1868 The complete Practical Distiller

PROCESS OF MALTING.

77

to prevent such accidents, and this result is obtained by mixing the raw grain with a portion of malt. Distillers explain thus the action of malt, by saying that it gives lightness to their paste, and prevents its fall- ing to the bottom of their still. This explanation, how- ever incomplete it may appear, is nevertheless the expression of a positive fact. Indeed, so long as the fecula has not been converted into sugar, it forms with the water a kind of paste, which has very little fluidity, and which, if exposed to the fire, may easily stick and >urn to the bottom of the still. What happens when malted barley is used with the raw grain ? It has already been stated : the barley, by its germination, has undergone a change which renders it more proper to saccharify the fecula. This fact has already been indicated, and still stronger proof will be given when treating of the potato. To saccharify fecula is to destroy the paste which gives viscosity to the liquid, and to supply the fermentation with proper aliments, which is effected, in the distillation of grain, by means of malted barley ; and by thus favouring the fermenta- tion a double advantage is obtained — that of having a liquid less heavy, and, of course, more easy to be dis- It often happens that distillers are in want of malt; then they are forced to distil their raw grain with- out it. To obviate a little the inconveniences attached to this way of working, they add, during the mashing, a quan- tity of chaff. They attribute to this chaff a property analogous to that of malt — that of giving lightness to their matter. It has been ascertained that chaff has this tilled.

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