FABRICATION OF WINE-VIXEGAR. 185 



malcules are but seldom found in factories working with pump or 

 well water, but frequently in those using river water, and conse- 

 quently their introduction is likely due to such water. In case 

 of their appearance in large masses it is best to interrupt the 

 process in time in order to prevent the previously mentioned 

 phenomena of putrefaction. The fluid containing the vinegar- 

 eels should be drawn oif into a thoroughly sulphured barrel. The 

 sulphurous acid kills the vinegar eels as well as the vinegar fer- 

 ment, and the filtered fluid, after standing a few weeks, whereby 

 the sulphurous acid is converted into sulphuric acid, can again 

 be used as alcoholic liquid. The vessels in which the vinegar 

 eels have settled must also be thoroughly sulphured and then 

 repeatedly washed with water before being re-used for the fabri- 

 cation of vinegar. 



In the apartment containing the vessels used for the fabrication 

 of wine-vinegar the greatest cleanliness should prevail ; in fact 

 one cannot be too scrupulous in this respect, as otherwise by- 

 fermentations readily take place, and another plague, the vinegar- 

 lice, or more correctly vinegar-mites (see p. 137), may appear. 

 Should any of these evils happen the apartment, fluids, and ves- 

 sels must be thoroughly disinfected by means of sulphurous acid. 



Method of the Fabrication of Wine-Vinegar according to Berscli. 



As previously mentioned, the fabrication of wine-vinegar by 

 the quick process cannot be recommended, the odoriferous sub- 

 stances which give the product its special value being almost 

 entirely lost thereby ; but neither can it be recommended to 

 WT>rk according to one of the French processes previously de- 

 scribed, as they require too much time, are accompanied by large 

 losses as regards yield, and render it difficult to maintain the 

 necessary cleanliness during the operation. All these evils can 

 be avoided by following the method first proposed, in 1876, by 

 Dr. Josef Bersch, and for some time practised on a manufac- 

 turing scale. 



The essential part of the entire process is the infection of the 

 wine in suitable vessels with artificially cultivated vinegar fer- 

 ment under conditions in which the latter can rapidly augment. 



