1857 The Bordeaux wine and liquor dealers' guide

87

lliNUFACTURING AND ADULTEBA.TING LIQUORS.

PBOOESS OF BREWING.

I. TM Ha8hing.-This operation consist.a in placing the ground or bruised mslt in a large tub or " tun," known by the name of the "matJh fluJJ," ma– cerating it for some time in hot water, and lastly drawing off the wort from a hole in the bottom, over which a bundle of straw or a strainer or false bot– tom is placed, to prevent the malt passing out along with the liquor. During the process of mashing, a peculiar principle, called by chemists diaata8e, reacts upon the starch also contained in the malt, ~d con– verts it first into a species of gum, called by the French chemists " der;d;rine," and then into a species of sugar resembling that produced by the action of sulphuric acid. The greater the quantity of starch converted into sugar in this way, the stronger and finer will be the wort. It therefore becomes a desi– deratum with the brewer to mash at a temperature that will most fully promote this object. It has been found that the best temperature for this purpose varies from 157° to 160°, but when more than one liquor is used, the first should be something lower than the former, the next may be between the two, and the third may slightly exceed the latter, or be about 165° or 170°. The action of the first mash is

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