66 VINEGAR, CIDER, AND FRUIT- WINES. 



woods are not porous enough, and besides their resin is objection- 

 able, as it may partly dissolve in the vinegar ; oak wood does not 

 curl as well and contains too much coloring matter and tannin. 



The beech shavings are generally made in special factories. 

 They consist of wooden bands about J millimeter (0.02 inch) 

 thick, 4 centimeters (1.57 inches) wide, and 40 to 50 centimeters 

 (15.74 to 19.68 inches) long. They are rolled into close spirals 

 by a special machine, and each shaving, according to the above 

 dimensions, presents a surface of about 400 square centimeters (62 

 square inches). Now, as a generator of moderate size contains many 

 thousands of such shavings, it will be readily seen that the sur- 

 face over which the alcoholic fluid is distributed is an extraordi- 

 narily large one. 



A shaving of the stated dimensions represents in a rolled state 

 a cylinder with a volume in round numbers of 28 cubic centi- 

 meters (1.7 cubic inches). By allowing an interspace of 14 

 cubic centimeters (.85 cubic inch) between the shavings, 28 + 14 

 = 42 cubic centimeters (1.7 + 0.85=1.92 cubic inches), space is 

 required for each shaving. The space to be filled with shavings 

 in a generator 1 meter (3.28 feet) in diameter and 2 meters 

 (6.56 feet) high is equal to 1.57 cubic meters (55.44 cubic feet), 

 and hence 58,000 shavings, with a total surface of 2112 square 

 meters (22,733.56 square feet), are required for the purpose. 

 Now suppose only 5 per cent, of this surface is continually active 

 in the formation of vinegar, we have still a surface of over 100 

 square meters (1076.43 square feet) at our disposal. But the ac- 

 tive surface would seem to be actually much smaller even with 

 the most favorable working of the generator, as otherwise the 

 average quantity of alcohol daily converted into acetic acid in a 

 generator would be much larger than is actually the case. 



Beechwood shavings contain a considerable quantity of ex- 

 tractive substances, which if not removed would for a long time 

 impart a disagreeable tang (woody taste) to the vinegar. Hence 

 it is recommended to lixiviate the shavings in water repeatedly 

 renewed, in order to get rid of the substances soluble in cold 

 water and remove the last traces by treatment with steam. 



This steaming is best effected in a large tub or a vat, which is 

 later on to be used as a generator. The shavings are thrown in 



