OPERATIONS IN A VINEGAR FACTORY. 99 



and thoroughly dried shavings can be immediately re-used for the 

 saturation of another portion of shavings. The saturated shav- 

 ings are at once used for filling a generator, and the latter, which 

 may now be considered as completely acidulated, can at once be 

 used for the process of the formation of vinegar according to the 

 method described below. 



Instead of in. a vat the shavings can also be saturated directly 

 in the generator. For this purpose the shavings, after having 

 been artificially dried, are immediately brought into the generator, 

 and vinegar is poured over them either by means of the false 

 bottom or the sparger until a considerable quantity has accumu- 

 lated in the space below the lath-bottom. This accumulation is 

 then drawn off and again poured over the shavings, this being 

 continued until they are thoroughly saturated, which is effected in 

 a comparatively short time. 



Induction of the Operation with artificially raised Vinegar 

 Ferment. 



In the accelerated acidulation of the generators no develop- 

 ment of vinegar ferment can of course take place, since by heating 

 the shavings to about 212 F. any fermenting organisms accident- 

 ally adhering to them are destroyed. The vinegar ferment 

 increases with astonishing rapidity provided it finds nourishment 

 suitable for its development. Vinegar is, however, a very poor 

 material for this purpose, and this is very likely the reason why 

 weeks are required before fabrication can be commenced in gen- 

 erators acidulated according to the old method. The ferment can, 

 however, be so rapidly augmented in the generators that fabri- 

 cation can be commenced almost immediately after acidulation 

 is complete. 



For this purpose a method similar to that employed in the 

 manufacture of alcohol and yeast has to be pursued and vigorous 

 ferment obtained by cultivation. As previously mentioned the fer- 

 ment causing acetous fermentation is widely distributed through- 

 out nature and is most abundantly found in the air of thickly 

 populated regions. 



The " pure cultivation" of the vinegar ferment, i. e., in which 



