70 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



(/) Barley By-products. 



Brewers and distillers utilise various cereal grains 

 for the production of alcoholic drinks e.g., beer, ale, 

 etc. on account of the ease with which the starch in 

 these grains becomes converted into sugar by fermenta- 

 tion, and finally into alcohol. In the later stages of 

 fermentation yeast is employed. Barley, however, is 

 the grain most largely used for this purpose. 



Good malting barley should be a pale clear straw 

 colour, free from any discoloration by weathering in 

 the field or heating in the stack. The awns should 

 not have been broken off too close to the kernel. The 

 grains should be uniform in size, with finely wrinkled 

 husks, well fed, and the kernel free from flintiness ; in 

 fact, when cut across, the kernel should be white and 

 starchy. 



Malting of Barley. The barley, after being steeped 

 in water at about 55 F. for two to three days, is spread 

 out on the floor of a well-ventilated room in a layer 

 12 to 14 ins. thick. The enzymes in the grains begin 

 to convert the starch into sugar in order to support the 

 growth of the germ, oxygen is absorbed, carbon dioxide 

 gas. and heat evolved. The grain needs to be stirred 

 periodically in order to aerate and cool it. After a 

 few days it is sprinkled with water. In about fourteen 

 days the sprouts have grown about f in. long, and are 

 ready for kiln drying. It has now arrived at the malt 

 stage. 



Kiln Drying. The sprouted grain is removed to a 

 kiln where the temperature can be regulated at will, 

 and is gradually heated up to a temperature of I7OF. 

 The sprouts are thereby killed and this heating process 

 also gives the characteristic flavour, etc., to the malt. 



