2. When the barley is judged by the maltster to have remained long enough in the steel): which is the case when its two ends can be easily squeezed together between the finger and the thumb, the wa ter is let off, and the grain allowed to drain. It is then thrown out of the cistern upon the malt floor, where it is formed into as regular a rectangular heap as possible, which is called the couch. While in this position, it is gauged by the exciseman ; and, if it measure more than it did in the steep, he is at liberty to charge the duty upon the quantity to which the grain now amounts. But, as the barley in the couch cannot' be rendered perfectly regular, it requires a pod deal of skill, and considerable attention, to gauge it with tolerable accuracy. On that account, the duty, we believe, is seldom levied from the couch gauge. The grain is allowed to remain in the couch without any alteration for about 26 hours.
8. If we plunge a thermometer into the grain, and observe it from time to time, we shall find that the barley continues for some hours without acquiring any perceptible increase of heat. During this pe riod, the moisture on the surface of the corns gra dually exhales or is absorbed, so that they do not perceptibly moisten the hand. But at last the ther mometer begins to rise, and continues to do so gra dually, till the temperature of the grain is about ten degrees higher than that of the surrounding atmo sphere. This happens usually in about 96 hours after it has been thrown out of the steep. It now exhales an agreeable odour, which has some resem blance to that of apples. If thrust our hand into the heap, we shall find it to feel warm, while, at the same time it has become so moist as to.svet the hind. The appearance of this- moisture is called sweating bythe maltaters, and it constitute; a remark able period in the process of malting. We have real, son to believe that a little alcohol is at this period exhaled by the grain.
If we examine the grains in the inside of the heap at the time of sweating, we shall perceive the roots beginning to make their appearance at the bottom of each seed. At first they have the appearance of a white prominence, which soon divides itself into three rootlets. In big, the number of rootlets sel dom exceed three ; but in barley they frequently amount to five or six. These rootlets increase in length with great rapidity, unless their growth be checked by artificial means. And the principal art of the maltster is- directed to keep them short till the grain is sufficiently malted. The writer of this tirticle has seen them increase in length nearly to two inches in the course of a single night ; and when he purposely favoured the growth, in order to ascer tain the effect upon the malt, he has seen them get to the length of three inches or more. In such
cases, the heat of the grain rose very rapidly, and on one occasion was little inferior to SW. Indeed, it is probable that, if not checked, the temperature rise sufficiently high to char the grain, if not to set it on fire.
The too great growth of the roots, and the too high elevation of temperature, is prevented by spread ins the grain thinner upon the floor, and care fully turning it over several times a day. At first the depth is about 16 inches ; but this depth is di., miniehed a little at every turning, till at last it is re duced to three or four inches. The number of turn ings is regulated by the temperature of the malt ; but they are seldom fewer than two each day. In Scotland, the temperature of the grain is kept as nearly aspossible, at 53° ; but in England we have generally found the temperature of the grain on the malt floor about It has been generally sup posed that the Hertfordshire method of making malt is the best ; but, after a very careful comparison of the two methods, we were unable to perceive any superiority whatever in the English mode.
About a day after the sprouting of the roots, the rudiments of the future stem begins to make its ap pearance. This substance is called by the masters the acrospire. It rises from the same extremity of the seed with the root, and, advancing within the husk or skin, would at lait (if the process were con xinued long enough) issue from the other extremity in the form of a green leaf; but the process of malt ing is stopped before the acrospire has made such ile thegrain is on the malt floor, it has been ascertained that it absorbs oxygen gas, and emits carbonic acid gas.But to what amount these ab sorptions and emissions take place, has not been as certained. They are certainly small ; for the average loss which the grain sustains when on the malt floor is only 8 per cent., a considerable portion of which must be ascribed to roots broken off, and grains of barley bruised during the turning. As the acres Ore shoots along the grain, the appearance of the kernel or mealy part of the corn undergoes a consi derable change. The glutinous_ andmucilaginous matter in a great measure disappears, the colour be comes whiter, and the texture so loose, that it crum bles to powder between the fingers. The object of malting is to produce this change. When it is ac oomplished, which takes place when the acrospire has come nearly to the end of the seed, the process is stopped altogether.