WINE, CIDER AND VINEGAR 



183 



wines. The Rhine wines are dry and usually white, 

 although sometimes red. Sherries, named from 

 Xeres, Spain, are "fortified" wines; that is, they 

 have added to them some alcohol in excess of that 

 produced by fermentation in order to prevent 

 deterioration. This treatment is not uncommon 

 with sweet wines. 



II. Cider 



The production of cider is fundamentally like 

 that of wine, the fermentation being of the same 

 character. Cider -making, however, is not so 

 extensively a commercial enterprise as is wine- 

 making. A certain amount of bottled cider, "cham-' 

 pagne cider," and the like, is to be found in the 

 market, however. 



In cider-making, much depends on the character 

 of the fruit used. Not all kinds of apples are 

 equally well adapted to cider-making. Varieties 

 like the russet and crab, which are apparently 

 high in tannins, appear to be best adapted for this 

 purpose. Many other varieties will produce excel- 

 lent cider, however. 



For the preparation of good cider, the fruit 

 should be mature, clean and free from bruises or 

 decayed spots. These spots always contain cells of 

 molds which may exert an unfavorable influence 

 on the fermentation or by their own fermentative 

 action give rise to undesirable products. Accord- 

 ing to some authorities, the fruit should be allowed 

 to remain on the trees as long as possible, and then 

 piled up for a sufficient time to allow a sweating 

 process to take place. This is supposed to cause 

 uniformity and completeness of ripening. 



The fruit is next ground or crushed and the pulp 

 reduced to a fine state of division, in order that 

 the cells may give up their burdens of saccharine 

 juice. Pressure is then applied to this mass of 

 pomace, as it is called, and the more or less 

 colored sweet cider or juice is thus secured. 

 The color depends to a great extent on the 

 time during which the pulp is exposed to the 

 air before pressing, as certain components of 

 the fruit become oxidized through the agency 

 of oxidase enzymes in the cells, and turn 

 brownish in color. 



The pressing was formerly, and in some 

 parts of the country still is accomplished 

 with alternating layers of pomace and straw to 

 give firmness to the "cheese," and to allow a more 

 ready exit for the juice. Racks for holding the 

 pomace, and press cloths of a fairly coarse material 

 are now more generally used, and are to be pre- 

 ferred, as the straw is likely to impart a musty 

 taste to the cider. 



After pressing out the sweet cider, it is gener- 

 ally allowed to undergo a spontaneous fermentation 

 in a moderately cool place. In domestic operations 

 the fermentation is carried out in barrels. After 

 the first violent fermentation is over, the barrels 

 may be tightly bunged and the slight secondary 

 fermentation allowed to take place without further 

 . attention, except to keep the temperature fairly 

 low. If the cider is to be bottled, it should be 



done after the primary fermentation is at an 

 end, but before the secondary fermentation is com- 

 plete, so that some of the carbon dioxid may be 

 retained by the cider. " Champagne cider " is pre- 

 pared in this way, with the addition of some brandy 

 and more sugar, so that the secondary fermentation 

 may be considerable in amount. 



Apple juice generally contains 10 to 14 per cent 

 of sugar. If less than 10 per cent is present, a 

 cider with good keeping quality cannot generally 

 be made, unless, of course, the cider be " fortified." 



The cider should be protected from direct con- 

 tact with air, otherwise acetic fermentation will 

 take place and vinegar will result. 



Sometimes for the preparation of specially fine 

 cider, sugar and raisins are added, and the solution 

 clarified by isinglass or catechu, in order that the 

 color may not be changed on exposure to air. 



Cider, like wine, is subject to a number of 

 troubles or "diseases" caused by invading or 

 undesirable organisms, due oftentimes to poor 



Knuekle-joint cider press, with power attachments 

 and reversible platform. 



fruit and uncleanly conditions. As in wine-making, 

 to obtain a really excellent product requires good 

 raw material and scrupulous care and attention to 

 cleanliness. 



III. Vinegar 



Vinegar as used as an article of food is the pro 

 duct of a process of fermentation in which a liquid 

 of low alcoholic content is changed to a dilute 

 solution of acetic acid, together with certain com- 

 pounds which give a fruity ethereal odor or "bou- 

 quet." This substance has been known for a very 

 long time, as is not strange when it is noted that 

 the change goes on in nature, entirely without 

 man's intervention, if the juices of sweet fruits 

 are exposed to the activity of numerous micro- 



