507 
of piping for the escape of air. Six inches below that lid is a false 
head bored with a number of conical holes through which are passed 
Pieces of string 6 inches long, with knots which keep them hanging, 
and at the same time stop the holes incompletely. At the bottom is 
a wooden tap or one well made of tinned metal. Twelve inches 
above is a false bottom. Round the base of the cask, between two 
bottoms are vent holes bored slanting from outside downwards. 
The space between the false 
bottom and the false head is 
filled with. beechwood shavings 
to the level of the lower ends 
of the strings. They will last 
for a great number of years. 
These shavings are soaked in 
vinegar, which helps the trans- 
formation of alcohol into acetic 
acid. 
The operation is simply con- 
ducted: the alcoholic liquid to 
be treated is pumped into a re- 
ceiver at a higher level than the 
top of the vinegar generator. 
The liquid is allowed to run 
as a fine stream which trickles 
down slowly over the germ- 
laden: beechwood shavings which 
offer a very large surface to 
the oxidising action of air. It 
acetifies whilst it trickles down 
slowly through these shavings 
and falls into the bottom part 
of the cask whence it is drawn 
StokcheremeanTs gees and casked, or if not com- 
generator (German method). pletely acetified, it is run 
through again. The air travels 
in an opposite direction, entering at the holes at the bottom, it 
escapes by the tube fixed on the top falsehead. The temperature 
should register 67 to 87 deg. F. as in the Orleans process. 
The small destructive animal, called the vinegar eel, which 
sometimes infect the mother casks in the Orleans method, do not 
gain a footing here. 
Commercial vinegar contains from 4 to 6 per cent. of acetic 
acid: 
Ex.: Given vinegar at 5.90 acetic acid, how much water to add 
to break down to 5 per cent? 
100 x 5-90 590 
eho 
Vinegar 
= 118 or 18 parts of water. 
5 
