272 On making and filling Cyder 



pounded and broken into threads. To dissolve it com- 

 pletely, it is necessary to beat the cyder containing it 

 well, several times a day, for two or three days, and then 

 to strain it through a flannel bag. The best general prac- 

 tice is, to pour your fining into the empty cask, and 

 then draw ofF your cyder and pour it on the fining. 

 This leaves behind, a great part of the sediment, checks 

 insensible fermentation, and mixes intimately the cyder 

 wdth the fining. — Then the cask being quite full, pour 

 on the spirits of wine, on the surface. It will generally 

 become quite fine and bright in six or eight days, and 

 should then immediately be drawn off, and bunged up 

 close, or bottled. But if it has not been sufiiciently fer- 

 mented, it will break your bottles. If drawn into casks 

 they should be bunged close, and waxed over the bung 

 to keep the air entirely out. To do this efiectually, 

 after the bung is carefully driven in, you must bore a 

 gimblet hole near the bung hole, and leave it open until 

 you have covered your bung ^vith the cement; other- 

 wise you will co\'er the bung, and leave open the small 

 Iioles on the side of the bung ; the warmth of the ce- 

 ment encreasing the quantity of the air below, will 

 throw up a blister through the air hole, and forever dis- 

 appoint the attempt to close it. The gimblet hole ad- 

 mitting the warm air to pass, the cement keeps its place 

 and closes the aperture, and when the cement is cooled 

 and hardened, the gimblet hole is completely stopped 

 by driving a white oak square plug into it. 



Another strong reason for declining the task, was, 

 that too much is expected from cyder. The best Ma- 

 deira wine will not keep with less than eight gallons of 

 brand V in the hundred, and twelve is more commonly 



