28 Answer to Mr. Venables's Queries [Jan. 



roots of this country by grinding them with apples, in consequence 

 of seeing in a periodicpj work, entitled The Gazette of Health, 

 the beet-root recommended to be added to the apples at the 

 time of grinding, with the view of imparting saccharhie matter. 

 The cyder was certainly much enriched by the addition, but I 

 was not a little disappointed in the colour, which I expected to 

 haA'e found beautifully red. The colour imparted to the recently 

 expressed juice by the beet-root was entirely destroyed by the 

 fermentative process. The cyder had a peculiar earthy flavour, 

 which was not relished by cyder drinkers. Both the parsnip 

 and the carrot considerably enriched the juice of the apples, and 

 did not affect the flavour of the cyder. It is worthy of notice that 

 inHerefordshire and in Devonshire the farmers add a considerable 

 quantity of water to the apples at the time of grinding them, 

 which they contend renders it rough. The water is generally in 

 such quantity as to constitute more than one-half of the expressed 

 liquor. This is the cyder generally drunk in both counties, and 

 preferred by the farmers for their own use. Hearing a farmer, 

 W'ho made about 800 hogsheads annually, obstinately contend 

 that an addition of water to the apples, when in the mill, 

 increased the strength of the cyder, 1 vv'as induced to examine 

 the article thus made, and also that which was not stre/igt/iciied 

 by adding water. The former I found did not afford half the 

 quantity of spirit as the latter. To the palate the former, as the 

 farmer contended, appeared stronger and rougher. On examin- 

 ing it, I soon discovered that this supposed strength depended 

 on the presence of vinegar ! The fact was soon evident, that the 

 expressed juice thus diluted speedily ran into the acetous fermen- 

 tation, and that instead of cyder, they were drinking a dilute 

 vinegar ; and to it the natives give a preference. Indeed cyder 

 in aproper vinous state, they condemn, supposing, on account of 

 its being somewhat sweet, that it has been " doctor'cl." 



Second Ctuery. — The effect of boihng the inalic acid, as it 

 exists in cyder, will be a dissipation of the spirit, and conse- 

 quently the liquid will soon become vinegar. Your correspond- 

 ent's query is by no means clear to me — I presume he means 

 the boiling of cyder, and not the pure (concentrated) medic acid, 

 which he must be aware can undergo no change by boihng. 



Third Clueri/. — I know of no other means of clearing the liquor 

 before fermentation from impurities than by straining it. During 

 fermentation much passes on through the "bung-hole, and much 

 is deposited. If it remains foul after fermentation, it may be 

 cleared by isinglass. 



Fourth Query. — I cannot speak positively as to close fermen- 

 tation. Mr. R. Paine Knight recommends close fermentation, 

 by which, he says, the flavour of the apple is preserved. I have 

 tasted very fine cyder that was thus fermented, but a quantity of 

 brandy was added to preserve it in a vinous state. If the fermen- 

 tation be conducted in a wide vessel entirely open, the alcohol 



