Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-05-03
MAKING CIDER VINEGAR.
fiw ely Suggestions Based Ou Experience
 and Observation.

and Observation.
 Many of our large orchardists use the entire product of their orchards, that Is not desirable as fruit, in making vinegar. Tho agricultural editor of The New York World tells how this is done. AS soon as enough apples have fallen to furnish supply, these are ground up in any kind of cider mill and the juice may be pressed out at once and be left to ferment and sour, but it is better to keep the pomace in open vats or casks until it has thoroughly fermented, when the juice will be more easily and completely separated from the pomace than if pressed at the time of grinding.
 After the pressing is over the sour liquor is put into open casks to settle and is afterwards racked of into barrels not quite full. leaving the sediment in the bottom of the caass. To get the benefit of the warm fall weather these barrels should stand out in the sun, but be covered with loose boards to protect the cooperage. On the advent of cold weather the barrels ought to be removed into the vinegar house, where there should be stove or some good arrange- ment for warming the house that will keep up a mild and even temperature through the winter. Many who have no such convenience put the barrels into their cellars to prevent freezing and bring them out again in the spring; but when the liquor can be kept above ground and in 8 warm and dry atmos- phere the souring process will go on much better.
 Experience has shown that keeping the liquor in packages of barrel size will se- cure the desired acidity sooner and bet ter than when stored in large open tanks. Throughout the whole process, until the vinegar is made and no greater acidity Is desired, the barrels should remain Iin- bunged, with g small piece of netting tackled over the bunghole to keep out in- sects. The barrels should be iron hooped and be kept thoroughly well painted.
 Some dilution is often necessary in the manufacture, as, where there is an ex- cess of saccharine matter in the juice, it will be too slow in turning to the acid condition without a proper addition of water. All the varieties of summer, fall and winter apples may be used together indiscriminately in making vinegar. During the process the chemi- cal changes eliminate from the juice everything that could identify it as the product of any particular variety.
 Making vinegar by the natural process will require at least one year, but it will continue to grow stronger and better the longer it is kept. In the first stage of the making the sugar in the juice is turned by fermentation into alcohol and carbonic acid. The acid. being a gas. bubbles to the surface and escapes, while the alcohol is retained. The richer the juice is in the sugar the more alcohol it will contain after fermentation. To make vinegar the alcohol is changed by 1 oxidation into acetic acid, and when this is accomplished the vinegar is made But when alcohol exists in liquids in large proportions it will hinder or entire | ly prevent its own change into acetic acid. Thus, when small amount of water is added to whisky it simply weak ems the proof, while if the amount ia large the whole will turn to vinegar.
 So apple juice too rich in sugar may remain after fermentation in the condi- tion of hard cider for years, unless it is diluted with water, for the reason that it contains too much alcohol for 8 speedy change. Making vinegar may be hastened by running it slowly in small stream from one barrel to another few feet distant, exposing it more fully in it's di- vided form to the action of the atmos- phere, or by trickling it down through beach chips, shavings or corn cobs satu- rated with old vinegar, or by the addi- ton of gallon or two of strong vinegar to each barrel of cider.