FERMENTATION. 
This seems to indicate that the particles of 
sugar must be removed to a certain distance 
iron) each other before the other ingredients 
can decompose them. 
When all these substances exist in must in 
proper proportions, the fermentation com- 
mences very speedily, provided the liquid is 
i placed in a proper temperature; and its ra- 
pidity (other things remaining the same) is 
always proportioned to the quantity of liquid 
exposed at once to fermentation. The heat 
| evolved is always proportioned to the rapi- 
I dity of the process, and indeed may be look- 
[ ed upon as the great cause of that rapidity. 
I According to Chaptal, the temperature dur- 
| ing fermentation is never lower than 60°, and 
I sometimes it is as high as 95. 
During the fermentation, the quantity of 
I sugar is constantly diminishing ; and when 
j the process is completed, the whole of the 
| sugar is decomposed. The liquid has be- 
j come more fluid, specifically lighter, and has 
acquired a vinous taste, owing to the forma- 
I tion of alcohol. Whether the other sub- 
! stances which constitute a part of the must 
have undergone any change, or whether they 
have merely contributed to the decomposi- 
j tion of the sugar, is not precisely known. 
The experiments of Lavoisier, to whom we 
* are indebted for the first precise explanation 
j of fermentation, render the second supposition 
1 most probable. From these experiments it 
! follows that the sugar is divided into two por- 
\ tions ; one portion separates in the form of 
j carbonic acid, and the other, containing a 
| great excess of hydrogen, remains under the 
form of alcohol. This alcohol is combined 
with the colouring matter, and with the acids 
of the v ine, so intimately, that it can only be 
separated by distillation. The carbonic acid 
| carries along with it a certain portion of alco- 
! hol, as was pointed out some time ago by 
i Chaptal. The extractive matter separates, 
I either precipitating to the bottom or swim- 
j ming on the surface. 
It seems more than probable, from the ex- 
| periments of Bullion and Chaptal, that the 
| tartaric acid is partly decomposed during the 
fermentation, and that a portion of malic 
j acid is formed. The process, therefore, is 
j more complicated than was suspected by 
Lavoisier. It is obviously analogous to com- 
I bustion, a$ is evident from the evolution of 
j c Joric and the formation of carbonic acid, 
which is a product of combustion. Proust 
has ascertained, that during the fermentation 
not only carbonic acid, but azotic gas also, is 
! disengaged. This is a demonstration, that 
J all the constituents of must are concerned; 
j for sugar does not contain that principle. 
After the fermentation has ceased, the 
j liquor is put into casks, where the remainder 
of the sugar is decomposed by a slow fermen- 
tation ; after which the wine, decanted off from 
the extractive matter, is put up in bottles. 
The properties of wine differ very much 
from each other, according to the nature of 
the grapes from which the must was extract- 
ed, and according to the manner in which the 
process was conducted. These differences 
are too well known to require a particular 
description. But all wines contain less or 
more of the following ingredients, not to men- 
tion water, which constitutes a very great 
proportion of every wine. 
I. An acid . — All wines give a red colour 
to paper stained with turnsole, and of course 
contain an acid. Chaptal has ascertained 
that the acid found in greatest abundance in 
wine is the malic, but he found traces also of 
citric acid, and it is probable that wine is 
never entirely destitute of tartar. All wines 
which have the property of frothing when 
poured into a glass, contain also carbonic 
acid, to which they owe their briskness. This 
is the case with champaign. These wines arc 
usually weak; their fermentation proceeds 
slowly, and they are put up in close vessels 
before it is over. Hence they retain the last 
portions of carbonic acid that have been 
evolved. 
2. Alcohol . — All wine contains less or 
more of this principle, to which it is indebted 
for its strength ; but in wdiat particular state 
of combination it exists in wine, cannot be 
easily ascertained. It is undoubtedly inti- 
mately combined with the other component 
parts of wine; as Fabroni has shewn that it 
cannot be separated by saturating the \\ ine 
with dry carbonat of potass, though a very 
small portion of alcohol, added on purpose 
to wine, may be easily separated by means 
of that salt. But as alcohol separates along 
with the carbonic acid during the fermenta- 
tion, we can scarcely doubt that it has been 
formed. When wine is distilled, the alcohol 
readily separates. The distillation is usually 
continued as long as the l’quid which comes 
over is inflammable. The quantity obtain- 
ed varies according to the wine, from a fourth 
part to a fourteenth part of the wine distilled. 
The spirit thus obtained is well known under 
the name of brandy. Bullion has observed, 
that when wine is distilled new, it yields 
more alcohol than if it is allowed to get old. 
What remains after this distillation is distin- 
guished in France by the name of viuasse. 
It consists of tartar, &c. and when evaporated 
to dryness, and subjected to combustion, 
yields potass. 
3. Extractive matter . — This matter exists 
in all wines ; but its proportion diminishes ac- 
cording to the age of the wine, as it gradu- 
ally precipitates to the bottom. 
4. Every wine is distinguished by a pecu- 
liar flavour and odour, which probably de- 
pend upon the presence of a volatile oil, so 
small in quantity that it cannot be separated. 
5. The colouring matter of wine is origi- 
nally contained in the husk of the grape, and 
is not dissolved till the alcohol is developed. 
This matter is analogous to the other colour- 
ing matters of plants; a set of bodies possess- 
ed of remarkable properties, but too little 
examined hitherto -to be capable of a clear 
explanation. This colouring matter preci- 
pitates when the wine is exposed to the heat 
of the sun. It sometimes also precipitates in 
okl wine, and it may be easily separated by 
pouring lime-water into wine. 
If wine be exposed to the heat of the sun 
during the summer, the colouring matter is 
detached in a pellicle, which falls to the bot- 
tom : when the vessel is opened, the disco- 
louring is more speedy, and it is effected in 
two or three days during the summer. The 
wine thus deprived of its colour is not per- 
ceptibly weakened. 
The following table, containing the differ- 
ent substances which Neumann extracted 
from various wines, is worth preserving. 
7 LQ 
A quart of 
Highly 
recti- 
fied 
spirit. 
Thick, 
oily, 
unctu- 
ous, re- 
sinous 
matter. 
Gummy 
and tar- 
taro us 
matter.. 
Wa 
ter. 
05 
Ad 
g r - 
cz.dng 
oz 
dr 
S r - 
lb 
GZ 
dr 
K r - 
Aland 
i 
6 
0 
3 
2 
0 
l 
5 
0 
2 
5 
3 
0 
Alicant 
3 
6 
0 
6 
0 
20 
0 
i 
40; 2 
•J 
6 
0 
Burgundy 
2 
2 
0 
0 
4 
0 
0 
i 
40 
2 
9 
0 
20 
Carcassone 
2 
6 
0 
0 
4 
10 
0 
i 
* 
2 
8 
4 
SO 
Champagne 
2 
5 
20 
0 
6 
40 
0 
i 
c 
2 
8 
3 
O 
French 
3 
0 
0 
) 
6 
40 
9 
i 
0 
2 
8 
0 
20 
Frontignac 
3 
0 
c 
3 
4 
0 
5 
20 
o 
4 
6 
SO 
Yin grave 
2 
0 
0 
0 
6 
0 
0 
2 
0 
2 
9 
0 
0 
Hermitage 
2 
7 
0 
1 
2 
0 
0 
i 
40 
2 
7 
5 
20 
Madeira . 
2 
3 
0 
3 
2 
0 
2 
0 
0 
2 
4 
3 
o 
Malmsey 
Vino de ) 
i 
0 
0 
4 
3 
0 
2 
3 
0 
2 
1 
2 
0 
monte > 
Pulciano ) 
2 
6 
0 
0 
3 
c 
0 
2 
4C 
2 
8 
0 
20 
Moselle 
2 
2 
0 
0 
4 
20 
0 
1 
30 
2 
9 
0 
10 
Muscadine 
3 
0 
0 
2 
4 
0 
1 
0 
0 
2 
5 
4 
0 
Neufchatel 
3 
2 
0;4 
0 
0 
1 
7 
0 
2 
2 
7 
0 
Palm sec 
2 
3 
0 
2 
4 
04 
4 
0!2 
2 
5 
0 
Pontac 
2 
0 
Op 
5 
20 0 
2 
o 
2 
9 
0 
40 
OldRhenish 
2 
0 
Ojt 
0 
00 
2 
20 
2 
8 
5 
40. 
Rhenish 
2 
2 
o;o 
3 
20 0 
i 
342 
9 
1 
6 
Salamanca 
3 
0 
03 
4 
0 2 
0 
012 
3 
4 
0 
Sherry 
3 
0 
0 G 
0 
02 
2 
0 
2 
0 
6 
O 
Spanish 
1 
2 
0|2 
4 
0 9 
4 
Oil 
10 
6 
O 
Vino Tinto 
3 
0 
o:g 
4 
o,i 
6 
012 
0 
6 
o 
Tokay 
2 
2 
o' 4 
3 
05 
0 
02 
0 
3 
o 
Tyrol red ? 
wine C 
i 
4 
0,1 
2 
1 
00 
1 
4 
0 
o 
8 
6 
o 
Red wine 
i 
6 
°o 
4 
400 
2 
02 
9 
3 
20. 
White ' 
2 
0 
ojo 
7 
00 
1 
3 
0 
2 
7 
0 
0 
To this head belong not only common 
wine, but all the intoxicating liquors made 
from vegetable juices; as cyder from apples, 
perry from pears, currant wine, &c. likewise 
the liquor made from the juice of the sugar- 
cane, the sugar-mappie, See. 
II. Beer . — The method of making beer, 
though undoubtedly not so obvious as that of 
making wine, was, notwithstanding, known 
in the most remote ages. Whatever grain is 
employed, the process is nearly the same. 
The barley is steeped in v\ ater for about 60 
hours, in order to saturate it with that liquid. 
(See Malting.) It ought then to be re- 
moved as speedily as possible, otherwise the 
water dissolves and carries off the most va- 
luable part of the grain. The barley is then 
to be laid in a heap for 24 hours; heat is 
evolved, oxygen gas absorbed, carbonic acid 
gas emitted, and germination commences 
with the shooting forth of the radicle. It is 
then spread upon a cool floor, dried slowly, 
and is afterwards known by the name of malt. 
Malt, previously ground to a coarse 
powder, is to be infused in a sufficient quan- 
tity of .pure water, of the temperature oi 160° 
for an hour. The infusion is then to be 
drawn off, and more water may be added, at 
a higher temperature, till all the solui le part 
of the malt is extracted. This infi sion is 
known by the name of wort. It has a sweet 
taste, and contains a quantity of saccharine, 
and doubtless also of gelatinous matt r. See 
Brewing. 
The wort is immediately conveyed to a 
boiler, where it is boiled with hops, or some 
other equivalent bitter. It is then put into 
large fermenting vats. 
When wort is placed in the temperature of 
about 60°, fermentation gradually takes 
