Use Of The Kettle
The kettle is destined to make the infusion of the grain, and boil it so
as to convert it into wort. By that operation I make the liquor richer,
which I intend for fermentation, and bring it to divers degrees of
strength.
I put into the kettle 100 gallons of water, and 4 bushels of corn,
broken, as I said before, at the mill. I light a small fire, which I
increase gradually, until the water begins to boil
during that time,
the grain is stirred with a paddle. As soon as the ebullition is
established, the grain is taken up with a large skimmer, and put to
drain into a large basket hanging over the kettle; and when the grain
has been totally taken up, the fire is increased so as to bring the
water to boil again, until reduced to two-fifths, which degree of
concentration is not rigorous, and the distiller may augment it as his
experience shall direct. When thus concentrated, the liquor is drawn off
through the pipe, and received into a tub or vat containing 130 or 140
galls.
100 gallons more of water are put into the kettle, with 4 bushels of
corn; the fire conducted slowly, as before, until the degree of
ebullition; the corn is taken off, and the liquor concentrated in the
same proportions; then drawn off as above, in the same tub.
The same operation is repeated for the third time; the three united
liquors are slightly stirred, and, still warm, transported into one of
the hogsheads of fermentation, which it nearly fills up.
As there must be four of these hogsheads filled up daily, the work at
the kettle must be kept going on, without interruption, until that
quantity is obtained, which may be done in about twelve hours. The grain
which has been drained is carried to dry, either in the open air, or in
a granary, and spread thin. When dry, it is excellent food for cattle,
and highly preferable to the acid and fermented mash, usually used by
distillers to feed cattle and hogs: they eat the corn dried in the above
manner as if it had lost nothing of its primitive qualities and flavor.