455 



is done. The brandy is brought to the required strength either in 

 one or two distillations ; those wines possessing little bouquet being 

 generally only distilled once, whilst the more-highly perfumed ones 

 are distilled in two operations ; the first, in order to produce 

 singlings or faints, a weak, milky spirit, which is diluted down to 

 the strength of wine and redistilled to get a brandy of the required 

 strength and degree of purity. 



The faints are generally all run into the same vessel, and when 

 they are redistilled those lighter ethers which come over at the 

 beginning of the operation are run into one vessel, which also 

 receives the heavier empyreumatic oils (fusel oil), which, under the 

 influence of greater heat, distil over at the end. Thus the head 

 and the tail spirits, which are only suitable for the manufacture of 

 varnish, are separated from the purer and more wholesome brandy, 

 which is collected during the middle of the distillation. 



By means of a further and carefully-conducted distillation, an 

 additional quantity of good brandy can be separated from the head 

 and tail spirits. 



AMATEUR WINE BOTTLING. 



Bottled and cased wine for the market is of ten" costly, the con- 

 sumer having to pay besides bottles, corks, capsules, labels, and 

 cases, the cost of the labour entailed by these operations. Wine 

 bought in wood, on the other hand, often proves more costly still to 

 those who, through want of experience, neglect or fail to observe, 

 when handling it, ordinary precaution for its safe-keeping. 



Wine in bulk and bought in cask is also cheaper than smaller 

 quantities sold by the case. The wine-maker or the wine merchant 

 generally allow the full amount for casks returned in good order, so 

 that by buying his wine in bulk and seeing to the bottling himself, 

 the consumer can stock his cellar with good sound wine at a small 

 cost. Instead of paying Is. 6d. or 2s. a bottle, or even more, he can 

 lay down a stock of wine at a cost of Is. a bottle, or little over. 



A few notes on the question of the home-bottling of wine will 

 enable a great many who begrudge the higher price to procure 

 sound wine at a small cost and bottle and keep it until required for 

 use. Instead of deteriorating, such wine keeps on improving when 

 thus put away. 



SELECTING WINE is the most important step of all, and in 

 every instance it is advisable to sample the wine and ascertain 

 whether it suits ones taste or requirements or not. It is always 

 advisable to buy from a maker or merchant who understands his 

 business, and it is cheaper to buy for a shilling more a gallon a 

 wine which has been properly fermented and matured than a young 

 wine, which may cost less, but cannot be as wholesome. Young 

 wines are still surcharged with carbonic acid gas, with cream of 



