Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-15
SORGHUM MAKING
METHODS TOLD

From analyses of the sugar con-
tent of sorghum at different stages
Of growth, it appears that the best
time to harvest for syrup making
is from the time the seed is in the
late milk stage until it is becoming
dry. If cut too early, the syrup
will have an unripe taste. If cut
when the seeds are very hard, the
Juice is said to be difficult to clar-
ify and the flavor of the syrup is
not good. d,
Juice obtained by moderate press
ing for extraction is purer than shat
obtained by extreme pressure, for
under the latter condition not only
more juice but also more impure
ties from the rind and joints of the
cane are extracted. Where cane is
cheap and abundant, it is inadvisa-
BILE to increase the extraction of the
juice by excessive pressure.
The object of Qualification is to
remove the Objectionable substances
from the raw juice to improve the
grade of syrup. These impurities
vary, depending upon the season.
variety of cane, pressure used in ex-
traction, and ripentss or condition
of the cane. Settling removes most
of the undissolved impurities but
those going into solution must be
removed by heat or chemical treat
ment. The use OF chemicals very
often completely changes the flavor
of the syrup. By far the greater
number of syrup nj 1kers use heat
alone, and this method is to pe pre-
ferred in the manufacture on small
CnoJn nYo6 ic a1cn Ivy J1Ssn6
in cane syrup manufacture. y
On heating the raw juice, a coagu-
lation of the albunlinous matter &C.
ours and this rises to the top. re-
moving at the same time most of the
suspended matter. The temperature
of the JUICE is brought nearly to the
boiling poiGt, and then the heat turn
ed off and the juice allowed to
off for evaporation.
If lime with heating is used for
Qualification, great care must be eX-
ercised, as excess will spoil the flaw
or of the syrup. The juice from
certain varieties and at certain times
of the season has high acidity,
and the lime is used to partially 1eu-
tralize it. The lime is first Stacked
wash. The juice is lined 20 slight
acidity, keeping on the safe side,
which is the acid side. This point
may be determined by testing the
thoroughly stirred juice with litmus
paper, and is the point ut which the
juice turns blue litmus a faint red.
In case too much lime has been add
ed, the litmus remains blue and
more fresh unlimed juice should be
added. The amount of lime to be
used is in the neighborhood of one
quart of lime to 100 gallons of the
raw Juice. The lime should be add
ed by allowing it to drip into the
Juice as it comes from the mill.
The advantage of using heat alone
for Qualification is that the acidity
of the juice causes a natural inver-
sion of the sucrose during concen-
tration, and hence there will lie less
crystallization. This suffices in most
cases to prevent crystalliZation, but
when the sorghum is very ripe has
a high sucrose contenO the syrup
may still crystalline. Some makers
accomplish the desired inversion by
allowing the cane to remain in the
field for "a hours or more after cut
ting. This practice reduces the
amount of sucrose in the cane, hut
its effect on the flavor of the syrup
is matter of conjecture. However,
the danger of disqualification in sor-
ghum syrup is much less thin in
cane syrup.
w. A. MO1.GAN,
Assistant Chemist.