THE MANUFACTURE OF WINE. 299 



purpose. When the fermentation ceases, rack off the wine, and 

 bottle it when transparent. It is a common practice to boil the 

 outer rind of a few lemons together with the ginger destined 

 for the wine, to impart to the wine the flavor of lemon peel. 



CURRANT WINE. 



Gather the currants when fully ripe ; press and measure the 

 juice ; add two-thirds water, and to each gallon of that mixture 

 put three pounds of Muscovado sugar (the cleaner and drier the 

 better; very coarse sugar, first clarified, will do equally well); 

 stir it well until the sugar is quite dissolved, and then tun it up. 

 Do not let the juice stand over night before mixing; or at least 

 not so long as to ferment. 



Make rather more than to fill the casks, so as to fill them up 

 after drawing off the wine. 



Lay the bung lightly on the hole, to prevent flies, etc., from 

 creeping in. In three weeks or a month after making, the bung- 

 hole may be stopped up, leaving only the vent-hole open, until 

 the wine has done working, which will be about the latter end 

 of October. It may then be racked off into other clean casks ; 

 but some persons prefer letting it stand on the lees until spring, 

 as it thus acquires a stronger body and is in a great measure 

 divested of that sweet, luscious taste peculiar to made-wine. 

 It may without damage stand two years on the lees. 



When it is to be drawn off, bore a hole at least an inch above 

 the tap-hole, a little to the side of it, that it may run clear off 

 the lees. 



