354 VINEGAR, CIDER, AND FRUIT-WINES. 



apparatus is necessary, an ordinary still answering all require- 

 ments. Cider is distilled like wine. The still is filled about j full 

 and after placing the head in position the joints are carefully luted 

 by pasting strips of cloth or even paper over them. The tub hold- 

 ing the worm is filled with cold water and the fire started. The 

 vapors escaping from the boiling liquid condense in the worm and 

 run into the receiver. Heating should be done slowly in order to 

 vaporize as little water as possible and especially to avoid sudden 

 ebullition as the boiling liquid, getting into the head, would pass 

 through the worm and become mixed with the liquor already 

 distilled ; in such an event it would be necessary to begin distilla- 

 tion anew. The operation is continued until the liquid produced 

 contains hardly any alcohol which can be ascertained by the use 

 of the alcoholometer or by the taste. It is unnecessary to say 

 that care must be had to constantly renew and keep cold the 

 water in the tub holding the worm. 



Distillation being finished the boiler is emptied and after 

 thorough cleansing is refilled for a second operation. 



The liquid produced by successive distillations is mixed together 

 and brought into the still a second time, whereby a liquor richer in 

 alcohol and of a better taste is produced. It would be desirable 

 if this second distillation or rectification could be effected by 

 means of steam. This would prevent the empyreumatic taste 

 which is often noticed in apple-brandy. The first and last runs 

 of the still being of inferior quality are collected separately and 

 poured back into the still when refilling for the next operation. 



Calculations have been made to establish by means of figures 

 the immense advantage offered in a financial point of view by 

 the distillation of cider. These theoretical calculations are, how- 

 ever, frequently very deceptive. If, on the one hand, the producer 

 knows the content of alcohol of his cider and, on the other, the 

 market value of the alcohol and of the cider, it will be easy for 

 him to decide which product will pay him best. 



Pear-cider. The manufacture of pear-cider is very limited 

 and no great future can be promised for it, as even when most 

 carefully prepared, it is far inferior to cider and other fruit-wines. 

 Its fabrication is best understood in England, and how 7 little it is 

 appreciated there is shown by the fact that three-fourths of the 



