1868 The complete Practical Distiller

— PROCESS OF MASHING.

119

POTATOES

made into paste. When the fecula is thought sufficiently drained, the drainer is turned over on a table used for this purpose, and there it is broken into pieces. This operation is only necessary, as already observed, when the fabrication of fecula is not connected with that of spirits. This has been done at Paris, for instance, where many distillers buy their fecula from the starch-makers. From a given quantity of potatoes, 20 per cent, of dry fecula is obtained. No more can be reckoned upon, for the ope- ration of rasping is not perfect enough to produce the result indicated in the chemical analysis. For a tub of 12 hectolitres, intended to contain only 11 hectolitres of matter, from 80 to 85 kilogrammes of dry fecula, or from 120 to 125 kilogrammes of raw fecula, or all the fecula resulting from 400 kilogrammes or 5J hec- tolitres of good potatoes, are made use of. This quantity is deposited in the tub with a portion of cold water, so as to form a tolerably clear paste ; that is, with about twice its weight of water. But great care should be taken to stir this mixture, because without this precaution the fecula, which is much heavier than water, would prompt- ly precipitate itself to the bottom of the tub, and there form a hard sediment, which is with great difficulty brought to a state of suspension. This state of suspension is necessary for a subsequent part of the operation. Every thing being thus disposed, PROCESS SPOKEN OF IN THE FIRST MODIFICATION.