The evening times., 1897-03-13

| tinatlon and the adulterat1On OF distilled
liquors. The conclusions reached by the
lecturer were rather remarkable in that
he said that nine-tenths of the distilled
liquor sold in the United States is not the
direct product of the stills, but is an arti-
ficial combination of alcohol, water and
flavOring extracts. Furthermore, Mr. Pei
lew said that such artificial mixtures are
technically much purer and much more free
from possibly harmful Ingredients than
liquor that has been honestly made.
This lecture said Mr. Pellew, con
Germs itself almost altogether with the
manufacture and adulteration of whisky,
which may almost be said to be the ma
| tiOnal drink OF the American, American
| whisky is made from corn, whic h Is really
the cheapest form or starch in this country;
il is really cheaper than potatoes.
"A small amount OF rye is usually mixed
| with il. The theoretical way of making
| whisky is this: Corn, thoroughly ground TO
a fine meal, is mixed with water To the
| consistency OF stiff paste, like hasty-
pudding This is called the mash When
mixed by hand in the good old-fashioned
way, ii was the basis for the grand old
1 'handInash whisky The ordinary and
universal way of preparing the mash now
: adays is by means of steam stirrers IN
/ great watts. With the corn is niixed 10
| per cent of rye meal uo encourage the yeast
| growth.
When the mash is a perfectly still paste
10 per cent of matted barley is admins
tered, and almost instantly, by a peculiar
digestive process il thins right down TO
| liquid malt sugar. This is cooled and run
into watts. The yeast is mixed in, grows
In the sugar, and makes distiller's beer
The quality OF the beer depends upon the
yeast The yeast man in a distilery is a
highly important person. He has private
office, be draws the biggest salary, and
| be dictates tohis employers. tits peculiar
thing that the purer and tronger the yeast
the poorer is the distilled product. 1t has
| less flavor and contains much more raw
alcohol. full-flavored whisky takes its
aroma and taste from dirty yeast, tie
scum OF fpreviousfermentation The fo1ler
ana Sourer the yeast, the richer and finer
the whisky When this old yeast is used
less alcohol is given off in distillation,
and it is necessary to distill several times
over before reaching the proper strength
for the finished whisky.
The United States laws provide that
tax shall be levied upon all distilled
mixtures fifty per cent strong in alcohol;
for every half per cent stronger an ad-
ditional tax is levied. No deduction is
made for liquor coming from the still
less than fifty per cent strong in alcohol.
The government gauger in a distillery is
more important man than the yeast man;
not door can be unlocked, not a machine
put In operation without his permission.
He carries all the keys in his pocket, and
if the proprietor OF the distillery wishes to
enter out OF hours he must 20 10 the gov
ernment gauger 10 get permission. This
fifty per cent mixture is technically known
as proof-spirit;' il may be fifty per cent
mixture OF alcohol and pure water, or it
may contain every known mixture of fusel
ellis that have been given eff by distillation.
This proof-spirit coming from the still
is the nasticst, rankest, harshest and raw
est mixture maginahie. 1t is for a great
part Favored with heavy alcoholic solu-
tions OF vile poisOns, and partly favored 10y
acetic and butyric acids, the latter, it
viii be remembered, is the acid of rancid
butter. The mixture is quite unstable
as a beverage, and the government al
lows the distiller three years in which
it may he held in bond, TO ripen and
EOlhen DGlhE6 u ls eOlu- AT lnf GDu OF
three years the manufacturer must pay |
the tax, whether it has been sold or rot. |
Before ripening il is run into barrels 1
that have been charred inside with fire |
OF pine shavings. This is where whisky |
gets its color-theoretically. The longer |
il has remained in the charred barrel
this supposition is always theoretical
the deeper the color.
Not every dstiller can wait three or 1
four years before realizing on his whisky |
In this case he conducts his distilla with /
the object of producing Immediately a
mixture that is very strong in alcohol and
very weak in flavors he mixes in a
cOlonng extract OF burnt sugar of caramel
that satisfactorily approximates the effect
of long confinement in a charred barrel. |
BE ripens the liquor rapidly by exposing |
tito the heat or the air or by administering |
chemicals. BY these processes it is made
ready for sale within three or four months |
The more enterpnsing distiller considers
Il great shame TO wait six weeks OF
three months before obtaining his finished
product, and goes in for fine old whiskies
made while you wait
LAS a matter OF fact, nine-tenths of
The whisky in this country is made from |
cheap alcohol that is run out 8 3 per cent |
strong from the stills, diluted with water,
eolored with caramel and favored with a
lew ounces of fessentialoil. And O chemical
process can possibly distinguish a whisky
nus made from one whose manufacture has
extended over a term of ten years. These
'lavors are fusel oils. Fusel oils, be it
understood, is not, as certain worthy tenn
)erance advocates insist, fixed and ahso-
ute poison. Cinnamon extract is a fusel
oil; vanilla extract is a fusel oil-in short, |
'usel oil is another name for flavoring |
extract. A man who says that his whis-
" contains absolutely no fusel oil adj
vertises the fact that he is selling pure
alcohol. The trade definition of fusel
III is what the other man puts in his |
whisky
Ito the chemist fusel oil is what distin- |
yuishes distilled whisky, brandy or rum
rom alcohol and water. Raw whisky is a |
mixture containing a large quantity of bad
strong fusel oils that have not been amelio-
ated and have not become suitably con-
-erted into salts by the passage of time.
rhe Journalistic jokes about fusel oils are
Is incorrect as they are absurd AS mat
er of fact a properly distilled whisky
contains comparatively large quantity
IF one ounce OF fusel oils to every five or
fix gallons of the finished whisky; whereas
he 'ready-made whisky contains only just
70 much as is necessary to give the proper
lavor. For fusel oil costs money 1t win
e seen, therefore, that cheap whisky con-
aims much less fusel oil than expensive
whisky.
"some years ago Prof c. F. Chandler
vas asked hN tRmneranoe society hn / ,