CONTENTS. XI 



PAGE 



activity are greatest ; Action of the ferment when exposed to high 



and low temperatures . . . . . . . . .33 



Difficulty of rearing the vinegar ferment upon a cold fluid ; Reason why 

 acetous degeneration is not known in cold wine cellars ; Reasons for 

 the ready occurrence of disturbances in the formation of vinegar at a 

 high temperature ; Mother of vinegar ; Origin of the term . . 34 



Occurrence, appearance, and growth of mother of vinegar ; Different 

 opinions as to the nature of mother of vinegar . . . .35 



Composition of the mother of vinegar according to Mulder and R. D. 

 Thomson ; Substances which participate in the formation of mother 

 of vinegar, illustrated by an experiment ; How the formation of 

 mother of vinegar can be successfully attained . . . ,36 



General occurrence of mother of vinegar in young wine ; Erroneous 

 opinion as to the part mother of vinegar takes in the formation of 

 vinegar; Summary of the theoretical conditions of the formation of 

 vinegar of importance to the manufacturer . . . . .37 



CHAPTER IV. 



PRODUCTS OF ACETOUS FERMENTATION. 



The regular augmentation of the ferment the main point of the entire 

 fabrication ; Occurrence of loss of alcohol in the fabrication . . 38 



Bodies, besides alcohol and carbonic acid, formed in the vinous fermen- 

 tation ; Characteristic properties imparted to alcohol by fusel oils ; 

 Aromatic substances which reach the vinegar through the conversion 

 of fusel oils; Acetic aldehyde or acetaldehyde . . . .39 



Preparation and constitution of pure aldehyde ; Acetal ; Preparation 

 of acetal 40 



Composition and nature of pure acetal . . . . . .41 



Acetic acid ; Glacial acetic acid ; Properties of acetic acid ; Peculiar 

 behavior of mixtures of acetic acid and water in regard to their 

 specific gravity 42 



Difference in the determinations of specific gravities of acetic acid with 

 a varying content of water ; Uses of highly concentrated acetic acid ; 

 Composition of acetic acid ........ 43 



Theoretical yields of acetic acid ; Theoretical and practical yields, what 

 they are ; Mariner of calculating the theoretical yield of acetic acid 

 from alcohol ........... 44 



Quantity of oxygen consumed in the formation of vinegar ... 45 



Quantity of alcohol which can be daily converted into vinegar by a vine- 

 gar generator ; Calculation of the quantity of heat liberated by the 

 conversion of alcohol into acetic acid ; What the practical manufac- 

 turer can learn from theoretical explanations 46 



