78 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



fermentation ; the greater the attenuation of the beer, as shown by 

 the saccharometer, the greater the quantity of spirit. 



Fermentation being completed, where the ordinary copper stills 

 are used, the beer is run into one still and is boiled ; the alcohol in the 

 beer, being more volatile than water, rises, combined with more or less 

 water, and passes through a copper coil or worm submerged in a cis- 

 tern of water into which a continuous stream of cold water is running ; 

 at the top of this cistern is an overflow-pipe conveying the heated 

 water off as it rises. This operation condenses the vapor in the worm, 

 and the spirit flows out colorless ; as all spirits, whether made from 

 grain, fruit, or vegetables, flowing from the still-worm, have the ap- 

 pearance of water. 



The product of this first distillation is called low-wine, from the 

 fact that it is not of sufficient strength and purity to put upon the 

 market. The boiling is continued until all the alcohol in the beer is 

 evaporated and condensed ; then the refuse is drawn off from the still 

 and fed to cattle and hogs. The low-wine is then run into still No. 2, 

 called the doubler, and boiled again. The product from the doubler 

 will be whisky varying from 100 to 150 in strength. 



When the three-chambered wooden still or column is used, and 

 the beer is boiled by steam, spirits are produced of marketable strength 

 at each run of the still. 



Under the internal revenue laws the distillers of grain and molasses 

 can have no access to the spirits during the process of their manufact- 

 ure, as the spirits are conveyed from the still in continuously closed 

 pipes to large cisterns in a room with only one entrance, upon which 

 is a Government lock, of the key of which the United States gauger is 

 the custodian, until the spirits have been drawn off into barrels, and 

 he has gauged the quantity and tested their degree of strength by the 

 aid of a hydrometer and thermometer, placed a warehouse stamp on 

 each package, and marked on each the capacity, quantity, and degree 

 of strength of the contents. 



The gauger is, fortunately, not required to taste of the spirits to 

 test their quality, as quality is not taken into consideration in levying 

 the tax. After the gauger has completed his duties, the United States 

 storekeeper takes charge of the spirits and sees that all of the pack- 

 ages are safely deposited in the distillery bonded warehouse, where 

 they remain under a Government lock the key of which is in the 

 care of the storekeeper until the tax is paid. 



The limit of time that spirits can remain in bond, by the present 

 revenue law, is three years. Congress was petitioned at the last two 

 sessions, by parties interested in distilling, for an extension of the 

 bonded period, but the petition was, I think, unwisely denied. 



It would be a blessing to the whole country if Congress would pass 

 a law embodying the substance of the three following items : 1. Grant- 

 ing unlimited time for spirits to remain in bond, in order to give all 



