HOW ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS ARE MADE. 77 



alcohol, there will be a waste of material, and consequently a pecun- 

 iary loss to the manufacturer. 



Can pure unadulterated alcoholic liquors be now obtained ? This 

 is a question frequently asked with a doubtful accent. I answer yes, as 

 pure as were ever made, which assertion I will substantiate by giving 

 a description of their manufacture. And as whisky is one of the 

 most common liquors, it may be taken as an example. Malt is an 

 almost indispensable article in connection with whisky-distilling, and 

 is usually made of rye or barley. The grain is soaked in water until 

 it begins to swell ; it is then placed in a pile on the malting-floor, 

 where it remains until heat is generated and saccharine fermentation 

 takes place, causing the grain to germinate or sprout, and developing 

 the saccharine matter and a peculiar ferment called diastase, which is 

 the main object in the process of malting. When the process of 

 germination has arrived at the point desired, the grain is spread over 

 the floor to dry, for the purpose of suspending further fermentation ; 

 when dry, the grain is very sweet and brittle, easily ground, and is 

 known to commerce as rye and barley malt. 



The best distillers are very particular about the quality of grain 

 they use, buying only the best in market. The proportions of each 

 kind of grain used vary according to the particular brand of whisky 

 desired. The usual proportions of grain are, two thirds corn and one 

 third rye and malt. The corn is ground into a fine granulated meal, 

 the rye to a medium fineness, and the malt is coarsely ground. The 

 meal is all weighed, scalded, and mashed under the supervision of the 

 United States internal revenue storekeeper. The corn-meal, being 

 more difficult to scald than rye and malt, is first put into a mash-tub 

 containing a proper quantity of hot water, and while the mash is being 

 vigorously stirred with a revolving rake driven by steam or water- 

 power, the temperature is raised to about 170 Fahr. This operation 

 scalds the corn-meal and develops the starch ; after remaining at this 

 temperature for the proper length of time, cold water is added to re- 

 duce the temperature to about 150 Fahr., the rye and malt are then 

 added, and the whole mass is continually stirred until the scalding is 

 complete, and the starch is developed and converted into dextrine, and 

 then into saccharine matter by the potency of the diastase contained in 

 the malt. It is then cooled down as quickly as possible, in order to 

 avoid viscous fermentation, by the addition of cold water and ice, to 

 about 80 Fahr., and drawn off into a fermenting vat, and the yeast 

 which has been previously prepared is added. 



The fermenting period varies from forty-eight to seventy-two 

 hours, according to the kind of yeast used. By testing the density 

 and temperature of the mash at the time of setting, and on the com- 

 pletion of fermentation, with the aid of a saccharometer and thermom- 

 eter, a close approximation can be obtained of the quantity of proof- 

 spirit contained in the beer by which name the mash is called after 



