Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-11-18
THE FIERY APPLE.JACK.
HOW THE BEVERAGE Is MADE. AND WHAT
is DONE WIN 1T.

HOW THE BEVERAGE Is MADE, AND WHAT
is DONE Win 1T.
A letter 10 the New York World
from Middletown, New York, says /:
The distilling Of apple whisky is a
simple process. The apples are ground
by horse power. The mill and force
being elevated above the vats, the
juice runs from the pumace through
conduits into the vats. There no
pumping is required. The cider is
left in the vats until it reaches GER
tain stage Of fermentation, which is
called getting ripe" 1t requires
great skill in the distiller to know Just
when this critical moment arrives.
Delay in removing the alcohol by dis
tillatiOn when the cider is ripe is fatal
to the yield Of apple:ack, and the
distiller has only stock Of vinegar
on hand as the result. The Still" is
u large copper kettle, air-tight, sur
mounted by coil of pipe that passes
through tank Of cold water. Be
meath the kettle slow fire is kept
going, so that an even temperature is
maintained. From the vats the cider
is let into the kettle, where the steady
heat converts it into vapor. This
passes through the cold coil Of pipe
above, which condenses it and it is dis
charged into receptacles, the pure
apple.jack. 1t is much above proof,
however, and defies even the iron-clad
stomach of the Orange county granger.
From the cider which casts off this
fiery compound still other yields are
obtained, simply by increasing the
heat beneath the copper kettle. When
applejack comes from the still it is
white. 1t is reduced to the proper
strength, and is unfit for use until it
is year old. Even then it biteth so
like the serpent that only the toughest
drinkers can tarry long with it. 1t
improves with age, and after q few
years takes on pale yellow hue
There are tricks known to the distiller
and dealer by which the appearance of
old apple.jack is given to new, and
the profit on its sale greatly increased
Dried peaches, burned to a crisp and
added to the liquor, even though it be
just from the still, will give it this
golden glow Of years. Sugar skill
fully burned will have the same effect.
But there is nothing that will take the
sting out of the beverage but genuine
age.
Apple whisky is worth s1.jO at the
still on an average. As the liquor in
creases in age it shrinks largely and
becomes more precious every year
At its best the liquor brings from 81
to s6 gallon, although there are
hundreds Of gallons now stored in
farmers cellars throughout Orange
county that will readily fetch $40 a
gallon. Applejack is the favorite
tipple in Orange and Sussex counties
aud the natives look with surprise at
the stranger who says he does not like
the beverage. \ peculiarity of the
whisky is its facility of making its
way at once TO the head of the novice
that tampers with it and the reluct-
ance with which it takes its leave.
\ halEgill Of apple,jack will climb to
the head of man thai isn't used to
it in less than ten seconds. His face
gets red and feels as if it was sun
burned. When he shuts his ewes he
sees 100 torchlight professions charg.
ing at him ten abreast. He may
sleep all night and all day, but when
he wakes up he will find himself
drunker than when he laid down. For
three days his head will buzz as if a
swarm of bees had been hived in il,
and he will be ready to swear that no
state but the one that produced
Robson and Fitzpatrick could pCssi-
bly, have been capable of discovering
apple,jack. Yet Orange county gets
away with good many thousand gal
Ions of it every year and nobody seems
to be the worse for it.