lt64* Off the TJfe of Steam in Drying Malt^ l2fc. 41 J 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMEr's MAGAZINE. 



On the life of Steam In Drying Alalt^ Grahty and Potatoes ; with 

 Obfervations on Highland Potato Hujhandry, 



Sir, 



I BFG leave to communicate, through the medium of your va- 

 luable Publicatioti, the lefulr of fome experiments I happened 

 to try feveral years ago, a fliort fketch of which was communi- 

 cated to the Board of Agriculture, foon after its inftitution ; 

 but of which do notice was taken. 



It occurred to me, that barley might be m.ade to germinate, 

 and to form malt, by the heat and moifture of fteam ; and that 

 the malt already made might be dried by the heat of the fame 

 fteam which moiftened and caufed germination on a nev/ quan- 

 tity of barley. 



To afcertain this point, I procured a fmall tin-boiler, with a 

 long tube extended from its top, fimilar to a fmall ftill. The 

 boiler had a fmall tube inferted in its fhoulder, by which water 

 might be introduced, and clofed by a cork. A barrel had a 

 fquare aperture cut in its fide, about three inches above its bot- 

 tom, and accurately clofed by a ftopper of wood. The other 

 end of the barrel was taken out, and, in place of wood, it was 

 accurately clofed by a tinned plate. 



The barrel being placed upon a pedeflal, a quantity of barley 

 was introduced by the aperture already defcribed, and equally 

 fpread upon its bottom, to the depth of near three inches. The 

 boiler, half filled with water, being placed upon a fmall fur- 

 nace, had the end of the long tube extending from it inferted 

 in the bung-hole of the barrel, and made tight by wet paper. 



Soon after the water began to boil, the barrel was filled with 

 fleam, and the tinned plate upon its top became hot. Upon 

 this was fpread a quantity of wet malt, which was occafionally 

 ftirred, and it foon dried into what the brewers call pale malt ; 

 that is, malt perfectly free from calcination, which gives a 

 brown or porter tinge to the ale. 



Meanwhile, the barley in the bottom of the barrel became 

 thoroughly foaked by the moifture, which dropped from the 

 tinned plate above. It fwelled ; but, though I tried feveral par- 

 cels of the fame grain, it never was obferved to germinate. 



I afterwards learnt, that this grain had been much injured by 

 a wet harvcft, and that it liad been kiln-dried to mike it keep. 

 Whether its want of germination was owing to this caufe, of 

 to its exclufion from oxygen, I cannot pretend to fay i for at 



that 



