The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-09-14
MAKING SORGHUM Strip.
Lining Essential and How to Do ]
SUCCESSFULLY

LILLE LII nculrdHzlHS the acids contain
ed In sorghum juice. 1t is used by all
cane sugar and>beet sugar makers and
sugar refners as a necessary means
for clarifying their liquids. The use
OF lime in sorghum Juice is in some
respects quite unsatisfactory. The
juice Is always acid, sometimes strong
ly acid. Sirups containing all Of the
acids naturally in sorghum juice, con-
centrated by evaporation, from six to
eight gallons of juice to one gallon of
strip, are too acid to suit the great
majority Of strip users, who are &C
customed to the mild, neutral sirups
made by refners and mixers. The
acids also hold Impurities Of the Juice
IN solution, so that these cannot be
removed. Proof Of this is seen when
sorghum juice is lined until neutral
that is, neither acid nor alkaline. A
part Of the impurities then becomes
solid. BY adding acid to the Juice
these solid impurities redissolve and go
into solution In the Juice again.
But lime not only neutrafizes the
acid. 1t also attacks and degrades
other substances in the Juice. A large
quantity Of lime Is used In beet Juice
without harm. A, large quantity can
be used In sugar cane Juice with less
harm than can be used In sorghum
Juice When sample Of sorghum
Juice fs lined to excess on a cool morn
ing, It Is seen that the juice Is not dis
coiored when the temperature is below
80 degrees r. II becomes slowly dis
coaored when the temperature rises
above go degrees. 1t Is rapidly discol-
ored above 80 degrees and is instantly
discolored at the boiling point This
seems to indicate that 1t is better to
lime the juice when cold. Lime.
changes by keeping, hosting strength by
absorbing carbonic acid gas from the
air and forming more or less carbonate
Of lima Lime Is but slightly soluble
tn water. Seven hundred pounds OF
water dissolve one OF lime, and II does
not long remain In suspension IN wa
ter, 30 that the phrase milk c& Iirner
or Cream OF lime" conveys an fndeA-
mite idea Of the amount fsltme con.
tafned In the liquid. Common lime d
also OFTEN made from very Impure
iimeS1onG fft ~ I;Sf asyt RS TahG 10
& As has already been said sorghum
juice varies greatly IN Degree Of sefd-
~. sometimes requiring much, noes
Hme than az other timeA For these
reasons IT - cot poss5bse 10 form 3
general ruie Cor timing sorghum djusce,
except ithe4 AFTER the psoesss 'thsd juice
'sh0uld always ssilshtty reddsa, o scrip
of blue litmus papes witch hae sbsea
tinbmezsed sn he nme, Juice Tits b.
dicates Mat ne 3u3cs = sttll, sttgAk3y
aesd ana INST no. inueA Nine haS pot
been used II - unsaS tsfa tory DO nse
TOO, little 1im& tdims1at 10 uss TIE
proper equaAt1ty. ma ytAsi sirup u IN
3tked wAeh too mHch u used; WhSd
too little lime h used the c3asihcation
y imperfect. the Juice n .summy and
cannot 81 nltered and me sirrp has q
more % Less rank AAvos. whsn nme
- rightly used u larger amount of
impurity can be removed BY skimmtng
and settling, and the sirup hasa pleas
anter favor and keeps better q The
proper lining Of sorghum 3uice, b %
dimcult that most siup mxkers
do not practice Il The few who
DO take care to employ too little
iirne. This practical di1hculty IN
properly neutralising che acids In
sorghum juice has long stood in
the way Of progress In sirup rnanu-
fActure, The use OF lime or, Of IN
equivalent substance appears essential
to the production Of an improved quail
fty Of strip. Until further expert
mental work has been done, sorghum
strip makers should use lime spaYing-
Tly-about pint Of milk Of lime (not
cream of lime) Ike whftewash, In 80
gallons OF juice. The lined juice, after
thorough mixing, should slightly red
den a piece. Of litmus- per:aSThefo rez
going information Is reproduced from
farmers bulletin No. 80, in which A.
A. Denton Of Kansas discusses the en-
tire subject Of the manufacture Of
sorghum strip from the planting Of
the seed to the finished product.