American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1825-10-21
AGRICULTURAL.

from papers on agriculture, pubisheG 0y Me
massachusetts, Agricultural Society.
from the apple. in our country, we obtain bev'
erage highly useful. The wines OF other countries
do not differ more in quality than the cider 10 ours
And much of this difference arises from improper
management, either in grinding the apples, or wha'
is more common, putting the must or juice INTO
foul casks, and neglec,ing or mismanaging it while
fermentipg.
To make the best OF cider, you must have sound
fruit, no rotten apples mus, ever be admitted gath
cred late in the season, in dry weather, alter the
middle of October il possible. They should lay In
large heaps covered from the dews aud rain, about
fourteen days. in which they heat, and throw OIL
great proportion Of their ndgested and inspd water
and ripen more uniformly than while on the trees.
They must not be ground while they arc wet either
from the RAIN the dew, or from the moisture thrown
out by the heat produced by their laying together.
The finer the apple is ground. the more it will
YIELD II the mill is we'll fitted, it crushes the seed,
and gives a peculiar aromatic bitter to the must,
which becomes more and more distinguishable as
the cider is longer kept. Some prefer this flavor !;
others dislike it, not distinguishing it from the bitter
Of the rotten apples, although very different from
that pungen, bitter, both in taste on the palate and
effects on the stomach.
The pumace should be uttered to stand from six
to twenty -four hours, according as you may wish
aptness to imbibe foreign tastes renders an exact
attention to your vessels OF great importance. New
vessels, made of seasoned oak do very well bui
those which have been used are better, provided
they be kept sweet and clean.
HOW TO CLEAN THE CASKS.
When cask is empty rinse it with cold water
Immediately, otherwise The lees will sour, and hx an
acid that can hardly be remosed and it long con
tnued, dries on the slaves so hard as to require
81 r. :, ct in IL
should be white washed with lime which is done by
putting about one pint of unsacked lime into a bar
rel OF common size, to which pour three or four
gallons OF boiling water shake 1t we'll giving II
vent let it stand till COOL and rinse with cold water
If it still retains the sour SMELL let tie operation be
repeated.
When it is rnsed perfectly clean with cold water,
pour into hogshead al least six gallons oil boiling
water Roll and shake the water to every part Of
the cask. SO as to heat it on all sides. Then pour
out the water and lay your cask exactly bunghole
downwards the watet running clear and entirely
off; the heat in the cass wiU dry il perfectly IL
this state bung it up carefully if filled with
your choicest liquors, and it Will remain perfectly
sweet and fit for use in the following season.
II is best however to inspect each cask before
you fill it. This is done by fixing candle to
wire three feet long, and letting down the candle !
through the bung hole into the cask you can then
see every part OF the inside distinctly as on the
outside. If they clean and tight it is not best
to rinse them with water. II may appear singular |
TO you that SO much is said on that is plain
to every one but believe me, you may take ten
times the trouble in another way, and not elfectu
ally cleanse your vessels and unless they are per
fectly sweet, it is impossible to have good cider.
The must or juice of the apple being obtained,
The first object is to clear it OF pumace the second
to produce fermentation 10 your palate and pur-
pose"
TO CLEAR THE LIQUOR OF PuMAcE,
Most farmers do nothing more than strain it
through straw. 1t ought to be strained through |
hair sieve, or run through sand. The mischief oi
pumace left in the liquor is, that it produces an er
cessire fermentation, by which more cider is injured
than in any other way.
Another way to free the liquor Of pumace, prac- |
tised by some OF our best farmers and much recon
mended is putting the liquor in large open vessels or
watts, with tap and faucet near the bottom by which
to draw it off. Hogsheads, there they can be had,
with one head out, will answer the purpose In these
open vessels it is to stand till the first appearance
OF fermentation, which may be sixty hours; or ii
will be sooner or later according the degree oil
heat in the air at the time.
During this period the heaviest of the pulp sinks |
to the bottom; the larger and lighter parts rise to
The surface in scum, where it remains until the fer
begins, but the fe menation would involve
great part OF the pulp both from above and below
into the body Of the liquor, and increase the fer
men'ation beyond our control. Il must therefore
be removed before this effect be produced Soon
alter the fermentation begins, the covering on the
top OF the must or liquor cracks and separates meu
there as not moment to be lost before you draw il
of into your casks, leaving the pulp behind.o
FERMENTiNG OF CIDER, Filming AND BOrrLINC
There are three lamentations of which cider is
capable first, the rinoas, which produces the al
cohol or spirit that gives the liquor its stimulating
and exhilarating qualities second, the acid which
turns the cider TO vinegar third, the putrid, which
utterly destroys its use and reduces it to nauseous
and poisonous lioud The nr;nc;nai oh;ac, =, -.