Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-08-19
From the american Farmer.


Mr.. Skinner-A glass Of good cider, now
sparkling before me, brings to my mind
your request, to be informed of the best me-
tbod 10 bottle cider. have had the salts
| faction to furnish my table Tor g years with
that article, without any material Interrupt
ton, having some always two years bot
Ting in hand.
Itwould be needless to detail all.the ex-
periments | made to save my bottles how
| ever, will relate two that were very pro
| missing, which will shew that nothing less
than raising the proof Of the cider will an
swer.
Experiment Ii bottled cider of fine
quality in February, with the best of corks,
and removed it to the cellar; after the bot
ties were filled, they were placed in tubs Of
| warm water, and raised to tull summer heat,
and then corked.
| Experiment 2.-Considering that good
| corks would begin to stop the air in the neck
! of the bottle, before they were half driven
| in, and that portion of air would be con-
densed, and therefore greatly endanger the
| bottles, when The temperature was lncreas-
| ed, procured perforated corks, and stop
ped the perforations, after they were driven
| in with pegs and sealed all over.
Neither of these probable experiments
| were effectual: every hot day was ansoun-
| ced by an explosion in the cellar. Giving
over every sratagem, that had not an alter
alton of the liquor in view, il occurred TO me
! that wines did not burst their bottles, and
| that cider was only low wine, and also re-
collecting that small beer was both the weak
est and most violently Preventative OF al!
coma on drinks, resolved to raise the proof
ofmy cider, by the addition of two tea spoons
of French brandy to each bottle. Since
| which have had no more explosions nor
broken bottles, and the cider is improved by
| the addition. PiumLs or honey, so much
used must have the same effect, viz. to
| raise the proof; for it is oily necessary to
add larger quantity OF either to make cider
INTO good wine, that will aasn in the fire;
| my method is to get cider made late in Oc-
tober or November, from Red-slreaks, Ca
ialins, or Madens- blush. In December,
put halt an ounce of lsinglass to each 80 gal
ions, and bottle it in February. If the ISM
glass Is put in later, it will deposit some Sc
diment 10 the bottles. 1t is to be dissolved
by chipping il into fine pieces and placing 1t
in covered mug with quart OF cider, tor
ten hours or more, in very warm ashes
heat, about as we use to draw tea--a lille
sca!ding of the corks, at the moment they are
TO be used, will soften them, so that they
will fiji better and be more readily driven in
But it would be needless to expect cider
| to be made good by bottlins, it must be pure
and well favored whilst in the cask and
therefore the subject necessarily involves the
cider making, on which you have many ex-
cellent papers. From what understand of
the making of cider, it appears that the la
ter the apples hang OIL the trees, the more
powerful will be the cider; hence the cider
of France and other temperate countries is
said to be more powerful than ours our sum-
lner apples, therefore, would not make good
cider for bottling, because Of their quickly
arriving at perfection.
The cleaning of the liquor from the pu-
| mice is the main thing, when good sound
late apples are used. 1t appears that cider
male from sweet apples is much more apt
| 10 abound with pumice, whilst the acid and
| ascerb retain their pumice in the press,
hence some very bad eating apples make
excellent cider. The attention to this SUD-
iect, e. the defalcation, is all impor.
tant, especially the first, if well timed and
complete, the future lamentations will be
moderate and the racking efectual. Blan-
kets have been used with success TO get off
much of the pumice they should be spread
on the bottom OF fat basket, and that pla-
| ceG on the head of the cask. All strainers
will require often washing out; and there
| fore Two or three are necessary, all OF which
may be made from one stout blanket. But
am satisfied that few hair sleeves of diff
ferent 6nsness, with the coarsest uppermost,
placed under the run TO separate quantities
Of pumice; they would also require shift
! ing with a second set, and constant at.