DISTILLATION OF BEET MOLASSES. 345 



causing this decomposition to retrace its steps, still remains 

 to be discovered ; I have essayed it without success. 



SECTION IV. 

 On THE Distillation of Beet Molasses. 



The molasses from beets, when exhausted of its sugar, 

 has not the pleasant taste of that furnished by the sugar- 

 cane, but retains a bitter taste which renders it fit only for 

 distillation. 



The product in molasses is as great as that in sugar : 

 each of the grandcs-hdtardes in which the product of the 

 first boiling is crystallized, yields 40 lbs. of molasses, and 

 45 lbs. of brown cr unrefined sugar : these 40 lbs. of mo- 

 lasses, boiled over, produce 6 lbs. of sugar and 34 lbs. of 

 molasses ; thus from two boilings are obtained 34 lbs of 

 molasses, and 51 lbs. of brown sugar. 



As this sugar is not pure, it is necessary, in order to re- 

 fine it, that it should be melted down, crystallized, and 

 whitened. By these operations some molasses and some 

 sirup is extracted from it. The molasses flows from the 

 moulds when they are placed upon the jars, after the brown 

 sugar has crystallized ; the sirup is formed during the pro- 

 cess of claying ; this is boiled over to obtain the sugar 

 dissolved in it, and the molasses remaining is mixed with 

 that in the jars to be distilled. 



The weight of molasses obtained by these various ope- 

 rations is nearly equal to that of the brown sugar. 



Supposing that I wish to produce the fermentation of 

 445 lbs.* of molasses, to prepare it for distillation ; I pro- 

 ceed in the following manner. I throw the whole quantity 

 of molasses into a vat, and there add to it such a quantity 

 of water as shall cause the liquor to mark 7° or 8° (= 1.052 

 to 1.060) of concentration, I stir the mixture with the 

 greatest care, so as to unite the two fluids thoroughly. The 

 vat is situated in an apartment of the manufactory, where 

 the temperature is, by means of a stove, kept constantly 



* I usually operate upon 890 lbs. The vats in which fermentation 

 is carried on contain 581 gallons. 



