Occupations > British wine-maker, and domestic brewer

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MALT.
much more saccharum than that which is dried at
a higher temperature, and is consequently much
more valuable. The ale made from it will also
be of a paler hue. Much also depends on the
grinding. Some persons suppose that the good¬
ness cannot be thoroughly extracted, if it is not
almost ground to powder. This idea is quite
absurd, for malt should only be thoroughly crush¬
ed. When it is crushed, it will discharge the wort
in a much finer state into the underback, and the
flavour will in consequence be superior. Care
should be taken that the malt be ground at least
from four and twenty to forty-eight hours before
it is used. By allowing this time to transpire,
all the heat which it has imbibed during the grind¬
ing escapes, and the malt is thereby mellowed.
It will also receive the water much better, and a
greater quantity of wort will be extracted, than if
the malt were used immediately after having been
ground. A visible alteration will be found in the
different stages of fermentation; and the liquor
will arrive much sooner at a state of perfection.
Malt contains certain portions of salts and oils;
the former strongly excite fermentation, the latter
retard it. The brewers’ aim then is to heat the
water which he intends to use to that degree of
temperature which will extract as much of the oils
from the malt, as will counteract the excess of ex¬
citement of fermentation, which the over-abun-