166 VINEGAR, CIDER, AXD FRUIT-WINES. 



vinegar is, however, stronger and more agreeably acid than that 

 of vinegar from alcohol, it containing besides acetic acid about 1 

 per cent, of malic acid. Moreover, vinegar obtained from ber- 

 ries contains a certain quantity of extractive substances and odor- 

 iferous products of fermentation, so that it possesses an agreeable 

 bouquet and thus appears more valuable than the ordinary pro- 

 duct. 



In many regions bilberries grow in abundance and can be 

 bought very cheap. Treated in the above manner they yield an 

 excellent vinegar, possessing, however, a somewhat harsh by-taste, 

 due to the tannin contained in the berries. The latter can be re- 

 moved from the fermented fluid before using it for the prepara- 

 tion of vinegar by compounding it when quite clear with gelatine 

 solution or fresh white of egg, both forming insoluble combina- 

 tions with the tannin, which separate in the form of flakes. 



In regard to the preparation of vinegar from berries it remains 

 to be remarked that, after pressing the bruised berries, the juice 

 is compounded with water and sugar and at once brought into 

 fermentation by the addition of yeast (best fresh wine-yeast, or 

 if this be wanting, compressed yeast divided in water). Fermen- 

 tation should take place at quite a high temperature, 68 to 72 

 F. The separated yeast is carefully removed from the fermented 

 liquid and the latter stored away in barrels kept constantly filled 

 up to the bung or at once used for the preparation of vinegar. 

 By converting fruit-wine into vinegar by means of the vinegar 

 ferment floating upon the fluid a much finer product is obtained 

 than by the quick process. 



Cider Vinegar. 



Cider, as is well known, is the sparkling liquid which is pre- 

 pared by fermenting the juice of apples ground in a mill. The 

 manufacture of cider will be described in another portion of this 

 work, and, hence, only its utilization for the preparation of vine- 

 gar will be given here. 



The preparation of vinegar from good cider is not difficult, the 

 process of acetification by means of the vinegar ferment floating 

 upon the surface yielding an aromatic product of a fine flavor 



