DISTILLATION OP BEET MOLASSES. 347 



fault by mixing about 2^ lbs. of animal charcoal with the 

 liquor of each boiling ; this is 90 gallons : the spirit ob- 

 tained by this process differs but little from wine-brandy. 



I redistil nearly all the spirit over a naked fire, employing 

 for it the same proportion of animal charcoal, and convert 

 it into alcohol of 34°, (=0.858.) 



The sale of the alcohol is more easy and profitable than 

 that of the spirit, as this quality of alcohol is in much re- 

 quest amongst the manufacturers of colors for dissolving 

 their resins. 



I once thought, that it would be more advantageous to 

 leach the mash of the beets in order to mix the juice thus 

 obtained with the molasses, and to ferment them together, 

 but experience has undeceived me ; the juice ferments, and 

 the molasses does not then undergo decomposition; it is 

 found in the boiler unchanged. I have found the same re- 

 sults to be produced, when I have mixed the must of grapes 

 with molasses. 



200 kilogrammes (445^ lbs.) yield upon distillation 

 about 13 gallons of spirit of 22^ (= 0.932 ;) these 13 gal- 

 lons produce 6^ gallons of alcohol at 34°. The expenses 

 of the operation may be calculated thus : 



One man, who conducts all the operations, and completes 

 the distillation of it in one day, . 1 franc 50 centimes. 

 Ten kilogrammes of rye, .... 1 



Pit coal, 3 



Animal charcoal, 50 



Total, 6 francs {= $1.14.) 



The conversion of this spirit into alcohol of 34° costs as 

 follows : 



Day's wages, ... 1 franc 50 centimes. 



Pit coal, .... 3 



Animal charcoal, . . 50 



Total, 5 francs 



From this it appears that the profits are not great, but 

 distillation gives an actual value to molasses which is worth 

 nothing. 



