_The Walk continued._
The next field they came to was sown with rye, which Mr. Mansfield
said was a species of corn; and, although much coarser than wheat, was
frequently made into bread, and in many places formed the chief food of
the poor. He desired his grandson to gather an ear or two, that he might
learn to distinguish between that and barley, which grew in the field
through which they were next to pass.
Arthur pulled up a root of rye, and then ran to overtake his
grandfather, who by this time had got over the stile, and was slowly
crossing the barley field.
“Well, Arthur, what difference do you find in the growth of these two
kinds of corn?” asked Mr. Mansfield.
_Arthur._ Indeed, grandpapa, I don’t see any, except that the rye grows
very high, as high as the top of your hat, and that the barley only comes
to my elbow.
_Mr. Mansfield._ That is one difference, to be sure. Examine them well,
and perhaps you may discover some other.
_Arthur._ Oh, yes, I see, sir. The spikes of the rye are neither so fine
nor so long as in the barley.
_Mr. Mansfield._ Very true again. So you see you need never mistake
between them. The straw of the rye is the longest, but the beard (you
should not call it the spikes) is shorter and coarser.
_Arthur._ I think the long beard of the barley gives it rather a silky
look, as it waves about with the wind. Pray, grandpapa, is barley sown to
make bread too?
_Mr. Mansfield._ Sometimes it is used for that purpose; but the greatest
part of what we grow in England is for making beer.
_Arthur._ Beer! Is it possible that barley can make beer? Do you know,
sir, how it is done?
_Mr. Mansfield._ Yes; and you shall hear, if you wish to know. All grain
is the seed of the plant; and before it can be put to any use it must be
taken out of the ear. Now, to do that, it is thrashed with an instrument
called a flail. I suppose you have seen one, have you not?
_Arthur._ I remember once passing at some distance from a barn, where a
man was swinging something about, that looked like a bent stick; and he
beat the ground with it, and somebody said he was thrashing.
_Mr. Mansfield._ That he certainly was. The corn was spread upon the
barn-floor, and he was beating out the grain with a flail. The next
business is to separate it from the chaff, or outside skin. This is
sometimes done by turning a machine very quickly so as to cause a wind,
which blows away the chaff, for it is as light as a feather. A more
simple method is, to throw the corn across from one side of the barn to
the other, against the wind. The chaff, being so light, is soon blown
back, whilst the corn goes on a little further, and falls in a heap by
itself.
_Arthur._ But, dear grandpapa, what has this to do with making beer?
_Mr. Mansfield._ All in good time, my dear boy. You must _get at_ the
barley before you can _use_ it, must you not? The method of winnowing
I have described, relates principally to wheat (for barley is without
chaff); but the barley must be thrashed, and separated from the ear;
after which it is put for some days into a cistern of water. It is
then taken out and laid in heaps; when it ferments, and is ready to
shoot out in the same manner as if sown in the ground. Afterwards it is
spread thinly over a floor, and frequently turned; and when partly dry
is carried to a kiln, a kind of oven, where it is dried. Having passed
through all this process it is called malt, and the man whose business it
is, is termed a maltster.
_Arthur._ I thought brewers made beer?
_Mr. Mansfield._ You were right. Brewers buy malt. They grind it, and
then pour hot water upon it, to get out its strength and goodness. The
liquor thus obtained, which is sweet-wort, becomes the most valuable part
of the commodity; for the malt has lost its virtue, and is called grains,
and is only used to feed pigs and cattle. The wort is afterwards boiled
with hops, which give it a bitterish taste instead of a sickly sweet, and
keep it wholesome and good. Then it takes the name of beer; and after
fermenting for a little while may be put into casks and kept for use.
And now, Arthur, do you think that you understand brewing? Shall you
recollect that malt is barley prepared in a particular way? and that beer
is made by pouring warm water on the malt, and afterwards boiling it with
hops?
_Arthur._ I think I shall, grandpapa.