80 



found a more desirable temperature for the main fermentation room. 

 At a temperature reduced much below the minimum given the must 

 will not start a proper fermentation, and when it is introduced into the 

 casks especially if they are large ones at a lower temperature, 

 some difficulty will he experienced unless the must is artificially 

 warmed. This can be accomplished b^y warming a portion and pour- 

 ing this into the casks, but this portion of the must should never be 

 heated to a temperature above 50 or 60 C. (120 to 1-10 F.). 



VESSELS USED IX FERMENTATION. 



Many styles of casks or vats for the first fermentation are in use. 

 In England open vats were frequently seen. These were of wood and 

 slate, and held from 60 to several hundred gallons. They were placed 

 in the workrooms, or in rooms adjacent thereto, or out of doors under 

 a shed roof. Many English makers, however, carry on the first fer- 

 mentation in casks both small and large. Some use inferior 50 to 60 

 gallon casks lying in a shed, or in the open, but the best makers use 

 larger casks or vats holding 100 to 500 gallons, and even larger ones 

 for the tumultuous fermentation. Those who use the open vats quite 

 generally allude to this part of the process as "keeving" the cider, 

 plainly a corruption of the French word "cuvage." 



French makers veiy largely ferment first in immense casks holding 

 from 500 to 1,200 gallons, but they also occasionally use great wooden 

 and slate vats open at the top. 



In Germany only large casks are used, holding 500 to 2,000 liters 

 (132 to 528 gallons). In fact, the German system of fermentation 

 admits of nothing else but casks. These are uniformly closed to 

 guard against the entrance of germ-laden air. Much has been -said 

 in the literature of the subject concerning the various kinds and sizes 

 of vessels used for fermenting the cider. The size of the vessels is of 

 the very greatest importance. Every maker whose work is worthy 

 of commendation was observed to be using large vessels for ferment- 

 ing the must. About 500 liters (132 gallons) was the smallest size 

 recommended, and above this they ran to 6,000 liters (1,585 gallons). 



There are several reasons which have more or less weight in empha- 

 sizing the necessity of having large vessels. One of the first is that a 

 large quantity of must brought into a cask at proper temperature is 

 much less subject to atmospheric changes and, hence, a safe, even fer- 

 mentation can be carried on with greater certainty. There is also a 

 very persistently repeated statement that the fermentation of the must 

 in these large casks produces a marked effect upon quality. It can be 

 readily understood that the use of these very large vessels will pro- 

 duce a considerable quantitj r of finished product of like character 

 which can not be so well accomplished in small vessels. There will 

 also be less dregs in proportion to the quantity of must if one employs 



