52 VINEGAR, CIDER, AND FRUIT-WINES. 



dized and converted into combinations distinguished by their 

 peculiar and very strong odor. 



Though these bodies occur in the vinegar in such minute quan- 

 tities that they can scarcely be determined by chemical analysis, 

 an expert can detect them by the sense of smell, and from the 

 specific odor of the vinegar form a conclusive judgment as to the 

 material used in its preparation. 



The differences in vinegar from wine, fruit, beer, and malt are 

 still more prominent, and extend not only to the odor but also to 

 the taste. Besides a specific odoriferous principle every wine 

 contains oenanthic ether, tartar, tartaric and succinic acids, gly- 

 cerin, and a series of extractive substances not thoroughly known. 

 The odoriferous substances and the oenanthic ether also undergo 

 alteration in the oxidation of alcohol, and are converted into 

 other odoriferous combinations, with such a characteristic odor 

 that wine vinegar can at once be recognized as such by it. On 

 account of the presence of so many substances possessing a 

 specific taste, that of the wine vinegar must, of course, differ 

 from that of pure dilute acetic acid. 



Similar conditions prevail in fruit-wine, beer, malt-extract, etc., 

 and hence vinegar prepared from these fluids must possess definite 

 properties. 



CHAPTER VI. 



QUICK PROCESS OF FABRICATION OF VINEGAR. 



^\ 



IN 1823 Schutzenbach conceived the idea that by greatly en- 

 larging the relative surfaces of contact of the alcoholic solution 

 and air containing oxygen, the process of acetification would be 

 greatly facilitated. His experiments proved successful, and soon 

 after the quick vinegar process was generally adopted. Analo- 

 gous processes were nearly at the same time invented, in Germany 

 by Wagmann, and in England by Ham. 



The principle involved of course depends on an extreme 

 division of the liquid being effected. This is very skilfully con- 



