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32 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jan., 1900. i 
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 acit 
gas; and if a wooden cover is placed on the vat, it will prevent this stratum ob 
gas being displaced by currents of air. Under any circumstances, the ‘cap 
should be frequently submerged to prevent acetification of the husks as well 
to give as much colour as possible to the wine. 
“But the best system by far for obtaining these results is that of thé 
submerged ‘cap,’ which is now being largely adopted, and can be managed @ 
a small cost. At 6 or 8 inches below the edge of the fermenting vat, if a sma 
one (more if it is of large size), four stout wooden buttons are screwed on 
the inner side at equal distances. ‘The screws must be strong enough to stan 
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 va 
rather smaller in circumference, so that it will slip in and out easily, and on it 
edge cut four equidistant notches corresponding in width and position to th 
four buttons, which when turned will prevent it returning ; if the vat is a larg 
one, it can be made in two pieces, but must be provided with stout fastenings t 
hold it together. The head must be drilled pretty freely with the centre bi 
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 mas*_ 
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 the 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. ; 
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“DURATION OF VATTING. 
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SA NE TI Ta 
“Tt 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 
yatting gives a lighter-coloured wine, but of more finesse and of quicker 
maturing quality. i 
“A longer vatting gives a darker, harsher, and longer maturing wine. | 
“« When all the colour has been extracted from the skins (which can easily 
be ascértained by drawing a sample from the middle of the vat, either by spigot 
or syphon, at intervals of a few hours, and noting if the wine is darker), YS 
should be racked off to finish its fermentation in the cask. Many vignerons 
continue the vatting until the saccharometer marks zero, but why they do so is 
a mystery. Once the wine has extracted all the colour from the husks, or all 
that is required, what is gained by continuing the vatting? If it is with the” 
idea that the wine will not finish its fermentation without the husks, in that 
case there would be no dry white wines. Yet we see that must, run straight 
from the mill into the casks without vatting, ferments out all its sugar without 
difficulty. It is simply a custom, and a mistaken custom. Nothing is gained 
by it; in fact, there is loss of alcohol and increase of volatile acids in the wine. — 
A modification for submerging the cap was seen by the writer a short time 
ago at Rutherglen and Albury, which is a decided improvement on the abover 
Instead of using four buttons, four supports, 6 by 8 by 3 inches, are screwed av 
equal distances to the inside of the vat. The perforated head rests upon these 
purr when the vat is filled up to their height with the milled grapes, an@ 
the head is prevented from rising by wedges driven between it and the side of 
the vat. Of course the head is made sufficiently loose for the wedges to act 
This system prevents the head from falling in when the vat is emptied. 
