Page:A Practical Treatise on Brewing (4th ed.).djvu/76

60 contained in the malted or unmalted corn. If, therefore, we do not go above that temperature, we run no risk of setting the goods, let the temperature of the malt in the tun be what it may. What we have, therefore, to do, is to make in the first place, as stiff a mash as possible, with liquor at that temperature, that is, of 168° or 170°; we are thus certain that some part of the diastase must be acting upon the starch, thus preparing the whole mash for the extract being speedily formed by the after process. With powerful machinery, about one barrel and a half of liquor per quarter will be found sufficient for this first part of the process. Where oars, however, must be used, we would recommend that the liquor should, in the first place, be put into the tun, and brought to its proper temperature, of about 170° or some degrees lower. The malt should then be added, sack by sack, as quickly as possible, but at the same time taking care that the previous sack of malt be thoroughly mixed and wetted by the oars and rakes before any addition is made. If the mash becomes too thick for working, a little liquor may be added at any time, so as to make the mash manageable. Having thus prepared the malt in the tun in the best manner, for the extract being speedily performed, we must now turn on, from below the goods, liquor at a temperature of 185° to 195°, gradually increasing in temperature; letting it run,