effective that in a court case brought by the British [[Her Majesty's Customs and Excise|Customs and Excise]] Authorities, the noted chemist, Sir [[Humphry Davy]] in answer to a question on whether it was "proper to be used for the purpose of fineing beer" testified that:

<blockquote>I believe it is if properly prepared – it is the same substance as Isinglass.</blockquote>

Use of Murdoch's "Isinglass made of British fish" continued and played an important role in reducing British brewers' reliance on imported raw materials.