THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY. PART II. 33 
in the methods of distillation might be suggested. Any con- 
clusions arrived at from the study of vino de coco are equally 
applicable to vino de nipa distilled from the pot still. It had 
been intended at the same time to carry out, along practical lines, 
a study of the fermentation of coconut sap, and a number of sam- 
ples were collected with this end in view, but the difficulty 
encountered in inhibiting fermentation changes in these samples 
during transportation to the laboratory in Manila was not com- 
pletely overcome, and this important phase of the question was 
left for future investigation under more favorable conditions. 
Jt is an important question, and should not be neglected. 
The first distillery visited was at Nagcarlan, La Laguna Province, where 
with the assistance of Internal Revenue Agent Patstone a distillation was 
supervised on April 7, 1911, and samples obtained for analysis as hereinafter 
described. 
The still employed was a modern pot still, provided with a small doubler 
and heated by direct flame. (Plate II.) After each distillation, the residue 
in the still, termed tabad (Tagalog), is drawn off as completely as possible, 
leaving about 57 liters of liquid, which, owing to the manner of construction 
of the still, can not be withdrawn. To this are added some 1,200 liters of 
fermented coconut sap and about 20 liters of bating and parasan (Tagalog) 
which correspond to the “heads” and “tails” rejected from the previous run. 
After the still is started, a trap, placed on the delivery tube beyond the 
condensing worm, is left open until the still runs true, that is, until the 
weak alcohol left in the condenser from the previous run has been dis- 
charged. Then 2 liters of the first distillate, called bating (Tagalog), are 
drawn off. The heads and former distillate are considered a poor beverage, 
and are returned to the next charge for redistillation. The trap is then 
closed and the distillate proper called banto (Tagalog), amounting to about 
200 to 250 liters, is run into the storage tanks. Finally from 15 to 20 liters 
of tails or weak alcohol are collected separately and later returned to the 
next run. Two distillations a day are made whenever the tuba is available. 
The gauge liters obtained are calculated from the rise in level of the 
distillate in the storage tank into which it is run. To obtain the proof 
liters, the trap is regulated so that the distillate is slowly dropping through- 
out the run, giving a composite sample which is used for a hydrometer 
reading. The transition point between the beverage and the tails is found 
by an attendant who is sufficiently experienced to judge of the alcoholic 
content of the distillate from its taste. These methods for the determination 
of gauge and proof liters are less accurate than those which will later be 
described as employed at a second distillery. 
In the distillation supervised by us, the still contained 1,216 
liters of fermented coco sap, 57 liters of residue in the still from 
the previous charge, 19 liters of tails, and 2 liters of heads, 
making a total of 1,294 liters. A sample of the charge was 
taken for analysis, but, inasmuch as we have reason to believe 
that the salts of mercury added as a preservative did not com- 
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