1868 The complete Practical Distiller

SPIRIT OP POTATOES.

107

To this effect, it is necessary to place them in ware- houses, or other suitable places, where the temperature never gets sa low as to endanger them. Cellars are very proper to fulfil this object, because they keep almost inva- riably, in winter as in summer, at a temperature of 55^ Fahr. There are two methods of preparing potatoes for fermentation; the object of both is to saccharify their The first is by means of malted barley or Indian corn, and, though practised in town distilleries, is more generally followed in the country, because it is more in- timately connected with the feeding of cattle; and is composed of three operations. Potatoes were first used for distillation many years ago, and the method then adopted consisted in submitting them to the action of boiling water, as it is still done in their preparation for food. For this purpose stills of 3 or 4 hectolitres were used, but the difficulty of getting the potatoes out of these ves- sels, and the expense of fuel, soon caused it to be replaced by that of steaming them, which mode is much less ex- pensive. Various apparatuses have been invented for boiling potatoes; the following is said to be the most perfect : Fig. 13 represents this apparatus erected on brick- work. A is a copper still, provided with a cover B strongly fastened to the neck of the still by means of iron nippers, similar to those made use of in the improved apparatus of Adam and Berard, which will be spoken of hereafter. The cover b bears a curved tube C D, which carries off the steam ; the extremity d of this tube is furnished with u collar, by which means it may be screwed to any other fecula.