lo March. 1910.] 



]'i//cgar from Apples. 



157 



the name of " mother of vinegar." An essential condition for the life of the 

 ferment is a temperature between 67 degrees and 87 degrees Fahr., outside of 

 wiiich limit the ferments suffer, and eventually cease to work. Pasteur proved 

 that this ferment is indispensable for the transformation of alcohol into acetic 

 iicid, and that without air it cannot be produced. From a practical point of 

 view it is deduced from the preceding points of consideration that to make 

 vinegar there must be : — The presence of acetic ferment, the presence of air, a 

 temperature between 67 degrees and 87 degrees, and an alcoholic liquid containing 

 the e'.ements necessary for the life of the ferment. The presence of the ferment 

 is the first condition. If Pasteur's theories are considered, which show the air 

 to be full of germs of all kinds, it would seem that there would be no necessity 

 to trouble about the ferment itself, and by only exposing the wine to the air 

 acetification would soon be produced. This does happen, as may be seen in ullaged 

 Tsottles. But in this case the commencement of fermentation is slow, and there 

 is a risk of developing other ferments, which would have a different action, and 

 possibly destroy even the alcohol. 



To have good vinegar this accident must be avoided, and by obtaining only 

 the acetic ferment. It is therefore preferable to add to the liquid some of the 

 •cellules of the ferment, which, when placed upon the surface, develop rapidly. 

 For this a sort of culture is made in a shallow receptacle — a saucer, for instance 

 in which is placed a little wine, reduced to lo per cent, proof spirit and one-third 

 its volume of good vinegar. This is exposed to the air in a warm place, and very soon 

 a veil formed by the cellules of the ferment will be formed from the germs in 

 the air, and they can be added to the surface of the liquid to be acetified. The 

 manufacture of vinegar is condensed into these few lines. Take an alcoholic 

 liquid, place on its surface traces even of acetic ferment, leave it exposed to 

 the air in a proper temperature, and the ferments do the rest. This is the old 

 Orleans method, which was discarded by the trade on account of the time it takes 

 '(about two months) before good vinegar is obtained. For household use this 

 does not matter, on account of the moderate consumption, and this process is the 

 l)est for the purpose when emjiloyed under the following conditions : — A cask is 

 •chosen, in accordance with the quantity consumed. A ten-gallon keg would be 

 large enough for almost any household. If it has iron hoops they should be 

 painted, as otherwise they would be rapidly destroyed by the vapours of acetic 

 acid. In each head a hole should be bored, say a quarter of the way down from 

 the top chimb, and covered with mostjuito netting, so as to prevent the entry of 

 iiny insects. Below the front opening is placed a bent glass tube, tightly fixed in 

 n cork, so as to show the level of the liquid. 



A wooden tap is inserted below this. It is essential that no metal tap should 

 te used, and the wooden tap should turn easily, and the cask should be solidly 

 fixed, so as to prevent any shaking, which would break the veil formed by the 

 cellules of the ferment, and so destroy them. 



For the same reason, it is as well to fit a wide glass tube through the bung- 

 hole, reaching nearly to the bottom of the cask, through which the wine to be 

 acetified can be added without breaking the veil of cellules on the surface of the 

 liquid. 



To start the affair working, 

 the operation is very simjile. 

 The wine to be acetified, re- 

 ■cluced to 12 per cent, proof, 

 together with one-third of its 

 volume of good vinegar, is 

 poured into the cask, so that 

 the level of the liquid comes 

 within half an inch of the 

 air-holes in each head. Then 

 the vinegar ferment previously 

 prepared is carefully placed 

 on the surface of the licpiid, and the glass lube is inserted, and secured into the bung- 

 hole through a cork bung, and the cask left in a proper temperature. 



At the^ end of from four to six weeks vinegar may be drawn, and every suc- 

 ceeding fortnight, each time replacing the quantity drawn by an equal quantity 

 of wine to be treated. 



Such an installation can be fixed in any house — in a kitchen, for instance, 

 provided always the temperature is constant and suitable. To obtain good vinegar, 

 sound, clear wine should be used, and reduced to from 12 per cent, to 15 per 

 cent, proof spirit. Above that strength acetification is slow and somewhat in- 

 complete. 



