Oast house

At one time the main uses of sulphur were in the manufacture of gunpowder and of sulphuric acid. Nowadays its use for these purposes is more restricted. Sulphur is used in the manufacture of carbon disulphide, ultramarine, vermilion and numerous other compounds. Vulcanisation of rubber may be effected with sulphur. Enormous quantities are converted to bisulphites for treating wood pulp in the manufacture of paper. Sulphur is employed as a preventive of the growth of fungus on vines, and mould on hops it is burnt in the oast house to improve the flavour of the hops it is used as a disinfectant, a familiar form being sulphur candles . 

As already noted, hops are difficult to grow as they need constant attention, fertile soil, plenty of water and a sunny period of at least 2-3 weeks just before picking, to ensure a crop of good quality and high yield. Freshly picked hops contain about 80% water and cannot, therefore, be stored as such. Drying hops, without loss of quality and of lupulin glands, needs special installations called kilns. These kilns form part of purpose-built structures which are sometimes called oast houses. 

Oast house urine disease (methionine malabsorption syndrome, 2-hydroxybutyric aciduria) Methionine, 2-hydroxybutyric, phenylpyruvic and the branched-chain keto acids especiaUy 2-oxoisovaleric Methionine malabsorption (amino acid-transport defect) (Chapter 16)... 

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