Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1852-08-27
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SUGAR.
BY L. L. TORBERT.
Gentlemen Of the Royal Ha,caiiian .4gricultura
SOcipfu

BY L. L. TORBERT
Gentlemen Of the Royal Ha,caiiian .4gricultua
Society:
Hoping that may throw out few hint
which may be useful to those engaged il
sugar plantations, beg your attention for
4 few minutes.
Although at the present day the propertie
of cane juice are pretty well understood an,
the process Of reducing ii to sugar is render
ed very simple, yet there are SO many things
any one of which neglected, that injure tn,
quality or reduce the quantity of the article
that many if not all of us come far short O
perfection in its manufacture
In working our common cattle mills, it il
found, by repeated experiments, that we OBJ
tain about sIxty-three pounds of juice from
one hundred pounds of sugar cane.
The converting this juice into sugar is the
most interesting and difficult portion of the
planters labors.
The first step in its manufacture is to mix q
certain quantity of lime with it for the purpose
of separating the impurities from the saccha-
rine fluid.
In ascertaining the proper quantity oflime
to be mixed with the juice consists one of the
great difficulties which the sugar boiler has to
encounter.
too little is used the syrup does not grain
well, if too much, it darkens the syrup and
forms an imperfect grain in which the molas-
ses becomes tangl led and cannot be separated
from the sugar; so that it is a nice point to
get the right proportion and when you have
found the exact measure for one lot of cane
1t may prove to be too much or too little for
another lot. There is scarcely any two day s
grinding which yields the same richness of
juice. But if the juice should always be the
same, the quality of the lime used is not al
ways the same SO that it is impossible to
come at any rule which will be right in all
cases.
There have been several ingenious method
invented for the purpose of adjusting the tenn
per, but none ofthem as yet are perfect. We
have, however, general rule which comes
pretty near the mark.
Put five ounces of common coral lime into
100 gallons of juice as soon as it is pressed
out and stir it well. This quantity will be
found sufficient unless the juice is very rich,
in which case add a trifle more, or if the juice
is weak do not put in so much.
After the juice is lined bring it to within
about five degrees of the boiling point over
a slow fire, then let list and fifteen or twenty
minutes and scum it. Then give it a quick
boil for about ten minutes, scum it again and
stop the fire. Now let it settle which it will
do, if boiled right, in thirty or forty minutes:
Many planters object to boiling the juice
before it is settled, but there is a second dirt
in cane juice which only separates at a degree
of heat little above the boiling point, and if
this is not separated before the juice is set
tied, portion OF it cannot be got out except
by filtration. which is very Objectionable
process, but goes with the sugar rendering it
of darker color and poorer gram.
In well appointed boiling houses the juice
is first boiled in large vessels over a separate
fire and left to settle in the boiler from whence
it is drawn by cock near the bottom into
the pans. But in small works it is bailed off
into tubs and left to settle, after which it is
run back again into the pots and boiled as
fast as possible, skimming it all the time,
until a thermometer immersed in it stands
at 2SSo As soon as it is boiled up to
this mark skip it off into a cooler. The
shorter the time Of boiling, the greater the
quantity and the better the quality of the
sugar.
After the Juice is boiled to 1882 and is
bailed off from the pans, it is put into tub or
box to cool and grain. AS soon as the grain
begins to form on the sides and bottom of the
cooler, give it gentle but thoroug gh stir
ring, and then let it rest until cold.
After il is cold separate the sugar from the
molasses This may be done in variety of
ways The simplest method, and which, next
to the centrifugal separator, is the best, is as
ha fnt, fIyn mol lnC
one inch in diameter in the bottom of the
vessel in which the sugar is put to cool. Stop
these with sharp pointed plugs, about eight
inches long, leaving about three inches of the
big end outside. After the sugar is cold,
the plugs, and the mofasses will run
off and leave the sugar in the cooler.
These coolers may be boxes containing
about Is cubic feet* or they may be casks of
any size, with one head out, and should be
set over drain, in order that the molasses
may run to the tank.
When the plugs are removed, if the sugar
runs off with the molasses you must insert
taperng tins of the same size of the plugs,
having their small ends pierced with little
holes.
Another method is to put the sugar, after
It is cooled, into vats or boxes about six feet
ong by three high and three wide having slat
with wheat straw spread over the I
Stats The straw prevents the sugar from
,unning out with the molasses. This is
bad fix, for the straw soon breeds small in
sect which has the appearance of mould, or
inc dust, in such quantities as to hurt the
sale of the sugar; besides the straw gets mix
I'd with the sugar.
Another method is to put the sugar after it
las grained and is cold, into barrel or tub,
he sides Of which are made of fine wire,
Ind giving it quick rotary motion, the CEN
;G,oaI force carries off the molasses