Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-03-23
Making Cider Vinegar.

Z .
In answer to inquiries, John
DAVIS, of New Jersey, furnishes
the American Institute Far
mer's Club the information as
to making cider vinegar
The apple in its natural, and
also in its cultivated state, from
which cider is made, contains,
among other things, the germs
of alcoholic and acetic fermen-
tation. Cider, when first
pressed from the pulp Of the
apple, contains among other
things acetic acid and sugar, or
Isaccharine matter. Immediate
lily after being reduced to pulp
by the process of MASKING or
grating, as is the practice in CT
der making, if exposed to the
air and certain amount Of heat,
the alcoholic or vinous fermen-
itation commences. Simultane-
ously with this commences the
acetic fermentation, the result
Of which is vinegar, and this
is rapid or slow, according to
certain conditions Of air and
heat and light.
No cider or alcoholic liquid
will turn to vinegar without the
presence Of oxygen with the al
coholwhich forms cider vinegar.
To effect this is the art Of vine
gar making, as / understand it,
to accomplish which different
practices are used. ] state
mine only, as it includes the
whole process from the planting
Of the trees on which the APP
pies grow down to vinegar
making.
l aim in my selection of the
fruit to grow those which in my
opinion have the most acetic ac-
id inherent in them, and those
that have the greatest amount
of saccharine matter. / aim
to gather them when fully ripe,
keep them clean, CRATE very fine,
and press the cider out without
the addition Of any water.
Put the cider in perfectly
clean, well bound white oak
casks or barrels, fill full to the
rbung, let them remain in the
open air until after the alcoholic
fermentation is complete; then
rack off all the clear liquid, be-
ing careful not to allow any of
the pomace to run out with the
pure cider; then empty out the
silling, and wash out the casks,
and put the cider back to,ripen !;
remove the casks to a dry, warm,
airy place ; let them remain a
few days, then procure another
cask as before, made Of the
same material, clean and well
bound, and place it beside the
full one, and commence by
drawing out daily one gallon
from faucet in the head, and
let fall as far through the air as
can conveniently be done into
a wooden vessel, and pour from
as high an elevation as can con-
veniently be done into the other
barrel; continue this process
daily until all the pure, clear CT
der is drawn out. Cleanse as
before, if necessary, and COM
mence putting back in the first
cask, and this alternately until
vinegar is attained.
Amy one at all familiar with
the nature Of cider knows from
experience that when we draw
out first from a full barrel in
warm weather, the cideris much
sweeter and better to drink as
beverage than after the barrel
has been drawn from for some
length of time the drawing
out by admitting fresh air sim
ply accelerates acetic fermenta-
ton.
Ny object in drawing daily a
small amount and putting it-in-
to another barrel is to introduce
it more effectually to fresh air,
and at the same time prevent
too much exposure, whereby
the alcohol would escape at the
same time. If | wish to con-
vert asmall quantity of ferment-
ed cider Immediately, l take a !
vinegar cask, and put ten gal
Ions of good vinegar and a
quart of mother, put in a warm
place, and put in a small quanti- ;
ty of cider daily, according to-
its acidity and its tendency tof
that condition. In this way |
have never failed in making and !
having on hand a good supply |
Of first quality cider vinegar. |
1t is an old maxim ''that it takes
money to make money" This
maxim is truer Of vinegar than
Of money.