1 Jan., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. ia 45 
temperature when it has risen to a dangerous point, care being taken not 
to upset the mixture into the vat. For vats of larger size, refrigerating 
machinery or the circulation of cold water through a coil immersed in the vat 
are indicated ; the first is costly and only found in iarge well-found cellars, 
but the second can be managed at a reasonable cost by those who have a 
supply of cold water on the premises. The coil should not be of piping too 
large in diameter, otherwise a large part of the water will escape without 
doing its work. The smaller the piping, the greater the cooling surface 
exposed to the must, but, of course, more piping will be required than that of 
large diameter. The water can be sent through by gravitation or by pumping. 
It must not be sent through too quickly, or it will not do its work. Do not 
put the coil at the bottom of the vat, but as near the surface as possible ; the 
husks which have risen to the surface and have formed the “cap” always 
constitute the hottest part of the fermenting mass. When large quantities of 
must have to be fermented, and small vats would take up too much room, 
slate tanks and cement-lined concrete tanks do excellent service, as the heat 
generated by the fermentation in them is carried off so quickly that the 
temperature seldom rises to a dangerous point. 
VATTING, 
When fermenting on the husks, avoid filling the vat too full; a space of 
8 to 12 inches should be left between the “cap” and the top of the vat. The 
object of this is to prevent access of air to the husks which are forced up by 
the escaping gas out of the must, and which would promptly begin to acetify. 
The space between the “cap’’ and the top of the vat is filled by carbonic acid 
gas ; and if a wooden cover is placed on the vat, it will prevent this stratum of 
gas being displaced by currents of air. Under any circumstances, the “ cap” 
should be frequently submerged to prevent acetification of the husks as well 
as to give as much colour as possible to the wine. 
But the best system by far for obtaining these results is that of the 
submerged “cap,”’ which is now being largely adopted, and can be managed ata 
small cost. At 6 or 8 inches below the edge of the fermenting vat, if a small 
one (more if it is of large size), four stout wooden buttons are screwed on to 
the inner side at equal distances. The screws must be strong enough to stand 
a considerable pressure, and the buttons must be of hard wood, 4 or 5 inches 
by 2 inches, and just loose enough to turn. Now make a stout head to the vat 
rather smaller in circumference, so that it will slip in and out easily, and on its 
edge cut four equidistant notches corresponding in width and position to the 
four buttons, which when turned will prevent it returning; if the vat is a 
large one, it can be made in two pieces, but must be provided with stout 
fastenings to holdit together. The head must be drilled pretty freely with the 
centre bit to allow the escape of the gas and must. Having filled the vat up 
to just below the buttons with the crushed grapes, slip the head over the 
buttons, and give them a half-turn to shut it down. As soon as fermentation 
begins, and the mass begins to swell in bulk, the head will keep back the husks 
and stalks, but allow the must as well as the carbonic acid to pass through the 
holes; the head will be covered with must, and the “cap” kept entirely out of 
contact with tke air. In this way no acetification of the “ cap” can possibly 
take place, as the Mycoderma find no resting place for their operations, and 
the wine extracts from the husks the utmost amount of colour. As the 
fermenting mass will cause considerable pressure on the head, care must be 
taken to drill enough holes to favour the escape of gas, and to put strong 
screws or bolts to the buttons. 
DURATION OF VATTING. 
It is worse than useless to allow the vatting to continue after the required 
colour has been extracted from the skins, as every hour that passes increases 
the danger of acetification of the “cap” when exposed to the air. A short 
vatting gives a lighter-coloured wine, but of more jinesse and of quicker 
maturing quality. 
