The benefit
is mutual. The bottom floor is maintained at an even temperature, being
virtually plunged in an air bath; free radiation of heat is prevented;
the top surface of the malt is necessarily nearly as warm as that next
the wires, which in its turn is subject to lower heats than would be
necessary if free radiation from the surface was allowed. The top floor
is by the intervention of the layer of malt between it and the fire
prevented it from coming into direct contact with heat of a dangerous
and damaging degree. The same heat which is used to dry one floor, and
in an ordinary kiln passes at once into the air as waste, is the best
possible description of heat, namely, very slightly moistened heated
air, to remove the moisture from the second layer of malt at a low
temperature. It is of vital importance to retain this green malt at a
low heat so long as any percentage of moisture exceeding, say, 15 per
cent, is retained by the corn.
The regulation of temperature is shown by the diagrams, Figs. 9 and 10:
[Illustration: Fig.
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