The Washington times., 1901-09-08
BACTERIA In WINEMAKING
Prof. AlwoOd's Researches in
France and Germany.
Little Probability, He Thinks, of
People Ever Being Able to Make
Any Kind of Wine by Using Germs
The Result of His Investigations.

| Prof. Atwood of the Virginia Polytech-
mic Institute spent last year in laborato-
| ries of France and Germany TO study the
germs which arise in the manufacture
| of fine wines. and he has devoted the last
eight months to mastering the details OF
| the work which he began abroad He
| brought with him from France and Ger
many specimens of the various germs
| found in the famous wine-producing dis
| tricts. Seated in his laboratory amid in
Vulnerable tubes. walls, and other ap-
paratus. he explained the theories and
possibilities OF the work in which he is
engaged, and its probable effect on the
manufacture of wines of high grade In
this country. Pointing to & small vial he
said:
This vial contains the germs which
produce the famous Sauterne wines. and
In this other the Bordeaux. Here is a
vial Of germs isolated from the finest of
French cbampagnes. In the other tutas
have the germs of the celebrated Rudes-
heimer white wines. and II whole collec-
ton from the noted Rhine wines"
What are these germs?'
"They are simply minute vegetable or
ganisms which find the juice of fruits the
proper soil or medium in which to effect
their growth, and by this growth they
consume the sugar of the fruit juices,
producing alcohol TO about half the
weight of sugar, and the balance OF the
sugar escapes as gas. which causes the
appearance spoken of as working or fer
mentaticu
Fermentation is simply a result OF tho
growth of yeast plants. No. they cannot
be seen with the naked eye. as they are
only about 1-10.C00th part of an inch in
length, and each Is unicellular. These
tiny cells produce daughter cells by bud
ding, and so on indefinitely, until the
sugar substance in the liquid is consumed.
when the fluid comes to rest and fermen-
tation is practically completed
But what of the theory that these or
ganisms affect the quality of the liquor?"
That does appear strange, and from
my own work L am inclined to modify
very much some of the statements that
have been made in regard to these germs.
But it is true that there are good germs
and bad germs There are germs which
will produce strong, even fermentation.
carrying it on with regularity until the
sugar is consumed. And there are other
germs which will not produce this fine
character of fern entation and which ap-
pear quite incapable of breaking up all
the sugar. Then some germs have a
cloudy liquid, which is difficult to clear.
Further, these various germs appear to
be able to produce different odors. which
materially affect the bouquet of the
liquors produced.
My statement of the possibility of US
ing these germs to affect quality is put
as follows: That given proper variety
of fruit grown on favorable soil and the
Juice exposed in a proper manner so as
to guard its cleanliness. then sown az
once with a strong culture OF good yeast,
it will be able to obtain such control of
the liquid that the pad germs are quite
crowded out, and eventually the proper
germs remain in entire possession of the
field; thus it's character will be given in
considerable measure to the resulting
liquor. But to say that any fruit juice
containing even the requisite amount of
sugar and other matters can be fermented
into Sauterne, Bordeaux, sherry or
other special wines at will of the opera
tor is certainly very far from what the
known facts warrant"
Then it would appear that the great
expectations OF this work, which have
been fostered by certain writers, are not
to be realized?'
Yes. The extreme statements are new
complete investigation of the subject is
not half finished. 1 have progressed far
enough to feel myself warranted in say
ing that when we have studied carefully
the organisms found in any district and
have employed those having the best
character to produce the fermented fruit
beverages of that district. this will re-
suit in wonderful advance in regard to
produced And this knowledge and utili-
zation of pure cultures will enable the
manufacturer to produce with certainty
standard qualities which it has not been
possible to produce heretofore. when the
fermentation has been allowed to take its
own course. with all manner of wild
germs which may happen to be present"
rs this work carried on to any extent
in American
81 think not In fact, I do not know
of any other place in America where the
breeding of these germs is being carried
on, and l think 1 was the first American
to master the details of this work in the
French and German laboratories"
What success attends the foreign Ia
boratories in the way of producing and
disposing OF these germs?"
In France they are being largely sold
from the Institute La Claire. presided
over by Jacquemin, and also from the Ia
boratory of Prof. Ferunbach, the Insti-
tute Pasteaur But a very large percent
age of the people in the wine and cider
making districts of France We're not u.s.
ing them. In Germany l found that the
Royal School for Wine Culture at Geisen-
helm had developed the culture of these
yeasts on thoroughly practical and sci
entific basis, and that the germs were
used very largely both for mines and ci-
ders. Certain days while l was in the la
boratory as a student the sales of these
germs amounted to the sum of 500 day.
They are mailed to any part of the Cont
nent, and even to foreign countries, by
putting them into a liquid solution in
tightly sealed bottle.
1t is hoped that our work may lead
to something like this in America.
should say that l was the agent of the
United States Department of Agriculture
while carrying out this work in Europe.
II is hoped that the Department of Agri-
culture Will see its way clear to estab-
lish a laboratory for the culture and dis
senination of these special germs which
l have collected in Europe, and also for
the isolation and culture of germs native
to the districts of our own country. l
am of the opinion that this latter work
will be even more important to US than
using the germs peculiar to foreign wine
and fruit growing districts"
ENGLAND'S SEA GYPSIES.