534 FR A GMENTS F SCTENCtt. 



I tasted the cherries: they were very sour, though when 

 put into the cask they were sweet. The cherries and the 

 liquid associated with them were then placed in a copper 

 boiler, to which a copper head was closely fitted. From 

 the head proceeded a copper tube which passed straight 

 through a vessel of cold water, and issued at the other side. 

 Under the open end of the tube was placed a bottle to 

 receive the spirit distilled. The flame of small wood- 

 splinters being applied to the boiler, after a time vapor 

 rose into the head, passed through the tube, was condensed 

 by the cold of the water, and fell in a liquid fillet into the 

 bottle. On being tasted, it proved to be that fiery and 

 intoxicating spirit known, in commerce as Kirsch or 

 Kirschwasser. 



The cherries, it should be remembered, were left to 

 themselves, no ferment of any kind being added to them. 

 In this respect what has been said of the cherry applies 

 also to the grape. At the vintage the fruit of the vine is 

 placed in proper vessels, and abandoned to its own action. 

 It ferments, producing carbonic acid; its sweetness disap- 

 pears, and at the end of a certain time the unintoxicating 

 grape- juice is converted into intoxicating wine. Here, 

 as in the case of the cherries, the fermentation is spon- 

 taneous in what sense spontaneous will appear more 

 clearly by and by. 



It is needless for me to tell a Glasgow audience that the 

 beer-brewer does not set to work in this way. In the first 

 place the brewer deals not with the juice of fruits, but 

 with the juice of barley. The barley having been steeped 

 for a sufficient time in water, it is drained and subjected 

 to a temperature sufficient to cause the moist grain to 

 germinate; after which, it is completely dried upon a kiln. 

 It then receives the name of malt. The malt is crisp to 

 the teeth, and decidedly sweeter to the taste than the 

 original barley. It is ground, mashed up in warm water, 

 then boiled with hops until all the soluble portions have 

 been extracted; the infusion thus produced being called 

 the wort. This is drawn off, and cooled as rapidly as 

 possible; then, instead of abandoning the infusion, as the 

 wine-maker does, to its own action, the brewer mixes yeast 

 with his wort, and places it in vessels each with only one 

 aperture open to the air. Soon after the addition to the 

 yeast, a brownish froth, which is really new yeast, issues 



