1868 The complete Practical Distiller

THE COMPLETE PRACTICAL DISTILLER.

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property, if not of saccharifying fecula converted iDlo paste, at least to render it fluid, and make it more attack- able by the saccharifying agents. It is even probable that barley, besides gluten, contains another matter, which, like chaff, contrib'^fces, but more energetically, to the fluidification of fecula. This supposition is the more probable, because no other grain, even when malted, pos- sesses to the same extent the property of saccharifying starch. For this reason it is always employed, in preference to any other grain, by brewers and distillers. The propor- tion of chaff used is from 3 to 4 pounds per quintal of raw grain. Its effects are well known in practice, and many distillers add it to their grain even when they use malt. Brewers also make use of chaff, because they have been convinced of its good effects by comparative experi- ments. The rules which have been laid down before, for the perfect practice of mashing, may be followed without any restriction, whether the corn operated upon be raw or malted, or whether the mixture be composed of grain in those two states. It may have been remarked that mashing, such as has been described, occasions the fermentable matter to be more or less heavy, according to the quantity of water used, and also according as it has been more or less per- fectly executed. Even admitting all the fecula of the corn to have been dissolved during the mashing and fer- mentation, a certain quantity of husk would always be left in suspension in the liquid, and this quantity is rather large. From this method results, that the distiller is obliged to commit matter to the stills which is very dense