352 VINEGAR, CIDER, AND FRUIT-WINES. 



This is for 11 completely fermented cider ; in sweet eiders the 

 content of sugar should exceed the limit sufficiently to make up 

 for the deficiency of alcohol, to which it should be calculated. 



Tn the samples of American ciders investigated by the United 

 States Agricultural Department (sec p. W2) it was fully expected 

 to find a considerable number preserved with antiseptics. This 

 supposition failed to be confirmed, however, for no salicylic acid 

 was found, and in but one case was any test obtained for sul- 

 phites. None of the samples fell below the standard proposed 

 by the French chemists, given above, and no metallic or other 

 adulteration was discovered. 



There was, however, a single exception, No. 4927 in the table 

 of analyses (p. :i>2), which was an embodiment in itself of nearly 

 all the adulterations which have been enumerated as possible in 

 cider. It was handsomely put up in neatly capped bottles, and 

 was of a clear, bright color. Its tremendous "head" of gas when 

 uncorked gave rise at once to the suspicion that it had received 

 some addition to produce an artificial pressure of gas. The low 

 content of free acid, together with the large amount of ash and a 

 very variable content of carbonic acid in different bottles, estab- 

 lished the fact that bicarbonate of soda had been added, probably 

 a varying quantity to each bottle, while the dose of sulphites 

 added was so large that a bottle has stood open in the laboratory 

 all through the summer without souring. 



Manufacture of brandy from, elder. Brandy is a mixture of 

 water and alcohol produced by the distillation of a fermented 

 liquor ; it owes its aroma to the essential oil peculiar to the sub- 

 stances subjected to distillation. 



In Normandy the heavy ciders only are distilled, ?'. <?., those 

 containing the most alcohol. 



In years when there is an abundant crop of apples, it will gen- 

 erally be found of advantage to distill the eider made from fallen 

 fruit and also from early apples. The cider yielded by them does 

 not keep well and brings a very low price, especially when there 

 is a large product from late apples. 



Sour ciders should not be distilled, they being better utilized 

 for the manufacture of vinegar. Spoiled cider, as a rule, makes 

 bad brandy. 



Different qualities of cider should be distilled separately ; a 



