464 BRASS 



Languedoc, Bordeaux, Armagnac, Cognac, Aunis, Saintongo, Rochelle, Orleans, 

 Barcelona, Naples, &c., being each readily recognisable by an experienced dealer. 



Aubergier snowed by experiments, that the disagreeable taste of the spirits distilled 

 from the marc of the grape is owing to an essential oil contained in the skin of tho 

 grape ; and found that the oil, when insulated, is so energetic that a few drops are 

 sufficient to taint a pipe of 600 litres of fine-flavoured spirit. See FUSEL OIL. 



Tho most celebrated of tho French brandies, those of Cognac and Armagnac, are 

 slightly rectified to only from 0-935 to 1-922 : they contain more than half their 

 weight of water, and come over therefore highly charged with the fragrant essential 

 oil of the husk of the grape. When, to save expense of carriage, tho spirit is rectified 

 to a much higher degree, tho dealer, on receiving it at Paris, reduces it to the market 

 proof by the addition of a little highly flavoured weak brandy-and-water ; but ho 

 cannot in this way produce so finely-flavoured a spirit as the weaker product of 

 distillation of tho Cognac wino. If the best Cognac brandy be carefully distilled at 

 a low heat, and after distillation tho strong spirit be diluted with water to restore 

 it to its original strength, it will bo found that the brandy has suffered much in 

 its flaA'our. 



Genuine French brandy evinces an acid reaction with litmus-paper, owing to a 

 minute portion of vinegar ; it contains, besides, some acetic ether, and, when long kept 

 in oak casks, a little astringent matter. 



The constituents of brandy are alcohol, water, volatile oil, acetic acid, acetic ether, 

 colouring matter, and tannin. Pereira. 



Pale brandy acquires the slight colour which it possesses from the cask in which it 

 is kept. Brown brandy is coloured by caramel. Brandy is sold of various strengths, 

 but it is usually about 10 per cent, under proof. Tho quantities of brandy imported, 

 and its computed value, have been as follow: 



Quantity . 



Value . . 



For the last three years the returns are given, showing tho quantity retained for 

 home consumption : 



1870 1871 1872 



Proof Galls. Proof Galls. Proof Galls. 



Imports .... 9,942,965 5,372,486 3,519,413 



Homo consumption . . 3,526,132 3,715,675 3,944,725 



The duty on brandy was reduced in 1860 to 8s. 6d. per gallon. 



BRB.NDY, BRITISH. Dr. Ure gave the following formula for its prepara- 

 tion : Dilute pure alcohol to the proof pitch ; add to every hundred pounds weight of 

 it from half a pound to a pound of argol, dissolved in water, a little acetic ether, and 

 French wine vinegar, some bruised French plums, and flavour stuff from Cognac ; 

 then distil the spirit with a gentle fire in an alembic furnished with an agitator. 

 British brandies are now sold as pure grain spirits, flavoured and coloured with 

 caramel. See ALCOHOL. 



BRASS. (Laiton, cuivre jaune, Fr. ; Messing, Ger.) An alloy of copper and zinc. 

 The brass of the ancients appears, in very early times, to have chiefly consisted of a 

 mixture of copper and tin, and to have consequently, been a species of bronze or bell 

 metaL See ALLOYS. 



Brass was formerly manufactured by cementing granulated copper, called lean- 

 shot, or copper clippings, with calcined calamine (native carbonate of zinc) and char- 

 coal in a crucible, and exposing them to bright ignition. Three parts of copper wero 

 used for 3 of calamine and 2 of charcoal. 



James Emerson obtained a patent, in 1781, for making brass by the direct fusion 

 of its two metallic elements,, and it is now usually manufactured in this way. 



It appears that the best proportion of tho constituents to form fine brass is 2 

 equivalents of copper =63 + l of zinc = 32'3; or very nearly 2 parts of copper to 1 

 of zinc. 



In the process of alloying two metals of such different fusibilities as copper and 

 zinc, a considerable waste of the latter metal by combustion might be expected ; but 

 in reality, their mutual affinities soem to prevent the loss, in a great measure, by tho 

 speedy absorption of the zinc into the substance of the copper. Indeed, copper plates 

 and rods are often brassed externally by exposure, at a high temperature, to tho 

 fumes of zinc, and afterwards laminated or drawn. The spurious gold wire of 



