The Sauk Centre herald., 1906-05-17
HOpTICIWN
In Vinegar Making.

Temperature plays an important
part in the making Of vinegar. Some
of our best vinegar makers declare
that the best temperature for this
work Is between 68 and SO degrees.
The cider should not be permitted TO
reach a higher temperature than 50
degrees nor should it be allowed to
drop below so. This rule Is not in
keeping with the practice Of those
that permit their vinegar to freeze
slightly before removing it to the cef
lar or other storage place. The mat
ter is Of importance, showing that we
have as much reason to watch the
temperature in vinegar making as IN
butter making. The old systeE OF
vinegar supply Of the farm that had
small orchard was to make bar
rel Of cider each year and let 1t ripen
for over two years before beginning
TO- use Il, estimating that the barrel
made one season would be used dur
ing the third season from its making.
II was generally believed that two
year>od vinegar had about the right
strength for the best service. Accord
ing to the present makers Of vinegar,
this was Q useless waste Of time. In
those 6Ays the barrels were left out
Of doors tiIl freezing time came, when
they we've bunged up and rolled into
the cellay. being again taken out the
next sDeins and the bung removed to
permh Che entrance of air. On many
farm there was one place by the
side Of fence on one side Of the
farm house yard, where two or three
vinegar barrels were always to be
seen IN summer time, the barrels be-
ing on their sides and end to end.
Most OF the work of the bacteria aceu
was done during the summer months
Now the vinegar maker puts hts
cider into barrels and stores it in q
warm room long before the cold gets
to 1t, taking care to see that the tenn
perature b not much under seventy
degrees. Very often now the cellar ts
not used Tor this work at all, at least,
not the cellar that is used for the
storage Of farm vegetables and roots.
Il used to be believed that the cell
lar that was suited to the keeping
Of potatoes, apples and roots was
also suitable for the storing Of
cider tn process of changing in
to vinegar. But this is no longer
believed. We need, for the keeping
of vegetables, the temperature of the
O01foP ~ tho fro01iy>w
point @ possible, while for the max
of hfst-ciass vinegar we need a tenn
pera1pSe OF 40 degrees higher or there
abouta.
The man that has q small orchard
and wants to make single barrel 1
vinegar VIII not find it advisable to
have room specially heated for ths
ripening Of his vinegar. He can. how
ever, utilize the family kitchen, II hs
can spare the space for keg or smaa
barrel, bat hardly for two. However,
in such q temperature the ripeniRe
process goes on so rapidly that ysar
will. give vinegar Of the desiRsA
strength. The barrel should not b
air tight, but should be uncovered
enough to allow the air to reach It.
The mother" will then form rapidly
and the process Of ripening will be
Accelerated. All farmers have seaa
what IL Known as mother" but fsw
understand its province. This mother
is mass of threads Of bacteriuu
aceti held together by peculiar jelly.
These bacteria are all the time drew
ing from the cider its alcohol and
from tie air its oxygen and combdn-
ing them 10 form acetic acid, which 10
then discharged into the liquid. Il
win therefore be seen that the mother
ts not to be skinned OF but cacs-
fully retained, as the process Of soar.
ing win not go on without it. &