54 VINEGAR, CIDER, AND FRUIT-WINES. 



Arrangement of the Generators. 



A generator consists of a large vessel divided into three spaces 

 above one another, the uppermost serving for the division of the 

 alcoholic liquid into many small drops ; in the centre one, which 

 forms the largest part of the apparatus, the alcoholic liquid is 

 converted into vinegar, while the lower one serves for the collec- 

 tion of the vinegar. 



The best form of the generator is that of a truncated cone. 

 This form oifers to the alcoholic liquid in its passage from the 

 upper part of the generator the opportunity of spreading over a 

 constantly increasing surface, and by thus coming in contact with 

 the fresh air entering the lower part of the apparatus its oxida- 

 tion must evidently be promoted. The current of air in passing 

 from below to above yields a certaiu portion of its oxygen in .the 

 lower part of the apparatus, and if it were allowed to ascend in 

 a vessel of a purely cylindrical shape, the alcoholic fluid running 

 down would come in contact with air quite poor in oxygen. 

 Hence this evil must be sought to be overcome by the accelera- 

 tion of the motion of the air upwards, which is accomplished by 

 giving the vessel the form of a slightly truncated cone. 



The generator, Fig. 3, consists of the vat Kof larch, fir, or other 

 durable wood. The use of oak cannot be recommended, partially 

 because of its being too expensive, and further on account of being 

 so rich in extractive substances that a generator constructed of it 

 has to be several times lixiviated with water before use, as other- 

 wise the vinegar prepared in it would for a long time acquire a disa- 

 greeable tang and dark color. In the upper portion of the vat is a 

 perforated wooden disk S, and in the lower a false bottom of laths, 

 the so-called lath-bottom L. The aperture A serves for the dis- 

 charge of the fluid collecting underneath the lath-bottom. The 

 cover D, the arrangement of which will be described later on, 

 serves for regulating the draught of air in the generator. 



The hoops of the generators, as well as all other metallic parts 

 in the factory, should IK? coated with good linseed-oil varnish or 

 asphaltum lacquer, and care should be had immediately to repair 

 any injury to this coating, as otherwise strong rusting is caused 



