1824.] Messrs. Gray and Dacre 



most congenial, and essentially neces- 

 sary, for a good fermentation. Tlie 

 only question possible, as to the origina- 

 lity of the invention, is, whether 

 this method was ever before publicly 

 applied or not? We answer No ; for if it 

 had, why should the celebrated Olivier 

 de Serre, the iearntd Abbe Rosier ; and, 

 in more modern times, Count Chaptal, 

 who have all written complete treatises 

 on the subject of fermentation, have re- 

 gretted the loss of a considerable quan- 

 tity of spirit carried away along with the 

 carbonic acid gas. 



In addition, it may be stated, tliat the 

 new process has been examined care- 

 fully by the leading chemists of this 

 country, who appear to possess but one 

 opinion as to its general utility. 



The detractors of Madame Gcrvais 

 having failed in tlie attempts to prove 

 her systcin not new, have endeavoured 

 to find out, and have even publicly 

 oflFered, substitutes to enable the manu- 

 facturers to elude the payment of a re- 

 muneration to the inventress; but they 

 have not succeeded in overcoming a 

 system founded on the strictest laws of 

 chemistry and natural philosophy ; and 

 which, for simplicity and easy applica- 

 tion, can vie with any modern disco- 

 very. A detail of the various schemes 

 proposed, will show the deficiency and 

 ignorance of the projectors, and sufli- 

 ciently prove the absurdity of the 

 inventions. The proprietor of a vine- 

 yard near Bourdeaiix, in a pamphlet, 

 wherein every possible argument is used 

 in favour of close fermentation, con- 

 cludes by proposing a method, which 

 consists in making the fermenting vat 

 ait- tight, with an aj)erture, about the 

 size of a bung-hole, for the escape of 

 the carbonic acid gas. So glaring a con- 

 tradiction did not prevent some proprie- 

 tors from making trials of a system 

 which was stated to be founded upon 

 actual experiments. One was made at 

 Epernay, in Champagne, by agentleman 

 of the name of Godard Rojer. The 

 fermentation commenced the second 

 day, and continued for about thirty 

 hours nearly in the same way as in an 

 open vessel ; but the third day the heat 

 developed by fermentation, being more 

 concentrated, (and having no refrige- 

 rator to counteract its power,) ex- 

 panded the fluid, and caused it to flow 

 out at the bung-hole, by which means a 

 great part was lost; and, had he not 

 directed his cooper to ascend the vat, 

 and witii an uxv knock in the head, it 



on Close Fermentation. 



385 



would shortly have burst, as the wine 

 was forcing its way with great violence 

 between tiie staves of the vat. Anotiier 

 gentleman, who entitles himself a che- 

 mist, has recommended to his country- 

 men at Toulouse the adoption of a tubo 

 connected with the working tun, made 

 air-tight, and turned into a vessel full of 

 water, and immersed several inches. 

 This plan, at first sight, appeared to 

 promise some of the advantages secured 

 by Madame Gervais's ap|)aratns; buf, 

 like the former, was in great danger of 

 bursting by the concentration of heat. 

 A third plan has been proposed, and its 

 resemblance to the last is so great, that 

 wc should not have mentioned it had it 

 not been supported by more insidious 

 arguments, and founded on theories cal- 

 culated to seduce the unguarded, and 

 betray them into endless expences. 

 'I'his consists in conveying ihe spirit and 

 aroma evolved during lermentation, from 

 the working-tun to a condenser, not im- 

 mediately connected with it, by a tube, 

 and then conveying the gas from the 

 condensor to another vessel full of 

 water by means of another tube ; and 

 even a second condensor, and a titird 

 pipe, is recommended, if necessary, by 

 this author. It would be useless dwel 

 ling on the fallacy and comjilicalion of 

 this plan, whilst it possesses the same 

 fatal objections of the two former ; and 

 which, for want of the condensor, be- 

 comes more dangerous in proportion as 

 the quantity of fluid is greater: added to 

 which, they are infringements of the 

 j)atent which claims every cool medium 

 applied to the condensing of the spirit 

 and aroma evolved during fermentation, 

 whether mediately or immediately con- 

 nected with the fermenting vat. 



We shall conclude, by saying, the 

 great number of experiments vve have 

 witnessed in this country, both ou 

 small and very large quantities, leave us 

 no room to doubt that Madauie Gervais's 

 apparatus, as introduced by Messrs. 

 Derbroucq and Nichols, in its unoom- 

 jjlicatcd form, is the only one likely io 

 secure to the manufacturers of fer- 

 mented liquors all the advantages of 

 close fermentation, without exposing 

 them to risk, danger, or iiiconvenieuce : 

 and any person wishing to adopt the 

 same, nill be treated with by us, (Gray 

 and Dacre,) their agents at Westham, 

 Essex, who have already granted 

 licences to Messrs. Whitbread and Co. 

 brewers, Messrs. Uishop and Co. IJritish 

 wijic makers of London, with several 



other 



