1868 The complete Practical Distiller

THE COMrLETE PRACTICAL DISTILLER.

72

as much as possible. It is placed in a heap on the floor, and left to itself until it becomes palpably warm ; this heat is produced by the grain beginning to work, and generally declares itself in from twelve to twenty-four hours after it has been committed to the floor. At this period it is disposed in layers of from 12 to 14 inches in depth, according to the heating state of the 'floor; they are laid thicker when the temperature of the grain is low, and thinner when more elevated. The influence exercised by the thickness of these layers on the progress of the germination of the corn is very great, with respect to the heat which this thickness may contain; and from this principle it must be concluded that without heat no ger- mination would take place, and that from the moment the watered grain has gained the temperature of 170° to 180°, for instance, it begins to undergo an internal alteration, which produces heat itself. From hence it will be easily conceived that this heat is better retained by a thick layer than by one that is thin ; and on this observation is founded the principle which has been emitted on the variation of the thickness to be given to layers on the This kind of fermentation, thus established in grain placed under favourable conditions, soon pro- duces at the end of each grain, and particularly of those that are in the middle of the layer, a white point, which is a sure sign of the commencement of the germination. This point appears generally twenty-five or thirty hours after the grain has been placed in layers. At this period it is important to turn the grain, so as to place at the bottom of the layer that which was uppermost before; this effect is obtained by removing it to another part of malt-floor.