V I N 



picis, and the fpout being (lopped, receive a gentle prefTiire ; 

 and thea the fpout is opened, and the juice drawn off as 

 long as it will run without further prefling : when the 

 fpout is again (lopped, the grapes are again fubjcfted to a 

 ftronger preffure, fomewhat in the manner of the cyder- 

 prefs, and the liquor afterwards drawn o(f as before. In 

 this manner tl>e work proceeds until the liquor is wholly 

 drawn off. 



Thefe preffes are perfeftly fimple in their nature, being 

 merely fo contrived as to a(Tord a proper degree of pre(rure, 

 without doing too much injury to the grapes, which would 

 probably hurt the flavour and quality of the wine. See 

 Wine. 



VINEjE, in tlie Roman Art of War, were defenfive en- 

 gines, compofed of wicker hurdles, laid for a roof on the 

 tops of pods, which the foldiers who went under it for 

 (helter bore up with their hands. Some fay that they had 

 two roofs ; the firll and lower of planks, and the upper 

 roof of hurdles, to break the force of any blows, without 

 difordering the machine. See Mantelets. 



VINEGAR, AcETUM, an agreeable, acid, penetrating 

 Lquor, prepared from wine, cyder, beer, and other liquors, 

 and varying in hue from light red to brown ftraw-colour, 

 malt vinegar being more highly coloured than that of wine : 

 and of confiderable ufe, both as a medicine and a fauce : 

 or, vinegar js a vegetable acid liquor, produced by the 

 fecond degree of fermentation, or that which fucceeds the 

 fpirituous, and is called the acid or acetous fermentation. 

 Every liquor, which has completely undergone the fpiritu- 

 ous fermentation, is fpontaneouny and neceffarily difpofed 

 to the acid fermentation. Accordingly, every vinous 

 liquor does continually tend to become vinegar, and is 

 actually changed into it, fooner or later, according to cir- 

 cumftances ; unlefs this change be prevented by fome 

 obftacle to fermentation in general. If vinegar be long 

 kept, and particularly if it be expofed to the air, it will 

 become muddy and ropy, acquirmg an unpleafant fmell, 

 lofing its acidity, and putrefying. In order to preferve it 

 for a longer time, it fhould be boiled for a few miiuites, fo 

 that the gluten may coagulate and feparate, on the prefence 

 of which thefe changes depend, and alfo kept in well-corked 

 bottles. 



The word is Frencli, mnalgre ; formed from ■vin, wine, 

 and aigre, four. 



The method of making vinegar has long been kept a 

 fecret among the people of that profeffion ; who, it is faid, 

 oblige themfelves to each other by oath not to reveal it ; 

 but, notwithilanding this, the Philofophical Tranfadtions, 

 and fome other late writings, furnifh us with approved ac- 

 counts of it. Whatever be the materials uled in the pre- 

 paration of the liquor for producing vinegar, it is merely 

 neceffary to admit air into the veffel in which it is kept, and 

 to preferve it in a temperature fomewhat higher than that of 

 the atmofphcre in this climate, that is, from about 75° to 

 80°. When a liquor already fermented is ufed, it is alfo of 

 almoft indilpenfable importance that yeall, or fome other 

 ferment, be added, in order to hailcn the fermentation, 

 or elfe the change will be too gradual to obtain vinegar in 

 perfeftion, and the fird acetilied portion will turn mouldy 

 before the lall has become four. But if the material em- 

 ployed has not undergone fermentation, the whole proccfs 

 of the vinous and preceding acetous fermentation will go on 

 without interruption, with the fame ferment which lir(l fet 

 it in aftion, as, e. g. in making vinegar from malt, or from 

 fugar and water. It is neccfTary alfo to (lop the procefs of 

 the manufafture in that ftage of it, in wiiich the acid has 

 attained to its highert degree of ftrength and perfcftion, 



V I N 



after which the liquor would then fpeedily be deteriorated, 

 the acetous acid would gradually difappear, and an ofFenfivc 

 mouldy watery liquor remain, with fcarcely any acidity. 

 It depends upon the fliill and experience of the manufafturer 

 to determine when his vinegar is in a tit (late to be drawn 

 off and clofely barrelled. 



Vinegar, Method of making Cyder. The cyder (the 

 meaneil of which will fcrve the purpofe) is firft to be drawn 

 off line into another veflel, and a quantity of the muft, or 

 pouze of apples, to be added; the whole is then to be fet in 

 the fun, if there be a conveniency for the purpofe ; and, at 

 a week or nine days end, it may be drawn off. 



Vinegar, Method of making Beer. Take a middling 

 fort of beer, indifferently well hopped ; into which, when 

 it has worked well, and is grown fine, put fome rape, pr 

 hufks of grapes, ufually brought home for that purpofe ; 

 malh them together in a tub ; then, letting the rape fettle, 

 draw off the liquid part, put it into a calk, and fet it in the 

 fun as hot as may be ; the bung-hole being only covered 

 with a tile, or flate-ftone ; and in about thirty or forty days 

 it will become a good vinegar, and may pafs in ufe as well 

 as that made of wine, if it be refined, and kept from turning 

 mufty. 



Or, vinegar may be made thus : To every gallon of fpring- 

 water, add three pounds of Malaga raifins ; which put into 

 an earthen jar, and place them where they may have the 

 hotted fun from May till Michaelmas ; then prefling all 

 well, tun the liquor up in a very ftrong iron-hooped veffel, 

 to prevent its burfting : it will appear very thick and 

 muddy, when newly preffed ; but it will refine in the veffel, 

 and be as clear as wine. Thus let it remain untouched for 

 three months, before it be drawn off, and it will prove ex- 

 cellent vinegar. 



ViNEGAK, To make Wine. Any fort of vinous liquor, 

 being mixed with its own fsccs, flowers, or ferment, and 

 its tartar firll reduced to powder ; or elfe with the acid 

 and aulleie (lalks of the vegetable from whence the wine 

 was obtained, which hold a large proportion of tartar : and 

 the whole being kept frequently (lirring in a veffel which 

 has formerly held vinegar, or fet in a warm place full of 

 the fleams of the fame, will begin to ferment anew, and 

 conceive heat, and will grow four by degrees, and foon 

 after turn into vinegar. 



The remote fubjeds of acetous fermentation are the fame 

 with thofe of vinous ; but the immediate fubjecls of it are 

 all kinds of vegetable juices, after they have once under- 

 gone that fermentation which reduces them to wine ; for it 

 is abfolutely impoffible to make vinegar of mull, the crude 

 juice of grapes, or other ripe fruits, without the previous 

 affidance of vinous fermentation. 



The proper ferments for this operation, by which vinegar 

 is prepared, are, i. The fxces of all acid wines. 2. The 

 lees of vinegar. 3. Pulverized tartar ; efpecially that of 

 Rhenifh wine, or the cream or crydals of it. 4. Vinegar 

 itfelf. 5. A wooden veflel well drenched with vinegar, or 

 one that has long been employed to contain it. 6. Wine 

 that has often been mixed with its own ficcs. 7. The 

 twigs of vines, and the (lalks of grapes, currants, cherries, 

 or other vegetables of an acid audere tade. 8. Bakers' 

 leaven, after it is turned acid. 9. All manner of ferments, 

 compounded of thofe already mentioned. 



Vuieg.ir is no produCti'in of nature, but a more creature 

 of art : for verjuice, the juices of citrons, lemons, and the 

 like native acids, are improperly faid to bo natural vinegars ; 

 bccaufe, when didilled, they afford nothing but vapid water ; 

 wliereas it is the property of vinegar to yield an acid fpirit 

 by didillation. 



The 



