70 / 230
70
THE
COMPLETE
PRACTICAL
DISTILLERf
liquid
is
put
to
fermentation.
This
is
done
by
adding
to
it
a
new
quantity
of
water,
so
as
to
have
the
mixture
well
diluted.
Previously,
the
operations
common
to
the
various
me-
thods
made
use
of
to
predispose
corn
to
fermentation
have
been
signalized,
and
which
always
take
immediate
pre-
cedence
over
the
latter;
but
it
often
happens
that
corn
intended
for
distillation
is
submitted
to
a
previous
prepa-
ration,
known
by
the
name
of
malting.
It
is
scarcely
ever
the
case
that
an
individual
uses
raw
(that
is,
unmalted)
corn
for
the
purpose
of
distillation.
The
French
and
English
distillers
always
mix
their
raw
grain
with
a
cer-
tain
portion
of
malt,
and
a
great
many
German
distillers
work
entirely
with
malted
grain.
It
will
thus
be
essen-
tial
minutely
to
indicate
the
best
processes
practised
in
malting.
This
operation
is
composed
of
several
others,
which
will
be
successively
described.
In
steeping,
the
corn
is
thrown
into
a
tub
in
such
quantity
as
to
fill
seven-eighths
of
its
contents.
Then
a
quantity
of
fresh
water
is
poured
on
the
grain,
so
as
to
cover
it
a
few
inches.
The
quality
of
the
water
made
use
of
is
not
indifferent;
it
is
necessary
it
should
be
fresh
and
limpid.
The
object of
this
operation
being
to
soften
the
grain
by
impregnating
all
its
parts
with
water,
a
space
of
time
is
requisite
proportionate
to
its
dryness
and
tempera-
ture,
so that
it
is
less
penetrable
in
winter
than
in
sum-
mer,
when
old
than
when
new
;
and
to
regulate
the
time
necessary
for
this
operation,
a
fixed
period
should
not
so
much
be
taken
for
a
basis,
as
certain
signs,
easily
recog-
nised.
You may
always
be
certain
that
the
corn
has
been
suf-