409 



Closed vats, such as are used in the Medoc and other districts 

 where the must is light, the temperature cooler, and the wine- 

 makers most conservative in their methods, would in hotter 

 climates, where the grapes are richer in sugar, prove an element of 

 danger, for the reason that the confined hot carbonic acid gas, 

 prevented from escaping freely from the fermenting mass, would 

 greatly tend to raise its temperature beyond the limits desirable. 



The following method of handling the crushed grapes ready 

 for fermentation into wine I have seen attended with the best 

 results and commend to the attention of wine-growers : 



The grape pulp is 

 conveyed in the ordi- 

 nary way provided in 

 each individual cellar, 

 from the grape mill 

 to the fermenting vat, 

 which can well be an 

 open one and should 

 not be too deep, but 

 rather shallow, and in 

 this hot climate, not too 

 capacious, viz., from 400 

 to 600 gallons prefer- 

 ably. 



Grape Vat. 



During this opera- 

 tion of filling up, a 

 straight tap about one inch diameter, driven in the plug hole at the 

 base of the vat, is left open so that as fast as the liquid must and 

 pulp fall from the grape crusher the liquid portion runs out into 

 tubs provided under the tap for its reception. Reference to the above 

 illustration will show a simple and an effective method, I have found, 

 of allowing the liquid to drain through the solid pulp. It consists 

 of an inverted gutter with a V-shape section, made of two lengths 

 of six inch boards a little shorter than the diameter of the base of 

 the vat. This gutter, with the edge uppermost, is made fast by 

 driving a wedge between the end further from the tap and the side 

 of the vat, and is notched at the bottom so as to let the liquid run 

 freely. 



When the vat is about half full of freshly-crushed grapes, a 

 light and movable false head or grating is made secure above them. 

 The liquid must collected in the tubs is then restored to the vat, 

 and allowed to rise some six to nine inches above the perforated 

 false head. 



Being left to itself, the fresh must suffers in a short time a 

 remarkable change. Originally clear, it soon shows signs of 

 clouding up ; small air bubbles begin to form and ascend, and 

 finally cause a decided foaming. The grape must ferments. 



This stage can with advantage be precipitated by adding a 

 " starter " to the crushed grape, previous to covering it up with the 



