The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-09-19
MAKING VINEGAR
ON SMALL SCALE
important for Housewife to Pre-
pare Her Own Supply for
Use This Year.
use SOUND AND RIPE FRUIT
Contain More Sugar Than When Green
or Underripe and Consequently
Produce Stronger Article
Kegs Should Be Clean.

Since war Industries are using great
quantities Of acetlc acid, the acid pres
ent In vinegar, Ii the manufacture Of
arLlane wings, and in many other
ways in munitions Of war, the demand
on the commercial vinegar plants rem
ders the making Of vinegar In the home
more important than ever before.
The directions given below are for
making vinegar on a small scale for
household use. While the principle is
the same In manufacturing on a com
mercial scale, different methods are
employed In handling large quantities.
The fruit used for making vinegar
should be sound and fully ripe. Par
tially decayed fruit Is no better for
vinegar making than for eating and
should not be used. Fruits, when ripe,
contain more sugar than when green
or underripe and consequently produce
ID stronger vinegar,
p Cider Mil or Food Chopper.
For these reasons select sound, ripe
fruit. Wash thoroughly and remove
all decayed portions Crush either in
a machine made for this purpose, such
as a cider mill, or, for small quantl-
ties. run through a food chopper.
Squeeze out the juice in press and
put into a clean barrel, key or crock
for fermentation. If press Is not avail
able, allow the mass TO ferment for two
or three days and then squeeze by hand
through cheesecloth. More juice Is OBJ
tanned In this way. Great care should
be taken 90 have all the utensils thor
oughly clean and to handle the fruit in
a clearly manner. If old kegs or bar
rels, especially old vinegar barrels are
used, they should be cleansed thor
oughly and all traces Of the old vinegar
removed. If this is not done, the old
vinegar will interfere with the alCo-
hOlic fermentation and possibly spoil
the product After the juice has been
squeezed out, add a fresh compressed
yeast cake to every FIVE gallons Of the
juice.
Work the yeast up thoroughly In
about one-half cup of the juice and
add 10 the expressed juice, stirring II
thoroughly. Cover with n cloth tt
Keep insects away and allow to fer
ment The best temperature for fer
mentatlon IS between so and 80 degrees
+. DO not put IN II cold cellar, al
IS the custom in many localities, or th'
fermentation will be too slow. At 81
10 30 degrees f. alcoholic fermentation
will usually be complete In from three
90 four days TO week. In othe
words, It will stop working" ms indl
Gated by the cessation Of bubbling. |
Is now ready for the acetic acid fer
mentatlon, during which the alcohol /
changed into acetic ucid
Add Some Strong Vinegar
After the active alcoholic fermenta
ton (bubbllng) stops it Will be foun
advantageous to add some good, stronl
fresh vinegar In the proportion Of on
gallon Of vinegar to three gallons O
fermenssd Juice.
Instead OF the vinegar one can ad
a good quantity Of the sO-called 'motl
err" II mother" Is used, however, on
should use only that growing on tn
surface Of the vinegar, and not tht
which has gone 70 the bottom. Vim,
gar mother which has fallen 10 Ii
bottom Is no longer producing acct
acid.
After adding the vinegar, cover wii
cloth and keep IN dark place b