The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-11-01
HOW MALT is MADE.
The Tour Processes---Steepins, Couchinc'
Flooring, kiIn-Drying---BIack Malt

50
There are four processes in the opera
ton of mailing; first, sleeping; second,
COUGHING; third, fiOoring-these two be-
ing carried on in one room, and often
counted one process; the fourth, kiln
drying.
The process Of sleeping IS necessary to
promote termination, which is the first
requisite of mailing A mechanical as
well as a chemical change is the result OF
this operation, as the SOftening of the
rain by the Use of water is required to
loosen the finty husk and allow the
GRIN to come through With the germ,
\, l.;ch begins to develop within an hour
after being put in steep, springs into ex-
iStence the principle called "diastase,"
derived from the Greek word which
means to separate. Diastase is not
ouly soluble in itself, but it las the
power to dissolve starch and finally CON
sert it into what is known as grape
sugar"-that form of saccharine matter
most desirable in beer. So powerful is
i that one part of diastase viii change
1000 parts of starch into grape-sugar.
ihe grain being put into large iron
" stone ci5terns, is covered with water
- the depth Of five or six inches. In
ais steep ii lies about fifty hours, more
t3T ttSS, dcCpIttIliG ~ tiIc WtdLItl, WIN
the result of an increase in bulk Of 90 or
MORE per cent, and an advance toward
ne second process, known as Couch
ing" This is simply removing the now
sHeI!ed grain from the watts al placing
ID in a heap upon the floor, where it re-
mains from tLirty-six to forty-cight
hours During this time slight steam
1g takes place, accompanied by rise
= temperature of 10 degrees, and the
terminating action is well under way.
Flooring" is a continuation of couch
ing and one requiring Judgment and
delicate manipulation. The grain is now
spread out upon floor, first to Il dcIlh
II fifteen inches, which, as it is repeat
oily turned and worked is reduced to
TX inches. Termination now progresses
gapidly, while the grain must be fire.
auently turned, As the embryo plant re-
guires air for development quite as much
as the human being needs it for ex-
istence. The lighter the grain becomes,
no more of the starch is converted
INTO sugar, and the finer the future ale
viii be, and the better it will keep.
the process Of flooring requires about
seven days for its full Development,
The long, low rooms, often with as
Dhalt floors, on which COUGHING and floor
tng are done, are the chief features of the
malt house, whose many-windowed sto-
ries loom up in enormous buildings. Tho
rreat beds of growing grain are carefully
shoveled over several times a day Wi.h
great wooden shovels, uuGiI the careful
nal=tar sees that it is ready for the kiln,
the door Of which opens from the end Of
the room.
%Kiindrying" follows the flooring, as
the time arrives for checking the ger
animation. The partially sprouted grain
IS introduced into the kiln, which has a
Slated floor below TO allow the action
Of stove heat, and ventilation in the
roof above to facilitate the escape
Of steam; in this respect the process is
not like that of the drying of the |
hops. The temperature at the first |
IS about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is !
gradually raised to 100 degrees Fahren-
Eeit, the grain lying meanwhile to q |
depth of eight to ten inches on the floor.
4 light, gradual heat produces light malt, /
from which the paler and more delicate /
alcs arc made, coke or hard coal pr0duc- I
lg the ordinary pale malt, and hard |
wood fuel, with its fumes of pyrolig- /
ne0us acid, the "amber" malt From |
eighteen to twenty four hours, as the /
ase may be, are consumed in the kiln /
drying. Brown matt, used for porter /
and for the heavier ales, is produced I
kilns with floors of wire or
hin metal, from quick wood fires, |
ny which in two hours drying the
malt is raised suddenly nearly 10 the
temperature of combustion, and as
quickly lowered, the result being con-
siderable proportion of caramel or burnt
sugar in the malt Black malt, used
for coloring; il actually roasted, much |
after the manner of coffee, and most
ii it becomes caramel. - G. Pomeroy |
Reese in Harpers.