VINEGAR FROM VARIOUS MATERIALS. 163 



second fermentation is postponed for some time, but the vinegar 

 has nevertheless a nauseous smell which renders it objection- 

 able. 



Preparation of Vinegar from Sugar-Sects. 



The juice of the sugar-beet contains a considerable quantity of 

 cane sugar and is readily brought into alcoholic fermentation, so 

 that seemingly this root would form a very suitable material for 

 the fabrication of vinegar. Sugar-beets contain on an average 12 

 per cent, of cane sugar, the latter yielding, when completely fer- 

 mented, a fluid containing about 6 J per cent, by weight of alcohol ; 

 a fluid with this percentage of alcohol yields vinegar with 6 per 

 cent, of acetic acid. 



Besides sugar the juice of the beet-root contains, however, a 

 large number of other substances which exert an influence upon 

 the course of alcoholic fermentation, and, besides alcohol, a large 

 quantity of fusel oils is formed so that the alcohol has to be 

 thoroughly rectified before it is fit for use. The fermented beet- 

 root juice itself has, however, a disagreeable taste and odor, and 

 the vinegar prepared from it showing similar properties will not 

 be fit for household purposes until a remedy for these evils is 

 found. Numerous experiments made for the purpose of freeing 

 beet-root vinegar from the substances which impart to it the dis- 

 agreeable odor and taste have given no favorable results; filtering 

 through charcoal and even distilling the vinegar and treating the 

 distilled product with strongly oxidizing bodies do not produce the 

 desired effect. From these experiments it would seem impossible 

 to directly obtain from sugar-beets vinegar fit for household use. 



Vinegar from Sugar, Fruits, and Berries. 



By fermenting sugar solution with pure yeast and pouring off 

 the clear alcoholic fluid, the latter shows a slightly acid reaction 

 (from succinic acid), but is not converted into vinegar even if 

 standing for several weeks in the most suitable temperature, be- 

 cause the vinegar ferment is wanting. By adding, however, an 

 excess of yeast so that it remains partially suspended in the fluid, 



