jNEW ENGLAND FAllIMER. 



March 9, 182: 



I 



258 



4 Grinding ^c. The apples sho.)ld be reduc- l.ou.es l,e limited to one lu a d.stnct. In tins way | er b. v, arm, wll beg.n to lermcn in a lew ho| 

 Pd bv tlie mUl as nearly as possible to a miiforra it would be an object with the owner to renaer his | after it passes from the press ; and seldom stop^ 

 mas/in which the rind and seeds are scarcely implements complete, and to conduct the process | che vinous stage, i he juice ot ripe fruit, wheaj 

 J^^s overable ; and the pomace should b. exposed , with care and skid. And as the value of the cider , tmperature us lower doe. not begin to ferment un" 

 i'o the atr (Vom twelv. to twentyfour hours, ac- ! depend, so much uponits being well made, it is, a week or <^»,'-t",'Slit- or longer, oft^ _con_tm| 

 cording 

 The„ 



in the orange and lemon, are highly ( 

 and those of the rind of the apple have a materia 



vil!: 



in the liquor will be found to be still further 

 mented. " By the chemical action of the roller," 

 says Knight, " the various fluids which occupy 

 the different vessels and cells of the fruit, are 

 mingled with the juices of the rinds and seeds, 

 «nd with the macerated substa:ice of the vessels 

 and cells themselves. In such a mixture il seems 

 probable that new elective attractions will be ex- 

 erted, and compounds formed, which did not exist 

 previously to the fruit being placed under tli-j roll- 

 er ; and hence the most correct analysis of the ex- 

 pressed juices will convey but a very imperfect 

 degree of knowledge of the component parts of 

 the different fluids, as they existed in their state 

 of separation, within the fruit. I have often ex- 

 tracted," lie continues, " by means of a small hand 

 press, the juice of a single apple, without having 

 previously bruised it to pieces; and I have always 

 found the juice thus obtained to be pale and thin, 

 and extremely defective in richness, though the 

 apple possessed great merit as a cider fruit. 1 

 have then returned the expressed juice to the pulp 

 which I have e.vposed, during a few hours, to the 

 air and light ; and t'le juice has tlien become 

 deeply tingpd and very rich. In the former state 

 it apparently contained but a very small portion of 

 sugar ; in the latter it certainly contained a great 

 ■luantity ; muck of which ! believe to have been 

 jfenerated subsequently to tlie juice having been 



,e air from twelv. to twentyfour hours, ac- depends so much upon its being we 1 ma. e, it is | a week or fortnight, or longer, orten contm, 

 incr to the temperature, before it is pressed.- | believed the owners of fruit, as well as the pur- slowly thro.igh the winter, and when made fr. 

 . iulces of the rind ol' fruit, as may be instanced , chasers of the cider, would be benefitted by such some of the hner cider a p es is not comple 

 he orange and lemon, are highly concentrated iUn arrangement. . ^, . . , | under six or mne months. Indeed, in some cd 



ana those of the rind of the apple have a mater,.! ! 5. Vinous firmtntahon. This is commonly call- ! the liquor does not become clear under a year, i 

 influence with the aromatic bitter of the seeds, i ed «Wari^. It coiruneiices at the temperature of | the sugar is not wholly decomposed under 

 upon the flavor and strength of the hquor. ; 59" Fuh. and cannot be conducted in safety when , years : For the whole of the sugar is se.don 



On nartiallv macerating the pulp of an apple, - the heat is over 7.'3= for a high temperature indue- composed .'nring the first sensible fermontationJ 

 and subjecting it to immediate pressure, the juice ■ es a too rapid fermentation, by which much of the Knight considers cider a^ two years old ae m | 

 which escapes will be found to be thin, nearly col- | spirit passes off with the disengaged carbonic acid best state for bottling, r or until the sugar is f 

 ourless and devoid-of flavor. If the maceration is i gas, and the acetous or vinegar fermentation be- composed, fermentation insensibly goes on, s 

 Dcrfect so as to crush the seeds and break down I gins at Tt'. This will show the importance of the strength of the liquor increases. The like |. 

 the rind the strength color and flavor of the must conducting the vinous lermentatiun under a prop- sensible process goes on in wines, and when il 

 will be improved : "and if the macerated pulp is ex- j er temperature, which is from 50 to 70- of Fah.— completed, the wines are said to be ripe, and 

 po^ed for a few hour.s to the atmosphere, anu then To show the cliemical effect of the vinous fermen- in their highest state of perfection, (..et M 

 subjected to pressure, these desirable properties 1 talion, it will be proper to repeat that the unfor- Uch.} Temperature being the same I think it 



• linented juice, or must, of the apple, consist* of be assumed as a rule, that fermentation v.'ill 



saccharine mutter or sugar, vegetable mucilage or rapid and short, in an inverse ratio to the propi 

 extract ; astrino-ency or tannin ; malic, and a tion which the saccharine matter bears to the D 

 small matter of gallic acid, the principle of flavor, cilage and water ; and that the vinous liquor \\ 

 tinging or coloring matter, and water. The sugar be rich, high flavored and durable, in proporti 

 becomes l!ie basis, or spirit, of the fermented liq- as the sugar and astringency preponderate in ' 

 uor ; t!io spirit, after vinous fermentation, and the must. 



tannin, or astringent matter, preserve it from the i fi. Precautiurts to prevent acetous ferinentalCon — 

 acetous fermentation, if the vegetable mucilage. These are, supposing the previous contingencie^ ' 

 or yeast, is separated when it has performed its to h:ive been favourable, ,a careful separation el 

 office. This vegetable mucilage acts upon the the vinous liquor from the froth and lees, — a coi9| 

 saccharine matter in a manner analogous to yeast temperature, — racking and finino-, — and artifioiij|| 

 upon the wort of the brewer — it causes fermcnta- means to destroy the fermenting quality of the r4* 

 tion, and converts sugar into spirits — by it- giving - maining mucilage. 



off carbonic acid gas, and imbibing hydrogen ; the I have already suggested the importance tffc 

 liquor becomes clear, and part of the mucilage drawing off the liquor from the scum and sedS* 

 rises to the surface with the disengaged air, intbe^meBt — at the termination of the vinous fermeDt« 

 form of froth, and the residue is precipitated, with 'tion This period may be knov/n by the crackiM 

 tl:e heavier impurities, to the bottom, in the form of the froth in an open cask, or. if in a close oifl 

 of sediment or lees. T+iis is the critical period. — hy the application of the nose or ear to the hunw 

 The liquor mny now be draw^n off clear. If left hole. If the fermentation has not ceased, a Iiiss 

 longer, the feculent matter, or froth, by parting ing will be apparent, and the gas given off wili 

 with the gas which renders it buoyant, soon set- give a pungent sensation to the nose. If the 

 ties and mixes with the liquor, renders it turbid, Hqnor is not sufficiently clear, or indications cp- 

 and as soon as the temperature attains a proper pear of the acetous fermentation having commcn 

 height, causes a new fermentation. This will ex- ed, the cider should be racked into clean stroi 

 plain the reason why ciders become harsh and casks, and fined with isinsrlass, eggs, or skimmi 

 sour on the approach of wa'-m weather in the milk. This operation may be repeated if founi 

 spring. The elementary principles of sugar, ar- necessary ; but it should be performed in clear 

 subjected to the action of the press ; -though it I dent spirits and vinegar, it has been ascertained cold weather. After ihe first racking, the casks 

 may be difficult to explain satisfactorily the means] by tlie experiments of Lavoisier, are the sanne ; should be kept bunged close, and further rnckings 

 by which it could have been produced. Knight | and these substances only differ in the proportion be avoided if possible, as every racking reduces 

 ascertained, by a subsequent experiment, that hy [ of their component parts, and in the modes of its strength, and much of the spirit escapes with 

 exposing the reduced pulp to the operation of the j their chemical union. Sugar consists of hydrogen, ihe carbonic acid gas v/hich is evolved in the fer- 

 atmospliere, for a few hours, the specific gravity oxygen and carbon. An increased proportion of miintive process. The oxygen of the atmosphere, 

 of the juice increased from 1,0G4 to 1,073 ; and hydrogen enters into the composition of ardent besides, increo.ses the vinegar fermentation. Bat 

 from the experiment being repeated in a closed spirits, and of o.'cygen into vinegar. The SEraeJf these methods fail, resort maybe had to the 

 vessel with atmospheric air, he ascertained the ac- 1 Agent, vegetable mucilage, w'lich converts thesu- j means of impeding the natural operation of the 

 i^ession to be oxygen, which according to Lavoisier, I gar of the apple into spirits, will convert the spirits | mucilage, or vegetable leaven. This may be done 

 constitutes C4 per cent of sugar. For fine cider, into vinegar, under a proper temperature, and aid- j by what is called stumming, that is burning a rag 



ed by the oxygen of the atmosphere. The pro- h^npregnated with sulphur, in the cask in which 

 cess of making vinegar is greatly accelerated by the liquor is to be decanted, after it has been part- 

 exposing cider or wine to the atmosphere, the |ly fiHod, and rolling it so as to incorporate the 

 oxygen of which it imbibes, and which is termed i liquid with the gas ; or by putting a drachm or 

 by chemists the great acidifying principle. Hero \ tvvo of sulphife of potash into eacii cask, which 

 again we see the propriety of professional cider j will precipitate and render insoluble the rcm.-iining 

 manufacturers, who miglit be provided with eel- j leaven. If the fruit is good, and properly ground, 



and the cider racked from the fermenting casks at 



iwM 



he recommends, that the fruit be ground and 

 pressed imperfectly, and that the pulp be then ex- 

 posed twenty-four hours to the air, being spread, 

 and once or twice turned, to facilitate the absorp-. 

 lion of oxygen ; that it be tiien ground again and 

 the expressed juice be added to it before repre.ss- 

 ing. In straining the must too much care cannot 



be taken to exclude the pulp, as its presence is ; lars where the temperature could be regulated, 

 apt to render the fermentation too violent, and j and who would carefully rack off the liquor at the 

 drive it into the acetous stage. A hair sieve, fill- | completion of the vinous fermentation, 

 ed partly witli straw, answers the purpose well. — | The vinous fermentation commences and ter:ni- 

 The mill which most effectually reduces the pulp nates at different periods, according to the condi- 

 13 to be preferred. It lias been remarked with j tion and quality of the fruit, and the state of the 



a proper time, mnst or all of the subsequent opera- 

 tions will be superseded. 



I'fear, Mr Editor, I have been too prolix upon a 

 subject which almost every farmer professes to 

 understand ; yet consideiing it, as I do, of great 



much force, that cider mills should, like school weather. The juice of unripe fruit, if the weetli- importance to the community at large, I cannot 



