x inches wide, and four inches deep, with an upright of the
same dimensions in the centre, in order to support the covering on the
head, and to prevent sinking, or swagging, from the weight of the
covering that will be necessarily placed over them, which will be from
six to ten inches thick.

_Grinding, how substituted for._

Malt, for brewing, may be prepared in three different ways, by
grinding, bruising, or pounding; modern practice, however, almost
universally gives the preference to bruising between metal rollers.
This preference, where malt is of the very first quality, may be
justified; but where it is of an inferior quality, which is but too
generally the case, grinding with stones is preferable, as more capable
of producing a fine grist, which, with indifferent malt, is important,
as it will always produce a richer extract, by being finely, rather
than coarsely ground; and it is more soluble in water of suitable
temperature than that malt which is only bruised or cracked, and for
this simple reason, that all imperfect-made malt has a great proportion
of its bulk unmalted, and, of course, in a crude hard state, which will
partially dissolve in water if ground fine, but will not dissolve at
all if only cracked or bruised. A further object of the brewer's
attention should be to prevent the dispersion, or waste, of the finer
parts of the malt, so apt to fly off in the grinding, if not prevented
by having the malt bin close covered, as well as the spout leading into
it from the stones; trifling as this precaution may seem, it is well
worth the brewer's attention. Here it may not be improper to observe,
that in all cases of horse, or cattle mills, where the shaft of the
main wheel is perpendicular, no better ingredient can be placed in the
chamber of the lower box than quick silver, which is far superior to
oil or grease, and will not require renewing for a long time. The brass
of a mill, managed in this way, might be expected to last twenty years,
and the movement smoother and easier. This economical substitute for
oil and grease can, with equal advantage, be applied to water mills,
whether their shafts be horizontal or perpendicular; in a word, to all
kinds of machinery, where the preservation of the gudgeons and brasses
are an object.

_Malting._

The production of good malt is, without question, the key-stone of the
arch of brewing; therefore the brewer's attention should be invariably
direct