530 
| so as to form sugar. This combination is per- 
| formed very perfectly by a vital process; that is 
to say, it takes place only in a living seed, and 
not in one which is frozen, burned, or otherwise 
killed. It is known by the name of germination 
or growing, and is of familiar occurrence, being 
what takes place in every seed that is success- 
fully planted. The seeds of wheat, rye, barley, 
é&c., consist principally of starch. If a grain of 
these is examined, we find near one end of ita 
small body, which is the rudiment of the future 
plant, and the microscope shows us that this con- 
sists of two parts—the plumule, which is destined 
to ascend through the earth to form the stalk, 
and the radicle, which is to be spread abroad be- 
low, and form the root. Whenever a grain of 
barley, oats, or certain other of the gramineous 
seeds, is exposed to water, it begins to swell and 
absorb the moisture; and, at the same time, if 
the temperature of the air is not too cold, the 
radicle thrusts itself out at the lower end; the 
plumule, on the other hand, pushes itself along 
beneath the husk of the grain to the other end, 
before it thrusts itself out. There are several 
curious considerations in regard to this process. 
The one which concerns us at present is this, 
that, as the plumule is passing along through the 
husk, the part of the seed along which it passes 
becomes changed into the substance known in 
chemistry by the name of starch-sugar ; that is, 
when the plumule has passed along one-third of 
the length of the grain, that third is starch- 
sugar, while the remaining two-thirds are still 
starch; and so with the rest. The starch-sugar 
seems to be some combination of starch and 
water. The final cause of the change is un- 
doubtedly the support of the growing plant, 
sugar being evidently necessary to the growth 
of plants, as it is always found in their sap, and 
sometimes, as in the sugar maple, in great quan- 
tities. The moment, however, the plumule be- 
gins to protrude beyond the end of the grain, 
the sugar diminishes, as it is consumed by the 
young stalk; and the substance of the seed is 
also consumed, though by no means to the same 
extent, by the growth of the root. To produce 
this change in seeds, and thereby to fit them for 
yielding a sweet fluid, when mixed with water, 
is the business of the maltster; and it is an ope- 
ration of great delicacy, upon the successful per- 
formance of which the success of a manufactory 
of ale or beer in a great measure depends. 
The first operation in malting is, to plunge the 
barley, or other grain to be malted, into a large 
cistern, containing water enough to cover the 
whole mass. The barley immediately separates 
|| into two parts; one is heavy, and remains at the 
bottom of the water, while the lighter portion, 
consisting of chaff, defective grains, Wc., floats on 
the top. This latter is skimmed off as of no use. 
|| The heavier part, or sound barley, is suffered to 
|| remain till it has absorbed a portion of the water, 
sufficient for the purpose of enabling it to ger- 
BREWING. 
minate. This is steeping. It is the first process, 
and usually occupies about two days. When the 
grain is sufficiently steeped, the water is let off, 
and the grain thrown out of the cistern, and piled 
in a heap, or as it is technically called, a couch. 
After a few hours, the bottom and inner part of 
the heap begin to grow warm, and the radicle or 
root to make its appearance; and the germination 
thus commenced would go on rapidly but for the 
labour of the maltster, who, with a view of making 
all the grains grow alike, checks the growth of 
such as are in the middle of the heap by turning 
them to the outside, and vice versa. For this 
reason, malting cannot be performed, with any 
success, in summer, which would, at first sight, 
seem to be the fittest season. On the contrary, 
the best maltsters prefer the coldest weather ; 
for, at this season, they can always keep the ger- 
mination going on at the rate they wish, by heap- 
ing up the grain; whereas, in warm weather, it 
grows so rapidly that no effort can make the pro- 
cess equal and regular. Thus the grain is turned 
backwards and forwards for fourteen days, at the 
end of which period the acrospire, as it is called, 
or the plumula, having nearly reached the end 
of the grain, and the latter having acquired a 
sweet taste, the process of growth is suddenly 
and effectually stopped by spreading the whole 
upon a kiln, which is a floor of iron or tiles, per- 
forated with small holes, and having a fire be- 
neath it. 
and it is thoroughly dried. The malt thus made 
is ground, or rather crushed, by passing it be- 
tween a pair of iron rollers. 
for brewing. 
The first step in brewing is called mashing. It 
consists in stirring up the malt with a quantity 
of hot water, which dissolves the starch sugar of | 
the malt, and forms a sweet liquor called wor, | 
similar to the must, or sweet juice of the grape, 
from which wine is made. The manufacture 
differs, however, in some essential particulars, 
at this stage of the process, from that of wine; 
for, if the wort were allowed, as the must is, to 
ferment without obstruction, it contains so much 
of the mucilage and starch of the grain, that it — 
would run into the acetous, and from thence into 
the putrefactive fermentation, and would he 
fowed, as it is technically termed; that is, it 
would become ill-smelling vinegar instead of beer. 
To prevent this it is first boiled. This process 
renders it stronger by evaporating a portion of 
the water; and, further, it coagulates or curdles 
the mucilage, which subsides afterwards, and is 
not again dissolved, thus separating an injurious 
ingredient. While boiling, a portion of hops is 
added. One object of this is to give an aromatic, 
bitter taste to the liquor, which habit has ren- 
dered agreeable. The principal object of adding 
the hops, however, is, to check the tendency to 
the acetous fermentation, which is always far 
greater, in liquor so compound in its character as 
beer, than in the simpler liquors, as wine and 
There the life of the grain is destroyed, | 
It is then prepared 
