The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28
TIE BIGGEST
BRANDY STILL In ALL THE
Wide WORLD.
Greatest in Size and Capacity and
Located on the Ell Pinal Vine.
yard in San Joaquin
County.

California is big State, and most of the
things within its borders are in compari-
son. This is true particularly as concerns
horticultural and viticultural matters. 1t
known that the LuceIne vineyard in Kings
County is the largest acreage in the world
devoted to the growing of raisin grapes.
A few weeks ago THE CALL published a
picture OF the largest wine vat in the
world and this week is able to produce a
drawing of the largest brandy still in the
world.
When the word ''largest" is used in this
instance it does not mean largest in point
of the size of the machine, but in point of
capacity. To explain this it is necessary
to state that distilling apparatus has been
constantly improving within the last ten
years. The process virtually remains the
same, but the machinery has been made
to occupy less space. One of the old-fash-
ioned stills, such as are in general use
throughout the East and in Europe, with
the same capacity of the largest in the
world, would occupy about ten times the
space IN cubic measure.
The largest brandy still in the world is
on the Ell Pinal vineyard in San Joaquin
County, not far from Stockton. 1t is the
property of George West, and part of it
has been built about four years and the
other part was finished only a short time
ago. As is well known, the Ell Pinal vine
yard has always made speciality of brandy
and sweet wines. 1t was the intention of
the proprietors to do this when they went
into business, and for that reason they had
the largest still built that was ever put up.
That was, as has been stated, about four
years ago, and even then 1t was ahead of
ANYTHING else in existence. 1t could pro-
duce more brandy in twenty-four hours
than any other still in the world, and it
has not been surpassed since. But even
that was not enough to supply all of the
alcohol needed in their business, so an
other still was built and made 10 work in
connection with the original one. The
two are really one still as they are used,
and have about three times the capacity
of any other still in the world.
This enormous machine is located in a
building by itself, and part of the year is
kept running day and night. 1t is very
complicated in its workings, so that a de.
scrlption of that part of it cannot be at
tempted here. 1t will be sufficient to state
that the grapejuice or wine is pumped
from the vats to tank on top of the still.
From there it simply passes through a
series of heated chambers in the form of a
vapor and comes out in the shape of
brandy. 1t can be tested in the different
chambers and the change noted. In the
In the first chamber it is little more than
warm wine, and it gradually gets stronger
and stronger, until it is sharp to taste.
From the time the wine leaves the tank
until it comes ont as grape brandy only
ten minutes is occupied. In the old meth
cd of distiIling it used to take about three
hours.
In appearance the largest brandy still in
the world is simply a conglomeration of
tanks, pipes and boilers. The accompany.
ing drawing shows only portion of the ap-
paratus. as it is impossible to show all of
it in one picture, owing to the way it is
placed in the building.
the capacity of this still is enough to
make a person wonder what becomes of
all of its products When running full
time it can convert $4,000 gallons of wine
into brandy day. This will make about
1000 gallons every twenty-four hours. or
enough to keep about 40 600 men in state
of intoxication during that time. In
month there would be enough cf brandy
on hand to intoxicate 1000, 600 men, or
about the entire population of New York.
But as it happens, very little of this
brandy is sold as brandy 1t is used to
''fortify'i sweet wines so that they will be
in condition to keep until ready to send to
market. The alcohol acts as preserva-
tive of the grape juice the same as it would
of anything else. 1t keeps it from turn
ing sour.