CHAPTER V. 



OF THE WL\E VESSEL^, VATS 



Tlie casks, like the vats, should be made ready before the vintage. 

 If they are new, the wood employed in their construction will have 

 rm astringency and bitterness that may be imparted to the wine ; 

 Ihis serious evil is prevented by soaking them well with cold water, 

 then with hot water in v/hich peach leaves have been infused, and 

 finally with salt and water. Each time the cask must be well roUed 

 and shaken, and the different waters left in it long enough to penetrate 

 the substance of the wood and draw out the hurtful principle. After 

 the salt and water is emptied out, two pints or a gallon of fermenting 

 must, brought to boiling heat, must be thrown in, and the cask bunged 

 and shaken ; after which the must is allowed to run out. But some 

 vine-dressera, in place of the above operations, only rinse well with 

 hot v.-ine. 



If the casks are old, and have been used, the head is taken out, 

 and the gravel, or coat of tartar that skirts the iimer side, is scraped 

 off with a sharp instrument ; after which the whole is thoroughly 

 rinsed with warm water, or hot must, or hot wine. If casks have 

 contracted any bad taste ; if they have been touched with mould, they 

 must be burnt ; nothing can ever be done to conceal or repair these 

 faults, save transiently ; they soon re-appear and spoil the wine. To 

 prevent such accidents, the casks, as soon as empty, must be well 

 drained and turned over on the side, ajid an inch square of brimstone 

 match burned in at the bung-hole ; then bunged as tight as possible 

 and stowed away in a dry place. Before using a cask it should be 

 ascertained that it has not soured, which can be found out by introdu- 

 cing a burnmg match, or a piece of lighted paper ; if they go out, 

 it requires purifying. It should be turned down, the bung open, over 

 running water, or the sandy floor of the cellar, for four and twentv 

 hours, then rinsed and sulphured by burning a match in it. The 

 hoops should be examined, to see that none are started or in bad 

 order ; water should be poured in to find whether the staves are tight. 

 If they are loose, water must be put m, and the cask allowed to 

 stand awhile on one side, then turned to the other, until there is nc 

 leaking ; it must then be drained. 



