1 Jury, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 61 
be invented. A cone of wood wrapped in rag or sacking is driven into the 
bunghole with a mallet. To begin with, unless the bunghole and cone are both 
pertectly cylindrical, which is rarely the case, they do not fit; true, the sacking 
‘is employed to fill up the inequalities, but if there is any elongation of the 
bunghole it is ineffective. ‘To prove the fact, let the vigneron turn his casks 
on their sides and see how many leak at the bung, and where wine comes out 
air goes in. Besides the aeritication of the wine, the cone and sacking is 
immersed in the liquid if the cask is full, as it should be, and by capillary 
attraction the wine is drawn to the exterior. This can be proved by the touch ; 
in most cases the sacking will be found to be wet ordamy. ‘The sacking, 
moistened by wine and exposed to the air, forms the most perfect arrangement 
for acetifieation that could be contrived, as can be proved by the smell, so that 
the wine in the cask is constantly in close connection with a vinegary rag. 
The whole arrangement is defective and dangerous. The bung should be of 
sound cork, 1 inch to 14 inches thick, folded in on two layers of sacking, 
and driven in with a- moderately hard blow. ‘The elasticity of the cork will fill 
up all inequalities of the bunghole, preventing access of air, and as it will 
barely reach the interior surface of the stave, the wine cannot wet the sacking 
even if the casks are quite full. If the cork is compact, no germs will pass 
through, but it is better to dip the outer surface in hot pitch or the inner in 
melted paraffin wax. If this class of bung is used, there will be little danger 
of acetification starting at that point. 
_ Another source of danger from this malady is the system of sampling 
from the bung with dippers; it is utterly wrong. The wine is disturbed each 
time with the insertion of the dipper and the banging with the mallet. The 
dipper is rarely washed, and probably carries into the wine each time it is used 
a drop or two of acetified wine containing a few colonies of Mycoderma aceti— 
this happening, it may be, several times a month. The bungs should never be 
removed from casks of light wines except with the object of refilling or 
“ouillage.” Any sample required should be drawn by means of a small tap 
or spigot in the head; if these are objected to, samples can be drawn through a 
gimlet-hole and stopped with wax. The wine is drawn by inserting a bradawl 
or similar tool through the wax, and when enough has run the hole is stopped 
with a small piece of fresh wax forced in with the handle; a little kneading 
with the thumb and finger will soften it enough for the purpose. There is no 
danger of leakage if ordinary care is taken, and the hole not made too large. 
Acetification of a wine can also be started by racking it into a cask that 
has been improperly preserved, and in which the Mycoderma have entered and 
multiplied. No cask should be used for that purpose which gives the slightest 
suggestion of vinegar on smelling it at the bung. Another fruitful source of 
infection to young wine is want of care in preserving the marc from contact 
with the air during fermentation. 
There is only one cure for acescence, and that is pasteurisation or heating 
the wine to 150 degrees, and, unless for very small quantities, this is beyond 
the power of the Queensland vigneron. All other processes are simply 
temporary palliatives, for though the acidity may be neutralised the germs are 
left to turn the remaining alcohol into vinegar, and the wine will soon be as bad — 
as ever. or a wine that is to be consumed quickly, the following is a good 
remedy :—Carefully rack the wine into a clean, well-sulphured cask; as most 
of the germs are at the surface of the wine, be very careful to stop the flow 
before the surface of the wine reaches the top, so that as few germs as possible 
pass over; fine with the whites of from 3 to 6 eggs for each 100 gallons 
according to the colour, if red wine; or with $-oz. to 1 oz. of Nelson’s isinglass, 
if white; rack again as soon as bright, being careful that no sediment goes over. 
If these instructions have been carefully followed out, the wine will have been 
freed of the greater part of the germs, and some little time will be required for 
the survivors to multiply sufficiently to continue the acetification, if the wine 
has been racked into sulphured casks. here remains the acidity to be got rid 
of; the best substance for this purpose is neutral tartrate of potash, as any form 
