12 



alcoholic strength is usually raised 1 or 2 vol. per cent, higher in the trade. 

 The brandy used in my experiments is made from ordinary sound wine which 

 is distilled twice, the first and the last runnings being separated from the brandy , 

 to be used in making the Port. The brandy is so distilled, to have a strength 

 of about 74 vol. per cent., or about 30 O.P. The lowest strength allowed by 

 law is 22 O.P., or 69 -6 vol. per cent. Great care should be taken in distilling, 

 as a bad brandy will always harm the wine fortified with it. The following 

 example will illustrate the formula given above. 



IjThe fresh must showed 25 Balling, the brandy was 74 vol. per cent., the 

 Port should have 5 per cent, sugar when finished and have a strength of 17 

 vol. per cent, alcohol. Here a == 25, b == 5, s == 74. 



127(17 x 17 + 10 x 5 - 10 x 25) 

 17(74-- 17) - 10 X 5" 



Thus every leaguer of must will require 12 -3 gallons of the above brandy 

 to give the wine wanted. 



/" In 1915 about 2| leaguers Port type wine were made at the Paarl Experi- 

 mental Station, and in 1916 about 4-J leaguers of the same wine. Both these 

 wines have a pronounced Port character and are most promising at present. 

 From these experiments one can already now predict that we shall in future 

 be able to produce very good wines of the Port type, which may possibly be 

 exported with success in the near future. I am glad to say, that a number of 

 farmers in the various wine districts have already acted upon my advice, and 

 started planting the above Port varieties for making wine of the Port type. 



(e) Wine Brandy (Cognac type). In order to make a first class brandy of 

 this type, it is essential t % hat we should start with a good, sound wine. In 

 France Cogr<ac is distilled mainly from the Folle Blanche grape, which has a 

 very high total acidity and fairly low percentage of sugar when ripe. The 

 result is a light wine with a high total acidity. The wine is distilled from 

 one to three months after the vintage, i.e. in cold weather, before it has had 

 any chance of getting sour. No particular care is exercised in making this 

 wine, but the greatest care is taken in distilling it and in maturing the 

 Cognac. 



1C I consider that the best brandy will be made from light wine, as we have 

 thus a greater concentration of the vinous characteristics in the brandy than 

 when distilling strong wine. 



J.I In 1914 the White French grapes at the Paarl Experminental Station were 

 pressed when just ripe, and then showed 17-2 Balling and 4 per tnille 

 total acidity. The grapes were crushed and pressed immediately afterwards ; 

 the must was pumped into a stukvat, sufficient tartaric acid added to raise its 

 total acidity to about 8 per mille, and the fermentation was started 

 with pure yeast. The maximum temperature of the must during fermenta- 

 tion never exceeded 28 C. or 82 4 F., as it was cooled when necessary. 

 The wine soon got dry and was racked from the first lees. During the 

 latter half of April it was distilled according to the system of Cognac. 

 The wine then had the following composition : 



A] , , Volatile Acidity Total Acidity 



(as Acetic Acid). (as Tartaric Acid). 



9 -6 vol. % or -54 per mile. 8 -47 per mille. 



16 -7 % Proof Spirit. 



2-A It was distilled in a small three halfaums still. First everything was 

 distilled over until the alcoholometer showed degrees. This constitutes 

 the " brouillis " or crude brandy. This was then carefully redistilled. The 



