1868 The complete Practical Distiller

PROCESS OF MALTING.

67

The steeping of the flour being finished, the next ope- ration is that of mashing. This consists in well brewing the grain which has been steeped, while a quantity of boiling water arrives gradually into the tub, till the mix- ture has acquired 175° or 180°; the agitation should last five minutes, at least. At this period the tub is co- vered, and left to subside for a space of time varying from two to four hours. A principle may be laid down, that the longer the mixture is left to itself, the more complete will the operation be ; that is to say, that four hours' standing is always better than two. Nevertheless, it would sometimes be more injurious than beneficial to extend this space of time ; such would, for instance, be the case if the mixture descended below 120°. This process will always be well executed if con- ducted in such a manner as not to allow the temperature of the mass, during a mashing of three or four hours, to sink below 120° or 125°. To this effect the tub should be carefully covered after the brewing is over. But it may easily be perceived that, whatever precautions be taken to avoid the loss of heat, it will always be consider- able in the space of a few hours, even if there was none sustained but that occasioned by the side of the tub. The smaller the mass operated upon, the greater this loss will be, and vice versa. It will always be greater in winter than in the summer ; so that the talent of the distiller for mashing consists in knowing how to use the thermo- meter ; for instance, he will give a little more heat to a small tub than to a large one — ^^say, 145° to a tub of me- dium size, and 140° to tubs of great dimensions. He will also increase the heat a little in the winter, and