56 STROXG DRTNK AND TOBACCO SMOKE. 



process of malting barley, and on its production much 

 of the value of malt depends, A part of the starch 

 which barley contains is converted, by the influence of 

 the diastase, into grape sugar. And when brought into 

 contact with the meal of other grain, such as oats, &c., 

 in the presence of hot water, diastase has the power 

 of converting the starch of the raw grain also into 

 grape sugar, and it thus saccliarizes, or sweetens, the 

 whole mass. 



In the manufacture of beer the use of raw grain is 

 prohibited by law, but the brewer obtains his worts, 

 as they are called, by bruising the malt, adding to it 

 hot water at 150° to 180° F., whilst stirring the mixture. 

 To this solution when cold he acids the hops, either in 

 infusion or as they come from the grower, concentrates 

 the whole mixture by boiling, and when sufficiently 

 cooled he adds the yeast as a ferment, and when fer- 

 mentation has proceeded to a given point he checks it. 

 The distiller places both crushed malt and crushed 

 grain (oats most frequently) in his mash tun, adds 

 warm water, and keeps the whole thoroughly stirred. 

 "When the wort so obtained has sufficiently cooled, 

 which requires to be rapidly clone, he dispenses with 

 hops, but adds yeast as a ferment. This fermenta- 

 tion he drives to its utmost limit, — his endeavour 

 beinof to convert all the saccharine matter of the 

 wort into alcohol, and this alcohol is separated from 

 the wash as it is called by distillation, a process now 

 to be briefly described. 



