A. Plants in the _germ_ contain _more sugar_ than in any _other state_; as soon as the germ _puts forth shoots_, the _sugar_ of the plant is _consumed_, to _support the shoot_. Q. _How is BARLEY PREVENTED from SHOOTING, in the process of MALTING?_ A. The barley is _put into a kiln_ as soon as it sprouts; and the _heat_ of the kiln checks or _destroys the young shoot_. Q. _Why is YEAST put into BEER to make it WORK?_ A. Yeast supplies the beer with _nitrogen_, which is one of the ingredients of alcohol. Alcohol consists of _oxygen_, _carbon_, and _hydrogen_, (obtained from the sugar of malt), and _nitrogen_, (obtained from yeast). Q. _Why is it NOT needful to put YEAST into WINE?_ A. Because fruit contains _carbon_, _hydrogen_, _oxygen_, and _nitrogen_, in the form of "gluten;" and, therefore, ferments _spontaneously_. (Gluten is explained fully in the Appendix.--Turn to the word in the Index.) Q. _Does not MALT contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as FRUIT?_ A. No; the sugar of malt contains _carbon_, _hydrogen_, and _oxygen_, but _no nitrogen_; in consequence of which, _yeast_ (which contains _nitrogen_) is _added to the wort_. Q. _Why do NOT GRAPES ferment while they hang on the VINE?_ A. 1st--Because the skin lets out the _water of the pulp_, which causes the grapes to shrivel and dry up: and 2ndly--The skin _prevents_ the admission of _oxygen into the pulp_, from the air without. Q. _What is the FROTH or SCUM of fermented LIQUORS?_ A. _Carbonic acid gas_, which (being heavier than common air) _settles on the top of the liquor_, in the form of scum. Q. _Why does a small piece of raw MEAT, or a few RAISINS improve FLAT BEER?_ A. 1st--Because they supply it with _nitrogen_ to form it into al'cohol. 2ndly--As the raw meat, &c. _putrifies_, it gives off _carbonic acid gas_ into the beer, which gives it "life." Q. _Why is BEER FLAT, if the cask be open too long?_ A. Because _too much of the carbonic acid gas_ (produced by fermentation) is suffered to _escape_. Q. _How is the CARBONIC ACID GAS of BEER generated?_ A. The saccharine (or sugar) of the malt is converted by _fermentation_ into carbonic acid gas and alcohol. Q. _Why does BEER turn FLAT, if the VENT PEG be left OUT of the tub?_ A. Because the _carbonic acid gas escapes_ through the vent hole. Q. _Why will NOT beer RUN OUT of the tub, till the VENT PEG is taken out?_ A. When the tap is turned, _air rushes through the tap_ into the bottom of the tub, and _holds the liquor in_. The _upward_ pressure of air is illustrated by the following simple experiment:--Fill a wine-glass with water; cover the top of the glass with a piece of writing paper; turn the glass topsy turvy, and the water will not run out. The paper is used merely to give the air a medium sufficiently dense to act against. Q. _Why does the BEER RUN FREELY, immediately the VENT PEG is taken out?_