LEADING CEREALS AND THEIR BY-PRODUCTS 165 



it begins to sprout, in which process the amount of diastase, the en- 

 zyme which converts starch into malt sugar, increases greatly, and some 

 of the starch in the grain is acted on by the diastase. When sufficient 

 diastase has been formed in the sprouting grain, it is quickly dried. The 

 tiny, dry, shriveled sprouts are then separated from the grains, and put 

 on the market as malt sprouts. The dried grains remaining form malt. In 

 the manufacture of beer the malt, after being crushed by rolling, is moist- 

 ened and usually mixed with cracked corn which has been cooked. The 

 diastase in the malt now converts most of the starch in the corn and the 

 malt itself into malt sugar. This, together with some of the nitrogenous 

 and mineral matter, is then extracted from the mass and fermented by 

 yeast. The freshly extracted residue constitutes wet brewers' grains, 

 which are usually dried and sold as dried brewers' grains or brewers' 

 dried grains. 



It was formerly claimed that malting barley increased its value for 

 stock feeding. Investigations by Lawes and Gilbert of the Rothamsted 

 Station, 22 England, show that a given weight of barley is of greater value 

 for dairy cows and fattening animals than the amount of malt and malt 

 sprouts that would be produced from it. This is due to the oxidizing 

 or burning up of some of the stored nutrients in the grain during the 

 sprouting process. Malt is, however, very palatable to stock, and useful 

 as a conditioner and in fitting animals for exhibition or sale. 23 



228. Dried brewers* grains. Dried brewers ' grains, which are no more 

 perishable than wheat bran, contain over 70 per ct. more digestible 

 crude protein and twice as much fat as wheat bran, but are lower in 

 carbohydrates, which are largely pentosans. 2 * (9) 



Higher in fiber than wheat bran, they are a bulky feed, and there- 

 fore not well suited to pigs. They have been widely fed to dairy cows and 

 serve well as part of the concentrate allowance for horses, especially for 

 those at hard work and needing ample protein. (489, 593, 759, 856) 



229. Wet brewers' grains. Owing to their volume, watery nature, and 

 perishable character, wet brewers* grains are usually fed near the brew- 

 ery. Containing about 75 per ct. water, they have slightly over one- 

 fourth the feeding value of an equal weight of dried grains. Supplied 

 in reasonable quantity, 20 to 30 Ibs. per head daily, and fed while fresh 

 in clean, water-tight boxes and along with nutritious hay and other 

 roughage, wet brewers ' grains give good results with dairy cows. They 

 are also good for fattening cattle and swine when used with dry feed 

 and furnishing not over half the nutrients in the ration. On account 

 of their " washy" nature, horses should not be fed over 20 Ibs. per head 

 daily and fattening sheep not over 1 Ib. daily per 100 Ibs. live weight. 25 



230. Malt sprouts. The tiny, shriveled sprouts which have been sep- 

 arated from the dried malt grains form a bulky feed which is rather 



22 Rothamsted Memoirs, Vol. IV. "Pott, loc. cit., p. 233. 



"'Pott, Handb. Ernahr. u. Futter, III, 1909, p. 257. 

 "Mass. (Hatch) Bui. 94. 



