Malt

The yield of malt from barley may be determined in the labora tory in an extremely simple manner. Since every grain of barley must yield a grain of malt, if we know the respective weights of a definite number of barley and malt grains, provided that this number is large enough to represent the average, then obviously this gives the data requisite for calculating the yield of malt from barley. The number of corns the weight of which is determined for this purpose is usually 1,000, and if the weight of this number be determined on several different 1,000 corns, the average will closely approximate to the truth. Instead of counting the corns by hand, an instrument may be used for this purpose.

If 1,000 corns of a barley were found to weigh 42 grammes, and I ,000 corns of a finished malt from the same barley 32 grammes, then the yield of malt is 32X 76.I, this corre 42 sponding to a 1% increase. Assuming that the moisture content of the barley was 15% and that of the finished malt 2%, Ioo grammes of malt will contain 2 grammes of moisture, and 76.1 grammes will contain 76.1X grammes moisture; there I00 fore 76.1 grammes of malt contain 76.1-1-5=74.6 grammes of dry matter. This was obtained from oo —15= 85 grammes of barley dry substance. Hence I oo parts of barley dry substance will yield 74.6 X corresponding with a loss of dry sub 85 stance equal to 12.5% of the dry substance of the barley, or with a loss of 10.7% on the barley containing 15% of moisture.

The results obtained by this method of laboratory control when it is accurately carried out agree very closely with those deduced from the practical results of weighing the barley, malt and coombs in the malting.

Special Malts.

In addition to the kinds of malt considered in what precedes, there are others mostly used for imparting spe cific flavours and colour to beers and stout. These are crystal malt, imperial malt, brown or blown malt, and black or roasted malt. Crystal malt is grown for a shortened period on the floors, and then placed in a wire cylinder, which is rotated over a fire so that it is dried at a very high temperature. The weight per quarter is from 25o to 28o lb. Imperial malt is dried off on an ordinary kiln at a final temperature of 240-270° F., but it is not allowed the usual length of time on the withering floor. It is placed on the drying kiln in a layer not exceeding one inch and a half in thickness. A moderate heat from burnt wood is applied until the bulk of the moisture has been driven off, when the temperature is suddenly raised so that the grains swell 25% and the malt takes up a strong empyreumatic flavour from the prod ucts of combustion. This malt weighs 27o-300 lb. per quarter. Black or roasted malt is prepared by roasting malt in a cylinder. Its weight per quarter varies as much as from 215 to 290 pounds.