CIDER FROM APPLES AND PEARS. 353 



skilful distiller can classify them by the taste and separates them 

 in order to obtain brandy of first and second qualities. 



The cider is distilled when it is completely fermented, /. e., 

 when the largest possible quantity of sugar has been converted 

 into alcohol. Cider from early apples generally ferments faster 

 than that from late apples and can be distilled towards the end of 

 December, i. e., from six weeks to two months after its fabrication. 

 Cider from late apples, made during December and January, is 

 ready for distillation three or four months later, i. e. t in March or 

 April. 



Preparation of the juice for distillation. When there is an 

 abundant crop of apples and barrels are scarce, the juice as it 

 comes from the press is brought into large open vats in which 

 fermentation progresses rapidly, but in this case some beer yeast 

 previously mixed with a small quantity of cider is added to each 

 vat and the temperature must be maintained between 59 and 

 68 F. Under these conditions the juice ferments very promptly 

 and may be distilled eight or ten days later. 



Sometimes the whole of the pulpy mass obtained by grinding 

 the apples is submitted to distillation. In order to accelerate 

 fermentation a small quantity of hot water containing some sugar 

 in solution is added to the mass, also one or two thousandths of 

 sulphuric acid, the latter regulating the progress of fermentation. 



Fermentation being finished the mass is subjected to distillation. 

 In order to prevent the mass from adhering to the still and 

 burning, distillation must be conducted as slowly as possible and 

 a small quantity of straw placed upon the bottom of the still, or, 

 better, a piece of cloth to prevent direct contact of the mass with 

 the heating surface. 



Plums, damsons, etc., are also subjected to distillation and pro- 

 duce good brandy ; they ferment more slowly than wild cherries 

 which produce the well-known cherry-bounce. Attention may 

 here be called to the distillation of wild plums, which should be 

 gathered in the fall when the leaves begin to drop. Some con- 

 noisseurs consider brandy made from plums equal to that from 

 cherries. On a farm no fruit containing sugar should go to waste 

 as it can be converted either into brandy or vinegar. 



Distillation. For distilling cider on a small scale no expensive 



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