124 VINEGAR, CIDER, AND FRUIT- WINES. 



II as alcoholic liquid for 9 per cent, vinegar and yields 9 per 

 cent, vinegar, which after being again compounded with 3.2 to 

 3.3 per cent, of alcohol yields 12 per cent, vinegar after having 

 passed through group III. 



The uninterrupted working of the generators constituting one 

 of the principal advantages of the automatic system, it is advisable 

 to regulate the automatic contrivance so that but a small quantity 

 of alcoholic liquid be at one time poured out, and to fix the 

 intervals between two pourings so that the second pouring takes 

 pi aw after about one-half of the first has run off. Under these 

 conditions there will be in the lower half of the generator an alco- 

 holic liquid in which the alcohol is nearly as much oxidized as it 

 can be by one passage through the generator, while in the upper 

 half will be fresh alcoholic liquid in which oxidation is continued 

 without interruption. A further advantage obtained by this is 

 that a generator will yield quantitatively more than one working 

 only 15 to 16 hours; further, the conditions of temperature in 

 the interior of the generator remain always the same and the fer- 

 ment constantly finds nourishment. 



The alcoholic liquid for group I is pumped into the reservoir 

 I 7 ,, and passes through the generators of group I into the col- 

 lecting vessel $,. All the alcoholic liquid having run off from V v 

 the fluid collected in 8 V after having been tested as to its content 

 of acetic acid, is for the second time pumped into V l and passes 

 again through the generators of group I. The automatic con- 

 trivance is so regulated that the alcoholic liquid, after being 

 twice poured in, contains but a very small remnant of alcohol. 



To the vinegar of 6 per cent, collected in S l is now added 3.2 

 to 3.3 per cent, by weight of alcohol, best in the form of 80 to 90 

 .per cent, spirits of wine. The resulting stronger alcoholic liquid 

 is at once pumped into V v and passing through the generators of 

 group II reaches the collecting vessel 8 r It is then tested, 

 pumpod back into V v and again collected in S 2 . If it now 

 shows the required strength, it is mixed with the second portion 

 of 3.2 to 3.3 per cent, by weight of alcohol and is pumped into 

 T r s , and after passing twice through the generators collects as fin- 

 ished vinegar in $ 3 . 



It will be seen from the above description of the process that in 



