166 BREWING. 



long flat wooden poles, resembling oars, which are 

 either worked by the hand or by machinery. 



When the mashing is completed, the tun is co- 

 vered in, to prevent the escape of the heat, and the 

 whole is suffered to remain still, in order that the 

 insoluble parts may separate from the liquor : the 

 side pipe is then opened, and the clear wort al- 

 lowed to run off, slowly at first, but more rapidly as 

 it becomes fine, into the lower or boiling copper. 



The chief thing to be attended to in mashing is 

 the temperature of the mash, which depends on 

 the heat of the water, and the state of the malt. 

 If the water was let in upon the grist boiling hot, 

 the starch which it contains would be dissolved, 

 and converted into a gelatinous substance, in 

 which all the other parts of the malt, and most of 

 the water, would be entangled beyond the possi- 

 bility of being recovered by any after-process. 



The most eligible temperature appears to be 

 from 185° to 190^ Fahr. j for the first mashing, the 

 heat of the water must be somewhat below this 

 temperature, and lower in proportion to the dark 

 colour of the malt made use of. For pale malt 

 the water may be 180°, but for brown it ought 

 not to be more than 170°. 



The liquor, or wort, as it is called, of the first 

 mashing, is always by much the richest in saccha- 

 rine matter ; but to exhaust the malt, a second 

 and third mashing is required, in which the water 

 may be safely raised to 190°, or upwards. 



The proportion of wort to be obtained from 

 each bushel of malt depends entirely on the pro- 

 posed strength of the liquor. It is said that twenty- 

 five or thirty gallons of good table beer may be 

 taken from each bushel of malt. For ale and porter 

 of the superior kinds, only the produce of the 



