56 



' I can conceive no more useful nor certain way of preserving 

 and stimulating the interest that has already been aroused by Mr 

 Symington and his influential Syndicate in this important though long 

 neglected industrial resource of the Colony. 



I am. Sir, &c, 

 18th February. L904. 



\V. E. SMITH, 



605. -" MOTHER LIQUOR" OR "WASH" FOR RUM 



DISTILLATION. 



Many people suppose that rum made from cane juice must neces- 

 sarily be of finer flavour or of superior quality than rum made from 

 molasses, skimmings, etc. 



This is, however, far from being the case : as it is first necessary 

 for all the saccharose of the cane juice to be inverted or transformed 

 into glucose, before the sugar it contains can be converted into 

 alchohol. 



With cane juice, fermentation generally takes longer time, than with 

 molasses, as the latter contains but a minimum amount of saccharose 

 or sucrose, and a maximum amount of glucose, which is already in a 

 state fit for fermentation, while in cane juice the exact reverse occurs, as 

 it contains a maximum of sucrose and a minimum of glucose, and the 

 sucrose has to be converted into glucose before rapid fermentation 

 can take place, and the sugar it contains in the form of glucose 

 converted into alchohol. An examination into the methods adopted in 

 Jamaica and Trinidad distilleries appear to show, that a great loss of 

 spirit occurs in the making of high flavoured rum, and some makers 

 argue that what is gained in quality is lost in quantity. 



Given a pure cultivation of the ferment which produces flavour, 

 it is reasonable to suppose fchal waste might easily be abolished ; but 

 of course, it may ultimately be proved, that the character and growth 

 of the ferment is such, that it cannot possibly be produced in any 

 other way than under the conditions as appears on estates producing 

 high flavoured rum. 



The flavour of beer, wine, butter, cheese, &c, &c, is a factor 

 known to be controlled by fermentation organisms or Bacteria. Why 



rum should be an exception, and why pure cultures of the ferment 

 producing higli flavoured rum have nol been produced, is due it appears 

 owing to its value not being fully recognised. 



There is little doubl however from recent research that flavour 

 does not depend upon the form of sugar material, but on the organism 

 or ferment, used for its conversion into alcohol, as different flavours 

 are obtainable by the use ofdifferenl kinds of ferment. 



Thesubjecl was taken up some years ago in Jamaica and Trinidad, 

 and in Bulletin for 1897 and 1898, articles appeared on thesubjecl 

 which discussed the matter, and the subject is now again being 

 prominently discussed in a neighbouring colony. 



