174 MASHING. 



rest has been prevented, and its tendency to ferment 

 altogether destroyed. 



412. The first operation is to convert the inso- 

 luble starch in the grain into soluble gum and sugar ; 

 this is effected by malting. The grain is moistened 

 •and allowed to germinate, and, in so doing, it be- 

 comes sweet, starch disappears, and sugar is formed ; 

 if germination were allowed to go on, the sugar thus 

 formed would be absorbed by the young embryo 

 plant, and the labor of the maltster consequently 

 lost ; as soon, therefore, as the required chemical 

 change is effected, he dries the malt, destroys the vi- 

 tality of the seed, and prevents further loss (690). 



413. Barley generally contains about 8 or 9 per 

 cent, of sugar and ^um ; after being converted into 

 malt it contains 30 per. cent, of those substances, 

 and of this at least half is sugar. In the process of 

 malting, some of the azotized matter originally con- 

 tained in the seed is lost (685). 



414. Although barley is generally used in the 

 manufacture of malt, yet most other grains may be 

 rendered sweet by a similar process. In various 

 countries, rye, wheat, oats, maize, rice, and millet, 

 are malted. 



415. In the manufacture of beer, as in the prepa- 

 ration of distillers' wash, the malt is first ground, or 

 rather crushed, and then mashed or infused in warm 

 water, at a temperature of about 160° ; so as to ex- 

 tract all the soluble matters which it contains. The 

 malt is Jicpt constantly stirred in the mash-tun for 



