Suffar-Beets and Beetroot Distillation. 
17 
known under the generic name of grain-, potato-, or fusel-oils, 
have an oily consistency, hence the name. 
They are mixtures of several liquids boiling at a temperature 
varying from 185'^ to 270^. Fusel, or grain oils, substantially 
consist of a species of alcohol, which, under the name of amylic 
alcohol, is described by scientific chemists as a colourless oily 
liquid, lighter than water, and having a specific gravity of '815. 
Amvlic alcohol has a nasty burning taste, a disagreeable smell, 
and is poisonous. It has an analogous constitution to ethyl- 
alcohol, which is but another name for ordinary alcohol, or 
spirits of wine. Amylic alcohol burns readily on approach of 
a lighted taper, mixes in all proportions with wine, alcohol, and 
ether, but not with water. Shaken up with water, amyl-alcohol 
(fusel-oil) rapidly separates, and floats on the surface of the 
water, forming an oily liquid. 
The more perfectly fusel-oil is removed from alcohol in the 
act of rectification, the greater is the commercial value of the 
rectified spirit, apart from its strength, which, of course, affects 
the value of alcoholic liquids. 
The rectification of crude beetroot spirit, and the production 
of clean spirit from it, has been much simplified of late years by 
the introduction of improved rectifying stills, which enable the 
beetroot distiller at the present time to produce spirit of a degree 
of purity which contrasts most favourably with the impure beet- 
root spirit that twelve years ago was made in various localities 
in England. Beetroot distilleries, it may be in the recollection 
of some of the readers of this Journal, were established about 
twelve years ago at Birmingham, in the neighbourhood of Wal- 
lingford, at Minety (Gloucestershire), and in several other locali- 
ties. After a languid existence for a few years, these distilleries 
had to be closed ; and during the short time that they were in 
operation, they produced a very inferior kind of spirit that 
could not be used for any of the purposes for which tolerably 
pure spirit must be employed. In fact, the beetroot spirit that 
was made at the time was so much impregnated with fusel-oil, 
that it could only be used for the manufacture of varnishes, 
French polish, and for other preparations for which the strong 
and impure alcohol, selling at the lowest market price, is as 
suitable as well rectified and much more expensive spirit. 
Formerly animal charcoal was largely used by rectifiers of 
crude grain and beetroot spirits. At present the use of charcoal 
has been entirely superseded by the improved distilling and 
rectifying apparatus that may be seen in operation in most of 
the Continental distilleries. 
Two years ago, Mr. Robert Campbell, of Buscot Park, 
erected a beetroot distillery on an extensive scale on his estate 
