The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-03-24
DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES.
ALCOHOL.
(Concluled.)

Alcohol obtained from molasses
in its purity is known in commerce as
"finc spirits. " "Thc spirit of mo-
lasses has neither the taste nor the
odor Of spirit from WINE; it is sweet
or and when the distilation and rec
tilicaton have been properly con-
Quoted, ii may be considered as
type of alcohol in its purity, for it
has neither taste nor any peculiar
aroma"
Molasscs contains about 30 percent
of sacCharine matter, n percent of
organic matter, and about 10 percent
Of inorganic salts, chiefly Of potash.
1t is thus substance rich in matter
favorable to fermentation. When the
density of molasses has been lowered
by dilution with water, fermentation
SETS in rapidly, more especially if it
has been previously rendered acid.
Three processes are necessary in OBJ
tanning alcohol from molasses: dilu-
ton, Modification and fermentation.
The latter Is FASTENED by the addi-
ton of n natural ierment, such as
brewers yeast. 1t begins in about
s or 10 hours, and lasts upwards of
60. According TO statistics in France
two cwt. of molasses at 42o b. will
furnish about G gallons of pure spirit,
In the West Indies alcohol is made
from the fermentation of u mixture
of molasses skimmlngs and "dun-
10
which by additional processes is made
into rum. The molasses contains the
elements necessary for fermentation,
sugar, water and gluten. Skimmings
are the scum of the CHARTERS, precip.
itators, evaporators, the wash of the
boiling pans, etc. "Dunder" is the
fermented wash after it has under
gone distillation and been deprived
of the alcohol il contained.
"Supposing that-the fermenting
vat has capacity of 1000 gallons,
the proportions of the different
liquors run in would be 200 gallons
of well clarified skimmings, 80 gal
Ions of molasses, and 100 gallons of
clear dunder: they should be well
mixed together. Fermentation speed
lily sets in, and 80 more gallons of
molasses are then added, together
with 200 gallons of water. When
fermentation is thoroughly establish
ed, further 400 gallons of dunder
is added and the whole well stirred
up. Any scum thrown up during
the process is Immediately skinned
off. The temperature of the mass
rises gradually until about or )
degrees G. above that of the room it.
self. No fermenting principle be-
sides the gluten contained in the
wash is required. The process usu-
ally occupies about or 10 days.
Sugar planters expect one gallon of
proof rum for every gallon of mo-
lasses employed. On the SUPPOSE
ton that ordinary molasses contains
60 parts of sugar, 32 parts of water
and 3 parts of organic matter and
salts, and that, by careful fermenta-
ton and distillation, SO parts of alb
solute alcohol may be obtained, we
may then reckon upon 80 pounds of
spirit, or about A gallons, which is a
yield of about 81 gallons of rum, 30
percent over-proOf, from 100 pounds
of such molasses.
PontifeX and Wood, limited, of
England, supply the principal dis
tilling apparatus in the West IN
dies THE Pontifex Improved
Siaan1 Continuous
filling Apparatus" is the best for
dealing with large quantities, say
from 6 to 600 gallons of proof spirit
per hour, from wash obtained from
molasses. The advantages claimed
are: great economy of fuel, time,
labor, and that neutral spirit can be
obtained Ga degrees over proof, of
great purity, in one continuous and
uninterrupted operation.
The superior sugar machinery and
processes used upon our Hawaiian
plantations secures more sugar from
the cane juice and leaves Il very much
less quantity of moasses than is the
case in the West Indies. In that
country there is residue of about
80 gallons of molasses to every ton
of sugar produced, but in Hawaii
the residue of molasses is only about
10 gallons.
Placing our sugar crop at 100, 900
tons annually, the resulting moasses
is 100000 gallons. At present,
about one half of this is allowed to
run to waste; the other half is util-
lied for export, to feed to stock, and
as q fertilizer. Say 100000 gallons
of molasses is wasted. Every gal
lon of molasses, when fermented and
distilled, will give one gallon of pure
spirits. Therefore 100000 gallons
of alcohol is annually run into the
sea by our planters-a prodgal
waste. The export value of this
alcohol would be about 80 cents per
gallon, say 100000 total.
1t will thus appear that the waste
of molasses on our plantations is not
so enormous as has been generally
supposed, and that it would scarcely
tho pIl,nlIap al 90