THE PRACTICE OF FERMENTATION. 55 



experience alone, the results of Fermentation have been rendered 

 available, without the necessity of waiting for Science to give the 

 explanation of the various stages of the process. 



THE PRACTICE OF FERMENTATION. 



" Come let us live and quaff a cheery bowl. 

 Let Cyder new wash sorrow from the soul." 



Gay. Fifth Pastoral. 



It is agreed on all sides, that the pomage, or pulp of the 

 fruit, should be removed from the Mill, as soon as the grinding 

 is finished, that is, as soon as the Apples or Pears have 

 been reduced to pulp, but there has been much discussion 

 as to how long it should be allowed to remain before being 

 submitted to the press. The old writers state that the general 

 practice in their times was to press the pomage at once from 

 the Mill, and forthwith fill their barrels from the press, but 

 they are also unanimous in advising that the pomage should be 

 placed in open vessels from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, before 

 the "must" is expressed from it. Thomas Andrew Knight held the 

 same opinion. In America the pomage is allowed to remain in an 

 open vat for this time, or longer, according to the prevailing 

 temperature, and an instance is given in Kenrick's Neiu American 

 Orchard (1844), where a Mr. Price won the first prize at Concord, 

 Massachusetts, for Cider made from Apples, whose pomage had 

 been left in the open vats for eight days before being submitted to 

 the press. In Germany, and some parts of Normandy, Professor 

 Schlipf states the pomage is left in open vats from five to twelve 

 days, until Fermentation is well established, and the lees begin to 

 settle, when the liquor is drawn off and the remainder submitted to 

 the press. The French press the pomage at once from the mill, 

 except when very occasionally they use table fruit. 



The best practice is to place the pomage direct from the mill 

 into large wooden vessels filled to within a foot or eighteen inches 

 from the top. These open vats should be covered lightly with a 

 cloth, or board, and be allowed to remain untouched for two, three, 



