69 



about 25,000 hectoliters (660,000 gallons). Unfortunately plans of 

 this building were not to be had, and it was too extensive for the 

 writer to attempt making drawings. The working equipment consists 

 of one grinder, a large number of mash tubs in which the pulp is 

 macerated, 22 presses (6 of these hydraulic), teams, tools, etc. A force 

 of 160 laborers is emplo} T ed. In this factory, and also in most of the 

 smaller German factories visited, the fruit is washed before grinding, 

 usually in the manner already described, namely, by dumping it into 

 a great vat of water and elevating it from this to the grinder by a 

 screw rotating in a half cylinder. 



The workmen carry the apples from the bins in wooden vessels resem- 

 bling tubs, holding about a bushel, and dump them into the washing vat. 

 The pulp is taken in like vessels as it falls from the grinder and carried 

 by the workmen to the macerating vats. From these, after maceration 

 for about twenty-four hours, it is again filled into .the tubs and carried 

 to the presses. The pressure is applied slowly, and the pulp is allowed 

 to drain a long time. Then the pomace is cut up fine, put into another 

 press, and re-pressed without addition of water. The third and last 

 pressing is accomplished at 250 atmospheres. No further use is made 

 of the pomace. The must averages about 1.050 specific gravity. 



To an American the work of this factory seems to be conducted on 

 an exceedingly laborious plan. The impression obtained was that this 

 old firm, which had been in business about a century, had at various 

 times grafted on new ideas and appliances, without at any time really 

 reconstructing and modernizing the plant. In like manner, the cel- 

 lars appeared to have been added to until they honeycombed the earth, 

 and extended vault below vault to a depth of 17i meters (56 feet) below 

 the surface of the factory yard. This bewildering maze of cellar 

 vaults, full of great casks, each holding 2,000 liters (528 gallons) or 

 more, over 900 in all, served to store the product; but a great quan- 

 tity of cider is sold while still in first fermentation for use in the res- 

 taurants of Frankfort as sweet or smoking cider. 



The methods of handling the must are now to be considered. The 

 pressing of the pomace, as explained above, generally occurs on the 

 ground floor immediately over the cellar. To this first cellar the fresh 

 must is conducted through rubber pipes, either by gravity or by 

 pumping, and is put directly into the great casks in the fermentation 

 room. 



It is the German custom not to fill the casks so full that there will be 

 any discharge of froth or top lees through the bunghole, 6 or 8 inches 

 of clear space being left in the top of each cask. As soon as a cask 

 in the fermentation room is filled, it is fitted with the ventilating 

 funnel (fig. 16). Nearly all good cider factories are provided with 

 cellars at least two stories in depth, so that the room for final fermen- 

 tation and storage is immediately below the first cellar. 



