The Washington union., 1857-11-14
DEpARTmENr NEWS.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.


agricultural engineers London, who have been instru-
mental in establishing eleven large distillees in various
parts of England has been furnished 10 for pubca
ton by the agricultural division Of the Patent Office
member OF this ftn Mr. VIM. Dray has apparatus at
his farm at birmingham surry which is now operating
twenty tons of roots per diem
In preparing the roots for the distillaon the first
process to which they subjected is that of washing
This is effected in rotatoy root washing machine driven
by the engine which works the apparatus, and the
boiler Of which also provides the steam by which the dis
tlation is effected The roots passed in at one end
of the machine soiled they from the field and
delivered from the other well washed and cleaned
from all adherng matter They then passed through
turnip-slicing machine-that OF Messn Barnard q
Bishop being employed at Mr. Drays farm--which cuts
the into slices The form Of slice best adapted for
the after processes through which it has to is found to
be that of slip to II inch in breadth, with
thickness Of one-eghth 10 fourth OF an inch The
fermentation of the roots washed and sliced is the next
process. 1t is carried in large watts capable of
holding some three hundred gallons of liquid, and
about 500 pounds Of sliced beet. Covers provided
to the vats and perforated with holes to allow Of the
escape OF the gas evolved during fermentation the covers
kept down by means Of bars while the process going
on id La atFa fgts
"The principle ON which the fermentation is carried on
is founded the fact that the saccharne roots il cut
into pieces and placed in fernented liquid formed of
their juices and completely covered Herewith and
thereafter treated with proper quantity of sulphuric
any other powerful acid viii undergo perfect alcoholic
fermentation after which the alcohol is found in the cell
lular tissues of the vegetable femented having thus
taken the place Of saocharne matter BY fermenting the
beet IN liquid or Juice saturated with Its elements
its azotc and nuve parts left in it, the saccharne
matter only being changed into alcohol The roots thus
fermented being subjected to the action of steam prop
ey arranged vessels the alcohol is released and esca
ping yapor into condenser converted into spirit
varying in strength according to circumstances
" In commencing to distil then, the first operation is
to prepare the fcrmenting liquid vnasse little wine,
it is termed This in the first instance, is prepared
by inacerang slices of fresh beet in vat with water,
| raised to temperature OF 145o Fahrenheit with
water aciduated with sulphuric chlorohydric nitric,
| or other acid When the liquid thus obtained be-
comes fully saturated that is contains much alco-
ho as the roots put amongst Tit is ready for the
after processes of distllaon TO aturae the liquid or
in other words, to prepare the vinassc, takes about
fortnight succession of filings and emptyings of the
tank being gone through during that time 1t il evil
dent therefore that until the vnasse is Of the proper
srength the first Installations will produce alcohol Of
little strength This however, in the average of work
Ing sno loss inasmuc the vinasse after the working
is over when the supply Of fresh beet is longer
maintained is passed through the STILL and produces al
coho of the average strength Each filing parting with
less of its alcohol to the liquid produces in disllaton
stronger alcohol until the liquid being saturated, de-
ves no further supply from the beets, but these
passed to the sing cylinders in condition capable of
yielding their full average amount of alcohol The vi
being thus obtained the process goes follows
AS the slices OF beet filled into the fermentng tanks
certain quantity Of suphurc other powerful ncid is
added The quantity of this varies with circumstances,
as the quality OF beet the soil which il grown
the period of the year during which the distllaon is
carried Oman average quantity Of acid per ton of beet
may be stated at half gallon 81 pints This should
be divided into three equal portions each portion being
diluted with little of the vinasse tenth
of the acid to nine tenths of the vnasso One
portion Of the mixture should be added to the tank
! with portion of the beet the latter also he
! ing divided into three parts. When the tank is
filled with its proper quantity OF beet and liquid the
whole would be well mixed and the temperature kept mp
by admitting steam to the interior of the tank to about
17o to $50 The temperature should not exceed $50
| T. While the temperature is rising the whole mass
should be well mixed so as to insure uniformity of heat
When this is obtained the mixture feented by adding
to it five pounds of compressed beer yeast obtained in
the breweres This should be mixed with little of the
liquid from the tank until the mixture is homogeneous
it should then be added to the contents of the tank and
the whole well mixed with the rake When thus filed
and the put on the contents of the tank be-
gin to tement tho liquor bubbling through the aper
lures in the cover and the carbonc acid escaping
freely Fermentation ceases according to circumstances
In from ten to twentyfour hours and this taking
place the contents diminish in volume The succeeding
Filings of the tanks conducted precisely above
stated, with this exception that the quantity of yeast
should be only onehalffor the second and third filings
of that used for the FIRST yeast being supplied to any
of those succeeding the third filing BY this fermentng
process the transformation of the sccharne matter is al
ways regular and the quantity of spirit obtained pro-
| portionate to the quantity of sugar in the beet
'fhe beet being fermented IL is ready for the distlla
ton process The beet to be distilled is placed in tall
cast iron cylinders five of which placed around and
have communication with central rcctifying column
The beet is not filled into the cylinder, but is
spread evenly in comparatively thin layers series of
perforated plates daphragms, supported by central
bar standing vertically in the cylinder Each diaphragm
is provided with central hollow bass projecting some
distance from its upper side the central bar passes through
the bass and while plate is filled with its layer of
beet and is lowered into its place in the cylinder the
succeeding plate rests the upper edge of the bass of
the lower plate thus leaving space between the two
plates The number Of plates varies with the size of the
cylinder On all the plates being put into the cylinder
the is fitted tightly on, and this is provided with
safetyyalve through which the steam escapes when it
exceeds certain pressure. The cylinders being filed
the steam from the boiler is admitted according to GER
tain plan, the cock between the cylinder and the efig
| orator also being opened
AT the period of our visit three cylinders used
and the following is description of the process Of dis
| tllation then adopted: steam pipe communicating
from the upper part of cylinder No to the lower part
OF cylinder No is opened, steam at the time be-
ing admitted from the boiler to the upper part of No
quarters or an nour after the steam Is laid to
No. the steam begins to enter the condenser The
spirit at this point is above proof but the process con
nues the strength is reduced below proof which result
lis arrived at in threcquarters Of an hour While the
distillaton Of No. is going on cylinder No is filled
with the beet, and its put tightly As soon as
the spirit from cylinder No 20 under proof the
communication between and the condenser should be
stopped at the time the communication between
the top of No. and the bottom of No must be open
ed, The cylinders l and now in conmunica-
uon--the steam from the top of No ! passing
| from the bottom of No 2 through its layers
of beet AT the expiration Of 45 minutes the steam
from the top of No passes off in the condenser
4 Al. c. OF.