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170 VITIS. No. 99 & 100. 



9. "Wine making is a chemical operation, in which a 

 .due proportion of needful elements is essentially requi- 

 site. No liquor is a wine unless it has undergone the 

 real vinous fermentation. 



10. The needful elements of fermentation are, 1. Su- 

 gar. 2. Water. 3. Tartaric acid. 4. Mucilage. The ad- 

 ventitious elements, which may or may not exist, are 

 tannin, potash, carbonic and malic acids, arome, color- 

 ing principle, &c. 



11. The Must is the liquor produced by grapes. A 



perfect Must ought to have a due proportion of the four 

 elements of wine. When deficient in any, it ought to 

 be supplied^ if we want to make good wine. If any ele- 

 ment is in excess, it ought to be corrected. 



12- The due proportion of sugar or sweet principle, is 

 3lb. in one gallon of Must. When less, the Must makes 

 a very dry or weak wine, when more, a very sweet 

 wine. The sugar is changed by fermentation into alco- 

 hol, chemically combined in the wine, and only evolved 

 as a vapor by fire or the process of distilling. In all 

 sweet wines, a portion of the sugar is not decomposed, 

 still more involving and weakening the alcohol. 



13. The due proportion of tartaric acid and mucilage 

 does not exceed 5 per cent* of each. The excess of tar- 

 taric acid makes the wine sour or acid. When deficient, 

 or supplied by malic acid, the wine is deficient in body 

 and strength. Malic acid changes wine into cider li- 

 quors ; grapes have little malic acid, whence best to 

 make wine. 



14. Currants, gooseberries, blackberries, apples, &c* 

 containing too much malic acid, and no tartaric acid, can 

 never make but bad and sharp cider wines by. them- 

 selves ; but by the addition of quicklime, the acid is 

 absorbed and corrected, the tartaric acid may be sup- 

 plied : water dilutes the juice, and sugar strengthens it, 

 whereby imitation wines are made. 



15- When mucilage is deficient, no due fermentation 

 c^i take place. The substitution of veast spoils the 

 "^-^^ aad sives to it the flatness of beer. Mucilage is 



\nV *' '' T'^PP^^^d ^y d^^^olved gum, in case of need, 

 ^xce^^ ot mu^Uti-e produces ouiv a greater quantity 



