Part 3 (2/2)

OF FERMENTS

They are of two kinds; the very putrescent bodies, and those supplied by the _oxigen_ Animal substances are of the first kind: _acids_, neutral salts, rancid oils, and ed to make use of a ferlutinous part of wheat flour This vegeto-ani manner:--A certain quantity of flour is h, with a little water It is then taken into the hands, and water slowly poured over it, while it is kneaded again The water runs white, because it carries off the starchy part of the flour; it runs clear after it is washed sufficiently There reh, compact, solid, elastic, and reduced to nearly the half of the flour eh, a little diluted ater, and kept in the temperature indicated for the room of fermentation, passes to the putrid state, and contracts the sshead, seeood ferar would answer the same purpose, and is a ferment of the second class

But are those means indispensable with my process? I do not think so

1st The richness of ree of heat to which I keep it, tend strongly tofroinous substance, which is the principle of the spirituous fermentation, which it establishes whenever it sheads the principle, and communicate it to the liquor that is put into theeously the residue of his preceding distillation, to give a fermentation to his new h of acidity for that purpose Might not the residue of the distillation of my vinous liquor have the sainous substance already acidulated

Soshead, would, I think, be a very good ferment

Lastly Here is another means which will certainly succeed: it is to leave at the bottoshead three or four inches of the vinous liquor, when transported into the still for distilling This rising, which will rapidly turn sour, will forood ferer of a distillery must conduct the means I indicate, towards the end which he proposes to himself, andsubstances which cannot fail to bring a discredit on the liquor in which they are known to be employed

CHAPTER XIV

OF THE AREOMETER, OR PROOF BOTTLE

This instrument is indispensable to the distiller: it ascertains the value of his spirits, since it shows the result of their different degrees of concentration I will give the theory of this useful instrument, as it may be acceptable to those who do not know it

Bodies sink in fluids, in a _compound ratio_ to the volume and the density of those fluids, which they displace It is from that law of nature, that a shi+p sinks 20 feet in fresh water, while it sinks only about 18 feet in sea water, which has more density on account of the salt dissolved therein

The reverse of this effect takes place in fluids lighter than water, as bodies floating in them sink the more, as the liquor has less density

Upon those principles are made two kinds of areometers--one for fluids denser than water; the other for those that are lighter: the first are called _salt proof_; the second _spirit proof_ Distilled water is the basis of those two scales: it is at the top for the _salt proof_, and at the botto, and the other descending; but by a useless singularity, the distilled water has been graduated at 10 for the spirit proof bottle, and at 0 for the _salt proof_ We shall only dwell upon the first, because it is the only one interesting to the distiller

Water being graduated at 10 in the areo to 20, is in reality only 10 lighter than water; and the alcohol gaaduated [TR: graduated] at 35, is only 25 above distilled water

The areometer can only be just, when the atmosphere is temperate; that is, at 55 Fahrenheit, or 10 Reaumur The variations in cold or heat influence liquors; they acquire density in the cold, and lose it in the heat: hence follows that the areoh in the winter, and sinks too much in the suulated it They have ascertained that 1 of heat above te to the scale of Reauree more; and that 1 less of heat, had the contrary effect: thus the heat being at 18 of Reau 21 by the areo at 8 below te only 19 by the areo to 1 of Reauree: thus, the heat being at 78-1/2, the spirit thusat 87, the spiritonly 19 by the areometer, is in reality at 20

It is easily conceived, that extreme cold or extreme heat occasion important variations For that reason, there are in Europe inspectors, whose duty it is to weigh spirits, particularly _brandy_: for that purpose they make use of the areoood, must be proved with distilled water, at the telass, are brittle, and ht be re theood silversmith could easily make them; I invite those artists to attend to that branch of business; it htened

CHAPTER XV

ADVANTAGES OF MY METHOD