Method of extracting Spirits from Potatoes. 21 1 



quantity of spirits, provided care is taken not to dilute 

 the potatoes so much as grain, because they have not the 

 same propeYty of swelling which grain has ; and proviSed 

 also, diat a good fermentation has been produced, and the 

 spirits have not been burned in the still. As for the fewel 

 required to prepare the potatoes, the additional expense is 

 trifling, although, in every case, boiling water is made use 

 of. Water in this state is used to prepare the potatoes, as 

 the operation is performed by means of the steam of the 

 water, which it is necessary to keep boiling half an hour or 

 three quarters longer, according to the quantity of potatoes 

 employed ; and this is the only additional expense which 

 may be reckoned upon. 



The preparation of the potatoes must be carried on in ves- 

 sels made of oak, the staves of which ought to be very thick 

 and solid, and the bottom bound round with iron, in order 

 to guard sgainst accidents in removing. The top of the 

 vessel must have a square aperture, with a thick covering, 

 which should fit exactly ; this aperture serves to let the po- 

 tatoes into the vessel after being well washed : there ought 

 to be another smaller aperture in the side, with a covering 

 to shut close, for the purpose cf drawing the potatoes out of 

 the vessel. 



It is then placed upon a tressel by the side of a still, dif- 

 ferent from that which is used for general purposes. On 

 the same side, i. e. opposite to the still, and a little above 

 the lower part of the tun, there is an aperture into which 

 the beak of the still is inverted, by means of which the 

 steam is conveyed to the potatoes. In the centre of the bot- 

 tom of the tun there should be another small aperture, through 

 which to evacuate any thick fluids which may collect in the 

 tun ; and in order that the weight of the potatoes mav not 

 choke it, the cover should be made to open inwards. When 

 the potatoes are prepared, which the workmen will easily 

 discover by means of the apertures in the tun already de- 

 scribed, the beak of the alembic is withdrawn ; the potatoes 

 are immediatt:ly afterwards ground by a machine, oi' a kind 

 of handmill, placed before the tun close to the small side- 

 aperturq. This mill is composed of two cylinders of very 

 2 hard 



