REPORT OF COUNT BEAUREGARD. 260 
The temperature, under the influence of this tumuituous fermenta- 
tion, arises in these great masses, even so far as to acquire, in warm 
weather, from 35 to 40 degrees centrigrade, which occasions a still 
further loss of a considerable quantity of alcohol. 
Desirous of avoiding the viscous fermentations which cause so much 
loss in sugar beet distilleries, when the proper degree of heat for the 
ferment is wanting, I heated my juice to 25° before putting it in the 
vat, which I rapidly filled, and added to its various ferments. I not 
only accomplished my purpose, but even got more than I desired. 
The fermentation proceeded with great violence. The imaginary 
inconvenience which I wished to avoid occasioned me a serious and a 
real one. The heat and ferment only aggravating the conditions of 
the operation, and I was not slow in perceiving that we obtained as 
much less alcohol as the fermentation had been more lively, and that 
there remained finally in the wine as much more of sugar in an 
unchanged state. 
I have since then been led to follow an entirely opposite course, 
seeking to render the fermentation as mild as possible, but however to 
make it complete by sustaining it at every moment. I avoided all 
use of ferment in the juice of the canes, and I have made my vat of a 
temperature as near as possible from 10° centigrade to zero. 
To obtain this temperature when the weather is warm enough, in 
September or October, it is well to treat only the canes cut the even- 
ing before, and which are stacked against the north side of a wall to 
profit by the moisture of the night. The juice likewise should be 
caused to run into the vat in a continuous thread. Into the vat is also 
introduced, at the same time, a thread of fresh river or spring water, and 
if this should not be had, water from clean well-built wells.* The diame- 
ter of this thread of water should be calculated, so that the mixture of 
the two liquors shall mark 60° on Beaumé’s Glucometer. If the 
machine discharges more of juice than is necessary to obtain this 
density and this temperature, the necessary number of vats to regulate 
that should be simultaneously filled. When frost comes it is necessary 
-* The mode of feeding can be altered. After a first vat full, in place of water, 
vinasse taken from the still retort can be used, or, better still, the results from the 
maceration of the bagasse. 
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