506 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



Containers and their preparation: The containers most satisfactory 

 for fruit juices and other sugary solutions to be made into vinegar are 

 barrels that have been tightly bunged or newly emptied ones which have 

 contained whiskey or brandy, or those that have been used for grain 

 alcohol. Molasses barrels and old vinegar barrels should not be used 

 until they have been very carefully and thoroughly cleaned and scalded; 

 this applies even to new barrels. The reason that the first-named type 

 of barrels is preferable is that whiskey and brandy being distilled drinks 

 are high in alcohol and this acts as an antiseptic toward most microbes 

 present. At this particular period in Michigan's history the vinegar 

 maker should have little trouble in obtaining barrels of this type! 



There is perhaps no one factor which is responsible for more failures 

 in farm vinegar making than the common custom of using last year's 

 vinegar barrels for sweet cider without even rinsing out the dregs of 

 former years. Mere rinsing is not sufficient. They must be scalded 

 thoroughly to make them fit for use. Fresh cider should never be put 

 into anything but barrels which are as clean and free from microbes of 

 all sorts as it is possible to make them, especially if no attempt is made 

 to control the fermentation by adding large quantities of the desirable 

 germs. 



Never put either "mother" or old vinegar into sweet cider. The acid 

 added or produced by the acetic bacteria of the "mother" is antiseptic 

 to the yeast and is most sure to check or stop entirely the alcoholic fer- 

 mentation. 



Never put any fruit juice, or vinegar into a metallic container even 

 for a short time as the acid present will corrode the metal, dissolving 

 some of it. Such fruit juice or vinegar will always have an unpleasant 

 metallic taste, and may cause metallic poisoning when used respectively 

 as a beverage or condiment. 



Fill of container: The barrel or cask of fruit juice, etc., for vinegar 

 making should be filled not over two-thirds full, and placed on its side, 

 bunghole up and open, for two reasons, namely: in the first stage of 

 vinegar fermentation if the barrel is too full and too small a vent is 

 provided, gas will probably be evolved so rapidly as to cause the loss of 

 a considerable amount of the liquid; in the second stage of the vinegar 

 fermentation, the acetic bacteria growing on the surface of the fermented 

 liquid need a large supply of air in order to oxidize the alcohol to acetic 

 acid. In either case the entrance of dust, vinegar-flies, and other insects 

 should be guarded against by tacking a thin cloth over the bung-hole. 

 To better ventilate the barrel for the acetic fermentation, a hole about 

 IV2 inches in diameter may be bored in each head of the barrel along 

 the upper edge (see Fig. 5.) These holes should be covered with cloth 

 also. 



Temperature: Failure to put fruit juice, etc., at the proper tempera- 

 ture is perhaps the one great cause of failure in vinegar-maJcing, talcing 

 everything else into consideration. We will say that the average farm 

 vinegar-maker uses reasonably clean fruit, press and containers. On 

 his ripe fruit are always found the alcohol-producing yeasts and vinegar 

 bacteria in sufficient numbers to start off the fermentation in proper 

 style. The fruit ripens and is very often pressed in the early fall Avhen 

 the temperature during a considerable portion of the time, is fairly high, 



