30 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jan., le 
their spores, which would not fail to multiply in the must, and thereby a 
its soundness and quality. Where vats and casks have a decidedly bad # 
the reader is referred to last month’s article in this Journal for their treatitl 
When they have only the usual smell of dry cask, they should be washed 
and scrubbed with a bucket or two of water acidified with sulphuric acid. 
vat-full can be prepared beforehand in the proportion of 2 Ib. of acid to?) 
gallons of water. Wash all the plant down with this solution; it is too ¥ 
m acid to affect the ironwork, but is a splendid germ-destroyer and sweett 
of tainted wood. If the vigneron cannot or will not use the acidified wate 
can wash the plant with a 5-per-cent. solution of bisulphite of lime (obtaiml 
at breweries). If a large fermenting vat has become mouldy and green in§ 
as will happen if kept in a damp place, it is well to burn the interior sul 
with a plumber’s lamp, and then well scrub down with salt water, sulpll 
acid solution, or bisulphite solution. 
“Cleanliness of surroundings should also be attended to, keeping) 
cellar clean and sweet by occasionally whitewashing the walls and sweél 
up all refuse—bruised grapes, husks, &c., lying about, breed countless ger! 
| 
i 
RED WINES—DRY. 
The production of clean, light, and medium red wines of good bouquet! 
flavour requires more attention to details than is generally shown by our vig 
rons. The climate of Queensland tends to increase the production of tal 
and extractive matter in the grape, with a corresponding decrease in tall 
acid, the reverse of what is required in a clean, sound claret. The art of) 
vigneron must then be directed to reducing the one and increasing the o 
The want of acidity is a universal fault which accounts for the flatness of 1 
Queensland dry red wines, as well as for the absence of bouquet; for it 1® 
ethers produced by the action of acids on alcohol which give much of! 
bouquet to wine, consequently where there is low acidity there is wail 
perfume. A must intended to produce a wine of the claret or Burgundy & 
must not contain less than 8 per mille of tartaric acid, and Queensland ml 
generally contain but 6, so that the acidity should be increased by 2 per ml! 
There are two ways of doing this: Hither by vintaging the grapes not} 
fectly ripe, or by the addition of acid to the must. The former meth! 
recommended when the fully ripe grapes run to a density beyond wh 
required for the production of light aa medium wines—that is, from 18 ¥ 
pen cent. of sugar; but if the usual density is insufficient for this course @ 
ollowed, tartaric acid must be added to the must. ‘he remarks on 
acidity published last year are reproduced here for vignerons’ convenience, bl 
is advisable that they should procure the necessary apparatus to test for ad! 
themselves, as, after a few trials, they will find no difficulty in using it, ab! 
is a necessary part of a yigneron’s outfit :-— 
= 
“ACIDITY OF MUST. 
“Mention was made in the article for this Journal for February, } 
that for the germs of vinous fermentation to do their work efficiently the © 
stituent parts of the must should be in equilibrium ; and when the proporti) 
tartaric acid falls too low, the Saccharomyces lose some of their vitality, W 
that of the noxious germs is increased. In addition to the effect upon fer™ 
tation, the wine will be flat to the taste, imperfect in colour, and wantit 
bouquet, and, moreover, it will always be susceptible of change and detet 
tion. Wine made from must with sufficient acidity will be of a lively ed 
fruity, and with a pleasant bouquet, besides keeping much better. q 
“TE grapes are allowed to become too ripe, they lose acidity, and the ® 
will be deficient; on the other hand, if in some places grapes are vintage 
early they will lose in sugar, so that it is preferable to nd a little tartari¢) 
to musts of ripe and over-ripe grapes—a practice permitted in all wine-m@ 
countries, 
