2l8 BACTERIOLOGICAL METHODS 



Stances or flavoring agents to raw (unaged) whiskey or brandy so 

 as to imitate the product which has been allowed to age natu- 

 rally, constitutes adulteration under the Federal Pure Food and 

 Drugs Act. Adding whiskey or brandy to alcohol (ethyl) com- 

 monly known as rectified spirits, does not make rectified whiskey 

 or brandy. 



Various medicamenta may be added to whiskey and brandy, 

 such as caraway, aloes, juniper berries, absinthium, etc. Many 

 alcohohc beverages are sold to the unsuspecting pubhc under the 

 guise of tonics and blood purifiers. 



2. Beer. — Beer is a fermented drink generally made from 

 barley. The carefully selected grain is washed in running water 

 and then macerated in water to induce germination. This 

 process liberates the ferment diastase which occurs in the 

 grain and this enzyme acts upon the starch present converting it 

 into saccharine compounds. The saccharine compounds are 

 next acted on by the yeasts {Saccharomyces cerevisecB and other 

 species) which convert the sugars into alcohol. Hops are added 

 to give the beer a bitter taste and also for the purpose of in- 

 fluencing the fermentation process favorably. After the al- 

 coholic fermentation is completed, the product is filtered, clarified, 

 pasteurized and occasionally preserved by adding salicylic acid 

 or other preservative. The alcoholic content of beer varies from 

 about 1.50 to 6 per cent. Some beers are fortified by adding 

 alcohol. There are many kinds or brands of beer, differing in 

 color, flavor, taste and consistency. 



Brewers must observe great caution to guard against the inva- 

 sion of objectionable organisms as bacteria, yeasts and mold, 

 which might vitiate the normal or desirable process of fermenta- 

 tion. In spite of all precautions, things often go wrong. The 

 wort may undergo sour or other objectionable fermentation and 

 as a result the entire lot may have to be rejected. Wild yeasts 

 may gain the upper hand and ruin the beer. Even after the 

 product is finished and placed in the containers, abnormal fer- 



