VINEGAR. 



fermentation is excited more eafily in tlie latter than the 

 former, and every day a portion of tlic vineg:u- is laded from 

 one to the other, till the whole is completely finifhed and 

 fit for fale. 



Vinegar, as well as fruit-wines, is often made in fmall 

 quantity for domeftic ufes, and the procefs is by no means 

 difficult. The materials may be either brown fugar and 

 water alone, or fug:ir with raifins, currants, and efpecially 

 ripe goofeberrics. Thefe fliould be mixed in the propor- 

 tions which would give a ftrong wine, put into a fmall 

 barrel, which it fliould fill about three-fourths, and the 

 bung-hole very loofely flopped. Some yeaft, or, what is 

 better, a toaft; fopped in yeaft, (hould be put in, and the 

 barrel fct in the fun in fnmmer, or a little way from a 

 fire i.T winter, and the fermentation will foon begin. This 

 fliould be kept up conftant, but very moderate, till the tafte 

 and fmell indicate that the vinegar is complete. It fliould 

 be poured off clear and bottled carefully, and it will keep 

 much better if it is boiled for a minute, cooled and drained 

 before bottling. 



In both the vinous and acetous fermentations, an inteftine 

 motion, a fwelling, a hilling noife, and an ebullition, may 

 be perceived ; but the heat produced by the former is 

 fcarcely fenfible, whereas that produced by the latter is vei-y 

 confiderable. Moreover, the vapour which exhales from 

 vinegar, during fermentation, is not noxious, like that of 

 fermenting wine : on the contrary, as the acid of vinegar 

 difengages itfelf, it feems to acquire more power to bind 

 and retain the inflammable principle, which is the truly 

 dangerous part of thcfe vapours. Befides, vinegar docs not 

 depofit tartar as wine does, even though it has been made 

 with wine that had not depofited its tartar ; but the fedi- 

 nient of vinegar is a vifcid, oily, and very putrefcent matter ; 

 which is ufed to cover the grape-ftalks tiiat are employed 

 in the making of vinegar, in order to promote the ferment- 

 ation. The acid of the grape-llalks, which are waflied clean 

 and preferved to promote the fermentation of more vinegar, 

 afts powerfully as a leaven or ferment. The caflts which 

 have been ufed are alfo to be cloanfed from the vifcid matter 

 juft mentioned, and kept for the fame ufe, as they are fitter 

 for the purpofe than new cafks. When the acetous ferment- 

 ation is finiflied, the nature and charaftcr of the liquor that 

 has undergone it are totally ch.nnged. The tafte and fmell 

 of wine are partly fpirituous and partly acid ; though in 

 good wine the latter is fcarcely perceptible : the tafte and 

 fmell of vinegar are alfo acid and fpirituous ; but the former 

 quality prevails fo much, as almoft totally to conceal the 

 latter. The properties of wine and vinegar prove, that the 

 acetous fermentation unfolds in a very fingular manner the 

 acid parts of wine, and intimately combines them with the 

 inflammable fpirit ; fo that by changing wine into vinegar, 

 the ardent fpirit is no longer perceptible, fo that it cannot 

 affeft the head and intoxicate ; and if it be diftilled, the 

 fu-ft liquor that rifes with a heat lefs than that of boiling 

 water is not an ardent fpirit, as when wine is diftilled, unlefs 

 the vinegar be too new, and the acetous fermentation has 

 not been completely finidied ; but when old vinegar is dif- 

 tilled, the liquor that firft rifes is a flightly acid phlegm, 

 which contains the nioft volatile, the moft odoriferous, and 

 the moft fpirituous part of the vinegar. 



When vinegar has run a little beyond the acetous ftate, and 

 begun to enter on the putrcfaftivc, the putrefaction may be 

 flopped by quenching a red-hot iron in the liquor ; and the 

 acid, which has been loft, may in fome mcafure be rcUored, 

 by the addition of a little fpirit of wine, rye-bread, muflard- 

 feed, &c. The piitrefaAion of vinegar may alio bo pre- 

 vented, by racking it off from the feculenciee, • and keeping 



it in a clofe-ftopped veflel, in a cool place. However, fuch 

 as has once fuflered a confiderable heat, cannot long be pre- 

 ferved from corruption. 



In England, the excifc laws relating to vinegar are as 

 follow : 



Evei-y maker of vinegar for fale fliall take out a licence, 

 for which he fliall pay lo/. ; and fliall renew the fame an- 

 nually ten days at leaft before the end of the year ; on pain 

 of 50/. 43 Geo. III. c. 69. Sched. (A.) 24 Geo. III. 

 C.41. 



But perfons in partnerfljip need only take out one licence 

 for one houfe. 



By 43 Geo. III. c. 68. for all vinegar or verjuice im- 

 ported, a certain duty fliall be paid per ton (quantity 252 

 gallons). 



By 43 Geo. III. c. 69. Sched. (A.) for every barrel 

 of vinegar, vinegar beer, or hquors preparing for vinegar, 

 which fhall be brewed or made in Great Britain for fale, 

 fliall be paid by the maker a certain other duty. 



And upon every hogfliead of verjuice which fliall be made 

 in Great Britain for fale, fhall be paid by the maker a cer- 

 tain duty. 



And by 49 Geo. III. c. 98. a duty is impofed in lieu of 

 all former duties of cuftoms. 



By 10 & II W. c. 21. thirty-four quarts fliall be ac- 

 counted a gallon of vinegar, according to the ftandard ale 

 quart. 



Every vinegar-maker fliall make entry with the officer of 

 excife of the houfe or place where he intends to carry on the 

 bufinefs ; and whether he intends to make vinegar from malt 

 or corn, or molafles or fugar, or from any and what other 

 materials. 26 Geo. III. c. 73. 



Such officer may at all times by day and night (but if in 

 the night, in the prefence of a conftable), enter into any 

 places ufed by fuch perfons, and take an account of fuch 

 liquors therein, and fliall make a report thereof in writing 

 to the commiifioners, leaving a true copy thereof under his 

 hand, with fuch maker, if demanded, in writing, under the 

 penaltyof 10/. 7 & 8 W. c. 30. 12 Geo. c. 28. 12 Ch. 

 c. 24. 



By 10 & II W. c. 21. no vinegar-maker fliall receive 

 into his cuftody any liquors for maknig vinegar, nor deliver 

 out any vinegar in caflis, or by the gallon, without notice 

 firft given to the officer, unlefs from Sept. 29, to Mar. 25, 

 yearly, between feven in the morning and five in the 

 evening, and from Mar. 25, to Sept. 29, between five in 

 the morning and feven in the evening ; on pain of 50/. 



On receiving fuch liquors into his cuftody, he fliall fhew 

 the fame to the ganger before he mixes them with aay other 

 liquors, rape, or other materials ; on pain of 20/. 



If any vinegar-maker fliall, without giving notice at the 

 next excife-ofiice, or to one of the commiifioners, ufe any 

 ftore-houfe, wareiioufc, cellar, or other place, for making 

 or keeping any vinegar beer, or liquor preparing for vinegar, 

 he fliall forfeit 50/. 



If any maker of vinegar for fale fliall conceal any vinegar, 

 or liquor preparing for vinegar, from the view ot the 

 gauger, he fhall for every barrel forfeit 40?. 7 & S W. 

 c. 30. 



if fuch makor fliall, on demand made by fuch gauger in 

 the day-time (or if by night, in the prefence of a cmillable), 

 refufe to permit him to enter his houfe, llore-houfe, or 

 other place ufed by liim, and to take an account ot the faid 

 liquors, he fliall forfeit ly/. 



No iKpfon carrying on tlia trade of a vinegar-maker from 

 molafles or fugar, or other materi.ilt;, (except malt or corn,) 

 fliall carry on "(either .alone or in parincrfliip) the trade of a 



diftiUcr 



