STRONG BRINK AND TOBACCO SMOKE. 55 



weight, or twenty per cent., is lost. Of tliis two per 

 cent, is dissolved out in the process of steeping the 

 grain, two per cent, more is given off during the 

 early stages of fermentation in the form of carbonic 

 acid gas. In the process of kiln-drying four per cent, 

 loss occurs by the death and falling away of the 

 rootlets, and twelve per cent, more by the evaporation 

 of the moisture which the grain has absorbed. A 

 good sample of barley skilfully worked in malting 

 will yield an increase in bulk of about five per cent. 



In outward appearance malt differs from barley in 

 the greater fulness of the grains, and by the appear- 

 ance of a " bloom " upon their outer husks, which 

 replaces the brighter golden hue observable on the 

 grains of barley before being steeped in water. Inter- 

 nally the contents of malt grains should be extremely 

 white and friable, and possess an almost aromatic 

 sweetness ; and the ends through which the rootlets 

 once protruded will be found to be distinctly perforated. 



The chano;es brouo;ht about in the conversion of 

 barley into malt are best exemplified when malt is 

 crushed and submitted to the action of hot water 

 by the brewer or distiller. Then, instead of the turbid, 

 milky solution which crushed barley yields by this 

 treatment, we have a transparent and sweet solution, 

 perfectly palatable ; and it is of this solution, technically 

 called " worts," that the brewer and distiller manu- 

 facture "our strong drink." 



A peculiar principle, called diastase, is evolved in the 



