The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-01
WINEMAKING With BACTERIA.
PROF. ALWOODS RESEARCHES IN
FRANCE AND GERMAN.


Of Wine MERRY BY Using the ProDcr
Germs -tses OF Ills Investigations.
RICHMOND, Va. Aug si.-Prof. Atwood
81 the Virginia Polytechnic institute spent
last year In Laboratories Of France and Ger
many to study the germs which arise In tbs
manufacture Of fine wines, and he has de-
voted The last eight months To mastering ths
details Of the work which he began abroad.
lie 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
innumerablc tubcr. vials and other appara-
tus. he explained the theories and possi-
bilities u the work In which he Is engaged.
and IT, probable effect ON the manufacture
Of wines Of high grade In his country.
Pointing 10 a small vial. he said
This vial contains the germs which pro-
duo. the famous Sauteme wines. and in
thi- other. the Bordeaux Here Is a vial OF
germs isolated from the finest Of French
c~hampagnes. Ia the other tuh-s have tho
g.rms of the celebrated Rudszheimer whiie
wines. and a whole collection from tue
noted Rhine wines.
What arr these gcrms''
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 10y this growth they consume
tho sugar Of the fruit juiN,s, producing
alcohol TO about half the weight Of sugar.
and the balance Of the sugar escapes -
gas, which causes the APPEARANCE spoken
of a. working or fcrmentati'l
Fermentation i simply a result ot the
growth ofYeast plants. No. they cannote
H. seen with the naked eye, as they are only
about I-lo.CuOth part ~ an inch in length.
and each IL unicrllular These tiny cells
produce daughter orlls 10y budding, and 20
on indefinitely. until the sugar substance
In the luuid ls consumed, whrI the hiti
comes 90 rest and fermentation Is prActt-
caliy completed
But what 81 the theory that these or
ganisms affect the quality Of the liquorF
That does appear strange. and from NV
own work | am inclined to modify verv
much some Of the statements that have beel
mad. Ia regard to these germs. But It 4.
trl. that there are good germs and bad
germs There ar, germs which will pro-
duce strong. even fermentation, carrying
II on with regularity until Ia" sugar - con-
sumed And there are other germs which
will NO, produce this fine character Of fer
Iilt'NlNhlANI anu ~ "ll|"A 49,
Of breaking up all the sugar Then some
germs have a cloudy liquid which Is din
cult tu clear Further, these various germs
APPEAR TO H. able to produce different odors.
which materially affect the bouquet Of tbs
liquors produced.
NV statement 81 the possibility Of using
these ~ ms 10 AFFECT quality j. put A. TOT
lows That given n proper variety Of fruis
grown on favorable soil and the juice ev-
pr~Ss.si in a proper manner 80 A. 20 guard
it, cleanliness. then spwu AT once with q
strong culture Of good yeast, n will be IBIS
to obtain such control 81 IN" liquid that tbs
lad germs are quite crowded out, and events
uallv tho proper germs remain IL entirs
possession Of ~" field; thus i's character
will h.. given I'm considerable measure tO
'hc resulting liquor But 10 say that an~
fruit JUICE containing even the rcqulsli'
amount % sugar and other matters carr
b. ferfnented into a Sau'eruc a BordeauNi
a sherry or other special wines al VIII OF
the operator l. certainly very Tar from
what The known facts warrant
Then II woul appear that the great
expectations of this work, which havs
b-.u fustcr't by certain writers. arr noS
to H. realiusdf-
Yes. The extreme s'atements are never
To H., realized IN my opinion hut the CON-
plcte Investigation Of th" subject H. not
half finished. have progressed far enough
to f-.l myself warranted an saying that
when We have studied carefully the Or
gani-ms found IN any district and have
omulovcd thuse having 'hy tS'si character
e. produce the fcrmeutcd fruit beverages
Of that district. this viii result in a won
dsrful advance la r'gart 10 IN" quality
Of the Nariuu fruit beverages produocn:
And this knowh-dgc and Utilization OF
pure cultures will rnablr the manufac-
iur.r 20 produce with certainty
qualities which IL haG not been pOssihls
20 produce heretofore. when the iermrnta-
tinn has trcn allowed To take it, own cour-",
with all manner Of wild germs which may
hapIrn 90 - present.
Il this wor1 carried on 10 any extenr
IN America
4 think not In fact. | do not know
81 any other place lu America where ms
breeding Of thrs, germs = bcing carrF'i
on. and | think | was the first American
To- master the details ot this work ~ tins
French and German Laboratories.
What SUCCESS attends IA" foreign lhhora-
tories Ia the way of producing and dis
passing of th"~" grrm-'
lin Franc, ,hav an iring largely sold
from the Institute la Claire, pnesidet
over hy Jacqlpmin, and Al~u from tbs
laboratory Of Prof FCrunlach. the Institute
PastcuT But a very iargr I-r'rniage %
the Us.pplr in the wine and Cider making
dis'nCt- of francr were not using them:
In Germany | found that "a" Royal school
for Wine Culture At Otci.ent"iin had DE-
,cl"Is'd the culture ~ the~' yeasi- on q
Thoroughly pra'tlHtl ana r'l'illn' hAHr
and that the germs were ui-rd very largely
both for wines and elders Certain days
while wa in the laboratory a. a studcus
~. sales 81 these germs amounted 10
the sum " siOp "a cav They arr mailed 10
REy ;.rt 81 the Continent. and even 10
foreign %cuuutrie>. hv putting them into .
liquid solution IN a tightly sealed bottle
1T l. hop-d that our work may lead 70
something like thu IN America ! should
~av that was the agent Of the United
S'ai.~ nvpartmcLt of Agriculture whlls
carving out THU work In EuroPe u 10
hotpd that the Department of Agricul-
turr will r4e it, way cloar to establish Q
lad Yratpry fr th" culture and dissem-
nation - these special germs which I
havc cplleCtrd Ia furpI-. and also for
the isolation and cultur" ~ germs native
to ~" districts 81 oar own country
am Of the opinion that thi- latter work
will l., even morn important 90 vs. than
using the germs peculiar 20 foreign wins
and irmi growing districts