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may we not to a great extent be following the example of the ancient 

 Chinese in the fable, in that we are burning down our house to roast our 

 pig, when the same thing could be done just as effectively with the ex- 

 penditure of a less amount of valuable material ! 



It must be remembered that this acid fermentation in order to pro- 

 duce an aromatic spirit is not peculiar to Jamaica. The bouquet " Whis- 

 kies" which have no doubt played a part in diminishing the consump- 

 tion of Jamaica Rum are manufactured very much on the same 

 lines. A certain portion of the "mash" mixed with dunder is allowed 

 to undergo a 20 hour's " souring" but the yeast is grown sep rately 

 in a specially favorable liquid, before being required to ferment the 

 " soured" mash. The whole thing is worked on a perfectly intelli- 

 gible and rational theory, which has been evolved from experiment. 

 Having produced a giving amount of acidity it is desired to stop it, 

 and to produce alcohol. But how can this be dene when the mash 

 contains a large amount of volatile acids and bacteria which are distinct- 

 ly harmful to yeasts ? It has be en found by experiment that the 

 stronger and better nourished a yeast cell is the better is it able 

 to resist a disease. Therefore by growing the yeast first in a 

 separate favorable liquid and employing it when its development is 

 approaching its maximum, we give it the best possible chance of over- 

 coming the bacteria. We are also able by this means to introduce tha 

 yeast in large numbers into the mash because having been kept separ- 

 ate from the bacteria in its reproductive stages, it has been able to re- 

 produce itself fully. 



Therefore by introducing the yeast in sufficient quantity and in a high 

 state of physical efficiency even into a mash which is swarming 

 with bacteria after having undergone a 20 hours "souring," it has been 

 found possible to induce a very fairly rapid and satisfactory alcoholic 

 attenuation. 



The average attenuation in one of the biggest Distilleries in America 

 where these so called sour mash whiskies are produced is : period of 

 fermentation 4 days and attenuation 19° Balling down to 4°, the dunder 

 used having a density of 4° to start with. This in Jamaica figures 

 would be approximately 25.27 — 5.32 = 19.95 degrees attenuation. 

 Mow it suggests itself that the same principle might with advantage 

 be applied here, that is to say one vat or ground cis ern might be 

 started in good fermentation by means of pure fresh cane juice, and as 

 fast as it was "cut" out into other cisterns, filled up with a suitable 

 mixture of pure molasses and dunder, so as to keep it always alive 

 meanwhile the souring process might go on in the trash cistern. 

 This is very much the " modus operandi" that would be followed if a 

 yeast propagatiDg apparatus was used, the general method of working 

 it being, to take the yeast or the fermenting liquor from the apparatus 

 and set up a vat with it, the liquor of which should be as pure as prac- 

 tical considerations will allow, and then to "cut" from this vat into 

 other vats. When this No. 1 vat as I may call it gets exhausted or 

 impure, it is cleaned out with scrupulous care and a fresh supply of yeast 

 from the propagating apparatus is put in and so on. As to the 

 advantages which we possess in working with a yeast producing a. 



