FABRICATION OF WINE-VINEGAR. 175 



On account of its volatility it has to be kept in well-stoppered 

 bottles, best in a cool place. 



About 3J to 7 ozs. of acetic ether suffice for the improvement 

 of the odor of 100 quarts of vinegar. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



FABRICATION OF WINE-VINEGAR. 



WINE being an alcoholic liquid with a content of alcohol vary- 

 ing between 6 and 14 per cent, evidently furnishes an excellent 

 material for the fabrication of vinegar. However, only in rare 

 cases wine still palatable is used, the chief supply for this pur- 

 pose being derived from wine, especially wines with from 8 to 9 

 per cent, of alcohol, which have deteriorated on account of incor- 

 rect treatment in the cellar and consequently have become unsal- 

 able as a beverage. Stronger wines are less difficult to keep in 

 the cellar, and in case they should spoil and become unfit for a 

 beverage can be more profitably utilized in the fabrication of 

 cognac. 



Wine-vinegar differs from the ordinary varieties not only in 

 containing, besides peculiar extractive substances, tartaric acid, 

 tartrates, etc., but also in possessing a very agreeable odor due to 

 the change of the odoriferous substances contained in the wine. 



In wine-growing countries large sums are annually lost on ac- 

 count of spoiled wine, the latter being generally sold at a very 

 low price to vinegar factories, where it is worked as alcoholic 

 liquid either by itself or in connection with other materials. On 

 account of the process used the quality of the resulting product 

 is not what it should be, the wine being worked into vinegar 

 either in quick -process generators or by a method to be described 

 later on, to which the term " vinegar boiling" may be applied. 

 Vinegar, to be sure, is obtained in both cases, but the product is 

 not especially fine, because wine-vinegar of an excellent quality 

 can only be prepared by not allowing the process of oxidation to 



