The London and Country Brewer | Page 5

Gage,
who allows four Bushels in the Score for the Swell in this or the Cistern,
then it must be work'd Night and Day in one or two Heaps as the
weather is cold or hot, and turn'd every four, six or eight Hours, the
outward part inwards and the bottom upwards, always keeping a clear
floor that the Corn that lies next to it be not chill'd; and as soon as it
begins to come or spire, then turn it every three, four or five Hours, as
was done before according to the temper of the Air, which greatly
governs this management, and as it comes or works more, so must the
Heap be spreaded and thinned larger to cool it. Thus it may lye and be
work'd on the floor in several parallels, two or three Foot thick, ten or
more Foot broad, and fourteen or more in length to Chip and Spire; but
not too much nor too soft; and when it is come enough, it is to be
turned twelve or sixteen times in twenty-four Hours, if the Season is
warm, as in March, April or May; and when it is fixed and the Root
begins to be dead, then it must be thickned again and carefully kept
often turned and work'd, that the growing of the Root may not revive,
and this is better done with the Shoes off than on; and here the
Workman's Art and Diligence in particular is tryed in keeping the floor
clear and turning the Malt often, that it neither moulds nor Aker-spires,
that is, that the Blade does not grow out at the opposite end of the Root;
for if it does, the flower and strength of the Malt is gone, and nothing
left behind but the Aker-spire, Husk and Tail: Now when it is at this
degree and fit for the Kiln, it is often practised to put it into a Heap and
let it lye twelve Hours before it is turned, to heat and mellow, which
will much improve the Malt if it is done with moderation, and after that

time it must be turned every six Hours during twenty four; but if it is
overheated, it will become like Grease and be spoiled, or at least cause
the Drink to be unwholsome; when this Operation is over, it then must
be put on the Kiln to dry four, six or twelve Hours, according to the
nature of the Malt, for the pale sort requires more leisure and less fire
than the amber or brown sorts: Three Inches thick was formerly thought
a sufficient depth for the Malt to lye on the Hair-cloth, but now six is
often allowed it to a fault; fourteen or sixteen Foot square will dry
about two Quarters if the Malt lyes four Inches thick, and here it should
be turned every two, three or four Hours keeping the Hair-cloth clear:
The time of preparing it from the Cistern to the Kiln is uncertain;
according to the Season of the Year; in moderate weather three Weeks
is often sufficient. If the Exciseman takes his Gage on the floor he
allows ten in the Score, but he sometimes Gages in Cistern, Couch,
Floor and Kiln, and where he can make most, there he fixes his Charge:
When the Malt is dryed, it must not cool on the Kiln, but be directly
thrown off, not into a Heap, but spreaded wide in an airy place, till it is
thoroughly cool, then put it into a Heap or otherwise dispose of it.
There are several methods used in drying of Malts, as the Iron
Plate-frame, the Tyle-frame, that are both full of little Holes: The
Brass-wyred and Iron-wyred Frame, and the Hair-cloth; the Iron and
Tyled one, were chiefly Invented for drying of brown Malts and saving
of Fuel, for these when they come to be thorough hot will make the
Corns crack and jump by the fierceness of their heat, so that they will
be roasted or scorch'd in a little time, and after they are off the Kiln, to
plump the body of the Corn and make it take the Eye, some will
sprinkle water over it that it may meet with the better Market. But if
such Malt is not used quickly, it will slacken and lose its Spirits to a
great degree, and perhaps in half a Year or less may be taken by the
Whools and spoiled: Such hasty dryings or scorchings are also apt to
bitter the Malt by burning its skin, and therefore these Kilns are not so
much used now as formerly: The Wyre-frames indeed are something
better, yet they are apt to scorch the outward part of the Corn, that
cannot be got off so soon as