05 STATE ANti QUANTITY Of SPIRIT IN FERMENTED LIQUoKS. 



from the wine by the addition of subcarbonate of potash; 

 but, although every precaution was taken, no spirit sepa- 

 fed ; a portion of the subcarbonate, in combination with 

 some of the ingredients of the wine, formed a gelatinous 

 compound, and thus prevented the appearance of the alcohol. 

 Fabroni's ex- '* nfls ^ eeu remarked hy Fabroni, in the Memoir above 

 j.erimem* did quoted, that one hundredth part of alcohol purposely 

 with the added to wine may be separated by subcarbonate of potash ; 



author. but several repetitions of the experiment have not enabled me 



to verify this result : when however a considerable addition of 

 alcohol has been made to the wine, a part of it may be again 

 obtained by saturation with the subcarbonate. The neces- 

 sary addition of spirit to port wine, for this purpose, will -be 

 seen by the following experiments. 

 Subcarbonate Four ounces of dry and v> arm subcarbonate of potash were 

 of potash add- added to eight fluid ounces of port wine, which was pre- 



ed to Port, . - ,. , «. , , T- „• • r 



viously ascertained to aftord by distilhzation 20 per cent of 

 alcohol (by measure) of the specific gravity of 0*825 at 60°. 

 ad the alco- I*» twenty-four hours the mixture had separated into two 

 h ° l r ^ ma l n ^ (l distinct portions; at the bottom of the vessel was a strong 

 extract &c. solution of the subcarbonate, upon which floated a gelati- 

 nous substance, of such consistency as to prevent the escape 

 of the liquor beneath when the vessel was inverted, and 

 which appeared to contain the alcohol of the wine, with the 

 principal part of the extract, tan, and colouring matter, some 

 of the subcarbonate, and a portion of water; but as these 

 experiments relate chiefly to the spirit contained in wine, 

 the other ingredients were not minutely examined. 

 One part of al- To seven fluid ounces of the same wine, I added one fluid 



;.ohol added to ounce of alcohol (specific gravity O^o), and the same 

 seven of wine, ., , , . . , . , , 



none could be quantity or the subcarbonate of potash as in the last expert- 

 separated, ment ; but after twenty-four hours had elapsed, no distinct 



separation of the alcohol had taken place. 

 One part of When two fluid ounces of alcohol were added to six fluid 



alcohol to ounces of the wine, and the mixture allowed to remain uri-. 



three ol wine: • -. 1 ~, , * • 



part separated, disturbed tor the same length of time as in the former ex- 

 periments, a stratum of impure alcohol, of about a quarter 

 of an inch in thickness, separated on the surface. 



Three parts of ' The addition of three fluid ounces of the alcohol to five 



five wine. ^ Ul ^ ounces of "the wine,' formed a mixture from which a 



quantity 



