CIDER. Ill 



daily till it is put to the press. [See his communication in 

 Vol. vn. p. 123, N. E. Farmer.] 



The best cider is made, according to Dr. Mease, by the 

 following process : The liquor, on coming from the press, 

 is strained through hair cloths, or sieves, and put into 

 clean, tight, strong hogsheads; these are filled, and the 

 bung left out, and placed in cool, airy cellars, or on the 

 north sides of buildings, where the air circulates. In a 

 day, or sometimes less, according to the state of the weath- 

 er and maturity of the fruit, the pulp begins to rise, and 

 flows from the bung for a few hours, or a day or two at 

 farthest ; at the intervals of two or three hours, the hogs- 

 head is replenished, and kept full from a portion of the 

 same liquor kept in reserve for this purpose, as it is deemed 

 necessary that the whole pulp should overflow, that none 

 may return again into the liquor. The moment the pulp 

 has ceased rising, white bubbles are perceived ; the liquor 

 is, in this critical moment, fine or clear, and must be in- 

 stantly drawn off by a cock or faucet, within three inches 

 of the bottom. 



On drawing off the cider, it must be put into a clean 

 cask, and closely watched, the fermentation restrained or 

 prevented : when, therefore, white bubbles, as mentioned 

 above, are again perceived at the bung-hole, rack it again 

 immediately, after which it will probably not ferment till 

 March, when it must be racked off as before, and, if pos- 

 sible, in clear weather. As soon as safety will admit, af- 

 ter the first racking, a small hole must be bored near the 

 bung, and the bung driven tight ; this must be finally 

 sealed and a spile inserted, giving it vent occasionally, as 

 circumstances require. In March, if not perfectly fine, 

 it is drawn from the lees in a clear day, and fined ; this is 

 usually effected by dissolving, in a few quarts of cider, three 

 staples of isinglass, stirring it often ; this is poured into 

 the hogshead. It must be drawn off again in ten or twelve 

 days after, lest the sediment should rise ; if not fine now, 

 repeat the fining again. 



In Herefordshire, according to Dr. Mease, (Dom. Ency.,) 

 the sediment of the first racking is filtered through coarse 

 linen bags; this yields a bright, strong, but extremely flat 

 liquid; if this be added to the former portion, it will great- 

 ly contribute to prevent fermentation, an excess of which 

 will make the cider thin and acid. 



