Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-13
MAKING BEER.
How Small Beers Are Made
and Bottled.
Syrups First Made and Then a
Charged Water Is Added
Augusta Has Two OF These Soda Manuiaclur.
ing Houses in Operation.

| standing still in its extreme heated
! condition, mans thought turns fondly
to drink. All do not care for the cup
that incbriates. but for the cooling
refreshing glass of soda or of bottled
| light beers that contain no alcohol
though they have the iizz that takes
hold of the tongue
In such a day as above described and
with the man in the condition men,
| toned. a paradise is a small beer
manufacturing and bottling establish
ment. Here the sparkling water
charged with a carbon gas is mixed
with the syrup and is bottled, 50 that
AT the next minute it is ready to be
| quaffed from stone mugs. oh, it is
| delicious to watch the process of man
! ufacture even if one does not take a
| taste Of the beverage. 1t will make
the water run from the mouth of the
ordinary man who has visited one Of
| these establishments. to think of days
after when one of the dry times
/ have reached him.
| Augusta has two of these bottling es-
| tabishments-two of these GASES in the
| dry desert of a hot summers day
Here it is that the small drinks for the
! country around are made. These two
places are conducted by Walter Pack
| ard and II. J. Cross. Both are situated
in the southern part Of the city in the
ravines in connection with the springs
that boil up and supply the city with
water that is furnished customers
every day. This water supply is some
thing wonderful both in purity and in
abundance, and they make their syrups
50 that they are wonders in the way
IF cleanliness.
The Journal reporter called at the
GIcnwood Spring Company. Mr. Cross
establishment. the other afternoon.
We have previously written descrip-
ton Of the neat buildings in telling Of
the water supply that comes from here.
This spring has a capacity Of Is gallons
a minute, ana is the source Of the sup
ply that keeps the three teams at work,
each forenoon, delivering
This water is used in the manufac-
turc IF the soda, being conducted to a
clean tank III the bottling department..
In thinking Of the manufacture of
ginger ale and bottled sodas. everyone
supposes the mixture is first of all
mixed in a large tank. Not So The
syrup is not mixed with the charged
water until it is put into the bottle.
First Of all the syrups are mixed. A
simple syrup of sugar and water max
ing 2 saturated solution. is mixed and
the fiavors and colors are added. In
that up-to-date establishment there
are an innumerable number Of navors
In the Augusta houses they have be-
tween 20 and 30. The ginger ale is the
sort that is the most used, and Of this
syrup a greater amount must. of
course, be used. In the preparation Of
this. eight different things are used.
and the last Of the process is the filter
ing Of the syrup.
Next comes the preparation of the
water. or, in other words, the charging
as the carbonator is arranged so that
the gas from the tubes bought in Bos-
ton. is turned down into another part
Of the machine where the water goes
in. A set Of fans strike the water here,
so that in entering the water, the gas
goes evenly through it. There is only
4 certain amount of the gas that the
water will absorb. When the carbon
ator is filled with the charged water
it is automatically shut off, so that if
the bottling machines are not using the
water fast enough, there will be no
waste of gas.
Now a word about the gas. 1t is
carbon gas. manufactured and sent
here in tanks that resemble elongated
projectiles to a siX-inch gun. They are
charged to what is known as 240O
pounds pressure. Just what this pres
sure represents the Journal is unable.
to state. The soda manufacturer tells
that the soda tanks are charged to 200
pounds and the siphons to $50 pounds.
The bottled ginger ale and small beers
| is charged to 80 pounds This repre-
sents the pressure that is registered on
| the carbonator. and can he regulated
| by the workman The water Thus
| charged is much more sharp when il
| has the 1S0-pound pressure than if Is
| when there is but SO pounds. In
charging a tank Of soda such az ARR
used by the dealers, ten gallons of
water are charged with gas to 200
| pounds pressure
Here we have the syrup ready and
waiting and the water charged. The
bottles are placed in a machine into
which there are two tubes running
| One of these leads the syrup and the
other the water This is calIoJ tbo t>o+