370 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
Octo;ber  15,  1898. 
HOME-MADE  WINES. 
{Continued  from  page  318.) 
When  all  these  have  taken  place,  then  they  slowly  decrease. 
The  liquor  diminishes  in  volume  and  weight.  It  becomes  trans¬ 
parent  ;  its  sweetness  has  entirely  disappeared,  and  is  replaced  by  a 
vinous  taste  which  it  more  or  less  alcoholic  ;  the  vinous  fermenta¬ 
tion  is  complete,  and  the  liquor  is  now  called  wine. 
To  increase  or  prolong  fermentation  it  is  necessary  to  place  the 
vessel  containing  the  wine  in  a  higher  temperature,  or  to  apply  by 
other  means  a  higher  temperature  to  the  wine  itself.  Of  the  latter 
appliances  the  most  usual  are  covering  the  vessel  with  blankets  or 
other  woollen  fabrics,  by  filling  stone  bottles  with  warm  water 
and  immersing  them  in  the  wine,  or  by  placing  the  vessel  near  a 
fire.  Fermentation  may  be  prolonged  by  breaking  the  head  of  the 
yeast  which  rises  to  the  surface,  and  stirring  it  all  up  together 
from  time  to  time,  well  agitating  the  whole  mass  ;  and  when  the 
quantity  of  ferment  is  deficient  in  the  fruit,  a  small  quantity  of 
yeast  is  to  be  mixed  with  a  portion  of  the  wine,  and  stirred  in. 
To  check  fermentation  the  simplest  way  is  to  place  the  vessel 
containing  the  wine  in  a  cool  place,  thereby  reducing  the  tempera¬ 
ture  ;  also  removing  the  head  of  the  yeast  which  rises  to  the  surface 
in  the  fermenting  tub  ;  and  racking  the  wine  from  the  lees  either 
into  another  cask,  or  into  the  same  cask  after  being  cleansed  and 
sulphured. 
Gravity — The  Saccharoheter. 
After  the  liquor  has  been  put  into  the  fermenting  tub,  and  all 
throughout  the  process  of  fermentation,  the  density  of  the  liquor 
must  be  frequently  tested  by  the  aid  of  an  instrument  called  a 
saccharometer,  the  meaning  of  which  is  literally  a  measurer  of 
sugar.  Without  this  instrument  it  is  impossible  to  make  wine 
with  any  certainty  of  success,  for  without  it  no  one  can  tell  what 
sugar  the  fruit  contains,  what  amount  it  is  necessary  to  add,  and, 
after  fermentation  has  commenced,  what  progress  it  is  making,  and 
to  what  end. 
The  saccharometer  is  a  hollow  egg-shaped  bulb  with  a  weight 
at  the  bottom  and  a  long  stem  at  the  top,  upon  which  is  a  scale 
divided  by  marks  accompanied  by  figures.  If  this  is  placed  in  a 
vessel  of  pure  water  at  a  temperature  of  60°,  the  index  will  stand 
at  o.  If  sugar  be  dissolved  in  the  water  its  density  becomes 
greater,  the  saccharometer  will  rise,  and  the  scale  will  indicate  the 
amount  of  specific  gravity  it  has  acquired.  In  like  manner,  when 
fermentation  is  going  on,  and  the  sugar  contained  in  the  liquor 
is  gradually  becoming  decomposed  and  converted  into  alcohol,  the 
scale  on  the  saccharometer  will  correctly  indicate  the  progress  of 
this  decomposition,  and  the  consequent  reduction  of  the  density  of 
the  liquor.  It  is  estimated  that  every  pound  of  sugar,  according 
to  its  strength,  will  raise  the  density  35  or  36  ;  so  if  the  liquor 
when  first  tried  by  the  saccharometer  indicates  a  gravity  of  40,  the 
addition  of  2  lbs.  of  sugar  (each  raising  it  35),  will  increase  it  70, 
thereby  making  the  gravity  110,  another  half-pound  would  increase 
it  17^,  and  this  with  the  other  would  raise  the  gravity  117j^. 
Again,  supposing  the  gravity  of  the  pure  juice  of  fruit  of  which 
it  is  intended  to  make  wine  stands  at  60,  and  by  the  addition  of 
nearly  an  equal  quantity  of  water  it  is  reduced  to  32,  then  by 
adding  2i  lbs.  to  every  gallon  of  the  liquor,  the  gravity  would  be 
raised  to  119^,  which  is  about  the  standard  to  make  a  wine  of 
superior  quality.  Light  wines,  and  those  that  are  intended  to  be 
sparkling,  do  not  require  to  be  more  than  110. 
The  saccharometers  made  of  a  yellow  metal,  and  sold  in  a  case 
by  opticians,  are  costly  instruments  ;  but  one  made  of  glass  can  be 
bought  of  any  of  the  Italian  or  other  opticians  for  about  half-a- 
crown  or  a  few  shillings  at  the  utmost,  and  no  one  should  attempt 
to  make  wine  without  one. 
The  instrument  we  use  is  based  on  Twaddle’s  hydrometer.  This 
is  made  of  glass,  and  is  graduated  from  0  to-30,  and  each  division, 
wherever  the  scale  is  cut  by  the  liquid,  is  to  be  multiplied  by  5, 
to  get  the  specific  gravity.  For  instance,  if  the  hydrometer,  when 
placed  in  the  liquor,  indicates,  or  is  cut  at  10,  that  multiplied  by 
5  gives  50,  which  is  the  gravity  of  the  liquor.  The  half  degrees 
are  represented  by  dots,  and  each  of  these  represents  2^,  so 
that  if  the  liquor  cuts  the  acsle  at  101,  its  gravity  will  be  52^. 
The  highest  degree  on  the  scale  of  a  No.  1  Twaddle  being  24, 
this  multiplied  by  5  will  give  120  aa  the  highest  regiitering 
quantity  ;  but  if  it  is  desired  to  have  a  higher  record,  this  will 
be  found  in  the  hydrometer  No.  2,  which  begins  at  25.  As  it  is 
inconvenient  to  have  two  instruments,  we  have  had  one  made  on 
the  same  principle  as  the  Twaddle,  which  registers  up  to  30  ; 
multiplying  by  5  enables  it  to  record  a  gravity  of  150. 
These  instruments  well  packed  in  a  tin  case  can  be  obtained  for 
about  3s.  6d.,  from  Messrs.  Cetti,  opticians.  Brook  Street,  Holborn, 
London. 
Argoh  or  Crude  Tartar. 
Argol  or  crude  tartar  is  the  salt  that  is  formed  in  a  thick  crust 
in  the  large  fermenting  tubs  during  the  process  of  fermentation  of 
Grape  wine.  It  is  only  in  the  Grape  that  tartaric  acid  and  potash 
are  found,  and  these  in  combination  form  the  acid  salt  called 
bitartrate  of  potash  or  argol.  This  salt  being  insoluble  in  alcohol, 
as  fast  as  that  spirit  is  formed  by  the  decomposition  of  the  sugar, 
the  bitartrate  of  potash  is  deposited  on  the  sides  of  the  fermenting 
vessel  in  a  thick  crystalline  crust,  forming  this  crude  tartar.  But 
malic  acid  in  combination  with  potash,  and  which  is  met  with  in 
all  other  fruits  except  the  Grape,  being  soluble  in  alcohol,  no  such 
separation  takes  place,  and  consequently  the  malic  acid  of  all  wine* 
made  of  fruits  other  than  the  Grape  retain  the  malic  acid  in  their 
composition. 
The  advantage  of  using  this  tartar  is  that  it  communicate*  an 
agreeable  briskness  to  the  must.  It  is  also  a  great  help  to  fermen¬ 
tation,  from  the  quantity  of  natural  leaven  which  enters  into  its 
composition,  and  it  not  only  ameliorates  the  produce,  but  increases 
the  quantity  of  alcohol  which  a  given  quantity  of  sugar  and 
vegetable  extract  are  capable  of  yielding.  It  is  therefore  recom¬ 
mended  to  use  it  in  the  proportion  of  one  ounce  to  every  gallon 
of  liquor  in  all  processes  of  wine  making. 
Flavouring. 
When  it  is  desired  to  give  to  wines  some  particular  flavour, 
either  in  imitation  of  the  natural  flavours  which  some  wines 
possess,  or  to  communicate  some  which  are  pleasing  to  the  palates 
of  those  who  drink  the  wines,  this  can  be  done  by  the  use  of  various 
substances  by  suspending  them  in  the  cask  after  fermentation  has 
ceased.  The  best  way  to  do  this  is  to  put  the  substance  in  a  long, 
narrow  muslin  bag,  with  a  pebble  in  the  bottom  to  sink  it,  which  is 
suspended  to  the  bung  by  means  of  a  string. 
One  of  the  most  usual  flavours  given  to  wines  artificially  is  that 
which  resembles  Muscat  or  Frontignan  wine.  This  is  given  by  the 
use  of  dried  Elder  flowers,  and  the  dried  tops  of  Clary,  a  kind  of 
Salvia  grown  in  herb  gardens. 
Orris  root,  which  is  the  root  of  Iris  florentina,  when  bruised 
gives  a  sweet  odour  of  Yiolets. 
The  flowers  of  the  Great  Mullein  (Verbascum  thapsus)  furni*h 
a  flavour  resembling  that  of  Tea. 
The  flowers  of  the  Lime  tree  removed  from  their  stalks  com¬ 
municate  the  odour  of  Vanilla, 
A  noyeau  flavour  is  obtained  by  bruising  bitter  Almonds  and 
suspending  them  in  the  wine,  either  by  themselves,  or  in  combina¬ 
tion  with  some  of  the  other  substance*. 
A  class  of  flavours  is  got  by  the  use  of  peels  of  Oranges,  Lemons, 
and  Citrons  ;  by  the  roots  and  «eeds  of  Angelica,  the  flowers  of 
Cowslip,  and  by  such  spices  a*  Cinnamon,  Mace,  and  Allspice. 
Some  flavours  are  supplied  by  tinctures,  which  are  made  by 
macerating  the  substances  in  a  jar  with  spirit  of  the  strength  of 
good  whiskey.  These  tinctures  are  preferred  by  some  as  giving  a 
finer  and  more  delicate  aroma  than  when  the  substances  themselves 
are  used.  Thus  the  tincture  of  the  fresh  stalks  of  Angelica, 
previously  blanched  in  boiling  water,  gives  a  finer  aroma  than  the 
root  or  the  seed. 
The  tincture  of  Cherry  and  Plum  kernels,  while  they  give  a 
flavour  resembling  that  of  bitter  Almonds,  is  quite  distinct  from 
them. 
The  tincture  of  the  Hop  communicates  a  pleasant  bitterness  if 
used  with  judgment.  And  here  we  may  remark  that  all  flavouring 
must  be  done  with  care  and  judgment, 
A  Model  Process. 
The  following  ij  a  model  process  of  wine-making  adapted  to 
any  kind  of  wine  made  from  fruits,  roots,  leaves,  stems,  or  sap  of 
plants.  We  will  take  Gooseberry  champagne  as  our  illustration, 
and  the  same  initruction*  given  in  this  instance  will  be  followed 
in  every  other,  except  in  ipecial  cases  which  will  be  otherwise 
described. 
It  will  be  necessary  to  procure  a  36-galIon  cask,  sweet  and  clean, 
and  remove  the  head,  and  this  will  serve  as  an  excellent 
fermenting  tub.  It  should  have  a  false  bottom  elevated  5  or 
6  inches  from  the  bottom,  well  supported  beneath  to  resist 
pressure,  and  it  must  be  pierced  with  numerous  hole*  of  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  diameter  to  allow  the  wine  to  be  separated  from 
the  must.  Between  the  true  bottom  and  the  false  one,  but  nearly 
close  to  the  former,  a  hole  must  be  pierced  to  receive  a  tap  by 
which  the  wine  is  to  be  drawn  off  when  it  is  to  be  put  into  cask.  Have 
ready  also  an  18-gallon  cask,  and  one  to  contain  2  gallon*,  both  of 
which  must  be  perfectly  clean  and  sweet.  The  former  is  to  contain 
the  wine  when  made,  and  the  other  to  keep  in  reserve  a  sufficient 
quantity  to  fill  up  the  larger  cask  as  the  wine  diminishes  by 
fermentation  or  other  loss.  It  is  presumed  that  a  thermometer 
