THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY. PART L 131 



which could not be cleaned, was something which had to be experienced 

 to be appreciated. These tanks are now situated 1 meter above the 

 ground and the floors beneath can be kept in a reasonably sanitary con- 

 dition. Concrete fermenting tanks are being established in some dis- 

 tilleries. The fermentation is usually allowed to proceed for thirty hours 

 and sometimes longer ; in some cases, three days. It has been shown that 

 even the shortest period is too long, much of the alcohol being thus lost 

 through acetic fermentation.^*' The distiller recognizes two crude tests 

 for complete fermentation : First, a subsidence of foam, and, second, a 

 fall in the temperature of the liquid. 



In some distilleries, esj)ecially in those in the first district bordering on 

 sugar-cane lands, the practice of adding molasses to the fermenting sap 

 is very common. This molasses, which usually contains about 60 per 

 cent of fermentable carbohydrates, is sometimes used in amounts equal 

 to that of the tuba. The advantages are threefold; the iavertase and 

 alcoholic ferment in the tuba act with great rapidity upon the molasses, 

 providing an easy method for utilization of the latter; the alcoholic con- 

 tent of the liquid is much increased ;*" and during shortages in the supply 

 of sap, the uninterrupted running of the stills is assured. Some distil- 

 leries are enabled to operate during the entire year by employing molasses 

 for a portion of the season. 



In some cases, the high acidity of the beer is neutralized by lime made on 

 the spot by burning oyster and other shells. This practice is productive of good 

 results and could advantageously be extended. The fermentation can be cheeked 

 at the proper moment by the addition of an excess to the liquid in the fermenting 

 vats and thus the tuba can be stored in an imchanged condition awaiting its turn 

 to be run to the stills. Without this expedient much of the alcohol is lost on 

 standing. 



No distillery exercises any greater regular control over the fermenta- 

 tion than that described, although some attempts to determine the point 

 of greatest alcohol content by means of the ebullioscope have been observed. 



Distillation. — The stills are heated either by direct fires of wood, or 

 mixtures of coal and wood, or by steam coils. Steam is usually supplied 

 from a tubular boiler burning wood or a mixture of coal and wood. 



The first distillate from the pot stills is usually collected until it has the 

 alcoholic content demanded by the consvuners of the beverage, namely, from 20 



'"A distiller, acting upon oiir advise on this question, shortened the fermenta- 

 tion period to eight hours and immediately obtained increased yields of alcohol. 



*" This does not always work out as it should. I know of cases where molasses 

 fermented with the tuba has resulted in a liquid containing less alcohol than 

 neighboring tanks of tuba to which no molasses had been added. This was 

 found to be due to improper fermentation. Usually, the fermentation had been 

 allowed to progress until the mixture had more of the characteristics of vinegar 

 than of beer. 



