79 



mentation is certainly the most difficult and the most important. This 

 is true of all beverages, but with cider one encounters difficulties of a 

 special nature." Dr. A. Cluss," writing- of North Germany, says: 



We shall now speak of fermentation and the management of the cellar, those fac- 

 tors which have the greatest influence upon the resultant product, and * * * in 

 which the greatest faults have been committed. One can say without exaggeration 

 that the misfortunes in making cider, about which so many moan, are due not to 

 the poor raw material nor to faults in the pressing, but almost without exception to 

 ignorance of the foundation principles of fermentation, and especially to the bad 

 condition of the cellars and cellar utensils which universally prevails. 



The above quotations illustrate the extremes of opinion on this sub- 

 ject. Everyone in the United States who has tried to make fine 

 sound cider will, I think, agree heartily with Power and indorse with- 

 out exception the views of Dr. Cluss. 



ROOM, VESSELS, AND APPLIANCES USED. 



The first object to be kept in view in the construction of a fermen- 

 tation room is the control of temperature conditions; the second, con- 

 venience of location to the general operating room and to the final 

 storage room ; and the third, facilities for maintaining perfect cleanli- 

 ness and ventilation. 



As types of factories meeting these requirements to a considerable 

 extent, the factory at St. Ouen-de-Thouberville, France, and the Ger- 

 man factories having single and double cellars may be cited. 



On beginning the season's work the fermentation room .should be 

 put in perfect order as to cleanliness, the walls and floors being newly 

 whitewashed. The casks or vats should be put in the most perfect 

 order, cleansed carefully inside and out, and arranged with reference 

 to the convenience of filling, racking off, and other operations. 



TEMPERATURE OP FERMENTATION ROOM. 



On this point the Germans are much more careful than the French 

 or English. The French structures are largely exposed to the influ- 

 ence of daily fluctuations in atmospheric conditions, and whenever 

 there is a considerable daily variation in the temperature it is quite 

 impossible to carry on an even, well-ordered fermentation. 



The alcoholic ferments (commonly called yeasts), like all other plant 

 organisms, have an optimum temperature for growth, and it has been 

 determined that this temperature is about 18 to 24 C. (65 to 75 F.). 

 But it is also true that, at this temperature, the growth of the yeast 

 plants is apt to be very rapid, producing a rather too violent fermen- 

 tation which disturbs the orderly management of the must. At a 

 lower temperature fermentation can be carried on in a more orderly 

 way, if once well started, hence, 13 to 18 C. (55 to 65 F.) has been 



a Apfelweinbereitung, p. 61 et seq. 



