20 ENOLOGICAL STUDIES. 



able, not wholly dry and not quite so good as heretofore, but an ex- 

 cellent cider. 



2B. Sediment not all down, pours still, quite clear and bright, no 

 gas in glass. Color and other points as for IA, in quality a little 

 smoother in flavor, but less piquant. 



SA. Sediment almost all down bright and clear in bottle, opens 

 with a trifle gas, pours with noticeable bead; color, pale amber, 

 clear; aroma stronger than 2 A. Flavor shows a tang of lees, which 

 is not desirable ; but this is a good cider. 



SB. Sediment not all down, but is clear, opens still, pours with 

 barely perceptible gas ; color as 3 A. Aroma faint, good ; flavor smooth, 

 free from tang noticed in SA. Very good cider, but not equal to 

 2 A and 2s. (The word " clear" means not muddy, nor dirty in 

 color.) 



NOTE ON THE VINEGAR KEG. 



The small keg No. 34 which was allowed to go to vinegar has yielded 

 an interesting record, which is presented in this connection because 

 the contents formed a part of the original stock used in the experi- 

 ment and was kept with the other packages until it became vinegar. 

 The first analysis made of this sample gave 3.81 grams of alcohol, 

 1.66 grams of sugar, and 1.28 grams of total acid, all on a basis of 

 100 cc. of the sample. It is reasonably accurate to consider these 

 figures as percentages. Comparing these figures with the data for 

 the first three analyses, namely, ciders Nos. 1, 2, and 3, it will be 

 seen that the fermentation of the sugar had proceeded much more 

 rapidly in the small keg than in the 50-gallon barrels. This keg was 

 not yeasted, and it is hardly possible to account for the rapid fermen- 

 tation entirely on the basis of the smaller bulk. Nor is it safe to say 

 without further investigation that alcoholic and acetic fermentation, 

 working together, has stimulated, during the first stage of fermenta- 

 tion, the more rapid destruction of the sugar, but this is indicated. 



This more rapid rate of breaking up the sugar does not, however, 

 hold for the subsequent period. In fact during the past fifteen 

 months, while the ciders have fermented in the case of No. 1, 3.11 per 

 cent, of No. 2, 0.5 per cent, and of No. 3, 2.22 per cent of sugar, the 

 vinegar sample has lost but 0.53 per cent of sugar. The loss of sugar 

 in the vinegar sample has been so slight for six months past that it is 

 evident the acid content has now inhibited further yeast action. The 

 complete oxidation of the alcohol to vinegar at the low temperature 

 of this cellar in twelve months is interesting. The fermentation of 

 vinegar in casks in a cool cellar is usually a slow process and often 

 fails or stops before the process is finished. This sample, however, 

 produced a finished vinegar of a very high quality in a year. The 

 total acid, 7.13 per cent, is remarkably strong for such conditions 

 and comes fully up to the total theoretic amount of acetic acid which 

 can be produced from the amount of sugar in the fresh juice. 



