1868 The complete Practical Distiller

THE COMPLETE PRACTICAL DISTILLER.

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and added to the brewing of the common worts. This mixture, although so high in gravity, is yet generally well fermented, being cut down so low as from 6 to 2 pounds on Dicas's instrument, (given further on.) This attenuation is accomplished generally in the space of from 10 to 20 days at most. When perfectly fine, it is put into the wash-still, and distilled into low wines. These are afterward put into the low wine still, and made into spirits and feints. The mere working of these stills is a simple mechanical process, to perform which, from their great size, there is plenty of time. The average charge of a wash-still is from 10,000 to 20,000 gallons of wash at once, and the charge of the low wine still is the produce of the wash from the wash-still. From this it will be seen that the particular still requisite in conducting a distillery to advantage, relates to the brew- ing of strong worts, and to the proper fermenting of them, a sort of knowledge which has absolutely become a science in the hands of those who possess it. When the still is charged with goods for distilling, and luted, then make the fire under it, which should be of coals, if they can be obtained, because their heat is most durable, and wood fires are subject to both extremes, of too much and too little heat, which are prejudicial and hazardous. Let the fire be pretty moderate at first ; then increased by degrees, and now and then stirred up with the poker; and by laying the hand upon the body of the still, as the fire gains strength in the stove or furnace under the still, you will by moderate degrees carry it up to the still-head. When this becomes warm or hot, a damp is to be prepared to check or lessen the violence of