314 



FOOD AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



The same beer was allowed to stand until it had become quite sour 

 and spoiled, when the above set of experiments was repeated, with the 

 folio wiucr results : 



From the above results it would seem that the bicarbonate united by 

 preference wich the acetic and lactic acids formed rather than with the 

 acid phosphates of the beer, though it would require more experiments 

 on the subject to thoroughly establish this point. If such is the case, 

 however, it will be possible to detect the addition of bicarbonate to a 

 beer that has soured, though not to a normal beer. The smallest quan- 

 tity used in practice, according to the Brooklyn report, is one ounce 

 to a half a barrel, which would be about 1 to 2,000, while the addition 

 of .1 gram to lOOcc. would be 1 to 1,000. Girard 1 gives as a test for 

 the addition of bicarbonate of soda to ciders the following procedure : 

 Decolorize with bone black, evaporate to dryness, treat the residue with 

 alcohol, which dissolves the acetates, which can be detected in the alco- 

 holic solution. I have tried this test with very indifferent results, as I 

 find the alcohol dissolves so much other matter from the dried residue 

 that it is difficult to detect the presence of acetic acid in small quanti- 

 ties. The distillation of the beer in a current of steam 2 after the addi- 

 tion of phosphoric acid offers a better method for the separation of 

 acetic acid, which may be searched for in the distillate, and if found to be 

 present in any quantity, while the acidity of the beer itself is normal or 

 below normal, the addition of bicarbonate of soda will be pretty well 

 established. In this way I established the fact of the addition of bicar- 

 bonate in Nos. 4814 and 4816, which were the only samples of which I 

 could be positive ; and although I strongly suspected several of the 

 other samples, owing to the difficulties of the test I would not pronounce 

 positively upon them. 



SALT. 



A variable quantity of chloride of sodium is a normal constituent of 

 all beers, being derived principally from the water used in the brewing. 

 Even a slight further addition of salt might be deemed admissible to 

 properly "season" the beer to the taste, just as breadstuffs are treated. 

 Many brewers, however, are in the habit of adding a large quantity, 

 either for the purpose of covering up some objectionable taste, or of in- 

 creasing the thirst of the consumer. The English Government places 



1 Report Paris Municipal Laboratory. 



-See under " Free volatile acids in wines," page 342. 



