PROCESS USED IN CALIFORNIA. 



13 



A simple and efficient form of sterilizer is shown in fig. 3. It con- 

 sists of a wooden trough, provided with a wooden grating placed 

 about -2 inches from the bottom. The filled bottles are placed in wire 

 baskets which rest upon the grating. The trough should contain 

 enough water to submerge the bottles and be kept at L85 F. by 

 means of a steam coil beneath the grating. It requires fifteen min- 

 utes for the must at the bottom to acquire that temperature. For 

 packages of other sizes it 

 is necessary to make a 

 test with a bottle of must 

 in which a thermometer 

 has been placed, in order 

 to determine how long it 

 take- for the entire con- 

 tents of the bottle to 

 reach the required tem- 

 perature. Sterilization 

 in bottles should he con- 

 ducted at a temperature 

 at least 90 V. lower than 

 that reached in the con- 

 tinuous pasteurizer. If 

 the final heating is higher 

 than the first, it may 

 cause a precipitation of 

 solid matter, which will 

 make the must in the 

 bottles cloudy. 



During the steriliza- 

 tion in bottles the corks 

 are liable to he expelled 

 by the pressure devel- 

 oped. To prevent this 

 they may be tied down 

 with strong twine, but 

 it is a great saving- of 

 time and labor to use 

 some such contrivance as illustrated in tig. 3. Must so sterilized will 

 keep unchanged for years, or until the bottles are opened. 



No matter how carefully all previous work may be done, there is 

 still danger of mold germs getting into the liquid through the corks, 

 especially if a poor quality of corks be used. This can be prevented 

 by dipping the necks of the bottles into heated pa ratlin before putting 

 on the caps or by sealing over the corks with sealing wax. 



The quality and character of the grape must will vary greatly with 



Fig. 2.— Filter for clarifying must. 



