102 



The Grape Culturist. 



of Uio new must, cider, etc., which is 

 thus carried at once beyond the reach 

 of the many vicissitudes to which 

 wines fermented in the usual manner, 

 are subject. 



Wines may be classified in a general 

 way as sweet and dry wines, or those 

 still containing sugar, and those en- 

 tirely or nearl}^ free from it. Drj- 

 ■wines form the bulk of the product of 

 Eux'opean and domestic vintages, as 

 the modes to mnnnfacture them ap- 

 peared more simple. It has been 

 shown above how dry wines are more 

 quickly, safelj' and cheaply obtained 

 by air-treatment. 



SWEET WINES, 



However, are as yet obtained by par- 

 tial fermentation, interruption of this 

 process; and by addition of spirits 

 (to 20 per cent, or more of alcohol) 

 or glycerine, etc., stabilitj" is in^part- 

 ed, further iermentation and deterior- 

 ation rather kept under than pre- 

 cluded. They are cordials rather than 

 wines. No sweet and light alcoholic 

 wines are in the market (except 

 sparkling), for the simple reason that 

 ihey could not be manufactured with any 

 degree of stab d it y ; the remnant of the 

 gluten prevented it. Air-treatment 

 furnishes an easy solution to this 

 question also, and permits the manu- 

 facture of sweet wines of any desired 

 alcoholic strength and most perfect 

 stability, because free from gluten. 

 Americans are fond of sweet wines 

 and should have them. 



The must, fresh from the grape (or 

 other fruit), heated to above 140 deg. 

 F. is vigorously air-treated for a couple 

 of hours (or less), till the albumen is 

 coagulated, which is removed liy bag 



filtering, still hot. After cooling to 70 

 deg. F. it is subjected to air-fermenta- 

 tion with the addition of a quantity of 

 green must, suitable to insure the de- 

 sired proportions of alcohol and sweet- 

 ness. Or any wine obtained by thorough 

 air-fermentation may be sweetened with 

 crushed sugar free of gluten to suit the 

 taste, without danger of future disturb- 

 ance. 



BRANDY. 



The described air treatment for fer- 

 mentation of must or piguette secures 

 by full attenuation of all saccharine 

 parts a higher yield, of 10 to 15 per 

 cent, of spirits, than the usual mode, 

 in which 2 per cent, or more of the sac- 

 charine from the 12 to 30 in pulp or 

 juice, is left unconverted and irre- 

 claimablj' lost. (The loss in grain 

 mash thus saved is still higher, from 

 16 to 25 per cent.) 



The azotized parts are rendered in- 

 soluble, and by clearing or straining- 

 are kept out of the still, permit the 

 formation of none or very little fusel 

 oil, so that a purer spirit at once re- 

 sults. Air-treatment in the still dur- 

 ing distillation of any pulp produces 

 spirits free of fusel (at least the first 

 run), and subsequent air-treatment of 

 any distilled spirits at a raised tem- 

 perature in suitable close vessels com- 

 municates quick!}' the properties of 

 age, destroys the fusel-oils. To retain 

 the fullest natural wine flavor in bran- 

 dies, redistillation for refining should 

 be avoided as much as possible, and 

 air-treatment provides the best means 

 to effect at once cheaply what many 

 years of storing is generally made to 

 accomplish with enormo-is expendi- 

 ture. 



{To be CO ilinu rf.] 



