108 



importance, especially among the Germans, as their cider is fermented 

 nearly to dryness before filtering, and hence is less able to protect 

 itself by the regeneration of abundant carbonic acid gas. For this 

 reason the Germans advocate charging the casks with carbonic acid 

 gas before running the cider into them. 



FIG. 26. Asbestos gravity filter. 



THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CIDER. 



It will doubtless be clear to every one who has manufactured ciders, 

 or followed the foregoing discussion, that it is not possible to fix upon 

 a certain chemical composition and say this represents what should be 

 considered a standard cider. Chemical analyses, 'however,, reveal what 

 it is exceedingly important to know, viz, the sugar, alcohol, and acid 

 contents, with other data of possibty less importance. Without these 

 data one is completely in the dark as to whether the product has been 

 properly or improperly fermented, and no technical progress in the 

 study of methods is possible. Chemical analyses rightly interpreted 

 will also aid the consumer in distinguishing pure from sophisticated 

 ciders. 



