CAPE WINE-LEVUKES. 239 



After 24 hours, i.e., on the nth. the must .was transferred 

 to a stukvat. After a fermentation of under 24 hours in the 

 stukvat, i.e., on Sunday, the 12th, the temperature had gone up 

 to 41 °C, wJiilst a most active fermentation wc\s going on. On 

 account of this high temperature the must was immediately 

 racked oyer into another stukvat, when the temperature went 

 down somewhat, and the fermentation continued. On the 21st 

 February, 1911, thus after eleven days, the fermentation had 

 ceased. On the 6th March the wine was racked over into 

 another stukvat. when a slight fermentation again set in and 

 decomposed whatever sugar had been left. 



On the 27th March, 191 1, it was fairly bright, and a nice, 

 sound, full-bodied wine. 



Its composition is shown below : — 

 Alcohol ( on 2/thApril, 191 1) 15.19 volume per cent. 

 Total Acidity (8th May, 19m 5.51% as Tartaric acid 



Volatile acidity T.08% as Acetic acid. 



Glycerine (24th Nov., 191 1) 1.1 grms. per 100 ccm. wine. 

 Alcohol (formed by fermenta-l fy 



tion) : Glycerine = 100: 9. 



Some of this wine that fermented in a hogshead, and whose 

 maximum temperature was only 39 C., had a volatile acidity of 

 only 0.9 per mille as Acetic acid. On the 14th June this wine was 

 fortified to 17 volume per cent, alcohol by means of a wine- 

 brandy of 62 volume per cent, alcohol. This was done so as to 

 bring the wine up to the strength of a sherry. 



The following three experiments were now made with the 

 wine : — 



(a) One hogshead was filled with it. This wine on the 

 6th June, 191 2, when 16 months old, had not matured much, and 

 did not show much of a sherry character. 



(b) Three hogsheads were made 4/5ths full and stored in 

 the cellar, and the bungholes loosely closed. When 16 months 

 old this wine had a very marked sherry character, was twice as 

 dark in colour as (a), and certainly promised well for a good 

 oleroso sherry. 



(c) One hogshead was made 4/5ths full and left lying in 

 the sun during the summer months. It was rolled into the cellar 

 on the 4th April, 1912. It is still darker in colour than the 

 former, has a nice, strong sherry bouquet, and gives the impres 

 sion of a three-year-old wine. 



As far as the action of the pure levures is concerned, the 

 following must be particularly noted : 



(1) That the maximum fermentation-temperature was 

 41 ° C. Most oenologues in Europe reckon that 3S-40 C. is the 

 maximum temperature at which the vinous fermentation can 

 still take place. In the above we have seen that a very vigorous 



